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Rioja, Denver, CO
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Rioja

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Visa Dining Collection

$31 to $50
Mediterranean
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
Chef Jennifer Jasinski's creatively inspired food is influenced by local seasonal products. Rioja is simple, pure food that emphasizes bright flavors and textures. The wines are a collection of fun interesting varietals that complement the cuisine.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Jennifer Jasinski

From the OpenTable editors: Rioja's Jennifer Jasinski is a trailblazer, being the first chef from Denver to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2013, along with many other accolades. The Larimer Square restaurant recently celebrated two decades, and the open kitchen still fires out rustic Mediterranean fare, from fresh handmade pasta to smoky grilled octopus.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (303) 820-2282
  • Website
    http://www.riojadenver.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    Whatever the occasion, Crafted Concepts has a venue and menu to exceed your expectations. We truly thrive on creating custom events and exciting experiences – the only limit is your imagination!
  • Private party facilities
    The culinary prowess of James Beard award winner, Jennifer Jasinski, is highlighted at every meal served by the talented Rioja staff. A Mediterranean menu with local, seasonal influences is served in semi-private or restaurant-wide events from 20 to 150 handled with Rioja’s award-winning expertise.
  • Location
    1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / LoDo
  • Cross street
    15th St; Larimer St
  • Parking details
    Valet available on Larimer Square each night of the week for dinner, $10 off with Rioja validation.A parking garage is located directly behind the restaurant on Market Street. Street parking is available throughout Larimer Square.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Experiences

  • Spring Harvest Pasta Dinner

    $125.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 21, 2025 only
    Join our talented culinary team for a pasta experience featuring house made pastas with local Spring ingredients.

Menu

Rioja's menu was last updated on 3/19/2025.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 10,550 people are saying

Rioja reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Denver / Colorado

    Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Rioja delights with "creative dishes presented beautifully" and a "menu that pleases every palate." Guests rave about "amazing food and service," highlighting dishes like artichoke tortelloni and Thai pork. The ambiance is "delightfully quiet," making it perfect for special occasions. Don't miss their "incredible house-made bread" and desserts!

10,550 Reviews

  1. Michael

    Dallas15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We did the tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was creative and delicious and three wines were paired expertly. Highly recommend Rioja!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Elizabeth

    Denver8 reviews

    3.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service and ambience were great. Server was very helpful. Menu options were good and the flavors were fresh. Disappointment with over salting steak (steak cooked perfect though), too much smoky chipotle in octopus (octopus itself was good). Artichoke tortellini was very good but it is rich so half order was just right. Scallop crudo flavors were good but the apricot and hazelnut were very forward.

    Is this helpful?

  3. mark

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service and dining experience. Thai pork dish was exceptional. Smoked beets were also outstanding. Excellent flavor blend and culinary creativity

    Is this helpful?

  4. Pam VIP

    Denver31 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The signature 50 artichoke tortelloni deserves the awards it’s gotten. Definitely start with this! Our server curated our food and wine among our mane dietary issues to create an exceptional experience. We’re happy and lucky we finally got in on a quiet shoulder season evening! Our new go to for pre-theatre! 🎭

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lee VIP

    Denver32 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been going to Rioja for years, this visit we had: excellent service, great bar, but the food was just ordinary. Normally this is not the case.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Christy VIP

    Denver143 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We used to frequent Rioja quite often, but have decreased our amount of visits. Mainly due to the following reasons: the fees that are charged (5% living wage), Larimer Square fee, the increasing prices, and seemingly smaller dishes. Frankly, we still go every so often, but decrease the tip we would normally leave by the fees. The service was fantastic, but the food wasn't spectacular for the price. Not our favorite food visit for sure. We had the halibut and the mushroom pasta. Very overpriced for the portion. We were also disappointed in the wines by the glass. All decent glasses now run almost $30 a pour. Be very careful with this as the bottle prices are a much better deal, so you really get penalized for getting a glass vs a bottle.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Michelle

    Nashville1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I was traveling in the area and was very pleased with the food and service. I also have many food allergies and the chef and staff were extremely accommodating. Highly recommend.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Cal

    Denver1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was very impressive my family and I enjoyed our dinner together. Servers were very attentive and on top of service the whole night

    Is this helpful?

  9. Charles VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Sat at the bar. Service was outstanding. Cannellini Bean Soup -- phenomenal. Black & White Tagliatelle -- phenomenal! Highly recommend and can't wait to go back!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Cheri

    Denver20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and ambiance were fantastic. Service was not. Throughout dinner we had to wait for and ask for our server to be attentive to our table. Good thing there was excellent runner and table bus service.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Rioja is rated 4.8 stars by 10550 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Denver / Colorado
  4. Denver
  5. Downtown / LoDo

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Rioja

1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Additional information

  • Cross street
    15th St; Larimer St
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / LoDo
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Valet available on Larimer Square each night of the week for dinner, $10 off with Rioja validation.A parking garage is located directly behind the restaurant on Market Street. Street parking is available throughout Larimer Square.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.riojadenver.com/
  • Phone number
    (303) 820-2282
  • Catering
    Whatever the occasion, Crafted Concepts has a venue and menu to exceed your expectations. We truly thrive on creating custom events and exciting experiences – the only limit is your imagination!
  • Private party facilities
    The culinary prowess of James Beard award winner, Jennifer Jasinski, is highlighted at every meal served by the talented Rioja staff. A Mediterranean menu with local, seasonal influences is served in semi-private or restaurant-wide events from 20 to 150 handled with Rioja’s award-winning expertise.

Featured in

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