Rioja

Every dish was inspired and the service was impeccable!

Food was way salty, scallops in particular.
The tuna was tasteless.
The Japanese eggplant was mostly batter and actual eggplant was hard to identify.
Expensive mistake.

Rioja has always been our favorite place but this last experience left us wondering what has changed. The portions of food has gotten very small & we are not large eaters. We ordered a FULL order of the gnocci to share among 4 for an appetizer & it was so small that I can't imagine that anyone would have enjoyed it as their main dish. Literally we each got a tablespoon of it. The special I got consisted of 3 small pieces of ahi tuna, that was delicious & 2 scallops which was also small & I was still hungry. It will be awhile before we go back.

Wow wow wow! Amazing all around. We will be back for more.

Rioja is one of the best restaurants in Denver. I had brunch here on a Sunday and ordered glaze donuts along with the Rioja Benedict. They were both creative and unique in how they were plated and presented. One bite in and it will blow your senses away.

Food was delicious and service was great! We will definitely be visiting again!

Wonderful food, perfectly timed, gracious server.

Food was amazing, great service. If you were a bird, the portions would be adequate.
Expensive!

Excellent lamb entree and the wine list is very different than most fine dining places with a focus on Spanish and Portuguese wines. Good for a date night.

The food was great and the service is impeccable

So delish! We had the cheese plate as a starter, followed by the ricotta pasta & shared the steak entree. Dessert was fig & goat cheese beignets - like warm Fig Newton’s for grownups. Every single item was fabulous. Oh - except for the champagne. Don’t bother with any bubbly.

Food was great and free dessert for our daughter’s birthday was nice as well. They gave us a card signed by all the staff for our anniversary, but no gift card or a discount for next visit. That would’ve been a cherry on top of what was a great dining experience.

Wonderful experience—truly unique. We will certainly be “repeat offenders.”

It was quite warm in the dining room, but hey, it was cold outside—what do you expect.

Thanks again!

We're in Denver for 8 days. After dining at Rioja on our previous visit to Denver, I made sure to book dinner there twice during our trip. We will, again, have the same plan for any future visits to Denver!

Awesome Flavorful foods
Slow food service
Bussing the tables and drink
servers awesome
Serving size much too small
All were polite
Table for two was tiny!

We had great expectations given other reviews and pricing but the food was underwhelming to say the least. I had the beans salad and the Grouper and the salad was nothing special, the grouper was a little dry and on a bed of pine nuts, which was just odd and not very tasty. We tried it but will likely not go back.

The wagyu beef was very disappointing. It was chewy and tough. The other courses were fine but far from superb. I would probably give them a second chance if I’m in the area again because other reviews have been better thank mine. Maybe this was not a typical experience. The waiter was fantastic and the atmosphere was upbeat and fun. Service was definitely above average.

Great food. Flavors were tremendous and the Manhattan was fantastic.

Exceptional meal. I ordered the tasting menu and added the octopus and the wine pairing. All of the courses were great and the price was very reasonable given the food. I highly recommend this restaurant to all.

The patio has some street noise, inside may be quieter. Great food. High end. $$

As always it was wonderful from the food to the service. Our favorite

Excellent food. Love that there are appetizer portions of certain dishes and half glasses of wine to make perfect pairings.

Food was expensive and subpar. Nothing stood out. Tried very pasta and the Wagyu. Servers were nice but slow. Hosts were great.

We had another great dinner at Rioja. We have been there many times and have never been disappointed

Great food and service

This is a great place for pre-theater. Service was great and the food was innovative and delicious. I had the lamb and my husband had the gnocchi paella. We were both very pleased with our meals.

Larimer street is beautiful at night with the twinkle lights and has a great vibe. The restaurant has great energy and is lovely. Service was perfect. We started with win which was delicious but a little pricey at $18 a glass. For dinner I had the Grouper and my husband had the Pork Tenderloin. The presentation was beautiful and the flavors were incredible. One of the best meals I’ve had, however, the portions are teeny. Like really. Really. Teeny. I always need to box up my leftovers and I ate every bite with none to spare. The men at our table enjoyed their food but left unfulfilled. If you ordered an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert you would be fine, but short of that you will leave hungry. And if you did order all Four courses, it would cost you a pretty penny! Our meal of two glasses of wine and 2 entrees was $100.
All in all I would definitely return but I would have appetizers elsewhere before.

Great food, drinks, and overall experience. Perfect portions.

I wish I could remember our server’s name, but she was amazing. Very knowledgeable, super friendly, and helpful with our requests. My girlfriend is vegan, which I noted in the reservation. The chef prepared an entire vegan course for her that was outstanding.

Every bite was delicious. The grouper was the best I've ever had. This is my favorite Denver restaurant!

Excellent every time. The classic dishes remain and the new ones blend in perfectly.

Really disappointed that we had to pay for our complimentary anniversary dessert. The service was not the best either.. our waitress forgot multiple things we ordered. The waygu bavette steak and the yuzu lemon tart were delicious, but the milk-poached break striploin was not. Overall I won't be coming back here for a dinner date or for the food. I'll only come back here for the yuzu lemon tart.

Great food, great service, great fun!
Our group of 6 thoroughly enjoyed our time at Rioja. We loved the food and service. We had the pork belly, the picnic, pineapple pepperoni flat bread, and cheese plate for appetizers. A couple people ordered the Waygu beef for dinner, someone ordered the lobster pasta, someone ordered the veal, another person ordered the squash pasta, and I ordered the artichoke tortellini. Everyone LOVED their meals. We all had a specialty cocktail and they were all delicious. Rioja hits the mark! A must try in Denver.

Amazing meal! Every dish was excellent. My husband is a very picky eater and he loved everything.

We have dined at Rioja for many years, especially before a concert. It has become way too expensive, especially the wine list, and is no longer a good value for the dining experience. Unfortunately, we will not be back!

Excellent experience - food was great and creative, wait staff and service were terrific, attentive

We loved everything about Rioja. From the pretty decor and comfy velvet chairs, to the fresh bread brought around in baskets throughout the meal. The food was creative and delicious. I will definitely come back when visiting Denver.

The service and food was outstanding. Excited to go back!

Good food and service at a decent price.

What a great experience of great food, wine and service.
Will go with my eyes closed next time if I have to.