The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near X BAR
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Rank 2. Palace Arms
Inspired French
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Rank 3. Yuan Wonton
Chinese
Chef-owner Penelope Wong runs this Park Hill lunch spot with infectious energy, moving between wonton stations and a rotating menu that pivots on her Chinese and Thai instincts. The twice-fried pork with caramelized pineapple and crispy garlic noodles arrive as proof that constraint—limited hours, small space—breeds invention.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mountain · Penelope Wong
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Mountain · Penelope Wong
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Rank 4. Xiquita
Mexican
Erasmo Casiano's Uptown restaurant layers Mexican sophistication with deliberate opacity—the untranslated menu becomes an invitation to explore, aided by staff who decipher dishes like dry-aged hamachi crudo with salsa negra and duck carnita tacos with equal fluency. Cocktails built from prickly pear and jicama match the kitchen's refusal to simplify.
- Esquire 2024 · Martini Cochinero · The Best Martinis in America
- Westword 2025 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Denver
- 5280 2025 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 10. Guard and Grace
Steakhouse
An oak fire blazes in the open kitchen of this downtown steakhouse, where floor-to-ceiling wine towers and polished modernism frame the serious business of beef. The filet arrives with lime smashed potatoes and chili butter—a dish that justifies the setting's architectural ambition.
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- Westword 2025 · Best Pastries at a Coffee Shop · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Cafe That’s Also a Bakery · Best of Denver
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Darren Chang and Travis Masar channel Taiwanese cooking through a lens of textural audacity and playful restraint, where fermented garlic and jellyfish sit beside dishes of disarming ease. A fried chicken thigh glistens with schmaltz rice and hot honey; a cocktail arrives spiked with rose jam and black tea—each telling the same story of serious ambition wrapped in approachable warmth.
- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 14. Mizuna
French/American
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- Westword 2025 · Best Upscale Thai Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
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Rank 21. Little Arthur's
Pizza
AJ Shreffler runs this spare beer bar on Seventh Avenue with the precision of a fine-dining kitchen, sourcing each ingredient for his cheesesteaks and Sicilian pies as though they were destined for a tasting menu. The sandwiches cost twenty dollars, the pizzas thirty and up, and every loaded fry and brownie arrives as evidence that ambition has no dress code.
- Westword 2025 · Best Pop-Up Turned Brick-and-Mortar · Best of Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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A Capitol Hill corner where the kitchen has quietly pursued local sourcing since 1997, building menus around what grows near Denver rather than what trends elsewhere. The wine list roams toward lesser-known sustainable producers with the same principled restraint that shapes each plate.
- Westword 2023 · Best Farm-to-Table Fare · Best of Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 26. 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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- Westword 2026 · Best Bar Programming · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 29. EDGE
Colorado
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Rank 31. The Porchetta House
Italian
A tight dining room in Uptown yields roast pork of such clarity and juiciness that the Original—arugula, pink peppercorn Kewpie mayo, crispy ciabatta—needs nothing more. Chef AJ Paloni's sandwich shop proves that restraint and a single ingredient done right can overwhelm the senses.
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- Westword 2026 · Best Dim Sum Duo · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Fifteen Best New Denver Restaurants
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Rank 33. Panzano
Italian
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Rank 34. Coperta
Southern Italian
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- Westword 2025 · Best New Taco Joint · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Westword 2026 · Best Wine and Vinyl Club · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Place to Drown Out Your Annoying Friend · Best of Denver
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Rank 44. Rioja
Mediterranean
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Eater Fresh bacon · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
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- Westword 2023 · Best New Club · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Punk Bar · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Surprisingly Vegan Bar Food · Best of Denver
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Rank 46. Marigold
European
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Theo Adley
- Westword 2025 · Best Restaurant That’s Worth the Drive · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 50. Welton Street Cafe
Southern
- Westword 2025 · Best New Digs · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
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Rank 54. sắp sửa
Non-Traditional Vietnamese
The Nguyens' white dining room on East Colfax channels Vietnamese brightness through unexpected ingredients—veal sweetbreads with salsa verde, egg yolk swimming in brown butter and fish sauce—that feel both playful and assured. Cheeky cocktails like the Tiger's Milk, a gin drink perfumed with orange and dill, match the kitchen's refusal to stay still.
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
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- Westword 2023 · Best Pickle Shots · Best of Denver
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2025 · Best New Omakase · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Underground Sushi Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- Westword 2023 · Best Bar/Restaurant for a First Date · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Bar on a Snowy Night · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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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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- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 French Dip · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
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- Westword 2023 · Best Patio for Tortured Writers · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Larimer Street's La Diabla trades polish for color and conviction, with dark wood floors beneath vibrant walls where chef Jose Avila's five-variation pozole—from smoky black to mushroom-forward white—arrives in bowls built for customization and comfort. A mezcal selection deepens the spell.
- The New York Times 2023 · The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Jose Avila
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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- Westword 2024 · Best Vintage Spirits List · Best of Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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Rank 77. Brutø
Contemporary
Chef Byron Gomez's counter in the Dairy Block marries Japanese and Nordic traditions through a fermentation program and a mastery of the hearth that chars each course with intention. The sea urchin with butternut bisque and the non-alcoholic pairings reveal a kitchen thinking seriously about locality and narrative.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Matt Husted, Erika Whitaker, and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST Hospitality Group
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- Westword 2026 · Best Diner That Survived the Colfax Construction · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Late-Night Diner · Best of Denver
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Rank 79. 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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- 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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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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Rank 89. Whittier Cafe
African
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Rank 90. El Taco De Mexico
Mexican
Since 1985, this stripped-down Santa Fe Drive taqueria has drawn steady crowds for its straightforward tacos and everything drowned in a bright, tingling green chile that defines the place. No frills, minimal service, maximum devotion—the James Beard Foundation named it an American Classic in 2020, and you'll understand why the first time you taste the salsa.
- Westword 2023 · Best Mexican Breakfast · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
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Rank 91. 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 93. A5 Steakhouse
Modern Steakhouse
A5's corner room glows with retro warmth, its bar a natural gathering spot while Chef Max MacKissock tends to steakhouse classics with small, deliberate flourishes. The Denver steak from Blackhawk Farms arrives flawlessly executed, reason enough to book a table back.
- Westword 2023 · Best Steakhouse · Best of Denver
- 5280 2025 · Top Burger · Top of the Town
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 97. Luchador Tacos & More
Mexican
Chef Zuri Resendiz's moody Whittier taquería reaches beyond carne asada with roasted rabbit barbacoa in mole and 24-hour beef cheeks in pasilla negro adobo. The tacos—octopus al pastor, ribeye with grilled cactus—anchor a menu of impressive technical depth.
- Westword 2025 · Best New-School Mexican Joint · Best of Denver
- 5280 2025 · Top Mexican · Top of the Town
- 5280 2025 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 99. Reckless Noodle House
Vietnamese Noodles
A Capitol Hill noodle shop with playful decor and a drink program that's clearly taken seriously, Reckless pulls from Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai and Chinese kitchens with equal confidence. The cocktail menu splits between classics and house inventions, and the kitchen rewards adventurous orders just as much as the bar does.
- Westword 2023 · Best Shrimp · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best West Coast Transplant · Best of Denver
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Rank 100. 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