14 Best Restaurants in Denver, Colorado

Brought to you by the same James Beard award--winning chef Alex Seidel of Fruition, Mercantile features a similar emphasis on fresh and local. The pretty space, with its powder-blue upholstery and milky-white walls, calms and invites lingering, ideal for a menu that includes starters doubling as small plates—the house-made ricotta is irresistible, and the "provisions" platter pulls from the farm's cheeses and pickles that are also available at the on-site market. But it's hard to stop there when freshly made pasta paired with duck confit and a crispy half chicken are options for main courses. Sit at the counter for a quick meal or to snack, and try one of the creative cocktails from a snappy list that also includes pricey but uncommon wines. Lunch, using the same tip-top-fresh produce, is also available as is a weekend brunch.

This dining room in Hotel Monaco is filled with fresh flowers and windows that let in natural light, making the space cheerful and bright. The focus is on true, multilayered Italian cuisine, such as grilled flatbread topped with cheese, prosciutto, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar; or risotto made with an ever-changing and ever-pleasing variety of cheeses and fresh produce. The breads are baked in-house. The superior service and accommodating staff make for a pleasant dining experience. The large, roomy bar is available for dining, too.

The restaurant is hip and artsy, with exposed brick and blown-glass lighting, arched doorways, and textured draperies. Chef Jennifer Jasinski's intense attention to detail is evident in her tribute to Mediterranean food with contemporary flair. The 2013 James Beard winner for Best Chef Southwest, she also partners with Beth Gruitch to run Stoic & Genuine, Bistro Vendôme, and Ultreia; Gruitch is in charge of the front of the house here too, and together the duo has maintained a remarkably loyal following. The wine list presents Riojas galore, and is well priced for Larimer Square. The tiny bar is a nice stop for dessert, and weekend brunch features freshly fried doughnuts and a pork-belly-based "hangover cure."

In a town that loves its steaks, the Rhode Island–based chain was taking a chance moving in and pretending to offer anything different from the other high-end big-boy steak houses. That said, Capital Grille—housed in a dark, noisy, broodingly decorated room typical of the genre—has much to recommend it, including a drop-dead Delmonico, textbook French onion soup, and terrific skin-on mashed potatoes. If you were ever to try steak tartare, this would be the place to do it, and the lobster is one of the best in town. The wine list is long, important, and expensive, but the service is remarkably eager to please.

Brought to Denver by the same folks who run the vegetarian-friendly WaterCourse, City O' City is a welcoming, casual, three-meals-daily bakery and café that offers gluten-free, vegan, and all manner of other dietary options in a bright, breezy atmosphere. Add cheese and eggs if you like, go macrobiotic, or imbibe from the wine and beer list—there are no judgments here. Two happy hours run daily from 3 to 6 pm and 10 pm to midnight and involve discounted snacks and beverages. The opulent-looking items in the pastry case are entirely vegan.

If it's martinis and jazz you're after, come to this casually elegant space (larger and snazzier after a move to the historic Baur's Building), which features comfort foods with a twist and small plates. Live music most nights makes this a laid-back spot. The cocktail roster, printed inside old jazz albums, is one of the most intricate around, and the Sunday jazz brunch swings.

A basic contemporary American menu offers classics done well at the Nickel, the restaurant located in the Hotel Teatro. Enjoy a top-notch burger, an entrée-sized salad, or Mediterranean-style salmon, all while kicking back in sumptuously upholstered chairs. Breakfast and weekend brunch offer some unique options like carrot cake pancakes. The room takes terrific advantage of the natural light that floods the space, making the ambience feel impressive and special. Rooftop bees provide in-house honey.

This pub-style restaurant offers 60 taps of craft beer from around the country, along with a short wine and cocktail roster and plenty of pub grub, including burgers (the PB&J is a marvel), fish-and-chips, and poutine. Most of the space is taken up by the 4,000-square-foot patio, with its huge TVs, open-air fire pits, and covered seating for large and small groups, although there is limited seating inside. The popular weekday happy hour from 3 to 7 fills up fast and features $1 off drinks and $2 off snacks.

Greek immigrant Sam Armatas opened his first eatery in Denver in 1927, and his three sons use the same recipes their father did in their updated version of his all-American diner, from the famous red and green chilis to the Coney Island–style hot dogs and creamy rice pudding. The retro diner resembles a fancy Denny's, and the bar is crowded with theatergoers and hipsters after dark. Good luck choosing: the menu is 12 pages long, with Greek and Mexican favorites as well as diner classics. The chunky mashed potatoes rule, as do the pie-based milkshakes, and breakfast, which is served all day, comes fast.

The line for this ballpark neighborhood joint starts just before the 6:30 am weekday opening and sometimes an hour before it opens on weekends, because the lavish breakfasts are well worth the wait. The hollandaise-smothered creations alone—for instance, the Bella! Bella!, with Taleggio cheese and prosciutto on toasted ciabatta—are a must-try, and the pineapple upside-down pancakes, with vanilla crème anglaise and cinnamon butter, are exquisite. Get a cup of coffee and get to know your line neighbor, or try your luck at one of the other metro-area locations, including Union Station.

Originally a food truck, the name of this taqueria showcases exactly what it specializes in: queso a la plancha tacos and seared ahi tuna tacos, with house-made salsas and tangy margaritas. Get to know your fellow diners at the communal tables or the long bar, or sit on the patio that opens from the dining area through the garage door. There's a second location in City Park.

Chef-owner Richard Sandoval brought his popular concept of modern, upscale Mexican cuisine from New York to Denver, and it's just as welcome here. The food is classic Mexican with a twist, such as seafood tacos, huitlacoche (edible fungus) dumpling soup, and elaborate moles. The tequila flights are a favorite at the large, inviting bar, which is highlighted by a mural made of semiprecious stones by artist and restaurant namesake Rufino Tamayo. Spanish art fills the interior, and in season the outdoor patio supplies a rare view of the mountains.

Holistic health guru Dr. Andrew Weil has opened restaurants in select locations in 17 states, and this venture in Cherry Creek, where his intensive focus is on anti-inflammatory preparations and antioxidant ingredients prepared with an international flair, has met with great success. Don't expect all-vegetarian, however; the menu offers plenty of meat, particularly lean bison and turkey, as well as fish, tempeh, and other meat substitutes. Trendy cocktails—cucumber margarita or blueberry acai mojito, for example—and natural sodas add to the appeal for the younger crowds that flock to the communal tables for small plates and thin-crust pizzas. The kids' menu is impressively healthy and appealing with its mini grass-fed burger and chicken teriyaki bowl.

In a town known for its beef, WaterCourse stands out as a devoted vegan eatery in spacious digs uptown. This casual, low-key place serves herbivores three meals a day, most of which are based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and meat-like soy substitutes. There are also macrobiotic dishes available. The Reuben, with sauerkraut, portobellos, and Swiss on grilled rye, is amazing, as are the seitan-based faux Buffalo wings and the cauliflower-based "chicken and waffles." They also offer a small but nice selection of organic wines as well as slow-pressed organic juices. The delectable desserts in the case are, surprise, all vegan.