3 Best Restaurants in Denver, Colorado

The Nickel

$$$ | Downtown

A basic contemporary American menu offers classics done well at the Nickel, the restaurant located in the Hotel Teatro. Enjoy a top-notch burger, an entrée-sized salad, or Mediterranean-style salmon, all while kicking back in sumptuously upholstered chairs. Breakfast and weekend brunch offer some unique options like carrot cake pancakes. The room takes terrific advantage of the natural light that floods the space, making the ambience feel impressive and special. Rooftop bees provide in-house honey.

The Squeaky Bean

$$$$ | LoDo
The original location was a tiny storefront in the Highland, but it was obvious early on that the popular Bean, with herbs and produce from its own gardens and a deceptively simple yet inventive menu, was going to grow. Now situated in the historic Saddlery Building in LoDo, the spacious dining room balances contemporary furnishings with a vintage setting and serves a seasonal menu that also changes monthly and is heavy on bold, bright flavors: mint and cumin on lamb with pappardelle, or yellow curry and rhubarb atop halibut. It's worthwhile to at least check out the impressive cheese cart for dessert. Service is brisk and attentive and the wine list is remarkably well priced and includes many by-the-glass options.

Vesta Dipping Grill

$$$$ | LoDo

Both the remodeled building and the interior space designed to house this modern grill, named after Vesta, the Roman hearth goddess, have won national architectural awards, and it's easy to see why: the sensual swirls of fabric and copper throughout the room make diners feel as though they're inside a giant work of art, and the clever, secluded banquettes are among the most sought-after seats in town. The menu is clever, too, and the competent grill masters in the kitchen put out expertly cooked meats, fish, and vegetables, all of which can be paired with some of the more than two-dozen dipping sauces that get their inspiration from chutneys, salsas, mother sauces, and barbecue. The wine list is as cool as the clientele.

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