Maybe a typical night out is all about a casual meal on the town – burgers, breweries or a bistro – but there are times and places to step up that game. On those occasions, fine dining restaurants come to the rescue and provide the venue for letting down your guard and trusting the pros with all your needs.
Denver's white tablecloth restaurants are artful laboratories where boundaries are pushed on both classic and modern cuisine. The top notch service is a well-choreographed ballet that surprises and pleases without overpowering the experience. The wine list is often a thick and intimidating leather-bound book made accessible by a knowledgeable sommelier who is there to help you choose the right bottle for your taste and mood.
If you're in the mood for a white tablecloth, old-fashioned etiquette, ladies first, napkin-folded experience, these upscale restaurants in and around Denver will prove that fine dining is alive and well.
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When you enter Barolo Grill's, the setting is elegant and welcoming. Known for its hand-crafted modern Piemontese cuisine, its extensive wine collection, and meticulous service, Barolo Grill has been a staple on Denver's dining scene since the mid-90s. Each year, the waitstaff goes on an Italian getaway to learn more about the cuisine, wine, and culture.
The South Broadway restaurant combines modern flavors with traditions and tastes of the old world, using simple ingredients, carefully executed techniques, and adventurous imaginations. The wondrous Aspen-centric interior brings the Rocky Mountain wilderness inside the heart of Denver to restore and relax its guests.
Fragrant flowers and white tablecloths adorn this quaint 32-seat Park Hill bistro, where the chef's time in Paris is evident in the dishes as they emerge from the kitchen.
This eclectic modern French and American Boulder restaurant offers guests a memorable dining experience in its traditional dining room. Rooting the menu off in the owners' 70-acre organic farm in Niwot, Black Cat is sophisticated and basic all at the same time.
Don't let the busy intersection or plain exterior fool you, this charming and creative French bistro has become a popular spot operated by the husband-and-wife team of Mark Reggiannini and Mairen Reagan. The space is romantic, the service is friendly, and the food is delightful.
The nightly fine dining dance is well-executed at this contemporary space on Platte Street. This is a spot where each dish and drink demands your attention – with eccentric items made exciting that range from duck balls to pig trotters and beef tongue.
Attention to detail defines this fancy favorite on Boulder's Flagstaff Mountain serves up New American cuisine with a French influence and has a cellar that will make any wine aficionado want to return over and over again.
In the Friuli region of northeastern Italy, a frasca is a roadside farm restaurant, serving up simple local dishes. In its Boulder-based iteration, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Bobby Stuckey have created a space to spend special occasions around linen-draped tables. The service is a textbook perfect experience every single time.
With a well-curated and thoughtful wine list and stellar service, Mizuna brings classic French fare and a quintessential fine dining experience. The environment errs on the side of formal, but the top notch staff always makes guests feel right at home. Whatever you do, don't miss the lobster mac 'n cheese.
Recipient of "Best of Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator Magazine, Palace Arms sets a high standard for downtown Denver fine dining experiences. The restaurant shatters any negative stereotypes that exist around hotel dining with high-class operation and decadent food from foraged allium soup to the Palace Arms "Rossini." Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday.
Since 1997, Potager has been defining and refining its menu based on seasonality of ingredients way before that was a trendy thing to say. The longstanding staff brings superior service, allowing guests to concentrate on the delicate subtleties of the menu directed by owner Teri Rippeto.
This Larimer Square staple led by James Beard Award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski has been a darling of the Denver dining scene since opening in late 2004. A major renovation last year brought a contemporary setting where warm colors and beautiful lighting dominate the room. When you order, be sure to always get the tortellini or the "fresh bacon," a charming pork belly, cardamom, curried garbanzo bean purée creation.
Family-owned, the Briarwood Inn has been part of Colorado's finest dining traditions for more than 37 years. Consistency and heartfelt hospitality are to be expected from this venue that offers stunning views of Lookout Mountain.
Recently expanded and remodeled, The Palm is regularly described as one of the best steakhouses in Denver, and continues to be a prime place to see and be seen. The menu retained staples and gained more modern additions and the excellent service remains among the very best in town.
When you enter Barolo Grill's, the setting is elegant and welcoming. Known for its hand-crafted modern Piemontese cuisine, its extensive wine collection, and meticulous service, Barolo Grill has been a staple on Denver's dining scene since the mid-90s. Each year, the waitstaff goes on an Italian getaway to learn more about the cuisine, wine, and culture.
The South Broadway restaurant combines modern flavors with traditions and tastes of the old world, using simple ingredients, carefully executed techniques, and adventurous imaginations. The wondrous Aspen-centric interior brings the Rocky Mountain wilderness inside the heart of Denver to restore and relax its guests.
Fragrant flowers and white tablecloths adorn this quaint 32-seat Park Hill bistro, where the chef's time in Paris is evident in the dishes as they emerge from the kitchen.
This eclectic modern French and American Boulder restaurant offers guests a memorable dining experience in its traditional dining room. Rooting the menu off in the owners' 70-acre organic farm in Niwot, Black Cat is sophisticated and basic all at the same time.
Don't let the busy intersection or plain exterior fool you, this charming and creative French bistro has become a popular spot operated by the husband-and-wife team of Mark Reggiannini and Mairen Reagan. The space is romantic, the service is friendly, and the food is delightful.
The nightly fine dining dance is well-executed at this contemporary space on Platte Street. This is a spot where each dish and drink demands your attention – with eccentric items made exciting that range from duck balls to pig trotters and beef tongue.
Attention to detail defines this fancy favorite on Boulder's Flagstaff Mountain serves up New American cuisine with a French influence and has a cellar that will make any wine aficionado want to return over and over again.
In the Friuli region of northeastern Italy, a frasca is a roadside farm restaurant, serving up simple local dishes. In its Boulder-based iteration, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Bobby Stuckey have created a space to spend special occasions around linen-draped tables. The service is a textbook perfect experience every single time.
With a well-curated and thoughtful wine list and stellar service, Mizuna brings classic French fare and a quintessential fine dining experience. The environment errs on the side of formal, but the top notch staff always makes guests feel right at home. Whatever you do, don't miss the lobster mac 'n cheese.
Recipient of "Best of Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator Magazine, Palace Arms sets a high standard for downtown Denver fine dining experiences. The restaurant shatters any negative stereotypes that exist around hotel dining with high-class operation and decadent food from foraged allium soup to the Palace Arms "Rossini." Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday.
Since 1997, Potager has been defining and refining its menu based on seasonality of ingredients way before that was a trendy thing to say. The longstanding staff brings superior service, allowing guests to concentrate on the delicate subtleties of the menu directed by owner Teri Rippeto.
This Larimer Square staple led by James Beard Award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski has been a darling of the Denver dining scene since opening in late 2004. A major renovation last year brought a contemporary setting where warm colors and beautiful lighting dominate the room. When you order, be sure to always get the tortellini or the "fresh bacon," a charming pork belly, cardamom, curried garbanzo bean purée creation.
Family-owned, the Briarwood Inn has been part of Colorado's finest dining traditions for more than 37 years. Consistency and heartfelt hospitality are to be expected from this venue that offers stunning views of Lookout Mountain.
Recently expanded and remodeled, The Palm is regularly described as one of the best steakhouses in Denver, and continues to be a prime place to see and be seen. The menu retained staples and gained more modern additions and the excellent service remains among the very best in town.
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