Denver’s culinary community has long known that the city features some of the best chefs and food globally but the rest of the world has taken a little longer to catch on.
While the fine dining scene is relatively young with only a few being more than 20 years old, there is a rich food heritage in the region ̶ from game hunting, good wild fishing, fruit growing and cattle and sheep farming. One Japanese sushi restaurant even has fresh fish flown in daily from a fish market in southern Japan. But more of that later.
Join us as we take a look at the top Michelin Star restaurants In Denver.
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10 Michelin-recommended Restaurants In Denver
Vinca
Address: 8001 Arista Place, #130.
Serving modern Italian fare, Vinca owners and staff are inspired to create a place where diners feel happy – a place where memories are made. Located in a modern but elegantly-understated space, Vinca’s menu is varied and wide-ranging. Signature dishes include all types of Bruschetta, Fettucine Bolognese, Norwegian Salmon and Crème Brûlée. The prices are reasonable too. Beer, spirits, and wine by the glass are served. They have an extensive wine list.
Fruition Restaurant
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Address: 1313 E 6th Ave.
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Chef Alex Seidel and his team offer New American dishes in a small yet elegant restaurant. The menu changes regularly, giving diners the choice of something new every time they visit. Patio seating and walk-ins are catered for too.
Fruition serves a wonderful Wild King Salmon, and Shrimp & Grits. Additionally, they also offer gluten-free or vegetarian options. Their wine pairings or Five-Course Tasting Cru Menu specials are a must try as is their Bavette Steak. The Chefs are Nick Graves, John West, Eamonn Keyes, Cody Wilson, Connor Devine, and Alex Hofstadter.
Rioja
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Address: 1431 Larimer St.
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With quite a following in Denver, Rioja attracts a sophisticated and worldly crowd who are said to know their Rias Baixas from their Ribera del Duero, and naturally, their Rioja. In a notoriously male-dominated industry, Jennifer Jasinski was the first Denverite to break the Mile High glass ceiling and win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2013. Her partner Beth Gruitch specialises in Spanish and Portuguese wines. The staff are well-versed in pairing them. They serve craft beer and cocktails too.
Signature dishes include the fresh bacon, a block of roasted pork belly scented with cardamom on a mash of curried fresh-chickpea purée, and the artichoke tortelloni, stuffed with artichoke mousse beneath a paper-thin slice of queso de mano in white-truffle brodo.
Mizuna
Address: 225 E 7th Ave.
Mizuna is rated among the best dining experiences in the US. A neighbourhood restaurant rooted in French cooking techniques, Mizuna aims to join outstanding service with culinary mastery. With a menu that changes monthly to reflect seasonal ingredients, Mizuna is the flagship restaurant to Bonanno Concepts, Frank Bonanno’s chef-driven restaurant family.
Every member of Bonanno’s team contributes to menus and the concepts behind them. Their food is simply prepared and professionally served. There is a chef’s tasting menu as well as an a la carte menu. Must-try dishes include Chilled Prawn, Red Snapper and the Duo of Duck.
Beckon
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Address: 2843 Larimer St.
Beckon is one of Denver’s chef counters where chefs are serving up pre-paid, reservation only seasonal meals, and you can watch from a beautiful, sleek black chef’s table. Run by Frasca alums Duncan Holmes and Allison Anderson, this tiny reservation-only chef’s counter set in an old RiNo bungalow conjures magic before guests, combining beautifully plated, market-driven multi-course tasting menus.
Prepare yourself to be pampered and plied with luxuries, whether inside or out on the pretty patio, over the course of two-plus hours. Due to the pandemic, the three-sided chef’s counter seats even fewer people, while a gorgeous covered patio studded with planters and fire pits seats a few more. Holmes’s menus favour vegetables in the warmer seasons, and are a little more meat-centric in the colder months.
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Palace Arms
Address: 321 17th St.
The ornately decorated Napoleonic-themed restaurant features various wartime antiques and artefacts including flags, uniforms, and even a set of duelling pistols believed to have belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. Bygone space besides, the Palace Arms’ plush banquettes and private dining spaces offer diners a four-course chef’s tasting menu, Try the Seared Elk Loin. Prices vary from $80 for a 6-course tasting menu to $100 for an 8-course. Wine pairings are impeccable and start at $60. The food is steeped in tradition, legacy and elegance.
Guard & Grace
Address: 1801 California St.
Named after the chef’s daughter, Guard and Grace is a take on the big, fancy, modern steakhouse – miles and miles of fiery grills and charcuterie, oyster bar and bar tops, private rooms, and a posh, walk-in, floor-to-high-ceiling glassed wine cellar. The decor is light and airy in contrast to the usual dark steakhouses. The restaurant is a huge space, located in the heart of Downtown Denver’s business district.
The menu features classic appetisers, starters, mains and signature hand-cut steaks and delicious sides such as duck’s fat fries and chipotle lime smashed potatoes. Do try the Vietnamese Steak Salad ($24) and Alaskan Black Cod ($48). With thousands of bottles of wine in temperature-controlled wine cellars, multiple private rooms and multi-course party menus, Guard and Grace is a classy meal indeed. There is also a valet service.
Work And Class
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Address: 2500 Larimer St.
“A square meal and a stiff drink at a fair price,” has been the tagline of Work & Class since opening under chef-owner Dana Rodriguez and her partner Tony Maciag. The “square meal” part takes shape in the vibrant Mexican-meets–heartland American menu, centred around meat. The “stiff drink” manifests in a creative-but-simple beverage list.
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As for the “fair price” part, even heavy eaters and drinkers would struggle to fork out more than $50 per person. Rodriguez’s selection of à la carte meats changes from perhaps a brisket marinated in whiskey and Coke and may change into stout-braised short ribs. Try their baked lamb meatballs and Green Chile Pork Carnitas with a large side of Cajun sweet potato fries and honey butter biscuits. Every Wednesday to Sunday, they hold happy hour from 5-6pm. Work & Class also offers catering services for special events.
Sushi Den
Address: 487 South Pearl St.
Sushi Den has been regarded as one of the premier sushi and Japanese restaurants in the US for 34 years. An Open Table 2022 Diners Choice, Sushi Den serves superb sushi and seafood, freshly flown in from a fish market in southern Japan daily. The menu offers many sushi items that are cooked, sashimi and also an extensive menu of fusion, vegetarian, gluten-free and traditional dishes. For dessert, they bake light and delicious cakes, pies and brûlée daily, using only the finest ingredients. Sushi Den accepts reservations for up to 6 guests via the Sushi Den portal on Open Table. Walk ins are welcome too. The parking garage fee is a flat fee of $5, which the valet will collect upon your arrival.
Sahara
Address: 9636 E. Arapahoe Rd.
Sahara is family owned and operated restaurant by Loubna, Mohammed, and Chef Jihad. Sahara serves Lebanese and Moroccan inspired cuisine. They took the plunge and opened a warm space where they could share their passion for healthy comfort food with Coloradans. Favourites on the menu include The Sahara (Falafel, hummus, baba ghannouj, tabbouleh, fattoush, gyros, chicken, and beef), a Falafel Platter and Vegetable Couscous (all under $15). The Lamb Shank is a must too.
Whether you’re passing through and have some time or you’re on your way to the ski slopes, the Michelin Star restaurants Denver offers deserve a visit.
Sebastian is a former hedge fund trader who worked only to indulge his true passion – food.
He has dined at over 240 Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, savoring culinary masterpieces and understanding the stories behind them. He now advises restaurants on menu design, decor and holistic diner experience.