Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Denver / Colorado

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Denver / Colorado? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Black Cat

5.0

5 (2763)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Boulder

About the restaurant

Dinner at Black Cat Farmstead is a unique dining experience. Enjoy private garden cabanas with wood stoves, gorgeous views and a 4-Course chef tasting menu (dietary restrictions accommodated) created by James Beard nominated chef Eric Skokan at our historic farmstead. Our 500-acre full-scale diversified organic farm supplies the majority of ingredients for your meal; from vegetables & herbs to the pork & lamb to the grains. We offer 7 intimate private tables per evening. Reservations are required & limited. $145/per person++

Reservations are released weekly on Mondays for the following 3 weeks. We are generally open Wednesdays - Sundays. We do allow pre-booking for parties of 6+. Email us at farmdinners@blackcatboulder.com for booking private events, pre-booking, & general assistance. We would love to hear from you about how we can make your evening with us extra special. We look forward to having you join us at the farm.
Jill, Eric and the Black Cat team

Top review

OpenTable DinerVIP

Dined on Mar 13, 2025

The experience at the Black Cat Farm is one like no other. The service is fantastic, the views and ambiance are unmatched. The food is delicious, fresh as can be, and plentiful. This truly is something special- and the family and team that runs it are special. The passion for food and agriculture is evident- and the time was taken by the owner/ chef to share and explain this magical place. It is a pricey evening, for sure, but if you are looking for a once in a lifetime- completely unique dining experience, it will not disappoint.

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Experience

Dinner at Black Cat Farmstead

Fox and The Hen

4.9

4.9 (100)

$30 and under

Breakfast

Whittier

About the restaurant

Fox and The Hen is inspired by a love of all things breakfast aka #MorningStuff. Here, we believe all the best things happen in the morning: sunrises, coffee drinks, small breakfast burritos tucked in large breakfast burritos and walks of shame.

Born out of Carrie Baird and Michael Fox’s true love for classic American breakfast served with lighthearted twists and an equal passion of all things boozy-brunch-drinks, Fox & The Hen is your new LoHi all-day breakfast concept.

Our focus is bringing friends and family together, incredibly delicious (and fun!) food, creative beverages and having everyone who leaves the Fox & the Hen feel their day is better than when they came in.

We do not seat incomplete parties, sorry.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 6 days ago

Had an amazing time!! The food was phenomenal and our server was absolutely amazing.

Cozobi Fonda Fina

4.9

4.9 (139)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Boulder

About the restaurant

On a mission to share the beauty of Mexican culture through food, Chef Johnny Curiel opens Cozobi Fonda Fina as an encore to his beloved LoHi restaurant, Alma Fonda Fina. Named after Cozobi, the Zapotec god of corn, Cozobi Fonda Fina is rooted in Mexico’s centuries-old corn nixtamalization traditions and wood-fire cooking techniques that define its rich food history.

Top review

Stephanie

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing food ambience and service. Sam was very friendly and fun and patient with us 4 women! It was wonderful!

Sidework

4.8

4.8 (647)

$31 to $50

American

Telluride

About the restaurant

Side Work is a cozy Spanish American lounge in an intimate setting that offers a full menu composed of seasonal sharable plates, rotating craft cocktails, and an extensive, well curated wine list.

Our Chef comes with years of Michelin Star background experience that helps propel Side Work to new heights & expectations- creating a dining experience like no other. Side Work has won Taste of Telluride's "People's Choice" Winner for 2 years in a row with our seasonally composed menu items- Achiote Pineapple Cured Hamachi and Dominic's Ceviche.

Side Work Restaurant has a strict 24 hour Cancelation Policy. Any 'day of' cancelations will result in a fee of $65 per person.
We do not offer a designated kid's menu. Please understand that our menu is not designed to accommodate the expectations of younger diners, however, we will do our best to find items off our menu that we believe younger diners will enjoy.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 5 days ago

Great food and our server( Will) was excellent! Loved the entire experience.

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Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Denver

4.7

4.7 (510)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

Blue Sushi Sake Grill unites creative ingredients with energetic vibes, premium cold sake with happy moments to give you a fresh and fun new way to experience sushi. Our sushi and grill menus allow you to explore your sushi favorites in new and unexpected ways. We like to say that sushi is for sharing, and our menu encourages it. Order a spread of all your maki, nigiri and sashimi favs from the sushi bar, and throw in a few orders of starters from the grill. We'll stagger your plates so you can savor it all bite-by-bite, and maximize the sushi experience you've been craving all week. If you're not sure where to start, tour the menu during Happy Hour, where all our guest favorites — from our sushi, grill and drink menus — are available at an amazing value. We offer Happy Hour every day of the week at Blue Sushi Sake Grill!

Top review

OpenTable DinerVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Casual dining with happy hour deal for Sushi that’s worth it, quick and friendly service

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4.7

4.7 (132)

$50 and over

International

Whittier

About the restaurant

UKIYO is a 12-seat omakase (chef choice) restaurant located on Larimer Square of downtown Denver, curated by chef Phraseuth ‘Paul’ Sananikone. The UKIYO multi-course omakase experience uses Japanese techniques with worldly flavors transforming it into a unique tasting menu where his offerings change based on ingredient seasonality and availability.

Top review

Gabriel

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent flow, great food, knowledgeable staff. It was an excellent experience, start to finish. Will certainly be returning once the new menu set comes out.

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Experience

Kizuna no Tabemono “Food of Connection” Menu 3

Experience

Toast to Tuna

Lookout Bar

4.7

4.7 (50)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Avon

About the restaurant

Welcome to Lookout Bar where unrivaled Vail Valley views are paired with a relaxed, inviting energy, trailblazing cocktails, and cravable bites. It will be your new favorite place to grab a drink while celebrating exceptional days on the mountain and special occasions, too.

Top review

Stephanie

Dined 1 day ago

Sara (bar and manager extraordinaire) and Logan (best, pleasant waiter) made our celebratory birthday experience amazing! From the drinks (the Goshawk, the Lamplighte, the Bear Paw Bramble, and Bunny Hill ) to the small- medium dishes (we had one of almost each) . . . Our favorite place. We were here in December, and February, and no again in March . . . And we’re from Florida! We look forward to returning in the summer!

Madre Cocina y Lounge

4.5

4.5 (61)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Fort Collins

About the restaurant

Welcome to Madre Cocina Y Lounge, where every meal is a celebration of flavor and tradition. Immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere that blends authentic Mexican cuisine with a modern Twist. Whether you're here to savor a delicious meal or unwind with a handcrafted cocktail, we promise an unforgettable dining experience that will leave you craving more.

Top review

Liane

Dined 4 days ago

Wonderful evening out. Service was very good super knowledgeable our waiter gave a great wine and dessert recommendation. Everyone loved their meals and the signature cocktails were delicious.

The Range

3.8

3.8 (44)

$30 and under

American

Steamboat Springs

About the restaurant

Adjacent to Skeeter’s Ice Rink and with stunning views of Steamboat Resort, The Range Food & Drink Hall has the feel of an indoor/outdoor lunch and après lounge along with a fittingly wide range of cuisine options to meet everyone’s palate.

The Range features four different dining options. Twister Tacos serves street-style tacos, Sunshine Bowl warms l with a variety of ramen bowls, Pioneer Pies features pizza, and Why Not Sandwich Shop offers fresh salads and sandwiches.

Escape to a truly unique mountain experience with our custom cedar Stranahan's barrels! Perfect for up to four guests. Enjoy seamless ordering through our QR code menu, with food and beverages delivered straight to your barrel by our staff. Barrels are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until 3:30 PM—after that, reservations are required. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable way to savor the scenery and elevate your day!

Come join us at The Range after hitting the trails or enjoying a scenic gondola ride!

Top review

NewLife7

Dined on Mar 5, 2025

Really awesome experience. Great view. Great food. Quiet and warm inside the barrel. Overall, fantastic dinner. We will return another time.

Los Chingones

3.6

3.6 (23)

$30 and under

Mexican

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

Hi there! Wanted to circle back and let you that Los Chingones RiNo is open for carryout, delivery, indoor and outdoor seating! Our restaurant hours are: Closed on Monday; 3pm - 10pm on Tuesday; 11am - 10pm Wednesday and Thursday; 11am - 11pm Friday and Saturday; 11am - 10pm on Sunday. You can view the menu and place your order at https://www.loschingonesmexican.com/online-ordering/ or stop by the restaurant to dine in person!

Please Note: this restaurant does not allow reservations as we are a walk-in restaurant only!

NEW: Join our wait-list on Open-table so you're on the list before you arrive at the restaurant!!

LOS CHINGONES, is Chef Owner Troy Guard’s Mexican concept. The space features a 90- seat rooftop bar and open main floor dining room, serving bold, flavorful, Guard-style twists on tapas style Mexican favorites. Los Chingones serves serves dinner Monday through Wednesday and lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday.

Top review

JenniVIP

Dined on Dec 21, 2024

I had a great time at the XXXmas bar pop-up. The food is always great! My server was awesome and made some great drink recommendations. It was a great vibe and it wasn't cold at all. Very festive and I loved all the decor!

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