Beginning February 22 and going through March 3 the city will play host to the 15th annual Denver Restaurant Week. Nearly 250 local restaurants will offer multi-course meals at $25, $35 and $45 per person. With so many participating venues the 10-day event is a great opportunity to enjoy some of the best dining in town, but the sheer volume can be overwhelming. Below we’ve listed some of our favorites in hope of narrowing down the choices for the discerning eater. While everything we listed is sure to impress, be sure to check out the full list.

Root Down

Photo by Glenn Ross.

Where: 1600 West 33rd Ave., Denver.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 4 – 10 p.m., Friday 11 – 2 p.m. and 4 – 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 5 – 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 5 – 11 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: Justin Cucci’s LoHi staple is a good choice for anyone seeking an outstanding meal without any dietary guilt. The three-course dinner features four appetizer options — including a carrot and Thai red curry soup and a roasted baby beet salad — and three entrees — most notably a rockfish Tom Kha. The two desserts feature a chocolate bombe with whipped salted vanilla ganache and pear cranberry cobbler with sage brown butter. The full menu can be viewed here.

 

Luca

Luca meatball. Photo by Alden Bonecutter.

Where: 711 Grant St., Denver.

Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 4:30 – 10 p.m. and Sunday 4:30 – 9 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: Luca — one of Frank Bonano’s original restaurants and a thoughtful ode to his son —  serves up varied Italian food with a focus on house-cured charcuterie and fresh-spun cheeses. The menu features a primi, pasta and secondi course — each with a variety of options highlighting new chef Blake Carini’s interpretation of a variety of dishes both classic and contemporary. The Luca meatball is not to be missed. The full menu is available here.

Aloy Modern Thai

Duck rolls. Photo by Alden Bonecutter.

Where: 2017, 2134 Larimer St., Denver.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: Sisters Bo Bean and Arisa Chanchokpong opened Aloy in 2016 and have since been serving sophisticated takes on classic recipes, taking great care to use fresh and organic ingredients. The three-course menu features the absolutely essential duck rolls, classics like pineapple fried rice and more forward-thinking dishes including brie tempura. The full menu can be found here.

 

The Bindery

Chef Linda Hampsten Fox. Photo by Alex Palmerton.

Where: 1817 Central St., Denver.

Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 7 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Price: $45

Lowdown: Bindery owner and chef Linda Hampsten Fox produces highly original cuisine influenced by her cosmopolitan global resume. Her restaurant week menu is as sophisticated as could be expected and features artichoke, cognac and parmesan risotta, braised pork shank with guajillo and ancho chile and purple kale and a burnt honey – vanilla ice cream sandwich with salted pretzel shortbread. The other equally enticing options can all be viewed here.

READ: Chef, Single Mother and Restaurant Owner Linda Hampsten Fox is A Force to Be Reckoned With

Old Major

Hanger Steak. Photo by Alden Bonecutter.

Where: 1553 Platte St., Denver.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 5  – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 – 11 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: The carnivore’s Shangri-la that is Justin Brunson’s six-year-old LoHi venue continues to astound with its dedication to fine swine and locally sourced meat of every variety. The locale’s menu offers a surprisingly robust offering from the regular menu — both the appetizer and second course have seven selections from the main menu. Charcuterie, fried chicken and the famous nose to tail — with ears, belly, sausage, squash stuffing, ancho butternut puree and apple tarragon mostarda — are all available and highly recommended. The rest of the equally decadent list can be seen here.

 

Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers

Ravioli. Photo by Lukas Crosby.

Where: 2403 Champa St., Denver.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 4 – 10 p.m., Friday – Sunday 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: Liberati has become a darling of food critics and diners alike for their delicious Oenobeers — craft beer fermented with wine grapes — and equally invigorating Italian cuisine. The pasta and meat-heavy menu comes with recommended beer pairings for a supplemental cost and is the best way to enjoy the place. While the restaurant certainly attracts customers for its novelty, the food and drink are anything but a passing fad. The highly-detailed offering can be viewed here.

Cho77

Boa Buns. Photo by Glenn Ross.

Where: 1555 Blake St. #102, Denver.

Hours: Monday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday 2 – 11 p.m., and Sunday 5 – 9 p.m.

Price: $25

Lowdown: The recently relocated Cho77 has been thriving in its new downtown home. The former South Broadway hotspot is now situated next to Cholon and LeRoux — giving chef Lon Symensma full run of the downtown block. This is a good thing — as all three of his restaurants provide different angles for the experienced cook to shine. The menu is full of small bites ranging from the many great dumplings and baos to heartier plates like the spicy shrimp vindaloo or the drunken rice noodles. While this menu might not fill the ravenous, it is a good way to explore the many complex flavors Cho77 has to offer.* See the full menu here.

*Editor’s note: when this article first published, the menu items were incorrect. They have been edited to reflect the proper plates. 

The Greenbriar Inn

Photo courtesy of The Greenbriar Inn’s Facebook.

Where: 8735 North Foothills Hwy., Boulder.

Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 5 – 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 – 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5 – 8:30 p.m.

Price: $35

Lowdown: For anyone looking to get out of town and cozy up in one of the Front Range’s great institutions the Greenbriar Inn is the move. Originally built as a home in 1873 the Greenbriar opened as a restaurant in 1967 and has been known as much for its food as it has for its rustic location and snug atmosphere. The menu is full of hearty classics including French onion soup, steak au Poivre and creme brulee. The full list is available here.

 

El Five

Photo by Danielle Webster.

Where: 2930 Umatilla Fifth Floor, Denver.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 5 – 11:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. – 12:30 a.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 – 11:30 p.m.

Price: $45

Lowdown: El Five is certainly in the running for boasting the best view in the city. On top of that, the mixed Mediterranean cuisine is nothing to sneeze at either. The four-course meal features many small plates — including the not-to-be-missed smoked sardine rillette and Morrocan lamb sausage — and a dessert course with rugelach and honey-flan. The menu shines in most brightly in the details and can be found in all its intricate splendor here.

Denver Milk Market

Fried chicken. Photo by Brittni Warshaw.

Where: 1800 Wazee St #100., Denver.

Hours: Sunday – Thursday 7 a.m. – 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Price: $25

Lowdown: The Denver Milk Market is definitely the best choice for anyone who finds the idea of being tied to one cuisine unpalatable. Diners can choose to enjoy a three course prix fixe meal at a single space or they can opt for a gift card to mix and match from the regular menus from any of the spot’s nine concepts. So if a bao, Nashville fried chicken and tiramisu sounds like the perfect meal this would be the spot. A full look at the varied and delicious menu can be found here.