The Best Restaurants in Denver
Sections
- Eat , on. Can't turn off the last section 596
- Drink , off. Turn on 88 Only Drink
- Stay , off. Turn on 23 Only Stay
- Do , off. Turn on 262 Only Do
Tap another section to add it. All sections
-
The awards
- Westword 2025 · Best Pastries at a Coffee Shop · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Cafe That’s Also a Bakery · Best of Denver
-
The awards
- Westword 2025 · Best Pastries at a Coffee Shop · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Cafe That’s Also a Bakery · Best of Denver
-
The awards
- Westword 2024 · Best Delicious Date Night · Best of Denver
- Eater Ice cream · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword 2024 · Best Noodles in a Tea Shop · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Chinese Restaurants in Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 1 Pin
- Sunset Sunset: Better Bars · Where to Eat and Drink
-
Rank 108. Catfish King
Soul Food
Fried catfish on white bread with hush puppies or collard greens on the side, served out of a former fast-food shell on East Colfax, is the whole pitch here, and it lands. This is a counter-service soul food spot where the staff are warm and the portions are not modest. Barbecue, chicken gizzards, and Sunday-only chitlins round out a menu rooted in Oklahoma tradition that the team is clearly not shy about.
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 108. Heretík
Basque
The counter seats by the roll-up door are the ones to ask for at this Basque-leaning bistro in Denver's West Wash Park. The chef runs a rotisserie, ships white asparagus from France when it's in season, and keeps a pan con tomate on the menu that nearly every table orders. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List, which tracks. The whole place reads like a bistro that skipped the part where bistros become self-conscious about being bistros.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · The Restaurant List
-
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Restaurant for Craft Beer · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Comeback · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Wings and Tenders · Best of Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 108. Milpero
Mexican
A corn farmer, a milpero, lends the name and the organizing principle to this intimate tasting-menu restaurant where the chef Johnny Curiel builds an 18-course progression around the grain. Expect dishes where a single oyster sits in smoked tomato broth and corn shoyu, or bluefin otoro folds into a flauta with black garlic chile paste. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List, which tracks with the ambition on the plate.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · The Restaurant List
-
Rank 108. Music City Hot Chicken
Nashville Southern
Nashville hot chicken shop tucked inside TRVE Brewing on Broadway, where the menu runs from classic spicy tenders to a green chile heat option that leans decidedly Colorado. The sandwiches are big and juicy in the way that requires a full stack of napkins and no white shirt. Vegan versions and a lineup of sides round things out for groups who can't agree on anything except that they're hungry.
The awards
- Westword 2023 · Best Chicken Sandwich · Best of Denver
- 5280 Fried Hot Chicken · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
-
Rank 108. Noodles Express
Sichuan
The menu has a section called "America's Popular," which tells you everything you need to know about where the kitchen's heart actually lies. This counter-service Sichuan spot runs a long list of chile-heavy, mouth-numbing dishes built around Sichuan peppercorns, and the portions are sized for sharing. Come with people, order widely, and leave the safe column alone.
The awards
- Westword 2023 · Best Szechuan Fried Chicken · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Chinese Restaurants in Denver
-
The neon chef flipping pancakes above the door has been a landmark on East Colfax long enough to outlast everything around it. Pete's Kitchen is a classic diner, the kind that keeps the grill going through the night on weekends for whoever needs a gyros omelet or a green chile smothered burrito at 3 a.m. The crowd that fills the stools tends to tell a story. Westword named it Denver's best late-night diner.
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Diner That Survived the Colfax Construction · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Late-Night Diner · Best of Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword 2023 · Best Sandwich Shop · Best of Denver
- 5280 Muffuletta · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
-
The awards
-
A food hall in RiNo that runs from morning espresso to late-night cocktails without ever really slowing down. Coffee and pastries open the day, a wood-fired pizza counter takes over by dinner, and the central bar keeps things moving in between. The kind of place where it's genuinely difficult to leave, mostly because you keep deciding one more stop counts as research.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Lunch Spots In Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In RiNo
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Lunch Spots In Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In RiNo
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 131. Coperta
Southern Italian
The awards
-
Rank 131. Uchi
Non-Traditional Japanese
The daily specials list at this non-traditional Japanese restaurant changes constantly, which gives regulars a reason to sit at the bar and work through it systematically. Uchi originated in Austin and landed a block from RiNo, bringing a range that runs from happy hour nigiri to wagyu on a hot rock. The room stays loud and full most nights, so an early arrival is less a tip than a necessity.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In RiNo
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 133. Golden Falafel Restaurant
Middle Eastern
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 133. Ochag Bar & Grill
Armenian
An Armenian and Caucasian grill tucked into an Aurora strip mall, where the khachapuri arrives topped with egg and cheese and the beef dumplings, called khinkali, are large enough to require a small plan of attack. The menu runs from hearty stews and hand-pulled noodles to eggplant rolls stuffed with garlic-walnut spread. Georgian wine, from a region that considers itself the cradle of viticulture, is the right call alongside any of it.
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2026 · Best New Thai Restaurant · Best of Denver
-
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Slice of Pie · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Shop for Pie Lovers · Best of Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword Westword: 2025 · Best Neighborhood Bar That Feels Older Than It Is · Best of Denver
- Westword Westword: 2023 · Best Bar Decor · Best of Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Neighborhood Bar That Feels Older Than It Is · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Bar Decor · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Wildsam Wildsam: The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Pickle Pizza · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Pizza on Wheels · Best of Denver
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Hot Pot · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Korean Restaurant · Best of Denver
-
The awards