Renowned equally for its intricate Friulian cuisine, a wine program created by partner and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey, and above-and-beyond service, this longtime Boulder destination creates the kind of experiences that make many a Coloradan’s bucket list. Multicourse tasting menus abound in seasonal intricacies that might at any given time include game such as rabbit and quail; unusual pastas such as balanzoni or cjalsons; luxuries like foie gras and truffles; and unexpected juxtapositions — braised oxtail and bitter chocolate, hakurei turnip and huckleberry — while pairings are curated by some of the best in the business.

Attached to an artisan butcher shop and deli, Hosea Rosenberg’s ten-year-old contemporary American restaurant somehow just keeps getting better. The meat of the matter here is, well, meat itself, be it a charcuterie board, the signature steak tartare, or a market cut of lamb, pork, or beef. But the kitchen treats seasonal produce with equal respect: Take, for example, charred Mokum carrots with carrot-top salsa verde and ricotta salata or yellow jelly potatoes with pickled ramp aioli and black garlic vinaigrette. By day, the breakfast burritos have earned themselves a cult following — and the textbook Reuben deserves to.

Though this Westminster sleeper hit does indeed serve wings — try them with lemongrass sauce — it’s the “things” that those in the know really flock here for: Page after page, the enormous menu entices with specialties from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and China, including seafood fried lort, chicken nam soot, duck larb, beef loc lac, and more. Come with a big group to sample a little bit of everything.

A loving homage to the family that hosted her as an exchange student in China, this spin-off of chef-owner Natascha Hess’s popular pan-Asian food truck (which now has a sibling in Boulder) also reflects her extensive travels across the continent and penchant for mash-ups. At any given time, the menu might boast Korean-, Japanese-, or Chinese-style fried chicken; a Thai take on crispy tofu in peanut sauce or a Vietnamese spin on watermelon salad; and Instagrammable dishes like Korean-inspired hot dogs battered in cornflakes or Hong Kong–style French toast with coconut jam. To complement it all are cocktails flavored with Thai chiles, yuzu, matcha powder, and lemongrass; a tidy selection of beers, wine, and sake rounds out the bar menu.

Simply put, the Wolf’s Tailor is one of the most unusual and ambitious restaurants in Denver. But explaining the concept further is not so simple. Loosely mixing global cuisines with local influences, it’s ultimately grounded in technique more than any one tradition, relying on a binchotan grill, a wood-fired oven, a fermentation program, and donabes (clay pots) as well as house-milled heritage grains and produce from the garden for its constantly changing multicourse tasting menus. (For an equally intricate, intimate, and unforgettable experience with more Latin focus, try downtown sibling Brutø.)

Rich, heady with spices, and alternatively crisp, soft, and dripping with juice in all the right places, the birria tacos that captured the zeitgeist when Kiké’s launched as a food truck in 2020 are now on glorious display at its fast-casual brick-and-mortar in Sunnyside. The expanded menu includes quesadillas, tortas, burritos and more, backed by an agave-centric cocktail list ranging from tamarind margaritas to spiked horchata.

The shining star of the Source Hotel in RiNo is a showcase for chef Alon Shaya’s brand of modern Israeli cuisine. No meal here would be complete without an order of the wood-fired pita with hummus and an array of salatim, or small plates such as baba ghanoush and whipped feta with fig vinegar; from there, go for the duck matzo ball soup, the crispy eggplant layered with tomato and herbed goat cheese, and the pomegranate-braised lamb shank — signature dishes all.

Tommy Lee’s enduring RiNo favorite puts an exuberant modern spin on regional Chinese staples in an equally high-energy dining room. While all first-timers (if there are any left) should try the Chongqing-style fried chicken with chiles, Beijing duck roll, and bone marrow–fried rice, abundant seasonal and daily specials keep regulars coming back — whether for black-pepper scallops with country ham and yu choy, garlicky wok-tossed pea tendrils and sour mustard greens, or mung bean jelly noodles with Badger Flame beets and celtuce in black-vinegar dressing. The bar team is more than up to the pairing challenge the menu presents, known as they are for cocktails infused with Asian ingredients as well as a geeky selection of wines and ciders.

At once chic and slyly quaint, the dining room of Tim and Lillian Lu’s LoHi sensation sets the tone for a seasonal French menu that’s likewise sophisticated and soothing by turns — from bouillabaisse with langoustines and eel to roast chicken stuffed with forbidden rice and maitake mushrooms atop creamed leeks to Dover sole for two with truffled shrimp butter, mushroom duxelles, Savoy spinach, and pommes puree. Dessert is de rigueur, as are croissants and cannelés from the adjoining daytime bakery.

Spuntino is a special place. Chef Cindhura Reddy’s cooking is at once polished and deeply soulful, as revealed by her modern Italian menu subtly strewn with Indian influences: elk tartare with toasted masala aioli and ajwain seed crisps here, aglio e olio with garlic pickle there (and whatever the pasta dish featuring goat may be, get it). Her husband Elliot Strathmann, meanwhile, oversees one of the city’s most exciting beverage programs, painstakingly sourcing uncommon wines from small producers while making his own amari and liqueurs. And the couple’s passion for cuisine extends to their — and their dedicated staff’s — warm and genuine approach to hospitality.

Run by Frasca alums Duncan Holmes and Allison Anderson, this tiny reservation-only chef’s counter in an old RiNo bungalow makes magic before guests’ very eyes, combining beautifully plated, market-driven tasting menus with consummate hospitality for fine dining experiences that are more than the sum of their parts. Expect to be pampered and plied with luxuries, whether inside or out on the picture-perfect patio, over the course of two-plus hours.

Denver lucked out when highly acclaimed chef-restaurateur Tyson Cole chose RiNo as the site for his first branch of Uchi outside of Texas. The modern Japanese destination has lived up the hype surrounding it since its 2018 opening, executing not only sashimi and sushi from scrupulously sourced fish but also a wide array of original creations both cooked and raw: bluefin loin crudo in blood-orange zu with pomelo and ginger, say, or lobster in miso butter with bok choy kimchi. The seafood-averse will be no less wowed by the kinoko nabe (a rice dish with mushrooms) or the ham and eggs, a pork belly roll garnished with yolk custard and beer mustard.

Sophistication meets ease at this date-night magnet in the Whittier neighborhood. Take comfort in the likes of mushrooms on toast with Marsala, cream, and thyme or roast chicken with gnocchi Parisienne and pine-nut romesco paired with a glass of wine from the smartly curated by-the-glass list; take a chance on hakurei turnips with vadouvan butter and onion ash or swordfish piccata with umami mayo alongside a cocktail featuring raiciilla, mushroom rum, and saffron. There’s no going wrong either way.

Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s Union Station homage to Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is nothing if not a stone-cold stunner. The wraparound mural and terrazzo flooring in the two-story dining room, the colorfully tiled tabletops and fountain on the patio — it all sets the stage for tapas as classic as pan con tomate and as modern as octopus a la plancha with ancho-butternut nage, romesco brussels sprouts, and jalapeño oil, not to mention occasional paella parties and brunch service featuring dishes like olive oil pancakes with dried apricots and almonds. The bar chimes in with an all-Iberian wine list on the one hand, inventive G&Ts infused with turmeric and elderflower or grapefruit and cinnamon on on the other.

While Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder (see above) may well be Colorado’s most famous dining destination, its Denver sibling is every inch as notable. Set on the Union Station platform in full view of the trains, the sleek restaurant and lounge takes a broader regional approach to Italian cuisine than its Friuli-focused sibling, proffering a seasonal menu that might find bay scallop crudo with preserved citrus, Calabrian chiles, and salsify next to gnocchi with speck, smoked ricotta, and pecans next to duck breast with sunchokes, chanterelles, persimmon, and chestnuts; the splurge-worthy wine list naturally follows suit. And the service, of course, is as polished as the tableware.

Chef Caroline Glover hasn’t let stardom go to her head: After all, her renown — cemented by a 2022 James Beard Award for best chef, Mountain region — is predicated on the down-to-earth, heartfelt approach to both cooking and hospitality she takes at Annette, located in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. Guests feel well cared for as they tuck into signatures like grilled beef tongue and marrow toast or roast chicken with bitter greens and PX sherry vinegar alongside seasonal dishes such as roasted maitakes and kohlrabi with sunflower hummus and chickpea fritters; grouper cheek bouillabaisse; and ice cream sandwiches in ever-changing flavors (think ginger molasses and bay leaf). Knockout cocktails and a boutique wine list enhance the feel-good experience.

What separates this steakhouse from the pack is a sense of playfulness that speaks to the moment. Against a backdrop that defies genre stereotypes in lively shades of green, the kitchen likewise upends expectations through the diversity of its influences, deftly supplementing those exquisite cuts of beef with, say, Mexican-style bay shrimp cocktail, maitake-porcini poutine, wok-tossed broccolini in miso bagna cauda, and bacon-and-kimchi fried rice. The bar, meanwhile, gets into the groove with a focus on rums rather than whiskeys. A rocking happy hour seals the deal.

It’s a nightly fiesta in here, thanks not least to a pan-Latin menu that’s tailor-made for sharing with friends, including dishes like mofongo with pork belly chicharrón, plantain mash, and habanero crema; duck confit mole accompanied by fresh tortillas; and an ever-changing weekends-only paella. But the vibe also points to the colorful, come-as-you-are culture cultivated by partners Erasmo Casiano, Diego Coconati, and Michelle Nguyen, whose bar plays its part in the party too as it whips up kicky cocktails like the Arroz Con Leche with blanco tequila, corn liqueur, rice milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Making its own flour tortillas and frying its eggs and potatoes in duck fat, this tiny daytime cafe in Uptown (with a second location at Union Station) has built a cult following on the strength of its signature breakfast tacos, congee with duck confit, fried rice with Chinese sausage, and loco moco — all ideally paired with iced Vietnamese coffee or an old-school tequila sunrise. If that sounds like an unusual mix of influences, well, it is, and Onefold is all the better for it — not to mention all the more popular.

Located in the food court of Aurora refugee community center Mango House, this Burmese stall run by Siri and Martin Tan has built a large and loyal fan base on the strength of hearty, homey noodles and curries like the weh da nah with pork, potatoes, and pickled mango, as well as such intriguing stuff as pae paratha — a sort of flatbread rolled up with yellow peas and fried onions — and the funky, crunchy tea leaf salad (the latter being just one of many items that are vegan and/or gluten-free).

The light, bright flavors of Vietnam shine at Ni and Anna Nguyen’s white-hot East Colfax spot, where dishes like cold vermicelli in crab broth with tomato, peanuts, lime; hamachi collar laced with coconut caramel alongside steamed rice; and charred cabbage with anchovy breadcrumbs and egg yolk have gained an instantly loyal following. Irreverent cocktails like the Gin-erational Trauma flavored with lemongrass and yuzu complete the vibrant picture.

Long before farm-to-table dining entered the mainstream, this Cap Hill gem practiced it. Since 1997, in fact, the kitchen has been building its menu around locally sourced ingredients to yield such microseasonal stunners as Maine halibut with cured asparagus, pea-shoot pistou, and spring flowers; beets and preserved mussels with fennel-seed butter, pickled shallots, and caper gremolata; and the famous wintertime cassoulet. To pair with it all, the exceedingly thoughtful wine list focuses on off-the-beaten-path bottles from sustainable producers around the world (Colorado included).

Though an avatar of fine dining — white tablecloths, candlelight, 100-plus-page wine list, and all — this Northern Italian destination in Cherry Creek is hardly old school: Longtime chef Darrel Truett keeps the menu fresh and engaging through seasonal creations like chilled foie gras terrine with puff pastry, apricot mostarda, and Marsala gélee or lobster risotto with saffron crema and gold leaf. While most guests opt for the four-course degustazione, a la carte grazing at the bar on a lower-key weeknight is a treat.

This cheery little stop on West Alameda sits at the top of Denver’s taqueria heap. Numerous taco options include an array of delicious off-cuts like cueritos (pig skin) and cabeza (beef cheek) as well as electrifying salsas — tomatillo, avocado, and habañero among them. On those rare occasions when regulars aren’t in the mood for tacos, they might go for spot-on menudo or birria de chivo, a savory goat stew.

Walk in a first-timer, walk out a family member: That’s what a meal at African Grill and Bar feels like. Owners Theo and Sylvester Osei-Fordwuo emanate endless warmth while also cooking up a storm to showcase the diversity of regional African cuisine. For newcomers, fufu or red red with goat or oxtail are great places to start, cooled by the fresh ginger drink; regulars, meanwhile, tend to work their way through the menu until they’ve tried every last stew and staple starch.

With a second location on 6th Avenue, this casual South Broadway spot is no frills but all thrills when it comes to Indian cuisine. The extensive menu deftly covers all the usual suspects — biryani, tandoori, tikka masala, saag, vindaloo — along with some less familiar dishes such as rajma-and-aloo (kidney bean–and–potato) masala and Goan fish curry, as well as a couple of Nepalese staples. Start with a vibrant chaat like the Bombay bhel and be sure to work some lamb into the meal one way or another.

The name says a lot: This Aurora Korean joint makes its own tofu, so a bubbling bowl of stew featuring the soft, creamy stuff is a must. But it doesn’t tell the whole story of the menu, which also includes excellent seafood like soy sauce–marinated crab and braised, half-dried pollock with potatoes as well as staples such as spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes) and galbi jjim (short ribs). Wash it all down with soju or beer brewed by sibling Mono Mono in Lafayette.

Owned by a Moroccan family, this Hampden spot serves warming Middle Eastern plates in a modest but welcoming setting. Earthy lentil soup, pomegranate seed–topped baba ghanoush, crunchy-tender falafel, juicy chicken shawarma, rich braised lamb shank — it’s all here; just be sure to ask for a side of the wonderfully creamy house spinach too.