10 Great Restaurants in Denver

Linger is a bustling restaurant set in a restored, century-old building in Denver’s Lower Highland. Its eclectic menu features locally sourced ingredients and dishes from around the world, with its tasty tapas and weekend brunches bringing in the crowds. Head to the rooftop patio to enjoy meals served from a 1975 GMC RV and prime views over the neighbourhood.

The folks at Linger kept many original fixtures of the building, such as a huge neon sign of the former Olinger Mortuaries (with adjustments to make it read as “Linger Eatuaries”). They’ve also sprinkled several macabre remnants in and around the restaurant, including vintage funeral fans.

Hop Alley brings in a steady flow of eager diners with its inventive Chinese cuisine and unpretentious setting. Located in buzzing RiNo, the restaurant is named after Denver’s long-gone 19^th-century Chinatown.

Under the guidance of founding chef Tommy Lee, Hop Alley brings together a range of contrasting flavours from different regions of China and presents them in a fresh new way. Comfort dishes like steamed eggplant and bone-broth fried rice are longstanding favourites. It’s also a good idea to peruse the menu for any seasonal offerings, such as pork loin with green tomatoes and peaches.

The Bindery offers ample choices for brunch, lunch and dinner in Denver. Along with a large and airy dining room, it hosts a bakery and market selling takeaways, snacks, and wines. Free parking for diners is available at the attached parking garage.

The Bindery features a mix of Italian, Mediterranean and contemporary American fare inspired by the travels of owner and chef Linda Hampsten Fox. Weekends are more relaxed, thanks to its Sangria Sunday menu of shared plates of seafood, pasta, and salads. You can find the restaurant on Central Street, in Denver’s Lower Highlands (LoHi) district.

Work & Class is in Denver’s artsy RiNo neighbourhood, offering American and Latin fare served with little fuss or formality. The restaurant's ethos is to give its patrons a "square meal, stiff drink, and fair price". The use of shipping containers in the restaurant's design adds to its gritty, industrial-chic atmosphere.

The menu includes various appetisers, salads, and meaty dishes. Standouts include spicy criollo rotisserie chicken, braised pork belly, and “massive attack” salad. Thirsty workers (and nonworkers, of course) can enjoy daily happy hour specials from 5 pm to 6 pm.

Mercantile Dining & Provision is a popular spot with Denver’s business lunch crowd and those looking for a lively spot for dinner. It was founded by Alex Seidel, a James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Colorado’s first artisan sheep’s milk creamery. The restaurant serves well-presented New American fare using locally sourced ingredients.

Mercantile has become known for its eclectic wine list and attentive staff, and for keeping its dishes simple yet full of flavour. And it’s about as centrally located as you can get – on the ground floor of the historic Union Station in downtown Denver.

Potager in Capitol Hill offers New American fare in a cosy setting. This restaurant and wine bar has a garden patio for alfresco dining if weather permits. Opened by a local family in the late 1990s, the restaurant has since changed owners but its dedication to offering fresh fare using organic, locally sourced ingredients remains.

The menu changes monthly to highlight ingredients that are in season. Many dishes have a farm-fresh, comforting feel, such as cheddar cheese souffle and roasted chicken with peach corn salad. Potager only serves dinner, so reservations are strongly advised due to limited tables in the dining room and patio.

Root Down is best known for its tasty small plates and vegetarian-friendly menu. All meats and fish served are certified to be ethically and sustainably sourced. The restaurant uses local ingredients to create global dishes like Thai curry and shoyu ramen, as well as American favourites like burgers and turkey club sandwiches.

Root Down occupies a former gas station in Denver’s Lower Highland (LoHi). The neighbourhood is known for its boutique shops, art galleries and heritage buildings. There’s another branch of Root Down at Denver International Airport.

Stout Street Social is a lively restaurant and bar in Downtown Denver. As its name suggests, you can enjoy a sociable dining experience with lots of shared dishes and a good range of cocktails and beer on tap.

Happy hour is from 3 pm to 6 pm, giving you plenty of time to sample its many craft brews. Sports fans can sidle up to the bar and catch the latest match on big-screen TVs. With long opening hours, Stout Street Social is a good spot for those who prefer dining in the later evening.

Spuntino is easy to spot from the street, being set in an eye-catching redbrick building in LoHi. This award-winning Italian eatery is run by a local couple, Elliot Strathmann and Cindhura Reddy. It has a very intimate setting, making it popular among couples looking to celebrate a special occasion in Denver.

If you’re a discerning wine lover, Spuntino has a carefully curated list with several unusual and interesting selections. The classic Italian menu changes with the seasons, with dishes made with meats, herbs and vegetables sourced from local farms and ranches.

Citizen Rail is a rustic restaurant at the Kimpton Hotel Born in Denver’s Union Station neighbourhood. Its indoor and patio dining areas have an intimate, cosy feel.

You can get a view of its dry-ageing room, which displays house-butchered cuts of meat. The wood-fired grill is the star of the operation, though, churning out delicious dishes of beef, pork and lamb mostly sourced from nearby Colorado farms. Standouts include the plancha roasted pork belly, heirloom tomato salad, and dry-aged tomahawk.