Steakhouses. Sweets shops. Pizza parlors. Second takes. Transplants. And fifth floor penthouses. These are just a sampling of the new additions to the Denver dining scene over the last year. While diverse in culinary offerings, one thing they have in common is an eye for design and a willingness to push and even cross the lines aesthetically. Some New York or Northwest-based businesses have perfected their looks over the years in other cities. Other local restaurateurs have evolved their styles through earlier iterations and concepts. Behind the scenes, a handful of rising architecture and design firms are working to establish their niches in the restaurant and bar worlds. Here are their stunning final products.
At each of the following 17 eateries, the artwork is bold, the furniture handpicked, and the color palettes perfection. Lucky for us, we now get to sit back, eat, drink, and enjoy them. Read on for Eater’s picks for the 17 most beautiful new restaurants.
STK Denver
Known for its vibe, bumping music, and magnetism for celebrities and professional athletes, STK is social, event-driven and modern, inspired by feminine energy. The 7,000-square-foot space is the final retail lease in the building, shared with Panera Bread and Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill. Bold, decorative elements accent the stark black and white landscape of the spacious eatery, with the bar greeting guests, serving as both a centerpiece and divider to the lounge-like dining room. White leather banquet seats allow visitors to sprawl and socialize with other tables. A DJ booth operates seven nights-a-week, setting the pace with upbeat tunes that fit the locale ambiance. Heavy artwork with daringly vivid colors are sprinkled throughout the space, with images evocative of Colorado culture and the signature femininity of the brand.
-Gigi Sukin
Il Posto
The space is charming, sleek yet warm, unlike most hot spots that have opened in the last several years in Denver. Designed by LIVStudio in close collaboration with owner Andrea Frizzi, the 3500 square foot, two-story interior is free of reclaimed wood, murals, subway tiles, Edison bulbs, and wallpaper. White, black, and natural wood tones dominate, and big moves include a signature Bocci light installation from which amber-hued handblown Murano glass globes hang on copper wires over the space like fireflies. The wide 12-seat bar top, which allows guests to enjoy a drink or a meal, is an impressive slab of Carrara marble. Privacy and a lounge-like vibe is what the imposing staggered booths provide, with a Studio54 twist on the lowest of them set in the corner that opens to the downtown skyline. Several dining tables line the perimeter downstairs and a six-seat chef's counter gives the chance for a customized dining experience — just ask about it.
-Andra Zeppelin
Sweet Cooie’s
Owner Paul Tamburello, a community-minded developer known to ice cream lovers from his LoHi venture Little Man Ice Cream, dedicated this spot reminiscent of early 20th century soda fountains, to his mother, whose nickname was "Cooie." Part of the room’s elegance comes through in the feminine design of the space, envisioned by Xan Creative's Melissa Friday. It was important for Tamburello to bring in a woman's sensibility just as it is to show support of women in other ways. "We celebrate the essence of who you are as a woman and we do everything we can to support that," the owner said during the opening, explaining the charitable goal of the company. Through the Scoop for Scoop program, a percentage of sales from every scoop of ice cream sold will support women's empowerment organizations locally and globally.
-Andra Zeppelin
Quality Italian
The industrial yet warm space designed by AvroKO surprises with pleasant contradictions and subtle elements. Owner Michael Stillman of the Quality Branded group, created a unique Denver sibling to the New York City counterpart of this Italian-American steakhouse. Custom art installations dominate the sophisticated space in Denver that seats 125 guests inside with another 20 on the patio. Look closely at the light fixtures and notice butchery tools being incorporated. Study the vintage family tree photos that dot the Legacy Room and find film icons like Sophia Loren in their midst. Observe how the Canary Room, one that can serve as a private dining room, is separated to create intimacy and you'll discover painting frames that show off the back side of the art piece.
-Andra Zeppelin
El Five
The doors to the colorful fifth story space are covered in vintage Egyptian cinema posters depicting beautiful women, lovers kissing and fighting, and quotes you will most likely not understand. The glowing dark space is anchored by a show kitchen in the middle, flanked by two stunning patios, and dotted with cozy black booths and chairs lined with gold accents. The view from the space designed by BOSS.architecture is second to none in the the Mile High City. On one side there is the downtown skyline unencumbered and on the other side are the mountains. Side windows give a peek to the bustling Linger patio, the never-ending line at Little Man Ice Cream, and the broader LoHi area.
-Andra Zeppelin
Concourse
With a subtle travel theme, elements of the interior include a curved wood ceiling, runway-like light fixtures, a wraparound bar, and luminous tile work, creating a warm but rich and flowing setting. The sophisticated decor and intimate architecture, courtesy of LIVStudio, lends itself to a feeling of living inside a moving art installation. Guests can relax in the sprawling 3,000 square feet of space, seating roughly 100 guests inside and another 70 on one of two patios.
-Gigi Sukin
Kachina
If you enter the restaurant through the hotel lobby — technically, the front door to the eatery is at the corner of 19th and Wazee streets — a whimsically peculiar patio ushers you inside, with twinkly lights and a tree colorfully covered in hand-knitting, thanks to the Denver graffiti artists, Ladies Fancywork Society. Upon stepping over the threshold, a flicker of metallic may catch your attention as a parked vintage Airstream conjures images of cross-country adventures. Designed by New York City-based Creme Design, the restaurant radiates the indigenous color and flair of the Southwest and Native American culture. A tastefully colossal mural made by local painter, Emanuel Martinez, depicts a sleek woman in sunglasses, surrounded by oversized, multicolored cornhusks. Stucco vases in different shapes, colors and sizes are suspended from the bar and line the dining room as well, containing succulents, lilies and cacti.
-Gigi Sukin
White Pie
The neighborhood eatery owned by brothers Kris and Jason Wallenta of Dos Santos is set in a space that feels inviting and modern. The bones of the old building, a place that once housed the catering operation for Strings, are honored by allowing the exposed brick and high ceilings with wooden beams to shine. Big new windows, a freshly poured floor, a C-shaped bar around the centerpiece oven, plus tables that weave in warm wood elements give the space a contemporary look.
-Andra Zeppelin
French 75
Mizuna’s more casual new sibling, French 75, is a bistro located Downtown at 717 17th Street. Designed by Jacqueline Bonanno (Frank’s wife), the exposed brick, cool blue floor tile, small bistro-style tables with metal gilded legs, and leather banquettes give the space the vibe of a neighborhood Parisian gathering place where people watching goes best with moules frites, onion soup, and Niçoise salad.
-Andra Zeppelin
Emmerson
The former home of LYFE Kitchen and the Gondolier prior to that has been transformed into a bright, powdery, soft room that fluidly separates into a café space in the front, a bar where the energy already seems high, and a dining area dominated by a showpiece community table. The entryway is a stunner, a ceiling-high wrap-around bookcase displaying a fun collection of items from art pieces to antique small household items, books and bronze unicorns. Possibly the best seats in the house for kitchen voyeurs are separated by a window from the pastry counter. For those seeking an intimate good time with their friends, a private dining room enveloped in a black-and-white Brooklyn-themed wallpaper has space for up to 14 guests.
-Andra Zeppelin
The Bindery
Chef-owner Linda Hampsten Fox has created one of Denver’s most enviable (and wide open) kitchens, the kind that could just as easily appear on a TV cooking special as it does in a sprawling, upscale LoHi cafeteria. With room for more than 100 and views beyond the bar of that kitchen, The Bindery is a place to visit at all times of the day — for a quick drink, a meal or baked good to-go, or a lovely sit-down dinner. Somewhere between The Source and Central Market, the design is sleek and airy with wall-to-wall windows, high ceilings, and exposed piping. Hampsten Fox worked hard on sustainability in the kitchen, while keeping comfort first and foremost. Under-floor radiant heat keeps the room from feeling cold in winter.
-Josie Sexton
The Family Jones
LoHi’s new distillery is deceiving: Walk in to find a mammoth German copper still sitting throne-like atop a lofted second-floor mezzanine and, before it, the sexiest low-slung, crushed velvet tasting room a spirit maker could ever dream of. But between the two, find the sweet spot of the business — a sunken semi-circular bar putting out food and cocktails that rise to the level of the ambiance. Designed by tres birds workshop, the space is whimsical and natural (a nod to the liquor’s local ingredients), old-world while simultaneously hip and modern.
-Josie Sexton
Tavernetta
Turn off of 16th Street to a quiet corridor and a bulky wooden doorway and step inside Tavernetta — arguably Denver’s most anticipated culinary unveiling of 2017 — to a homey space where old meets new and playful meets the profoundly thoughtful. The first wall art visible upon entry is a large-scale Slim Aarons photograph of a doughy child with a distant gaze, devouring a vanilla waffle cone and resting atop a timeworn lion sculpture. The image evokes mischief and pure contentment — simplicity — that speaks volumes about the entirety of the restaurant it now calls home. The clean, airy eatery — designed by Semple Brown — is broken into distinct, but flowing spaces, providing nuanced experiences for the inevitable mix of downtown professionals, hip urbanites, foodies and celebratory diners alike. Upon entry, the bar-lounge provides views of the trains and passersby, perfect for snacks and an aperol spritz. Just around the bend from the bar is a 12-seat private dining room, bounded by glass cases containing bottles, largely Italian, that wine director Carlin Karr carefully selected.
-Gigi Sukin
Santo
Who’s to argue about tradition when a newcomer creates such a fresh take on a classic? From succulents to splashes of color across the booths, and a sunburst chandelier, Wheelhouse Design Studio (River and Woods, Cart-Driver) has created a little strip mall haven inside Santo. The hand-carved saints by Taos “Santero” Leonardo Salazar add to the mix, along with framed portraits and scene-setting photography by Stephen Collector. Booths and tables line the perimeter of the space, but the bar is front and center with 360-degree seating and a draft, can, wine, and cocktail list that will make happy hour here formidable.
-Josie Sexton
Bamboo Sushi
Scandinavia meets Japan at this Pacific Northwest transplant which proudly boasts the title of the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. In addition to ethically sourced fish, Bamboo restaurants are filled with recycled materials, and energy is derived entirely from renewable sources. On the design side, see rich, dark woods, mid-mod furniture and accents, slatted sleek booths, cool blue tiles, and moody lighting for a proper date night. For more conviviality, sit at the sushi counter and order omakase.
-Josie Sexton
Izakaya Ronin
The upstairs restaurant at Izakaya Ronin serves sushi, rice bowls, small plates, noodles, and an omakase tasting menu, just like at sister restaurant Sushi Ronin, only in a setting that feels less special-occasion and sticks to the new surroundings — all concrete and wood. Once downstairs, though, Izakaya Ronin’s real wow-factor sets in. The cold concrete basement has been transformed into Ronin’s take on a Japanese “moguri izakaya” or speakeasy pub. Find sparing but impactful Kanji-inspired brushstrokes on the walls by chef Corey Baker as well as custom artwork by Mark Bueno. Japanese lanterns flicker inside the room, and, behind the bar, along with rare bottles of Japanese whisky, is the original boiler room hatch for decoration.
-Josie Sexton
Ultreia
A tiny new corner restaurant is poised to be the big hit this winter at Denver Union Station. Ultreia, a Spanish “gastroteka” by the owners of Stoic & Genuine, Bistro Vendome, Euclid Hall, and Rioja, opened in December just off the transit station’s grand hall. Designed by BOSS.architecture, it’s a 50-seat space with an oversized presence — one grand bar, a line of plush booths, and second-story mezzanine seating hovering over the open kitchen. Somewhere between the tiled stairs, corniced walls, and a 17th Century floor-to-ceiling landscape painting, travelers here are sure to be transported to the Iberian Peninsula and also to another, Baroque era.
-Josie Sexton