The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Missing Piece - Puzzle Exchange
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A Westminster corner spot draws crowds for its vast Southeast Asian menu—lemongrass wings are the calling card, but the real pilgrimage is for lesser-known Lao and Cambodian dishes that sprawl across pages of organized excess. Order with a group and taste duck larb and beef loc lac alongside seafood preparations most Denver diners have never encountered.
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 4. The Wolf's Tailor
Contemporary
Chef Taylor Stark builds a multicourse narrative from global influences and local Colorado ingredients, opening with canapés that telegraph his kitchen's resourcefulness and closing with dishes like bison loin glazed in dried shrimp caramel. The beverage program matches the food's ambition—cocktails and wines composed with equal rigor and intelligence.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Emily Thompson
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
- Westword 2026 · Best Secretly High-Tech Cocktails · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Bar Team
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 7. Alma Fonda Fina
Mexican
Chef Johnny Curiel mines his Guadalajara childhood with technical precision, transforming humble ingredients—scallops in tomato butter, sweet potato with salsa matcha—into something both grounded and alive. The menu resists hierarchy; skip dessert and keep ordering, each dish a small argument for restraint's pointlessness.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- 50 Best 2025 · #45 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mountain · Johnny Curiel
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Rank 8. Hey Kiddo
Contemporary
High above Tennyson Street, Chef Kelly Whitaker's playful third-floor restaurant stages broadly Asian-inflected shareable plates—Korean fried chicken with an improbable crunch, pork ribs with salted plum sauce—alongside compelling sides like crispy potato pavé topped with trout roe gravy. Red miso ice cream arrives customizable, a fitting closer to food that treats joy as a fundamental ingredient.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Matt Husted, Erika Whitaker, and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST Hospitality Group
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Westword 2023 · Best New Restaurant-and-Bar Combo · Best of Denver
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Rank 10. Mezcaleria Alma
Mexican
Chef Johnny Curiel channels Mexico City's restless creativity into a narrow mezcal bar where herbaceous ceviches and slow-cooked duck meet dill and mandarin in a single, surprising breath. The agave cocktails are inventive enough to match the food's ambition.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 11. Tocabe
Indigenous
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
- Eater Bison Indian taco · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
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- Westword 2025 · Best Avocado Toast · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in Denver
- 5280 Denver's 25 Best Coffeeshops
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- Westword 2026 · Best No Rules Pasta Shop · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2025 · The Fifteen Best New Denver Restaurants
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A coffee counter that morphs into a sandwich shop then a day bar, Odie B's assembles breakfasts like the Boujee with herbed feta and za'atar on focaccia, then keeps a patio full of regulars nursing green chile bloody marys into afternoon. The spirit is Sunnyside neighborhood life itself—boisterous, casual, unapologetically plural in what it wants to be.
- 5280 2024 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- Westword 2025 · Best Breakfast Burrito · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Expansion · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
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Rank 18. Odell's Bagel
Kaiseki Japanese
By day Odell's moves kettle-boiled bagels topped with vegan carrot lox or hamachi and wasabi; by night, chef-owner Miles Odell pivots to kaiseki at the Counter, a hyperseasonal tasting that channels his years under Japanese masters into exquisite courses of scallop, Wagyu gyoza, and miso ice cream.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Miles Odell
- Westword 2025 · Best Bagel Sandwiches · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Bar for Good Vibes · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Slice of Pie · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Shop for Pie Lovers · Best of Denver
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Rank 21. Coffeegraph
Indonesian
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Bar Team
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service · McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright
- 50 Best 2026 · #67 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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- 5280 Juicy Lucy · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
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- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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Rank 31. Hop Alley
Sichuan Chinese
A sleek dining room channels Denver's Chinatown past while the kitchen reinvents it: gai lan arrives grilled with schmaltz and duck salt, dan dan noodles swim in fiery Sichuan peppercorn broth, shrimp toast gets mustard gastrique and tiger vinaigrass. Bold, playful, contemporary Chinese with cocktails that match its ambition.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Tommy Lee
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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- Westword 2024 · Best Philly Cheesesteak at an Iron Maiden Bar · Best of Denver
- 5280 Cheesesteak · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 33. Kawa Ni
Japanese
A former firehouse turned izakaya where Chef Bill Taibe's Connecticut-inflected Japanese cooking trades convention for curiosity: scallop crudo brightened with grapefruit and dill, kung pao chicken karaage, kimchi udon dressed like carbonara. The bar welcomes walk-ins into a relaxed, convivial room built for drinking sake and nibbling across the menu's freewheeling range.
- Westword 2024 · Best East Coast Transplant · Best of Denver
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- 5280 2025 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 35. Spuntino
Indian-influenced Italian
Chef Cindhura Reddy's modern Italian cooking folds Indian spices into elk tartare and lamb dishes with the ease of someone working from deep conviction rather than novelty. Her husband Elliot Strathmann's beverage program—sourcing obscure Italian producers, fermenting house amari—matches that soulfulness across a dining room animated by genuine warmth.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Cindhura Reddy
- Westword 2023 · Best Non-Traditional Italian Restaurant · Best of Denver
- 5280 2024 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- 5280 2024 · Best for Filling Bellies · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best New Bakery · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best New Takeout Pizza · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 43. The Ginger Pig
Chinese
Chef Natascha Hess spent years absorbing Chinese and Southeast Asian home cooking before opening this brick-walled spot on Lowell Boulevard, where her food truck still parks out front. Boiled pork dumplings swim in chili oil, stir-fried cabbage glows with Thai chili jam—the kitchen knows heat and knows restraint, each dish a legible argument for flavors earned rather than merely applied.
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
- Westword 2026 · Best Culinary-Inspired Cocktails · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Rooftop Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2025 · The Fifteen Best New Denver Restaurants
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Rank 54. The Bindery
Italian/Israeli/Mexican
The Bindery opens before dawn and stays restless until late, a LoHi bakery-cafe where the owner's decades abroad surface in posole verde at breakfast and branzino at dinner. What emerges across the day is less a menu than evidence of an appetite that refuses to settle—smoked rabbit with cheddar and mustard gelato proof that eclecticism, here, is not decoration but conviction.
- 5280 2025 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 55. Temaki Den
Sushi
Temaki Den rolls handmade sushi cones one at a time in a darkened stall within The Source Market Hall, where moody lighting and open sightlines match the precision of its work. Scottish salmon belly with yuzu kosho and crispy shallots, or miso-caramelized eggplant nigiri, arrive warm and intentional—the kind of small, focused menu that rewards repeat visits.
- Westword 2023 · Best Sushi Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best First Date Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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A cramped Platte Street cantina where chef Jose Avila marries Japanese and Mexican traditions through mezcal, music, and dishes built on hoja santa and yuzu. The cocktails follow suit—sotol meets sake, charanda meets shochu—while a taco cart outside and rotating DJs sustain the sense of perpetual celebration.
- Westword 2026 · Best Dessert With Salmon Roe · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 63. Safta
Israeli Mediterranean
Chef Alon Shaya's first restaurant outside Louisiana channels Israeli cooking with unusual clarity—hummus arrives with chanterelle mushrooms and chermoula butter. The airy dining room, annexed to a coffee counter, pairs playful salatim and harissa chicken with genuine originality rather than nostalgia.
- Sunset 2024 · Restaurants · Where to Eat and Drink
- Westword 2023 · Best Brunch Buffet · Best of Denver
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 65. Glo Noodle House
Noodles
A strip-mall ramen shop with dark wood interiors punctuated by vibrant lanterns, named for owner Chris Teigland's mother. The kitchen executes serious flavor across miso bacon broths and heat-forward bowls, with desserts like crispy rice cake and kasu-lime ice cream justifying the trip.
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- Westword 2024 · Best Brewery to Take Visitors · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Beer to Drink Ringside: Helles · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Pro Wrestling Show · Best of Denver
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Rank 69. Kiké's Red Tacos
Birria Mexican
A brick-and-mortar taco shop born from a 2021 food truck, named after patriarch Enrique Silva Figueroa, who spent decades running kitchens in Jalisco. The expanded kitchen turns out birria, carnitas, and al pastor tacos with a full bar backing them up.
- Westword 2023 · Best Tacos · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Move From Food Truck to Brick-and-Mortar · Best of Denver
- 5280 2024 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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The neon-lit basement dining room signals chefs Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki's refusal of restraint: their menu pivots seasonally through global territory, pairing fried sweetbreads with blue cheese one moment, red snapper crudo the next. Cocktails built around dates and balsamic vinegar match this restless spirit, anchored by genuine warmth and a rotating showcase of local talent.
- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Bread and Butter · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Eater Johnny burger · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
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Rank 72. Beckon
Contemporary
Chef Duncan Holmes's counter in a minimalist RiNo space delivers seasonal cooking of striking restraint, with vegetables and desserts that justify the focus. Seared duck with black truffle and a chocolate dessert anchored by salsify ice cream show how discipline and precision can feel generous.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outsdanding Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- Westword 2025 · Best Place to Get a Warm Beer on Purpose · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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A spare, elegant room in RiNo devoted entirely to the cooking of Emilia-Romagna—where bison mortadella meets tigelle and Lambrusco flows easy. The whey-braised pork shoulder with polenta arrives as a kind of argument for why this corner of Italy has always known what it's doing.
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Talnua is a craft whiskey distillery in an Arvada industrial space where the tasting room spins Old Fashioned variations into creative territory—the Elvis features bacon fat-washed peanut butter and plantains, while the Wasabi Tsunami pairs wasabi popcorn-infused gin with the classic frame. It's a casual spot to taste what the owners developed after a honeymoon in Ireland inspired them to build America's first single pot whiskey operation.
- Westword 2023 · Best Distillery Taproom · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Distillery to Visit If You Have a Shamrock Tattoo · Best of Denver
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Rank 79. Sunday Vinyl
Wine Bar
This Union Station wine bar takes its cue from sommelier Bobby Stuckey's Sunday-night ritual of spinning records and opening great bottles, translating that intimate celebration into a lively downtown room bathed in music. The programming is playfully eclectic—Wednesday flight nights pair wines with everything from Billie Eilish to Jimi Hendrix, turning what could be a stiff tasting into something genuinely fun.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
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- Westword 2026 · Best Sunny Day Lunch Spot · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 83. Noble Riot
Wine Bar
Noble Riot is a wine bar where candlelit evenings and gorgeous vintage maps of wine regions set the scene for serious drinking without the stuffiness. The wine list rewards both adventurous tasting and comfortable favorites, and the fried chicken here is good enough to be the reason you came.
- Westword 2023 · Best Fried Chicken · Best of Denver
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 84. Smōk
Barbecue
Counter service at the Source Hotel where an Austin-trained pitmaster builds brisket and jalapeño sausage with restraint and smoke that suggests rather than shouts. The sides fade beside the meat, though a Nashville hot chicken sandwich and sweet potato tots tempt those still hungry.
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Rank 86. Rougarou
Southern
Chef JohnDavid Wright channels the South through boiled peanuts and collard greens, then tilts the lens with hot-and-sour catfish and sorghum-glazed pork. His sister and her husband calibrate cocktails with buttermilk and benne seed, making this Five Points spot feel like a family project where tradition meets playful invention.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best New Bar · Best of Denver
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Rank 90. The Cruise Room
Art Deco Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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Rank 91. Tavernetta
Italian
Tavernetta commands Union Station's grand arrival hall with the ease of a place that knows its worth. Cacio e pepe and lamb ragù rigatoni arrive with the kind of careful execution that justifies the Frasca Hospitality Group's reputation, while the wine list rewards curiosity. An affogato with honey gelato closes the evening in a room that feels both spacious and intimate.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- 5280 2025 · Top Steakhouse · Top of the Town
- 5280 2025 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 2024 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Dave Grant and Rocky Hunter
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Rank 96. King of Wings
Barbecue
A casual spot in Wheat Ridge where grilled wings arrive charred and smoky before getting tossed in one of ten sauces, plus a full taphouse if you want a beer to wash them down. King of Wings bounced back from a kitchen fire with the kind of resilience that makes a neighborhood place worth sticking with.
- Westword 2024 · Best Comeback · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Restaurant for Craft Beer · Best of Denver
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Rank 97. Ash'Kara
Mediterranean
Ash'Kara's dining room glows with the warmth of a neighborhood kitchen that takes its Mediterranean and North African roots seriously, starting with mezze built around wood-fired heritage wheat pita. The cooking trades flourish for restraint—tagines and vegetable-forward plates gain their character from ingredient quality and technique, not artifice.
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- Esquire 2023 · The Telegraph · The Best Martinis in America
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 100. Rioja
Mediterranean
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Eater Fresh bacon · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes