We’ve been busy scouring the scene to find the best eats and undiscovered treasures throughout metro Denver. What’s new and hot? Our list of eateries below includes international breakfast options, new projects from Michelin-starred chefs, expansions from some Denver favorites, and craveable street food.

So get out early and stay out late—you don’t want to miss a single bite of what 2025 is dishing up.

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Price ratings are based on average entrée cost:

  • $: under $15
  • $$: $16 to $20
  • $$$: $21 to $30
  • $$$$: $31 and higher

Alteño

Two hands use a knife and fork to cut into a crab-stuffed mushroom nestled in creamy sauce next to lettuce greens and a lemon wedge on an earthenware plate.
The crabbed-stuffed mushroom at Alteño. Photo courtesy of Alteño
  • Address: 249 Clayton St., Denver (Cherry Creek)
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Price: $$$$

Chef/restaurateur Johnny Curiel says he was completely surprised when Alma Fonda Fina, which he opened with his wife, Kasie, in LoHi in December 2023, was awarded a Michelin star just a few months later. The couple quickly launched two more restaurants—Cozobi Fonda Fina in Boulder and Mezcaleria Alma, tucked in next to the original—to satisfy the sudden demand for his emotionally resonant Mexican cuisine.

Rather than slowing down after that, the Curiels moved quickly to take over a vacant space with a wood-burning oven in Cherry Creek’s Clayton Hotel & Member’s Club. Alteño debuted in mid-March with a sumptuous, steakhouselike interior, a raw bar with a colorful ceiling mural, exclusive happy-hour bites from 3 to 5 p.m., and a menu that pays homage to Johnny’s father (who was also a chef) and his childhood memories of Mexico’s mountainous Altos de Jalisco region.

The food combines Jalisco’s coastal bounty—think bluefin tuna aguachile or a kanpachi and uni tostada—with meatier, smoke-kissed dishes from the hearth, some of which (like a whole New York strip standing in for carne asada) lend to the steakhouse feel of the place. Curiel also included a version of a stuffed mushroom, mounded with a generous portion of crab, that he recalls his father making for him. “It was his favorite dish to cook,” he says. It may soon become your favorite starter, too.

Avanti Food & Beverage

A steak sliced into several pieces with green sauce, a side of french fries, and a fork on a black plate.
Steak frites with chimichurri at Eloise. Photo by Mark Antonation
A bowl of green curry topped with crispy noodles, cilantro, diced onion, pickled cabbabe, and a lime wedge in a black bowl.
Farang Thai Kitchen’s khao soi. Photo by Mark Antonation
A pizza cut into six slices and topped with cheese, peach slices, cobbler crumble, and dollops of whipped cream.
The unconventional peach cobbler pizza at the Pizza Bandit. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 3200 Pecos St., Denver (LoHi)
  • Cuisine: International
  • Price: $$

Denver’s first food hall, which debuted in 2015, closed its main floor at the beginning of the year for a refresh that included a new coffee bar with breakfast burritos and housemade pastries (we recommend the cacio e pepe croissant), plus three fresh concepts.

Eloise offers American bistro cuisine from chef Quincy Cherrett, who previously ran sandwich shop 22 Provisions at Avanti. Cherret was born in Jackson, Wyoming, but moved often because of his father’s job as a hotel manager, and he named his new concept after a children’s book about a girl who grew up in similar circumstances. The influences of his own life lived in restaurant and hotel kitchens (Cherret was previously the executive chef at Izakaya Den and opened Death & Co.) is obvious in Eloise’s sophisticated menu of housemade pastas, steak frites, velvety chicken liver mousse, and other bisto-style eats.

Farang Thai Kitchen is the brainchild of chef Ben Whelan, who worked and traveled for a year in Thailand learning the country’s complex, flavor-packed cuisine. Whelan spent time in upscale restaurant kitchens, traditional eateries, and even a forest retreat where ancient Siamese culinary methods are taught. Whelan says the word “authentic” is tricky when talking about food—because of the unique touches and regional and seasonal ingredients used by cooks in different parts of the country—but that his menu is “authentic to my experience traveling and eating in Thailand.” Expect comforting khao soi (coconut curry with chicken and two kinds of noodles) from northern Thailand, wok-seared stirfries from Bangkok, and crispy Brussels sprouts in a sauce often served over sautéed morning glory in its home country.

The Pizza Bandit comes from Melina and Federico Felix, a couple who’ve grown their business from a farmers’ market pop-up to a food truck to a walk-up counter at Avanti. Melina grew up around her uncle’s successful pizzeria in Miami, and although her career as an artist took her away from the restaurant world as an adult, her childhood memories led to an obsession with creating the perfect dough. When Federico, a seasoned restaurant veteran and corporate chef, realized Melina had transcended pizza-making as a hobby, the two teamed up for something that walks a fine line between the classic and the decidedly less classic. “We call it neo-Neopolitan,” Melina says. At the Pizza Bandit, the couple uses top-quality ingredients, the dough ferments for 72 hours, and the leopard-spotted crust comes courtesy of a 700°F Forno Bravo oven. Toppings range from strictly traditional (like a wonderfully minimalist margherita) to the frankly oddball (but still delicious). Try the salty-sweet peach cobbler pizza, for example, which redefines what a dessert pizza can be.

C Burger

A hand holding a double cheeseburger in a paper wrapper.
A double cheeseburger at the new Boulder C Burger. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 921 Pearl St., Boulder
  • Cuisine: American
  • Price: $

Restaurateur Bryan Dayton—whose Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality group runs Corrida, Brider, Bellota, and Oak at Fourteenth—opened his first C Burger as a walk-up counter inside Sanitas Brewing Company’s Englewood branch in 2023. Expansion was always part of Dayton’s plan, and in March he welcomed his first customers to a new brick-and-mortar C Burger in Boulder. The location boasts a full bar serving primarily Colorado-made spirits and beers, a sunny dining room with a hybrid fast-casual/table-service model (you can order at the counter and a server will check in later to see if you’re ready for dessert or more drinks), and a patio facing bustling Pearl Street. The menu is expanded too, with more burger options, beef tallow french fries, onion rings, fried chicken (bites and sandwiches), salads, and soft-serve ice cream.

As part of an effort to bring better beef to his restaurants, Dayton also founded Corrida Cattle Company, which purchases whole animals from Colorado ranchers—including Western States Ranches in Delta County—who practice regenerative farming. Large cuts go to Corrida for dry-aged steaks and other dishes, and the ground beef (nearly half of the meat on an animal, according to Dayton) goes to C Burger.

“This has been an ethics thing for me—figuring out how to respect the animal all the way through the process in a way that’s sustainable for Mother Earth and offers a good life for the animal and for the rancher,” Dayton says. Nonindustrial farming and meat processing often results in higher prices for customers, but the burgers here are surprisingly affordable, with a single cheeseburger (with a 3.5-ounce patty) priced at $8. Whether you can taste the regenerative farming (which involves a continuous cycle of improving pastureland soil and plant health) or not, these are flavorful burgers that get an extra layer of deep-brown crust from a hard press as the patty hits the grill.

Fortune Nong Jia Le

A ceramic bowl of steaming pork belly slices and potatoes in tan sauce with a spoon.
Clay pot pork belly and potatoes at Fortune Nong Jia Le. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 500 E. Alameda Ave., Denver (Washington Park West)
  • Cuisine: Chinese
  • Price: $$$

Chef CJ Shir opened Fortune Wok to Table in Cherry Creek nearly eight years ago, offering street-style noodles and dumplings downstairs and elaborate, reservation-only dinners on the top floor. The new Fortune Nong Jia Le (which took over the standalone building previously occupied by Bittersweet) blends the two vibes in a seamless menu of fried or steamed dumplings with a variety of fillings, comforting noodle soups, fried rice platters, and large, shareable entrées. Standouts include delicate fried dover sole drizzled with garlic sauce, hong sao pork belly with potatoes that comes in a bubbling clay pot, and crispy half duck with beautifully bronzed skin. Round out a meal with bok choy and other seasonal vegetables and creative cocktails—and maybe one more round of dumplings.

Hadnet Unity Cafe

A rectangular plate on a wooden tray with scrambled eggs and diced vegetables next to mashed beans topped with sour cream and slice avocado. A separate wooden plate holds a sliced baguette next to a small cup of coffee.
Ethiopian ful (spiced beans) and scrambled eggs at Hadnet Unity Cafe. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 7031 E. Colfax Ave., Denver (South Park Hill)
  • Cuisine: Ethiopian
  • Price: $$

There’s no shortage of Ethiopian restaurants in Denver and Aurora, but the recently opened Hadnet Unity Cafe offers something a little different: breakfast and espresso drinks served in a bright, modern cafe. The menu here is compact compared to bigger Ethiopian restaurants but still offers plenty of variety for both newcomers to the cuisine and regulars who know exactly what they want. If you’re in the former group, start with a cappuccino and a frittata; the spices and kibbe (seasoned clarified butter) in the eggs will give you a warming taste of East Africa. If you’re in the latter, the kitfo (spicy raw or rare ground beef) served with sautéed spinach and tangy ayib cheese will satisfy, along with Ethiopian coffee served in a black earthenware pot called a jebena. Hadnet is the perfect spot to relax on a lazy morning when you can tune out the busy world outside and focus on your breakfast sided with injera (sourdough flatbread), a crusty baguette, or slow-cooked beans.

Leven Supply

A restaurant interior with a small market section of refrigerated goods and shelfs of hot sauce bottles, pasta boxes, beverage cans, and other pantry items.
Inside Leven Supply. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 300 E. Alameda Ave., Denver (Washington Park West)
  • Cuisine: Delicatessen and pizza
  • Price: $$

Leven Deli began serving hearty sandwiches and other fare in 2018, and the Golden Triangle spot has been constantly packed ever since. Expansion may have been inevitable, but owner Anthony Lygizos is destined for sandwich dominance in Denver not because he wants Leven to become the next Quiznos; he simply loves hospitality as much as he loves seeing his team succeed. “The part of restaurants that appeals to me is the hosting and connecting,” he says. “I think of Leven the same way I think of Greek town squares, where you always know you’ll find your friends and family there.”

Lygizos’ dedication to providing new opportunities for Leven staff members is one of the reasons he unveiled Leven Supply in January. The menu is similar to that of the original deli, but the long, narrow space boasts wood-fired pizza and a small market with packaged goods for home cooks. You’ll find the same great pastrami (which takes several days to brine and smoke) and a similar slate of hot and cold sandwiches made on rye and sourdough from house baker Doug Anderson (of Hi-Rise fame), plus more dinner-oriented options like lamb meatballs, grilled broccoli rabe, pastrami-stuffed arancini, and sourdough pizzas with toppings that skew East Coast (we’re enamored with the white clam pie).

Looking ahead: To give his employees even more room to grow, Lygizos plans to open Leven Downtown at 15th and California streets next winter, bringing Denver a spacious, dinner-oriented experience with a mezzanine level and full bar.

Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ

Three trays with barbecued meats, containers of sauces, paper bowls of collard greens and baked beans, and a fried chicken biscuit sandwich
Load up at Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ on East Colfax. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 3525 E. Colfax Ave., Denver (City Park)
  • Cuisine: Southern
  • Price: $$

Pastry chef Jodi Polson (whose desserts have graced the tables at Coperta and Beast & Bottle) and her chef/pitmaster husband, Ben, have been slinging biscuits, fried chicken, and barbecue from their Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ food truck since 2021. In February, the Polsons launched Mama Jo’s in its new permanent headquarters, the former home of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs (RIP), giving East Colfax a new spot to indulge in downhome eats. The location feels only slightly spruced up from its hot dog days, and the whole space, with its walkup counter and shedlike dining area, feels somehow appropriate for the new tenant.

Choosing a meal proves difficult here; do you stick with Carolina-style barbecue, and if so, will it be pulled pork, hot links, spare ribs, brisket (on Saturdays only), or jackfruit? Fortunately, everything from the smoker is available by weight or as a sandwich. But that fried chicken (regular or Nashville hot) is also tempting, especially on a tender biscuit baked just firm enough to hold up as a sandwich. Or do it up on a house-baked squishy bun instead. Whatever you choose, save room for one (or more) of Jodi’s desserts, including apple fritters, fried pies, and salty chocolate chip cookies.

Olive & Finch Union Station

A round wooden table holding a plate of roast chicken, a plate of steak frites, a bowl of slada, a ramekin of French onion soup, a Danish on a plate, an almond pastry on a plate, and several beverages in glasses.
Enjoy the spread at the new Olive & Finch inside Union Station. Photo by Lucy Beaugard
  • Address: 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver (LoDo)
  • Cuisine: American
  • Price: $ for grab-and-go; $$ for full service

Chef/restaurateur Mary Nguyen has built Olive & Finch from a neighborhood sandwich shop in City Park West to a mini-empire with three locations—the original, Cherry Creek, and, now, Union Station—and one coffeeshop-style spinoff (Little Finch on the 16th Street Mall). The brand includes a wide range of house-made pastries and desserts, and the newest member, located in the former home of Snooze, even sells premade grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and snacks. A big menu makes sense in this urban hub, where some folks arrive early for breakfast burritos ($7 between 7 and 9 a.m.) and hashes while others drop in for a power lunch or plated dinner. There’s even a happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. daily, so you can knock back a $5 Mary’s gimlet (vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup) with international bites like beef kofta, tuna sashimi tostadas, and grilled artichokes. Becoming a light-rail regular seems like a great idea with Olive & Finch as the first or last stop.

The Rolling Stoves

A paper takeout basket with french fries, a pressed cheeseburger sandwich, and a plastic syringe filled with cheese sauce.
The Rolling Stoves specialized in burger bombs. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: Varies; follow the truck’s whereabouts on Instagram.
  • Cuisine: American
  • Price: $$

In 2023, chef Jesse Williams launched a food truck (named as a tribute to his dad, whose bowling team was called the Bowling Stones) dishing out tasty burgers and sandwiches, but early this year he switched the menu over to something unique and tempting: burger bombs. If you’ve ever toasted a pressed sandwich in a cast-iron clamshell over a campfire, you’ll have a good idea what a burger bomb is all about. If not, think an overstuffed Uncrustable with fillings that hit like a New York–style chopped cheese. Ground beef and gooey cheese come in a dozen flavor combos, from Hawaiian to green chile to Philly cheese. Williams cuts the burger bombs in half before serving them, so if you go with friends, you can mix and match to find your favorite. Fries are included in the price, and dessert bombs are also available.

Sushi by Scratch

A piece of raw fish with lightly grilled skin topped with finely grated green and white vegetables on top of sushi rice.
A delicate bite of sea bream at Sushi by Scratch. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 1441 Larimer St., Denver (LoDo)
  • Cuisine: Japanese
  • Price: $$$$

Chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee have been spreading the omakase (roughly, “leave it to me”) experience throughout the United States with their Sushi by Scratch concept; the 12th and newest is a 10-seater in a stone-walled subterranean space beneath Not a Damn Chance Burger (another of the company’s concepts) in Larimer Square. Here’s what you’ll get for $195 per person (plus drinks and a 20 percent service fee): a welcome cocktail and two or three appetizers in the restaurant’s bar, 17 courses of sushi at the chef’s counter, personalized attention, storytelling, entertainment (Flashing knives! Torches!), and beverage pairings.

This is no ordinary sushi bar; many of the seafood selections have been dry-aged in house for one to seven days. Bites range from cuts of several parts of the tuna to eel drizzled in molten marrow fat dripping straight from the bone to delicate jellyfish. Each piece of fish (or wagyu beef, in some cases) includes dots of flavor from housemade sauces or slivers and gratings of uncommon produce—if you’ve never had real wasabi root, now’s your chance. Choices are few (some dietary restrictions can be taken into account when you make your reservation), so sit back and enjoy the showmanship and eye-opening food from head chef Munetoshi Taira and his team. For drinks, choose among Japanese whiskey, sake, wine, cocktail, and zero-proof pairings, or go by the glass and let the bar staff guide your choices.

VinaMeals

A bowl of Vietnamese rice porridge topped with diced green onions next to bowls of bread pieces, bean sprouts, jalapeño slices, and lime wedges.
Breakfast, like this rice porridge loaded with preserved eggs, is served at VinaMeals. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Address: 1500 W. Littleton Blvd., Littleton
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese
  • Price: $$

The dining room at VinaMeals, tucked into a quiet Littleton shopping center, is equal parts spacious and cozy: The place is big enough that it doesn’t feel crowded even during busy weekend lunches and dinners, but it’s also charmingly decorated with Vietnamese art and crafts and even miniature dioramas of night market stalls and cafes. The regular menu covers several pages, but if you go for breakfast—starting at 8 a.m. every day but Monday—the selection will be simpler. Get your morning started with a sizzling platter of eggs sunny-side up with a baguette and either sardines or meatballs in a zesty sauce or a hearty bowl of chao (rice porridge with ground pork, preserved eggs, fresh ginger, and herbs) and fried bread called banh quẩy for dipping. On the more straightforward side, a plate of fried rice with fried eggs is as comforting as it comes. While you’re settling up at the register, grab a jar of housemade chile oil or chile paste for your pantry.