Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Denver / Colorado

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Denver / Colorado? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Aloy Modern Thai

4.9

4.9 (341)

$30 and under

Thai

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

Aloy Modern Thai weds the contemporary culinary experience of Thailand to Colorado through locally sourced, slow-cooked cuisine crafted by some of Bangkok’s best chefs. We welcome you to come, learn, play and explore.

Top review

Sri

Dined on Sep 15, 2024

Food was authentic and flavorful. Good drinks selection.

The Family Jones Spirit House

4.9

4.9 (428)

$30 and under

Distillery

Highlands

About the restaurant

The Family Jones Spirit House is a distillery and tasting room featuring crafted spirits and bites. It emphasizes the relationship between distiller, chef, bartender and guest, with a focus on hospitality that makes it a gathering place where all feel at home. Nestled in the space at 3245 Osage St., The Family Jones Distillery occupies the former Mancinellis Market building two doors from Root Down. Designed and built by tres birds workshop, the space pairs industrial elements with rich wood details. The roof was lifted to add a second-floor mezzanine where distillery operations are now perched above a sunken, curvilinear, concrete bar. Guests enter the space through a large, square, wooden door made from reclaimed, on-site materials. Inside, they are met with low-slung seating, deep blue booths and soft lighting. Two-story wooden louvers flank the Osage Street glass facade, offering passive temperature and lighting control, while drawing attention to the well-lit copper still.

Top review

Jeremi

Dined on Sep 1, 2024

This place has a fun and inviting atmosphere and outstanding staff. Don’t miss out—try the flight! We’ll be back for sure.

El Jefe

4.8

4.8 (678)

$30 and under

Mexican

Highlands

About the restaurant

Our menu is inspired by the Mexican regions of Yucatán, Oaxaca, and Veracruz. We strive to respect the influences and traditions of these diverse cultures to bring you food that is uniquely El Jefe.

We believe in doing things the right way. Not because it’s trendy or cool, but because it’s right. We change our menu with the grow season, supporting our neighbors and the terroir of Colorado. We are not your average Mexican joint, rather a reflection of our environment and beliefs.

We hand make our tortillas every day. All of our pork comes from one whole hog. Our chefs breakdown the whole animal, for chorizo, appetizers, stocks, soups, and entrees. Nothing is wasted. We do this out of respect for the animal and for the people who raised them for us. Anything we can produce in our kitchen is done by us, with love. No frills, just good food.

We do an amazing brunch on the weekends, and by default or menu is nearly 100% gluten free.

Top review

Short57

Dined on Sep 26, 2024

Great food and service. The mole enchiladas were wonderful.

The Post Chicken & Beer - Longmont

4.8

4.8 (236)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Longmont

About the restaurant

At The Post Chicken & Beer, we brew delicious, award-winning beers and fry up the crispiest, juiciest hot chicken around. We serve it with our kitchen's take on vegetarian and seafood dishes, fresh salads, farm fresh and innovative sides - classics remade for modern times and tastes. We make the traditional, uncommonly memorable

Top review

J.vip

Dined 5 days ago

Great day to enjoy happy hour on the patio! Made a meal of happy hour food and drink items. Old Fashioned was great, as were the crispy cauliflower, wings, and grilled pimento cheese slider. Great service by Dante and the rest of the team. Looking forward to enjoying more fall days on the patio!

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Popular dish

FRIED HALF CHICKEN

Popular dish

Fried Chicken Biscuit

Popular dish

Fried Chicken Tenders

Room for Milly

4.8

4.8 (151)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

LoHi

About the restaurant

Modern cocktails and design. We wanted to create a space to share with our friends. Reflecting love of travel, color, a little bit fancy mixed with irreverent intellectuals and a good story.

Top review

Dined 7 days ago

Room for Milly completely blew me away, and it’s all thanks to the incredible staff and drinks. The bartenders were not only experts in their craft but also super friendly and engaging. They went above and beyond, even coming over to celebrate with us, making the experience feel personal and fun. The drinks were out of this world—whether you’re into cocktails or mocktails, every drink was crafted with such attention to detail and flavor. It’s rare to find a spot where both the alcohol and non-alcohol options shine, but Room for Milly nailed it. The staff and the drinks are what make this place truly special!

The Regular

4.8

4.8 (193)

$50 and over

Contemporary Latin

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of downtown Denver, The Regular brings an elegant and approachable concept to the city.

With local roots inspired by global flavors, Chef Brian De Souza and Syd Younggreen arrive to the scene with an innovative a la carte menu with influences from their experiences throughout the world. You can find menu items like Peruvian-inspired tapas, ceviche, tartare, and locally-sourced Lazy Acre beef.

The menu is complemented by a refreshing craft cocktail selection and impressive wine list, recently recognized for a Wine Spectator Award. Our daily Happy Hour offerings include $10 select wines and draft beer, spritzes, and sangria.

Spice up your next happy hour, let us take care of your weeknight dinner, celebrate a special night, or everything in between; we invite you to come be our Regular.

Top review

Monique

Dined today

The food was excellent. The plates are small and pricey. The Sphere dessert is worth ordering to go if you ever pass a 100ft radius of this place - incredible. Best steak I've ever had. The wine collection is top tier.

Yampa River Icehouse

4.8

4.8 (122)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Steamboat Springs

About the restaurant

Reservations are for the INSIDE ONLY. We assume that you want to sit outside but we just guarantee the inside for reservations. We have a ROOFTOP bar which is great if you have to wait!

*We will not be accepting any reservations for Labor Day Weekend. First come, first serve. Thank you!"

There’s a reason we’re perched down by the river. In fact, the view right outside is a nice little reminder that life is better when you go with the flow. The only thing that might make it better are some ice cold drinks, Texas-style smoky ‘cue and the company of your favorite fellow humans. So come in, take a seat, order up somethin’ good, crack open a cold one and let the good times flow like the Yampa.

Top review

Melissavip

Dined on Sep 10, 2024

One of our favorites in Steamboat! Love the outside seating. by the river and the variety of food options.

Yard House - Lone Tree

4.8

4.8 (45)

$30 and under

American

Highlands Ranch / Lone Tree

About the restaurant

Yard House is the modern American gathering place where beer and food lovers unite. Known for great food, classic rock, an energetic vibe and endless fleet of tap handles featuring the best craft and local beers, each Yard House location offers 100+ beers on tap along with an array of craft cocktails. Our menu features favorites such as our signature Poke Nachos, street tacos, USDA prime burgers, seafood and steaks. Founded in Long Beach, Calif; in 1996, Yard House now spans across the U.S. with over 80 locations and is open daily for lunch, dinner, happy hour and late-night dining.

Top review

Laura

Dined on Sep 14, 2024

The yard house is always consistent. We always have good service, food quality is always good, and management was helpful in accommodating our special requests.

Fox and The Hen

4.8

4.8 (87)

$30 and under

Breakfast

Whittier

About the restaurant

Fox and The Hen is inspired by a love of all things breakfast aka #MorningStuff. Here, we believe all the best things happen in the morning: sunrises, coffee drinks, small breakfast burritos tucked in large breakfast burritos and walks of shame.

Born out of Carrie Baird and Michael Fox’s true love for classic American breakfast served with lighthearted twists and an equal passion of all things boozy-brunch-drinks, Fox & The Hen is your new LoHi all-day breakfast concept.

Our focus is bringing friends and family together, incredibly delicious (and fun!) food, creative beverages and having everyone who leaves the Fox & the Hen feel their day is better than when they came in.

We do not seat incomplete parties, sorry.

Top review

Julie

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

So excited to try Top Chef Carrie’s restaurant. It lived up to all the hype and it was so easy to add your name to the waitlist. 10/10 recommend! Burrito, egg salad bite, fries, hash brown and michelada were all delish!

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - Denver, CO | Cherry Creek

4.7

4.7 (149)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Cherry Creek

About the restaurant

Founded in Tokyo in 1996, Gyu-Kaku has become the world’s #1 Japanese BBQ brand! Thanks to our devoted fans we have reached over 700 locations worldwide. Each day, hundreds of thousands of people gather around the table-top smokeless grill, a centerpiece of our dining concept, enjoying selections of premium meats, just off the grill, and other freshly prepared foods from our kitchens, inspiring laughter, conversation, and a magical dining experience.

Our authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience crowns you the chef. Share a variety of delicious appetizers and premium cooked meats over a flaming grill, paired with Japanese sake, frosty cold beers, or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options of your choice. We're the perfect spot to enjoy time with friends and family, organize an office party, or to spend quality time with your significant other!

Before you go, don't forget to taste our best-seller Harami Skirt Steak or Prime Kalbi Short Rib among other must-try dishes!

Top review

Pat

Dined 1 day ago

Wonder place to touch base with the family. Everyone had a great time .

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Experience

Prix-Fixe Yakiniku Courses for Everyone!

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