Best Restaurants

The definitive list for dining in Denver, including the top 40 restaurants, the sweetest places to brunch, and the swankiest spots to nosh at the bar. Plus, your most pressing dining questions answered.

Brunch

Café Bisque Passing over Lakewood's tiny Café Bisque would mean missing out on chef Alex Gurevich's heavenly buttermilk lemon-poppy seed pancakes, or rustic sweet potato hash with poached eggs, hollandaise, bacon, tomatoes, and goat cheese. Though it's also open for lunch and dinner, we feel this restaurant sparkles most at brunch, thanks to Gurevich's fresh take on breakfast—and the drizzles of lavender honey that accompany the grilled country bread. 226 Union Blvd., Lakewood, 303-985-4151

The Dish Bistro Though the ambience is slightly tattered and bohemian, the Dish's brunch fare is spot-on. Our favorites include the Vienna French toast (a decadence only made more so with the addition of blended cinnamon-sugar butter) and the braised lamb shoulder Benedict. Far from ordinary, this eggs Benny arrives heaped with poached eggs, roasted tomatoes, tender pulled lamb, and rich mustard cream sauce. For the best of savory and sweet, we recommend ordering both dishes and sharing—and washing them down with the $5 bottomless mimosas. 400 E. 20th Ave., 303-863-7473

DJ's Berkeley Café One of the things we love most about DJ's is the neighborhood feel—the place positively bustles with friends catching up, families dining with kids in tow, and young couples planning their day's adventure. And then there are the huge plates of airy pancakes (plain, blueberry, or banana-walnut) and Brie scrambles with roasted red pepper, shallots, and crimini mushrooms. Best of all, though, are the sunny yellow mugs that brim with hot coffee and help ring in the new day. 3838 Tennyson St., 303-482-1841

Ellyngton's These days, the old fashioned, pull-out-all-the-stops buffets are few and far between, but leave it to the Brown Palace Hotel to preserve a decadent, albeit pricey, tradition. Brunch runs $44.95; for more dough, pair bottomless Domaine Chandon, Moët & Chandon, or Dom Perignon Champagne with your meal. Sit on the north side, away from the buffet traffic and close to the live jazz. Try the freshly sautéed trout, a slice from the enormous "steamship cut" of buffalo, and the made-to-order bananas Foster. 321 17th St., 303-297-3111

French 250 There are few things more decidedly French than a croque-madame—a grilled ham and cheese dipped in batter, sautéed in butter, and topped with a sunny side-up egg. At French 250, chef Jeremy Thomas ratchets up the flavor quotient with Jarlsberg (rather than the traditional gruyère) and brioche—and tops the already decadent sandwich with hollandaise. Grab a table near the window, and pretend you're in a cafe on the banks of the Seine. 250 Steele St., 303-331-0250

Gaia Bistro For us, Gaia, a cottagelike spot on Old South Pearl Street, is synonymous with the temptation of the peanut butter, banana, and honey crêpe. The cozy pairing is classic, and Gaia's made-that-moment preparation ensures the honey and banana are hot and the peanut butter is gooey. Other worthwhile treats are the soft egg in a basket of brioche and the buckwheat crêpe with house-cured salmon, red onions, cream cheese, and capers. Get there early, lest you wait in line with a rumbling tummy. 1551 S. Pearl St., 303-777-5699

LoLa You might know LoLa best for its bar business, but you should get acquainted with the weekend brunch. We always love chef Jamey Fader's creamy corn soup (one of the few holdovers from the restaurant's early days) and the filling "admiral" combo of two eggs, chorizo, and an asadero cheese-grit cake. And knowing that it wouldn't be LoLa without a drink, we highly recommend the mango mimosa. 1575 Boulder St., 720-570-8686

Lucile's Creole Cafe (Boulder) The Lucile's in Boulder (the original) remains the best of the bunch. Arrive early to avoid waiting in line, and clear the cobwebs with a large mug of dark chicory coffee. Start your morning with the works: buttermilk biscuits, grits, beignets, and eggs Pontchartrain—like eggs Benedict but with fresh, pan-fried mountain trout—and you won't need to eat again until dinner. 2124 14th St., Boulder, 303-442-4743

Snooze Between the cheery George Jetson-retro decor and the pineapple upside-down pancakes, brunching at Snooze makes us happy—and thrilled that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The menu tempts with goodies such as vanilla-almond oatmeal brûlée, Juan's breakfast tacos, and biscuits and gravy, but more often than not we find ourselves ordering our go-to dish: sweet-potato pancakes drizzled with bourbon-caramel glaze and topped with roasted pecans and ginger butter. 2262 Larimer St., 303-297-0700