1. Aubergine Cafe
225 E. 7th Ave.
Exuberant contemporary dining in a space that simply screams “welcome.”

2. The Cherry Tomato
4645 E. 23rd Ave.
Wonderfully inventive Italian served in what’s clearly Denver’s best use of an old drugstore.

3. Cafe Brazil
3611 Navajo St.
It’s small. It’s Latin. It’s life.

4. Strings
1700 Humboldt St.
Noel Cunningham — one of the truly great people, one of the nation’s truly great contemporary chefs.

5. Tante Louise
4900 E. Colfax Ave.
Elegant dining and a touch of romance sweep across the generations in an atmosphere only Denver could create.