Denver’s dining scene is maturing into a masterful melting pot of top-tier food that’s all worth the wait. Whether it’s your month-out reservation at a James Beard– or Michelin-starred restaurant or an hour-long line at a taco hotspot or Cuban bakery, bring your patience. The payoff is delicious.

Read More: Top of the Town 2026

5280 July 2026
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Jump Ahead:

Toast the 2026 Top of the Town Editors’ and Readers’ Choice winners at our annual 5280 Top of the Town bash, presented by Kaiser Permanente. Join us on Thursday, July 16, at Cherry Creek North for an evening of delicious bites and drinks, live entertainment, giveaways, and more.

Bakery: Café Tres

A pastry on a red plate
Photo by Jeremiah Corder, courtesy of Café Tres
  • Address: 2960 Champa St., Denver (Curtis Park)

A traditional French croissant has 27 laminated layers: wafer-thin folds of pastry dough and butter that transform in the oven into flaky magic. The painstaking recipe involves three days of rolling, folding, and resting the dough. Cuban pastelitos—at least the way that Michael Solis makes them at Café Tres, his outstanding new shop in Five Points—take this meticulous craft even further. “I honestly have no idea how many layers I laminate, but it’s more than 27,” he says.

A framed photo from his family’s Miami bakery, Three Little Cakes, taken in 1994 is a reminder of how deep Solis’ roots go. “Back home, Cuban bakeries are on every corner,” Solis says. “I took it for granted.” In 2014, when he moved to Denver to work in advertising, the metro had few Cuban eateries, and homesickness hit hard. “I was like, How am I gonna make it out here?” Solis questioned. He started baking at home, selling at pop-ups and via Instagram, then joined the City Park Farmers Market in 2023. Opening the brick-and-mortar this past January was a leap of faith.

It’s paid off. The tangy guayaba and queso pastelito will transport you somewhere tropical. The hearty ground beef, similar to an empanada, pairs nicely with a supersweet, superstrong cafecito (espresso and brown sugar whipped together). The moreno, a pastry topped with a shell of caramelized brown sugar and cinnamon, has a satisfying snap. In the open kitchen, Solis pulls a tray of coconut pastelitos from the oven; their heavenly scent wafts out as he slides a still-warm treat into a paper bag. If you want one, go early: The pastries sell out quickly. —Rose Cahalan

Readers’ Choice: LoDough Bakery

  • Address: 1850 Wazee St., Denver (LoDo)

Consider this tiny shop tucked into the alley of LoDo’s Dairy Block your bakery speakeasy. Austria native Jan Kratzer keeps his display shelves overflowing with sweet and savory delights from baguettes and sourdough loaves to monkey bread and Nutella croissants. —Mark Antonation 

Barbecue

Meats and sides on a wood table
Photo by Sarah Banks

Readers’ Choice: Riot BBQ

  • Address: 2180 S. Delaware St., Denver (Overland)

Monterrey, Mexico, collides with Texas Hill Country at this smokehouse helmed by Top Chef contestant Manny Barella and pitmaster Patrick Klaiber. The brisket is for purists, but the chicken pibil and pork ribs al pastor are a must. —MA

Read More: Riot BBQ Throws Down in Overland

Breakfast Burrito

Readers’ Choice: Renegade Burrito

  • Address: Multiple locations

Breaking from breakfast-burrito convention, Renegade’s ranch-filled specialty has cultivated a devoted following among Tex-Mex lovers who want bang for their buck. —Sahale Greenwood

Brunch: Mimosas

  • Address: 2752 Welton St., Denver (Five Points)

From start to finish, this six-year-old Southern-comfort eatery romanticizes the well-known fact that brunch is an occasion—and, therefore, should be done properly and with pizzazz. Take a seat inside, where vibrant turquoise walls keep the energy high, or on the covered patio, where summertime misters cool the crowd between rounds of the Five Points restaurant’s namesake tipple. You can go Classy (orange juice and bubbly), Boujee (grapefruit juice with a brown sugar rim), or Ratchet (with cognac), or sample them all in a tower. Other mimosas teeter on cocktail territory with concoctions like the piña colada and Marg Mosa. Then come the shots: green tea and pickle for the traditionalists, or Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch if you take brunch seriously.

Thankfully, the kitchen keeps pace with the bar. The menu is a classic Southern brunch spread with a few creative all-stars. The thick-cut brioche French toast layers whipped lemon mascarpone with fresh berries and a bright cherry coulis that should only be ordered by those who believe that the best part of brunch is getting away with dessert before noon. Meanwhile, the Argentinian wild-caught shrimp and grits round out the menu’s heartier offerings. It’s the kind of dish that will transport you from Welton Street to the Gulf Coast in a single bite.  —Malia Logan

Readers’ Choice: Fire Restaurant & Lounge

  • Address: 1201 Broadway, Denver (Golden Triangle)

Enjoying a walnut-studded sticky bun and a pastrami breakfast burrito surrounded by the Art Hotel’s gallery-worthy collection is about as Golden Triangle as you can get. Consider Fire your filling station before a day of touring the neighborhood’s museums. —MA

Burger

Readers’ Choice: The Cherry Cricket

  • Address: Multiple locations

The flame-grilled burgers at the legendary Cherry Cricket buck the current smash burger trend in favor of an encyclopedic toppings list. Can’t decide? Spin the wheel and let luck build your burger. —MA

Chef: Penelope Wong

Penelope Wong in an apron
Photo by Sarah Banks
  • Address: 2878 Fairfax St., Denver (North Park Hill)

Leadership, perhaps more so than cooking, defines a chef. When Penelope Wong and her husband, Rob Jenks, opened North Park Hill’s Yuan Wonton in 2023, she kept hours primarily to lunch, with weekends off, to give her—and her employees—more time for family. First-time guests may chafe a little: Why must we make a reservation for lunch? And why can’t I come in for dinner on a Friday night?

The answer to the first is that the James Beard Award–nominated dumplings and other Chinese and Thai specialties (Wong’s heritage includes both) are among the best in town, so demand is high, and the room is small. The second answer is: Sometimes you can. Yuan Wonton often stays open later for special dinners showcasing visiting chefs and Wong’s team, such as the Peruvian-Chinese chifa dinners led by teammate Carolina Zubiate. Nurturing these chefs is as important to Wong as capturing the essence of her parents’ and grandparents’ cooking in every dumpling pleat and drop of sauce.  —MA

Readers’ Choice: Lon Symensma

Lon Symensma’s travels took him all over Europe and Asia, and brought him back to Denver where his globally inspired eateries like ChoLon, YumCha, and Gusto fuse cuisines into inventive dishes such as his signature French onion soup dumplings. —Alex Gribb

Chinese

Readers’ Choice: Miya Moon

  • Address: Multiple locations

Denver-based One Concept Restaurant Group has quietly built Miya Moon into a trio of fan-favorite Chinese eateries in Denver, Broomfield, and Lone Tree, offering everything from traditional handmade soup dumplings to classic kung pao chicken. —MA

Coffeeshop

Readers’ Choice: Pigtrain Coffee Co.

  • Address: 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver (Union Station)

Inside Union Station, Pigtrain Coffee’s bright pink walls and organically roasted coffee beans have long been a fan favorite for those on the go. Its menu includes typical cafe drinks, as well as coffee cocktails. —AG

Deli

Readers’ Choice: Leven Deli

  • Address: 123 W. 12th Ave., Denver (Golden Triangle)

The line out the door at lunch at Leven Deli is a testament to patience—both yours and theirs. While your sandwich takes just minutes to arrive, its star ingredient has been weeks in the making. House-made pastrami spends nearly two weeks curing, aging, and smoking. Paired with naturally leavened sourdough rye, baked fresh each day, it’s the kind of craftsmanship that’s worth waiting for. —SG

Dessert

Readers’ Choice: Olive & Finch

  • Address: Multiple locations

You might have planned on stopping in for a quick, healthy breakfast or lunch, but at each of its metro-area locations, Olive & Finch’s bakery case has other ideas. One glance at the shelves of cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, gluten-free cookies, and other house-made goodies, and resisting a sweet treat is largely theoretical. Best of all, their personal-size cakes can be iced for any special occasion—and are big enough to share. —SG

Ethiopian

Readers’ Choice: Konjo Ethiopian Food

  • Addresses: 1800 Wazee St., Denver (LoDo); Edgewater Public Market, 5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater

Konjo means “beautiful” in Ethiopia’s Amharic language. Experience the beauty of the African nation’s cuisine in deeply spiced lamb, beef, and chicken, and equally complex lentil and split-pea stews—all served with tangy injera bread for mopping up every bite. —MA

Food Hall: La Plaza Colorado

  • Address: 15200 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora

From the rainbow of papel picado garlands strung over restaurant stall aisles to a tiered central fountain, La Plaza Colorado feels more like Mexico City’s Centro Histórico than a former Super Kmart. What began as an Aurora parking lot food truck gathering in the pandemic is now a year-round celebration of Latin American food and culture. There’s a mercado with a barbershop, a tattoo parlor, and vendors, but the real attraction is the 24 kitchens toward the back of the space. Many offer similar (y delicioso) lineups of street tacos, tortas, and gorditas. But there are also fun fusion twists—like Tacos Guerrero’s ramen birria, an elote pie at La Plaza Pizza, and Maíz y Fuego’s diabla shrimp pasta—as well as stalls serving burgers, wings, and even hibachi.

The goal is to provide opportunities for Hispanic entrepreneurs, who pay as little as $400 per month in rent; a majority of La Plaza’s businesses are women-owned. La Plaza is like a village, and the community feel extends to all visitors (although brushing up on Spanish food vocabulary isn’t a bad idea for non-native speakers). Grab a Tajín-rimmed margarita from the bar and watch the kids explore the three-story play space ($5 entry fee). Then enjoy the country’s largest Hispanic food hall at tables next to a stage that hosts live music on weekends.  —Jessica LaRusso

Readers’ Choice: Denver Milk Market

  • Address: 1800 Wazee St., Denver (LoDo)

This market has range: Come on a Sunday morning and find Bingo cards, drag queens, and bottomless mimosas; Thursday nights are when trivia takes over; and weekday lunches offer a quieter environment for downtown workers to enjoy local favorites like Konjo Ethiopian, Lucky Bird, and Yumcha. —SG

Food Truck

Readers’ Choice: Chikihanas

  • Address: 11 W. 84th Ave., Thornton

This family-owned, Thornton-based food truck always parks in the same spot, so you always know where to find heaping portions of hibachi while on the go. The trio of filet mignon, chicken, and shrimp over fried rice taste like Benihana’s got better, and went local. —ML

French: La Forêt

Eggs Benedict on a white plate
Photo courtesy of Connor Stehr
  • Address: 38 S. Broadway, Denver (Speer)

This South Broadway restaurant looks like a French bistro took a field trip to the Rocky Mountains. Live-edge-wood tables and aspen trunks rising around the room set the scene, and even the bathroom—where the sink’s water cascades from the ceiling—charms you into believing you’re picnicking in a national forest. That is, until the food arrives.

The enchanting space, home to Beatrice & Woodsley before opening as La Forêt in 2024, has a menu for every moment. The new Sunday brunch offers a crab Benedict (generously packed with protein and crowned with caviar) that leans fully into decadence, and the duck confit (with delicate, crisped skin and impressively tender meat) pairs with a simple garden salad so perfectly executed it disappears first. Pastis hour lines up some of France’s most popular suspects: tartine (here topped with venison), baked Brie, and, of course, frites. For dinner, staples like the stag au poivre exemplify the alpine, rugged-meets-refined menu. Downstairs, a sultry new speakeasy trades sunlight for shadow, providing the perfect nightcap after your adventure in the woods. —SG

Readers’ Choice: Coohills

  • Address: 1400 Wewatta St., Denver (LoDo)

You don’t need a passport to travel to Coohills, where French-inspired cuisine combines with Colorado-grown ingredients. The patio, along Cherry Creek, is so picturesque it is regularly booked for weddings (when it’s not already spoken for by summer concert series Beats on the Creek). —ML

Fried Chicken

Readers’ Choice: The Post

  • Address: Multiple locations

Fried chicken comes in all its best forms here: a half fried chicken, chicken tenders, crispy chicken sandwich, thigh fries, 10-piece meal, chicken and waffles, fried chicken tortilla soup, fried chicken BLT, and the option to top any salad with fried chicken. Plus, you can wash it down with house-brewed beer at any of the Post’s handful of metro-area locations. —SG

Greek

Readers’ Choice: Chef Zorba’s

  • Address: 2626 E. 12th Ave., Denver (Congress Park)

Chef Zorba’s has been a Congress Park institution since 1979, in large part because its generous portions never leave diners wanting for more. Classic Mediterranean dishes like kebabs and pita wraps ground the Greek portion of the menu, and all-day breakfast explores other cuisines like American (pancakes and eggs) and Mexican (breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros). —ML

Ice Cream: Sweet Cow

Man holding an ice cream cone
Photo by Sarah Banks
  • Address: Multiple locations

Founded in Louisville in 2010, Sweet Cow got its start with a simple vision: ice cream crafted the old-fashioned way. Step up to the counter at one of the company’s seven metro locations and you’ll find that very little comes from anywhere but the scoop shop’s own kitchen. Ice cream, cookies, waffle cones: It’s all made in-house with an emphasis on real ingredients. Sweet Cow’s strawberry ice cream bursts with actual strawberries. The mint chocolate chip skips the artificial green. When owner Drew Honness does outsource, he doesn’t go far—tapping Colorado favorites like Hammond’s Candies, Ozo Coffee, and Savory Spice Shop.

This past April, the brand introduced Buffalo Chip, a flavor inspired by University of Colorado Boulder’s black-and-gold colors, for the school’s 150th anniversary. Honness, an alum, made the new creation with input from students and grads, and a portion of proceeds support future scholarships. Because ice cream just tastes better when you know where it comes from (and where your money is going). —ML

Readers’ Choice: Liks Ice Cream

  • Addresses: 2039 E. 13th Ave., Denver (Cheesman Park); 10903 U.S. 285, Conifer

The line out the door every summer evening is your first clue that Liks, which opened near the north end of Cheesman Park in 1976, is a true scoop shop. It’s worth the wait for the nearly 30 flavors (from bubble gum to chocolate brownie cream) that change daily. —JL

Indian

Readers’ Choice: Coriander Flavors of India

  • Addresses: 4968 N. Tower Road, Denver (Gateway – Green Valley Ranch); 14799 W. Sixth Ave., Golden

If the first thought when you land at DIA is What food should I pick up on my way home? then we have the answer for you. Coriander, on Tower Road off Peña Boulevard, is known for delivering elevated Indian cuisine that blends traditional flavors, aromatic spices, and clay-oven cooking techniques. If that doesn’t say “Welcome home” to you, we don’t know what will. —ML

Readers’ Choice: Golden Spice Room

  • Address: Multiple locations

With some of the top tandoori, curry, and naan in town, you really can’t go wrong when ordering at Golden Spice, whether you choose to sit in the aromatic dining room or take the food home. —SG

Italian

Readers’ Choice: Cafe Jordano

  • Address: 11068 W. Jewell Ave., Lakewood

Elisa Heitman doesn’t change her menu, and she doesn’t offer specials. The Naples-born chef-owner has been serving the same homemade, cooked-to-order Italian dishes since 1991, when she opened Cafe Jordano as a small storefront that has since expanded next door. And that’s how her customers like it. Classic dishes like penne vodka, rigatoni bolognese, and gnocchi with sliced sausage crowd the menu, but look closer and you can find the Colorado tie: buffalo instead of veal. —ML

Japanese

Raw fish on a plate
Photo by Sarah Banks

Readers’ Choice: Domo

  • Address: 1365 Osage St., Denver (Lincoln Park)

Hidden in plain sight in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Domo’s patio gives the Botanic Gardens a run for its entrance fee, and the interior is just as immersive, with traditional Japanese country decor. The large portions showcase the Asian island’s cuisine beyond the typical ramen and sushi offerings with a menu of country staples like noodle soups, katsu don, and teriyaki curry. —SG

Read More: Domo Serves Northern Japanese Cuisine with a Side of Zen

Korean: Dae Bak

  • Address: 2648 S. Parker Road, Aurora

Kyung Soon “Momma” Song opened Dae Bak in Aurora 10 years ago, simmering soups and cooking up noodle dishes alongside her husband, Hong Sik Park. She stepped away from restaurant life in 2019, choosing instead to focus on making Korean side dishes and kimbap to sell at Korean grocery store M Mart. But Momma Song missed her customers, so she reopened Dae Bak (a slang term meaning “jackpot”) in early 2025.

Although the space is styled like a lively K-pub, the tight menu focuses on homestyle cooking, especially soups. The chef simmers milky white pork- and beef-bone broths for 48 hours, conjuring deep, comforting flavor. The someori gukbap with thin-sliced braised beef is a great example, or try the hangover soup (seonji haejangguk) with a little extra red chile spice and a nest of succulent cabbage.

Song adds seasonal, sometimes foraged ingredients (like gosari, the sprouts of bracken fern) and rolls out dishes based on the weather, such as this summer’s naengmyeon, a chilled buckwheat noodle soup. If you’re in the mood for rounds of soju or the tangy rice beer called makgeolli, Dae Bak dishes up great bar bites like crackly chicken wings and homemade blood sausage. —MA

Readers’ Choice: Dae Gee

  • Address: Multiple locations

Dae Gee overrides your typical expectation for Korean barbecue with a line of delicious sauces and appetizers at a handful of metro-area locations. Their unlimited option is $38 per person, with an $8 discount for lunch. Round out your meal with customizable bibimbap and nine kinds of soju. —AG

Readers’ Choice: Seoul K-BBQ & Hot Pot

  • Address: 2080 S. Havana St., Aurora

Few places do abundance quite like this Aurora hot spot. Diners can choose between Korean barbecue grills and hot pot burners, with a deep roster of meats, seafood, vegetables, and sides that keeps the feast going long after the first round. —SG

Latin American

Seafood plates
Photo by Sarah Banks

Readers’ Choice: Lucina Eatery & Bar

  • Address: 2245 Kearney St., Denver (South Park Hill)

Chef Erasmo Casiano gives diners yet another reason to look forward to the weekend with his Friday- and Saturday-only paellas, loaded with saffron, seafood, meats, and spectacle. While you wait, settle in with Latin-inspired tapas and well-crafted cocktails inside the buzzy South Park Hill eatery. —SG

Read More: How Lucina Eatery & Bar is Making Dining Out Fun Again

Mexican

Readers’ Choice: Los Dos Potrillos

  • Address: Multiple locations

Family-owned and Colorado-grown, Los Dos Potrillos offers a menu of Mexican classics, festive vibes, and most importantly: famously strong margaritas. —ML

Middle Eastern: Yemen Grill

A kebab platter from Yemen Grill
Photo by Sarah Banks, styling by Charli Ornett
  • Address: 2353 S. Havana St., Aurora

When you walk into Aurora’s nearly decade-old Yemen Grill, there’s a good chance the chef-owner himself will greet you. Hussein Rahma treats all his customers like guests in his home, excitedly walking them through the menu and keeping a quiet eye on every table. Case in point: The moment our warm, cloud-soft pita disappeared, another basket took its place.

If you’re looking for lunch, Rahma will likely point you toward the grilled shawarma wraps that brim with chicken and barely any filler; if you think sauce makes a meal, the creamy garlic sauce (we recommend a drenching) and sweet pomegranate molasses (just a drop) will have you returning to Havana Street again and again. But the kebabs, well-seasoned and served over a bed of buttery yellow basmati rice, are the real staple here, and one order will easily constitute dinner for two. Everything pairs perfectly with the lemon mint juice—cool, lightly sweet, and way better than lemonade. —SG

Read More: Yemen Grill Beckons With Its Generous Kebab Platter

Readers’ Choice: Ash’Kara

  • Address: 2005 W. 33rd Ave., Denver (LoHi)

You know it’s good when people are coming back just for the carrots. Ash’kara puts just as much effort into its side dishes, pita breads, and dips as it does the main course. —SG

New Restaurant: Pig and Tiger

A spread of food from Pig and Tiger
Photo by Sarah Banks
  • Address: 2200 California St., Denver (Five Points)

Chefs and co-owners Darren Chang and Travis Masar have captured Denver’s zeitgeist in their Five Points Taiwanese eatery that opened in August 2025. The style is at once comfortable and chic, and the menu confidently balances tradition and invention. The space seems to close in as the evening darkens, its exposed brick walls glowing from the wicker-shaded pendant lights. But the atmosphere isn’t all sultry romance. A smiling pig and tiger, illustrated in bold red lines like street art, preside over the room.

That playful spirit carries into the bar and kitchen. You’ll wonder how Grandma’s fish fillet, a fast-food-style sandwich on a potato bun, represents the Taiwanese diaspora in its cheeky presentation (hint: the bright scallion salad ties it to Taipei). And you’ll almost certainly crunch your way through the spice-riddled fried chicken that lands on nearly every table. Douse the fire from numbing dan dan noodles and even spicier crispy fried potatoes with a baobing (shaved ice) cocktail.

Pig and Tiger is no flash in the pan. Its evolution over the past year shows the chefs’ willingness to introduce new ideas while staying grounded in Taiwan’s heritage. It only makes us want to return again and again to keep from missing out on each menu iteration. —MA

Read More: Pig and Tiger Is One of Denver’s Most Exciting New Restaurants

Readers’ Choice: Evoke 1923

  • Address: 27376 Spruce Lane, Evergreen

This dining room is restoring a sense of occasion to Evergreen’s dining scene. Set inside a beautifully restored historical building, the log-cabin charm extends from the screened porch to the plate, where dishes like elk medallions and bison short ribs celebrate the best of mountain dining. —SG

Pizza: Johnny Bechamel’s

Tiered pizzas on a table
Photo by Sarah Banks
  • Address: 81 S. Pennsylvania St., Denver (Speer)

If practice makes perfect then it’s no surprise the pizza at Johnny Bechamel’s is nearly flawless. Although the Speer Italian joint has only been open for seven months, it’s run by the dough doyens behind Dio Mio and Redeemer Pizza. In other words, chefs Spencer White and Alex Figura know how to sling some seriously good slices.

It all starts with, well, the starter (this one’s 20 years old!). The airy, perfectly blistered crust with a touch of tang can support the toppings they pile onto each pizza. The menu here is tight—only five pies are staples—and we have a soft spot for the simple double pepperoni. You can snag some ’za to go, but we suggest claiming the “party booth.” There’s something about sitting below the glow of a nostalgic Pizza Hut light that just makes the food taste even better. —Jessica Giles

Readers’ Choice: Marco’s Coal Fired

  • Addresses: 2129 Larimer St., Denver (Ballpark); 10111 Inverness Main St., Englewood

The first pizzeria in Colorado to be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, Marco’s Coal Fired chars Neapolitan pies in 90 seconds at its Ballpark and Englewood locations. Note: Its coveted fried Nutella nugget dessert is available only at the latter. —AG

Seafood

Readers’ Choice: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

  • Address: Multiple locations

The city’s unofficial oyster headquarters—and a strong political advocate for sustainable seafood practices—is reshaping policy in Washington and their menus across the Front Range. In keeping with current dining trends, 32-year-old Jax’s food, from oyster platters to whole fish dishes and oversize steaks, is now meant to be shared and enjoyed by the whole table. —SG

Soul Food

Readers’ Choice: Welton Street Cafe

  • Address: 2883 Welton St., Denver (Five Points)

In Five Points, Welton Street Cafe represents delicious soul food and a family legacy spanning 40 years and several locations. At the latest iteration, which opened its doors in 2024, try the Dickerson family’s Caribbean-influenced dishes, such as the jerk chicken sandwich, and a brunch menu with traditional breakfast breads and wings or fried catfish. —AG

Read More: Welton Street Cafe Returns As the Heart and Soul of Five Points

Steak

Readers’ Choice: Bastien’s Restaurant

  • Address: 3503 E. Colfax Ave., Denver (City Park)

Denver diners have been heading to Bastien’s to celebrate special occasions with sugar-rubbed steaks and filthy martinis (the brine is made with olives and banana peppers) since 1937. —SG

Sushi: Kizaki

Sushi chefs preparing food
Photo by James Florio, courtesy of Kizaki
  • Address: 1551 S. Pearl St., Denver (Platt Park)

Sushi was a rarity in Denver when Toshi Kizaki (pictured) and his brother Yasu debuted Sushi Den in 1984. Over the decades, their operations grew, but one of the sushi master’s dreams continued to go unrealized: an intimate chef’s counter that bears his name. Enter Kizaki, which opened in Platt Park in April 2025.

The specialty here is a set-price omakase experience during which Kizaki and his team guide diners through some 20 bites. Dishes alternate between raw and cooked, warm and cold, punctuated by several nigiri in a row, including multiple cuts and preparations of tuna. At more than $250 per person, this isn’t a drop-in joint; it’s a celebration of Japanese cuisine worthy of your own celebratory occasions. France’s Michelin Guide thinks so too; it awarded Kizaki a star just five months after it opened—a crowning achievement for its 70-year-old namesake. —MA

Readers’ Choice: Sushi Den

  • Address: 1487 S. Pearl St., Denver (Platt Park)

The Kizaki brothers are credited with bringing sushi to Denver in 1984, but they didn’t stop there. They’ve spent the last four decades continually redefining the city’s sushi scene. While their newer restaurants have earned plenty of acclaim (ahem), the original remains the flagship—offering everything from casual happy-hour bites to destination-worthy omakase, all built around fish flown in directly from markets in Japan. —SG

Taco: Tacos El Comelon

A plate of colorful tacos and salsas
Photo by Sarah Banks
  • Address: 1050 E. 10th Ave., Broomfield

At Tacos El Comelon, co-owner Bre Vogt expertly orchestrates the lunch rush. From her nine-month-old Broomfield shop, she takes online and in-person orders and coordinates with her kitchen crew (which includes her husband and the restaurant’s co-owner, Andres Yah), all while fluidly switching between English and Spanish.

On a recent Friday at 12:30 p.m., the line is long, but the vibe is genial. One woman says she’s excited to try the cochinita pibil: pork wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted for eight to 12 hours with lime and achiote. That delectable taco is a tribute to Yah’s grandfather back home in Cenotillo, Mexico, where Papi, as Andres called him, was a superstar at a Sunday market. “His cochinita would sell out before anyone else even started selling theirs,” Vogt says. “We still use Papi’s secret family recipe.” The tortillas, from Tortilleria Chihuahua in Brighton, are also incredibly flavorful thanks to being nixtamalized, meaning made the long, slow way. —RC

Readers’ Choice: Wild Taco Denver

  • Addresses: 4499 W. 38th Ave., Denver (Berkeley); 5505 W. 20th Ave., Unit 102, Edgewater

At Wild Taco, you can find typical filling suspects such as al pastor and carnitas, but regulars like to kick it up a notch with the bulgogi barbecue, chicken and waffles, and ahi tuna tacos. —SG

Thai

Readers’ Choice: Tommy’s Thai

  • Address: 3410 E. Colfax Ave., Denver (Congress Park)

Since it opened its doors on East Colfax Avenue in 1988, Tommy’s Thai has been a cult-favorite spot for staples like spring rolls, Panang curry, and drunken noodles. Loyal regulars have helped Tommy’s survive the recent Bus Rapid Transit construction that has contributed to other area restaurants shuttering. —JL

Vegan/Vegetarian

Readers’ Choice: Gladys

  • Address: 5505 W. 20th Ave., Suite 186, Edgewater

What started as an Edgewater food stall has grown into its own restaurant space within Edgewater Public Market, a James Beard nomination, and one of Denver’s strongest cases for vegan food. The celery root Reuben is the kind of sandwich that sparks existential questions about the importance of pastrami, while the charred Caesar topped with miso-Parmesan routinely outshines its dairy-laden counterparts around town. —SG

Vietnamese

Readers’ Choice: Pho & Bar

  • Address: 1600 E. 17th Ave., Denver (City Park West)

At Pho & Bar, the Vietnamese menu is tighter, and therefore more approachable, than others in town, and the curated offerings are always a hit. With just four main dishes and 10 appetizers, it wouldn’t be hard to work your way through the whole thing, but we recommend starting with the pho roll and bowl of pho. —ML