-DcGZRopc.png)
Every few months, Denver gets a new crop of restaurant openings and the coverage machine dutifully covers them. Some of those places are excellent. Many are not. What follows is a different kind of list — restaurants that have proven themselves over time, that are genuinely great right now, and that are worth going out of your way for.
For a special occasion: Ultreia
Ultreia in Union Station is one of those rare restaurants that pulls off both the food and the room equally well. The Spanish-influenced menu centers on pintxos, charcuterie, and wood-fired dishes that reward lingering. It's the kind of place that earns repeat visits — you're not going back because it's trendy, you're going back because there are still dishes you haven't tried.
Book in advance. The dining room fills on weeknights and the bar, while excellent for solo dining, doesn't take reservations. The wine list leans heavily Iberian and is one of the better curated lists in the city.
Best sushi in Denver: Sushi-Rama / Ototo
Denver's sushi scene has matured considerably in recent years. Ototo in LoHi handles the omakase end with precision and a sourcing story that holds up — the fish quality is the conversation here, not the setting. For a more casual experience, Sushi-Rama's conveyor belt format is genuinely fun without sacrificing quality, which is a harder trick than it looks.
If you're making a dedicated trip for sushi, Ototo is the right call. If you're with a group that has mixed enthusiasm for raw fish, Sushi-Rama keeps everyone engaged. Both are significantly better than anything in the tourist corridors downtown.
Best tacos in Denver: El Taco de Mexico
El Taco de Mexico on Santa Fe has been around for decades and would rank among the best taquerias in any American city. The green chile is the reason to go — thick, smoky, and built for the altitude — but the breakfast burritos have their own devoted following that is not wrong. Cash only, counter service, no frills. The line moves.
Denver's Mexican food options along Santa Fe and Federal are collectively underrated by the food media, which tends to focus on the neighborhoods north of downtown. El Taco de Mexico is the easiest entry point and the one most locals point newcomers toward first.
Best pizza in Denver: Blue Pan Pizza
Blue Pan is making Detroit-style pizza — square, thick, with the cheese and sauce layered in the opposite order from what you expect — and doing it as well as anywhere in the country. The crust is the thing: crispy and almost caramelized at the edges from contact with the pan, soft and open-crumbed in the center. Order the Via Italia and don't apologize for the calories.
There are multiple locations now, with the Jefferson Park original still the best experience. Takeout holds better than most pizzas, but eating in the room is worth doing at least once. The lunch specials are quietly one of the better deals in the city.
Best brunch in Denver: Mercantile Dining & Provision
Mercantile inside Union Station approaches brunch the way a serious chef should: seasonal ingredients, thoughtful technique, and a menu that changes with what's actually available rather than defaulting to the same eggs Benedict rotation all year. Alex Seidel's farm-to-table ethos isn't marketing here — it shows up in the food.
The room is beautiful, which helps. Union Station's main hall remains one of the great public spaces in Denver, and Mercantile captures some of that energy without being overwhelmed by it. Make a reservation on weekends; walk-in availability is limited and the wait is real.
The best restaurant in Denver is always a moving target — the city is opening too many genuinely good places for any single answer to stay current. But the restaurants above have earned their places over time, not just on opening night. That's a different kind of recommendation, and a more reliable one.