Denver Restaurants

1515 Restaurant, one of Denver's most consistently high-performing restaurants, offers contemporary Colorado cuisine with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood and local meats, including beef, buffalo and seasonal game. But the most notable menu item is perhaps the sought-after Kobe beef burger. It bears mention that 1515 Restaurant has also received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence four years running.

Alto Denver, in the center of the LoDo district adjacent from Larimer Square, is a stylish Denver eatery known for its weekly live music, featuring world-class jazz ensembles for the Denver restaurant-going crowds. Executive chef and general manager Michael Farrell offers up a seasonal menu featuring local ingredients such as a braised buffalo short rib, served with a parsnip puree and a watercress gremolata.

This neighborhood take on a traditional French bistro by owner/executive chef Jennifer Jasinski and her staff draws Denver's restaurant-goers with a seasonal menu of French bistro classics made with local ingredients, such as grilled quail, trout fillets, lamb and seasonal vegetables. The concept seems to be working, as Bistro Vendome- named for a popular historic square in Paris- has racked up an impressive list of awards, especially for their wine list offering a range of imported vintages covering the major wine growing regions of France.

The Denver location of the national chain of ultra-premium steakhouses, Capital Grille boasts of the finest dry aged beef, cigars, and a critically acclaimed wine list. The prices, as to be expected, are up there, but the service is above and beyond what one might expect from an ordinary restaurant experience. And the food is top-notch. Carmine's on Penn is a traditional neighborhood family-style Italian restaurant with a unique take on ordering: no menus, just chalkboards and the recommendations of the wait staff. Carmine's on Penn also offers a rotating list of imported regional wines directly from Italy.

This staple of the Denver restaurant scene offers a throwback atmosphere reminiscent of a 1930s-era brew house, complete with big-band music nightly. The Denver Chophouse and Brewpub brews their own popular craft beers on site and serves up the finest local meets and seafood. The Denver Chophouse and Brewpub is extremely popular with Denver's banquet crowd, hosting large parties and events such as past Denver Bronco Super Bowl victory banquets.

Jax Fish House, located in the heart of LoDo, is considered by locals to be one of Denver's top restaurants, especially in the seafood category. The menu features a broad range of continental fusion preparations of fresh seafood, and a raw bar stocked with fresh crab, lobster, clams and a variety of oysters all flown in daily. The downtown location makes Jax Fish House popular amongst the Denver happy hour crowd and those on the town for nightlife or to catch a game.

This award winning downtown Denver restaurant is perhaps best known for its art deco Cruise Room martini bar, originally opened in 1933—the day after the repeal of prohibition. The Cruise Room is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is perennially named the best place for martinis in Denver. As far as the food goes, McCormick's boasts of over 30 seafood varieties on the menu daily, in addition to a broad selection of appetizers, grilled fare, desserts and wine.

Morton's—the national high-end steakhouse brand—arrived in Denver, bringing with it its signature classic steaks, chops and seafood delivered to your table on a cart by tuxedo-clad wait staff. Morton's also offers private "boardroom" dining rooms for large parties interested in either business or pleasure.

This Denver Italian restaurant is the third and most recent northern Colorado Pulcinella to open. Originally a pizzeria, this latest incarnation of Pulcinella offers reasonably priced traditional Italian entrees with a contemporary flair, such as the grilled mahi mahi fillet on a bed of orzo with lemon sauce, white asparagus and radicchio.

Highly acclaimed Denver chef and restaurateur Jennifer Jasinski is behind Rioja, a Mediterranean-inspired bistro in the heart of Denver on the 16th St. promenade. Much like its sister Denver restaurant, Bistro Vendome, Rioja places an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients using Mediterranean influences. Beside the food, Denver restaurant goers also unanimously rave about the design of Rioja, featuring a copper-topped bar and hand-blown glass light fixtures.

The Denver arm of the venerable high-end steakhouse brand is no exception to the Ruth's Chris rule: big steaks, big drinks, big prices. This downtown Denver restaurant is popular amongst the business and banquet crowd, as well as locals out on the town. Denver restaurant-goers and food critics generally agree that while things are a tad bit pricey at Ruth's Chris, the portions and the consistency are worthwhile.

The Samba Room serves up a Latin-fusion take on fresh seafood and local seasonal ingredients, but what this Denver restaurant is perhaps best known for is its happy hour, featuring half-price cocktails and an extensive $2 tapas menu. Also featuring Brazilian and Latin music in both the dining room and bar nightly, Denver restaurant-goers note that the Samba Room is often very busy.

Sullivan's Steakhouse, a national brand with locations in 16 American cities, brings its trifecta of steaks, martinis and jazz to the Denver restaurant scene. Boasting of such amenities as live jazz seven nights a week, an extensive menu of cognacs and single malts, as well as a fully stocked humidor, Sullivan's Steakhouse of Denver caters to those who wish to unwind in style and perhaps put down some aged, USDA prime beef while they're at it.

One of several modern Mexican restaurants in the holdings of chef Richard Sandoval, Denver's Tamayo serves up contemporary styling on traditional Mexican dishes as well as innovative takes on fresh local ingredients such as the crepas de huitlacoche: wild mushroom and huitlacoche crepes with a poblano chile sauce and a chayote salad.

This premium Denver restaurant is one of the powerhouse Canadian "Keg Steakhouse" brand of dininsg establishments, and features all the aged premium beef and fresh seafood and specialty cocktails one might expect from an upscale steakhouse. However Denver restaurant goers note the unpretentious atmosphere and staff of The Keg Steakhouse and Bar of Denver, and have very positive things to say about the bar in this downtown Denver restaurant in particular.

Theorie Restaurant and Lounge of Denver prides itself on an ultra-chic atmosphere, featuring neo-modern furniture and design and sleek interior lighting. The cuisine of Theorie is of a similar…theory. Take for example Theorie's theory on premium beef: espresso crusted prime filet with spicy fingerling potatoes and white truffle creamed spinach. Theorie Restaurant and Lounge dumbs it down a bit with a late night menu for those out on the town in Denver featuring simple continental comfort selections.

Vesta Dipping Grill is a unique concept restaurant combining an atmosphere with a heavy emphasis on relaxation (diners are strongly encouraged to leave cell phones at home, for example) and cuisine featuring elegant grilled fare served with an array of house-made dipping sauces. Vesta Dipping Grill is highly reviewed by both Denver restaurant goers and critics alike.

Via Italian Trattoria and Bar has become a hip Denver downtown after-work hangout, with its well-stocked bar, ample wine list, and its affordable appetizer menu offering "cutting boards" of various antipasti. Via Trattoria also serves traditional Neapolitan pizzas, salads, contemporary pasta dishes and a full Italian entree menu.

This branch of chef Richard Sandoval's "modern Mexican" restaurant group brings Latin and Asian flavors together in Denver on a truly innovative menu on which you'll find dishes such as the "Angry Zengo" sushi roll, featuring spicy yellowfin tuna, avocado, sesame-chipotle rouille and wasabi tobiko. It's not just Japan and Mexico featured at Denver's Zengo either, take the chicken tandoori entree with a masala-achiote grilled chicken breast, naan, black bean daal, and cilantro and mango salsas.