Denver Restaurants

Named after chef Troy Guard (and his daughter, Grace), this 9,000-square-foot space tucked into the street level of the fifty-six-floor CenturyLink Tower is home to the best steaks in the city. Bright, airy, and sleek, with just enough touches of warmth to keep it from being too corporate, Guard & Grace offers everything we’d want from a modern steakhouse: elevated, fresh seafood (plus a raw bar), amazing charcuterie, perfect martinis, and of course, local grass-fed cuts of beef offered in 4 to 22 oz. portions. There’s no official dress code, but it is definitely dressed-up for Denver.

Work & Class is named to represent its simple ethos, which is their goal to provide a “square meal, stiff drink, and fair price.” And really, that kind of undersells it—the Southern–Latin American menu from chef Dana Rodriguez is full of inventive small plates from bacon-wrapped jalapeños, shrimp and grits, and chickpea croquettes to salads like their “massive attack” (tempura broccoli, asparagus, avocado, spinach, cucumbers, parmesan) to substantial meat and fish offerings like whole fried Idaho trout and cochinita pibil. Designed inside some re-purposed shipping containers, the restaurant is small, always packed, and pretty loud and lively.

A relative newcomer to Denver’s taco scene, Dos Santos is among the best: Whether you choose their grilled steak, slow-roasted pork, or chicken tinga tacos, you won’t be disappointed. Our favorite is the O.M.F.G., a bib lettuce-wrapped offering filled with raw tuna, lime cilantro aioli, pickled onion, avocado, and cabbage. (Their guacamole is just as inspired: If you’re so inclined, you can try it with fresh fruit and bacon, or with pumpkin seed, nopal, and roasted tomatillos.) Cement floors, exposed brick, and colorful chairs add to the taqueria’s charm—as does a nice selection of local and Mexican beers, plus amazing margaritas.

This bistro has been in the neighborhood for a decade, making it a LoHi mainstay. Over the years, the upscale (but relaxed) restaurant has maintained more than 40 local partners, who make their farm-to-table commitment possible—and ensure their seasonal menu continues to impress with selections that range from crispy cauliflower with stewed red lentils to country ham carpaccio to “chicken & waffles” (chicken liver mousse on a brown butter waffle with date chutney and pickled shallot). Note: The small space is reliably packed, so it’s good to make a reservation.

This quiet sushi destination right off downtown discreetly serves some of the freshest fish in town. The interior is sleek and calming, and the vibe is unpretentious—it works for date night, as well as a quick lunch during the work week. There's an intimate bar space with a TV downstairs that gets lively at happy hour.

This spot, on the eastern edge of the newly renovated Union Station building downtown, is part white-tablecloth restaurant and part takeaway market. The sit-down portion serves a roughly Italian menu (caramelized potato gnocchi, parsnip tortellini, burrata with beets and citrus confit) with a few American menu items thrown in (broccoli cheddar soup, crispy chicken with vegetable pot pie) in a dining room that features Union Station's signature high ceilings and tall windows that look out onto the plaza. In the takeaway section, you'll find a deli counter with imported cheeses and sliced-to-order prosciutto, plus pastries, a coffee bar, and office-lunch-style sandwiches and salads—including an Italian sandwich that's in the running for Denver's best.

Most people choose not to dwell on the fact that the building Linger occupies was a former mortuary called Olinger's—the "O" on the neon sign had long been busted, and the restaurateurs chose the name of their "eatuary" accordingly. Right in the middle of all the action of LoHi's busiest street, the restaurant has two levels: a dining room downstairs, and a more casual rooftop patio upstairs. The street-food-inspired menu highlights a few different cuisines, with dishes like a falafel lettuce wrap alongside Vietnamese surf 'n turf and a masala dosa. For a casual vibe fitting of the food (or a great happy hour), we actually prefer the second floor, which features a bar housed in a refurbished VW bus and beautiful views of downtown Denver.

The second restaurant from restaurateur Kelly Whitaker, Cart-Driver occupies an unimaginably tiny shipping container tucked into a cozy corner of RiNo. Like at Basta, his restaurant in Boulder, Whitaker specializes in perfect-crust pizza, and here, the only other menu items to distract you are fresh oysters and a small handful of appetizers. There's a lovely patio and simple, all-you-need cocktail list, plus prosecco on tap, so it makes a great happy hour spot when you want to do a bit of snacking. (That said, they're open until midnight every night.)

Tommy Lee's noodle shop in LoHi has been packed since it opened, and for good reason: The small restaurant’s take on traditional Japanese ramen is top-notch, prepared with long-simmered broths, custom-made noodles, and responsibly raised meat and fish. The menu is small but varied—in addition to the ramen, you’ll find offerings like their Brussels sprout salad with coconut, orange, lemongrass, and spicy cashew, plus their buns selection, which includes pork belly with hoisin, cucumber, scallion, and fried green tomato variations. (There are vegetarian options, too.) If you can't brave the crowds for a table, keep in mind that they also do takeout.

Located north of Park Hill in a neighborhood where there aren't many other restaurants, the Plimoth feels a little off the beaten path, and since the interior is cozy and dimly lit, that has the effect of making it feel a little romantic, too. The menu (which changes frequently depending on what's available) is a French/Italian hybrid that makes great use of adventurous vegetables in dishes like a cracklin' chicken with red corn polenta, apple, mushroom, rutabaga, celeriac, and butternut squash; a pork loin with clams, broccolini, and yellow-eye beans; and pavlova made with preserved Colorado cherries.