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Denver’s 6 hottest restaurant openings of 2023

A photo of Red logo
by Linnea Covington
Updated December 06, 2023

Denver’s most exceptional restaurant debuts of the year are a mix of brand-new entrants and inspired revamps, all raising the culinary bar in the Mile High City.

Choose from a 20-year-old French favorite that relocated to Midtown East, an all-day breakfast star by a Top Chef alum in Highland, and the first-ever Denver edition of a nationally acclaimed fried chicken mini-chain in RiNo.

Read on for a guide to Denver’s most outstanding restaurant openings of 2023.

A photo of Bistro Vendome restaurant
4.7
4.7 (7489)
$30 and under
French
Park Hill
About the restaurant

Jen Jasinski’s locally adored French restaurant relocated this year from its original, 20-year-old downtown spot to new digs in Midtown East in February. What’s new is the fresh and modern decor that includes whimsical floral wallpaper and deep red banquettes. Not to mention a revitalized menu by executive chef Jeremy Wolgamott featuring classically prepped Left Bank-inspired classics like steak frites and coq au vin, plus reimagined takes on allium soup and duck a l’orange. Bonus points for the brand-new kids’ menu (cleverly named Oui Chefs)—an ode to the family-filled neighborhood it now calls home.


Top review
Michael
Dined 5 days ago
Great food. Trout, mussels, and steak were great.
A photo of Le French 9&CO restaurant
4.5
4.5 (374)
$30 and under
French
Denver
About the restaurant

Sisters Aminata and Rougui Dia’s French-Senegalese Denver Tech Center star got a second location in the 9+CO development in September. The duo serves the same sensational Paris-meets-Dakar lineup, plus a brunch menu that shouts out the owners’ West African heritage with ingredients like brie and baobab preserves and chicken yassa poutine. What’s exclusive to this new location is an expanded wine selection, plus a full bar known for attention-grabbing cocktails like the hibiscus-infused tequila concoction Le Bissap.


Top review
Erika
Dined 4 days ago
This is my first time at this location, but my 5th time coming to this restaurant. As usual the food was amazing! My party ate the notre burger, chocolate crepe and salmon crepe, the french onion soup and the steak and frites. Everything looked as expected and tasted delicious. he service was awesome and our experience was wonderful. Side note, the pear martini was phenomenal! You can't miss coming here.
A photo of The Regular restaurant
4.6
4.6 (257)
$50 and over
Contemporary Latin
Downtown / LoDo
About the restaurant

Chefs Brian De Souza and Sydney Younggreen scored a significant following after launching a reservation-only dinner series with a rotating New American menu in 2020. They channeled that momentum into a 40-seat fine-dining restaurant they opened in July, serving imaginative dishes like cabbage mille-feuille with leek cream, pan-seared branzino with celeriac puree, and more. If you’re drinking, consider a glass from one of the best wine lists in town, and enjoy it all in a dark and cozy dining room decked with cozy leather booths—but fans of this talented duo are known to be enthusiastic, so book well in advance.


Top review
Tommy
Dined 6 days ago
Amazing I loved the freshness of every bite. Clean and fast staff
A photo of Yardbird Table & Bar - Denver restaurant
4.5
4.5 (451)
$31 to $50
Contemporary Southern
River North (Denver)
About the restaurant

This Southern comfort food empire has no shortage of culinary accolades: It’s the brainchild of a Top Chef alum, was nominated for a James Beard Award, and named one of Bon Appétit Best New Restaurants. So when it opened its first-ever Denver edition in July, crowds came flocking for its signature coal-roasted rotisserie chicken, skillet cornbread, and 72-hour short rib—which, in true Colorado fashion, comes with green chile-spiked grits. The sprawling space is also adored for brunch and happy hour, thanks to a knockout cocktail selection made with fresh fruit juices, herbs, spices, and bourbon.


Top review
keana
Dined on Feb 4, 2025
Definitely an amazing spot to grab a bit to eat! The food was amazing and our service was great. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and helped us make up our minds with some recommendations. We will definitely come back here again!
A photo of Bao Brewhouse restaurant
4.6
4.6 (981)
$30 and under
Chinese
Downtown / LoDo
About the restaurant

This funky pan-Asian spot leveled up with a new chef at the end of the summer this year. Paul Sananikone, formally the director of sushi at Jing Aspen, brings fine-dining firepower to Bao Brewhouse’s basement level and pulls from techniques he learned from his hibachi chef father and Thai mother. The result is a globally accented Chinese street food selection that includes dishes like mushroom dumplings and fried tofu bao. Rest assured the beloved tap room remains casual, while the upstairs tea room is all about family-style feasts of short rib spicy noodles and dim sum. All these updates have led to hotspot status for this LoDo mainstay, so reservations are practically mandatory.


Top review
Amy
Dined 1 day ago
We definitely over-ordered. But everything was so delicious! Wish we could have taken a box, but we were going to a show and that wasn't an option. The only issue we had was we wanted some of their "hot drinks" and they were completely out of glassware, which was odd. Don't sleep on the Chicken dumplings, they were AMAZING. Also we had the short rib noodles which the meat was so tender it was failing apart Soooooooo good. Will definitely go back
A photo of Fox and The Hen restaurant
4.8
4.8 (98)
$30 and under
Breakfast
Whittier
About the restaurant

This hotly anticipated Highland spot opened in June and believes the best things happen in the morning. Which explains its breakfast-heavy menu by Top Chef alum Carrie Bird and “burrito architect” Michael Fox. Playful spins on American classics like Le Big Mac Omelet, sausage rolls with maple dipping sauce, and the winning huevos rancheros Baird made to beat celebrity chef Bobby Flay have earned it a rep as one of the most sought-after brunch spots in town.


Top review
Kevin
Dined on Jan 12, 2025
Wonderful neighborhood breakfast/brunch gem! We weren't sure what to expect as it was our 1st visit, but we were very pleased with the food & service. Not a fan of how the waitlist program works, but we were seated quickly.
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