Denver is an awesome city and is growing more popular everyday. One of the best things about Denver is the great restaurant scene.
New restaurants are always opening, but these are the places I have visited a hundred times and are always good.
The places to try if you decide to visit my home turf are:
Linger
Used to be Olinger mortuary, so you can still see the big unlit O in the sign. They also say that because it was a mortuary, the spirits still linger, as you should over your small plates (tapas). This place is extremely popular not only because of the great food and atmosphere but also because of the roof top, which looks out over the highlands and has a great view of downtown. The menu is organized by region of the world, so they do a little bit of everything. My favorite dish is probably the bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. They also have a killer brunch.
D Bar
I am obsessed with dessert. D Bar feeds that obsession more than anywhere else (the D stands for dessert… surprise!). They make incredible and intricate desserts as well as entrées. I personally like the Cocoa Cola Braised Nachos, the Grilled Avocado and Quinoa salad, the Crue Fries… it’s all good. Oh and for dessert, the Cake and Shake is probably my favorite but I always end up ordering the seasonal ones with the hope of trying them all. They also have a really good happy hour, every day of the week (3-6 pm), featuring $3, $4, and $5 drinks, snacks, and desserts.
Root Down
Owned by the same person as Linger, Justin Cucci, this is also a great spot in the heart of highlands Denver. They focus on locally grown and organic ingredients and even have two gardens on-site which are used to feed their many hungry customers. They also have an amazing brunch featuring banana bread French toast.
Lola
Right next to Linger, Lola is a Spanish restaurant that makes some killer food. They make their guacamole in front of you and to order, so it is worth trying (my personal favorite in Denver so far). Everything I’ve had there has been good.
My Brother’s Bar
Changing directions a little, My Brother’s Bar is a classic haunt. It’s been in Denver since before Denver was anything special. There is no sign outside, but people still manage to find their way inside for classic, good quality burgers and sandwiches. I order a JCB (burger with jalapeño cream cheese) or a Johnny Burger (the same but with two extra kinds of cheese and onions) every time I go. The people I have taken there have had mixed opinions about the rest of the food, but definitely try the burgers. And get a side of onion rings too!
Steuben’s
Steuben’s is a diner with two locations, Denver and Arvada. I have tried both, but recently I’ve been frequenting the Arvada one since I live so much closer and the Denver location is always packed. Everything on their menu is great, I especially enjoy the fried chicken plate. They also have a great happy hour menu (3-6 pm) where you can order a select list of sandwiches, fries or chips, and a drink for seven dollars. That’s right, seven dollars. AND it’s every day of the week. It doesn’t get better than that.
Avanti
Avanti is one of my favorite places downtown because it’s got a roof top patio, a great view of downtown, awesome drinks, and seven different eateries in shipping compartments that form a modern food court. My one stipulation is that even though it’s big, it never seems to be big enough. I usually go there with a large group of friends which can make it hard to find seating, especially during the winter when no one wants to brave the patio.
Crepes n’ Crepes
I’ve been going to Crepes n’ Crepes so many years and I still love it to death. It is simple, but amazing. The closest to a real French crepe you can find in Denver (the menu is even in French). My personal favorites are the Crêpe Cadix (breakfast crepe with thinly sliced chorizo), the Nutella Crêpe, and the mushroom Crêpe. They also make a mean French onion soup.
These are my absolute favorites and have been for several years, but there are so many awesome restaurants popping up in Denver, I can’t even keep up. What’s your favorite place to eat in Denver?
Looking for more ideas of things to do in Denver? Check out my other blog pages about my favorite city here.
