RiojaThe Perfect ExperiencePerfect place for a romantic night in town! Rioja has a notable wine list. Food is great. Would highly recommend the Four Square Veggie dish. Great Service5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMA great dining experience.A great experience as usual. The only thing that could be worked on was the scallops. My son's scallops were only cooked on one side and my husband's were cooked on both sides. My son judges his scallops and the dining experience when he orders scallops if they are cooked really seared on both sides. It is quite important to him and his were only cooked on one side. Otherwise, the meal was fabulous.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing Brunch!I took my mom here for mothers day brunch and really enjoyed my time. They had a delicious bread basket with gourmet options to choose from ( goat cheese biscuits, lavendar sour dough...). For a starter we split the bacon ,which is really an amazing piece of pork belly in the delicous curry hummus sauce, one of the best things I have ever ate in my life! I will dream of that dish :) I had for my main entree the Rioja Benedict which also was supergood, awesome biscuit for the base and the parm hollandaise was perfect. For dessert we spilt the rasberry lemon cake with icecream, the presentation was fantastic and whimsical, the dish left us happy and refreshed. Our servers were friendly and personable. The overall experience was exceptional.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTable too smallThe restaurant was not busy and yet we were seated at a very small table for two. Yes, there were two in our party. It would have been nice if we had been given a choice of a larger table. Everything was exceptional: food, service, and varied menu. We will be back.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's Day BrunchLovely brunch on Mom's Day. Great choices on the menu. Would definitely recommend Riojo for amorning treat.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat foodGreat tasting food at an affordable price. Friendly staff. Waitress was attentive, spoke in depth about menu and was knowledgeable about wine list5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply outstandingFood was beyond superlative! Every dish was executed to perfection. Server could have been more attentive.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMCelebrating a Birthday!My daughter and I ate here for her birthday dinner. We were not pleased with our table and the hostess was annoying, but we did finally get a favorable table. Waiter and food were excellent!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Anniversary DinnerEveryone from our waiter to the busboy made our dining experience a night to remember. The food was fantastic w/ great presentation was memorable! Part of a fabulous anniversary day!! Thanks for all the kindness!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMmemorableFresh bacon and scallops were two of the best bites I've experienced. Service impeccable.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMAs good as it gets.Dined solo and had a fabulous experience. Great service, great food and great wine! The farfalle with octopus and tempura myer lemon is one of the best pasta dishes I ever had (including Italy). Good luck getting a table now that she won the James Beard "Best Chef" award.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMBest part of my business trip!Was in town for business and was so glad I found Rioja on Yelp! Did a 5 course tasting menu and every dish was unique and delicious. Our server was also super friendly and attentive. I hope to be back in town soon just so I can come back here.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMRelatives from out of townRelatives from out of town had heard about the restaurant and wanted to try it. I will not drive downtown at night, so we took the light rail. The food was wonderful and I think they had a nice evening.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter than ever!We have dined at Rioja once to twice a year for the last 5 years. It is truly a wonderful place but the new menu, especially the Rabbit was absolutely incredible. the desserts are better too! The Mille Feuille was spectacular!
Bravo and the menu upgrade will have us coming back again and again!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWent on Sunday noon. FoodWent on Sunday noon. Food was creative and excellent. However, menu was too heavy on meat options and very few fish and veggie choices. Waitress was efficient, but abrupt and not friendly.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMBest meal ever!Honestly, every time we dine at Rioja I have the best meal I've ever tasted in my life. It's almost indescribable. Unique flavored, flawlessly prepared, and delectable to the last bite! And it's quite affordable, especially when you consider the high quality you are getting!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMBest restaurant in DenverRioja is simply the best place in Denver to enjoy deliciously exciting food. I'm not a culinary expert so I do not do well with interpreting the menu but you can never go wrong, everything is delicious!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMTasty GemVisited Rioja for pre-show dinner and drinks with my lady friend, and was pleasantly surprised. The drinks were fantastic and not watered down, and the menu was diverse for all types of foodies. I had the pleasure of eating the Scallops, and they were cooked to perfection. I normally am not fond of truffle oil, but they used it in a minimal way that did not overpower the dish. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to give their taste buds something divine.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMVery happyMy husband and I went to Rioja on a date night. We have a small child, so these nights are cherished. On a few of our other date nights recently, we have been let down by the hype associated around some restaurants. This was not the case with Rioja. Our service was fantastic. We sat at a cozy little table for 2 and we didnt feel like the other tables were on top of us. The food was to die for. My husband is really tough on restaurants that entrees are around $30 and could not stop raving about the food. We loved everything about this place, and will recommend it to anyone who will listen. We will definitely be back ourselves.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing FoodWent here for the bf's birthday and had an amazing time. Everything was delicious-he had the scallops, I had the venison. Yum!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect meal! Great introductionPerfect meal! Great introduction for my daughter (13) to try new food! We loved our experience. One of my favorite restaurants!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMterrific with only a minor blemishThe cocktails were creative and vibrant and the appetizers all superb (in fact an excellent meal would be to eat a selection of the appetizers and salads alone). Highlights were the "Picnic" antipasto, the flatbread and a salmon/ mango sushi-like construct. I tried several different entrees, a steak with carrots and tortellini with artichoke contained perfect pasta were superb and the only miscue was an "open face ravioli" which was not of the same caliber. The highlight of the meal were the small beignets stuffed with figs which alone were worth the visit. The service was very friendly and natural and made us feel right at home but the tables were too close. Altogether the best meal Ive had in Denver so far and would definitely go back!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, service and atmosphereThe food was not only very good and creative but well presented. Waiter was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu and very personable. Would definitely recommend this place and plan to go back on my next visit to Denver.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMRioja is my favorite, mustRioja is my favorite, must eat at, restaurant in Denver. It's where I take out-of-town friends and celebrate special
occasions. This week, I had dinner on Thursday and a yummy brunch on Saturday. I always leave very satisfied.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMfine diningwe used tripadvisor as a guide to get to this spot after strolling by the night before. good menu, great service, nice crowd. No hesitation about recommending this to others.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat as always.This is probably the most solid dining in lodo. If you want something specific there are better options, bu t everything st Rioja is great. It appears to be always full, and is noisy as a result, but that is the cost of being a great place to eat.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAdventurous DiningJen amazes again. I had the Avocado and Orange salad which is a breath of spring! Then the scallops with the leek custard and ramps! Spring time in the Rockies means a few weeks of ramps and Jen let them shine.
My partner had the venison and it was perfect.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat as AlwaysThanks, everything was great - Food, Service and attention to detail.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time visiting this restaurantFirst time visiting this restaurant. The octopus was outstanding.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is excellent butThe food is excellent but the portions are very tiny. Also, don't expect the prices to be reasonable.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently outstanding.Consistently outstanding. Took tuna tartare off menu for the season, but replaced with salmon equally as good. But bring back the tuna!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother specatacular mealAnother specatacular meal - the prawn special was amazing! It was hard to have a conversation because the packed house was full of people who were having a great time.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMTruly élite dining experience;Truly élite dining experience; among a handful of the best restaurant meals I've eaten. Service note-- when we told them the two of us were sharing all the dishes, they brought each dish out in sequence as it was completed and hot, divided evenly onto two plates with full presentation on each one. Nice touch.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMExpensive but fabulous!! TheExpensive but fabulous!! The grilled calamari was to die for!4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing dinnerThe best meal we had in Denver. The bacon app was amazing. Every dish was beautiful and delicious. Cannot say enough how wonderful it was.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWas very interested in goingWas very interested in going to this restaurant because of the James Beard nominated chef. The food was good but the portions were not what I was expecting. My piece of salmon was barely 4oz. and my friend's pea soup only filled her bowl 1/3 of the way. I live in Santa Fe and have enjoyed many noteworthy restaurants here, but have never left hungry. I also had to use a flashlight to read the menu, thoughtfully provided by the waiter.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant with deliciousGreat restaurant with delicious food and very attentive service!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMVisiting Denver for a fewVisiting Denver for a few days and I am very happy to have tried this place.
Superb food with complex flavors, servers are very friendly and attentive.
Would go back any day!4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and great service!Great food and great service! I'll definitely be back.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWOW - what an amazing experience.WOW - what an amazing experience. We started at the bar while waiting for our table. I think by the end of the night every staff member had spoken to us! Incredibly professional, friendly and attentive. Oh, and the food is out-of-this-world delicious! You can see the care and pride they take in everything they do. Next time I'm in Denver, I'll be sure to go there again.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMA quick returnReturned to Rioja for second meal. Opened with the Greek Salad. What a departure from the norm. NO LETTUCE of any kind! Pretty minimal which was okay since it had some terrific flavor. Entree was the entree portion of the artichoke tortelloni. The waiter warned me that it was not a large portion; he was right, but it gave me room for dessert. Had the beignets. Having just been in NOLA, these were an interesting departure with the stuffing and the smallish size. But delish!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMBeginning with a Left HandBeginning with a Left Hand Milk Stout, the entire meal was flawless. The new appetizer paired salmon, mango, and a basil puree into a striking blend of flavor. Main courses: duck and venison, with flavor popping with each bite, blended well with the sides. Dessert was the goat cheese/fig beignets, a darn near perfect size, and flavor. All in all, Rioja deserves your attention any time you want to have a first class Denver dining experience. I eat out a lot, and Rioja never disappoints.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWe made the reservation atWe made the reservation at Rioja for my birthday celebration based on the fact that we had eaten there years ago with great results and also that I'm on a very restrictive diet and knew I would be able to eat there without repercussions to my body. The staff was great and the food beyond fantastic. Thank you for a wonderful evening.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWent with a large group onWent with a large group on a tight schedule with individual checks--the wait staff was magnificent as was the food. One of my favorite places to eat when visiting the DCPA.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding food and service.Outstanding food and service. Only drawback is that it seems to be following the trend of noisy dining. Not a quiet place, but that seems to be the norm now.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful evening with a fantasticWonderful evening with a fantastic meal - a 5 star experience.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMSurf and turf.The food and service was outstanding. My wife had the lamb and thought it was the best ever; hard to beat by any place. My pea soup was unique made with English, clean, crisp, refreshing peas. My Hawiian fish with fresh white grapes was dish worth having again, and again. The wine list has a sufficient variety to cover all palates.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMRioja is one our favoriteRioja is one our favorite dinner spots in Denver. Great food and service.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was fabulous! WaiterFood was fabulous! Waiter and server were fine.
Bread-server/ empty-dish-retriever was NOT so great. He served bread okay, but then was super pushy about taking away dishes that still had food on them - this happened three times (3! - he wasn't very clue-y!).
We are not super slow eaters, we were savoring the great food!
After the third time of asking if we were done when we weren't, and my perhaps-pointed response, he then returned when we were done and asked if we wanted a box while gesturing towards the empty plate. Hmmmm. Didn't really like that.
It made us feel a bit rushed and that's not what you want during a pricey, yummy meal.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dinner.We had a great dinner for her Birthday. Excelent food and the staff gave us a free dessert. More than happy. We do recomend.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AM