Had an excellent experience at Work & Class. The shared-plates concept works really well here, and…read morehonestly everything we ordered was very good. After reading other reviews and checking out photos beforehand, I knew the Colorado lamb was a must-order. It's not something I usually go for, but it ended up being my favorite dish of the night. Absolutely worth the hype. We also ordered the birria short rib and hickory smoked picanha, and both were solid choices. The shrimp and corn grits were amazing, and I really loved the aged cheddar mac and cheese. Other dishes like the chickpea croquettes and the chili relleno were also pretty good and rounded out the meal nicely. The wait staff was fantastic. Super friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. The restaurant itself has a cool, lively vibe. The only minor downside was that the outdoor heaters were a bit too hot, but that's a very small nitpick. Overall, an easy 5 out of 5 stars. Great food, great service, and a place I'd happily come back to.

We had a great experience here and left really impressed. We ordered the empanadas to start, then…read morethe lamb and steak with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, and finished with the banana foster cheesecake. The lamb was excellent, but the sweet mashed potatoes absolutely stole the show and easily the best thing we ate all night. Everything was well prepared and flavorful. For an appetizer, two meats, two sides, and dessert, our total came out to $88, which felt like a great value for the quality. Overall, it left a really good impression and we'd definitely come back again.

I really can't say enough good things about what the Edible Beats team does. Linger was one of the…read morefirst restaurants I ever went to when I moved to Denver, and El Five has always been one of my favorites too, so I finally made it to Root Down and honestly... another win. The space feels very Root Down in the best way. Funky, artsy, a little mid century, but still comfortable and not trying too hard. Then the food starts showing up and suddenly the whole table is passing plates around because everyone keeps saying "wait, try this." We ordered a bunch of things and the smoked carrots were probably the biggest surprise for me. I would absolutely go back just to eat those again. The masa birria, diver scallops, and grilled artichokes and asparagus were all great too. The hanger steak was cooked perfectly and came with duck fat potatoes, which immediately puts me in a good mood. Dessert also fully delivered. The banana cream pie with black sesame whip was one of those desserts where you keep going back for another bite even when you're already full. It just felt like a really thoughtful meal from start to finish. Definitely one of my favorite dinners I've had in a while.

Good, service, ambiance- all exceptional! The food was so well prepared. I think my favorite thing…read morewas the beet salad and the risotto! We may have almost tried the entire menu. The pictures do it enough justice! The dessert was actually maybe my favorite instead- I could have eaten a tub of that banana cream pie. Then rolled around in it. Spectacular.

This place is amazing! The mushroom pizza was great and the service was even better. My server…read moreCarolyn was so amazing, knowledgeable and kind! The service was the best I've ever had!! I'll definitely be going back!

Went here after hearing people talk about it online and honestly the patio alone sold me. We went…read morearound lunchtime and it wasn't too busy, so it had this calm relaxed energy that worked really well with the weird overcast weather Denver almost never gets. I still remember the French dip being super satisfying in a way that made me immediately understand why people like this place. Add a Guinness and attentive staff and it just turned into a really solid afternoon. Feels very "modern Denver" without trying too hard.

Acova is my go to lunch spot on teh North West side of town…read more I have clients up this way and a number in boulder so its an easy place to meet in the middle. It helps that Acova has a nice clean space with plenty of room and manageable noise levels. The service does not miss a beat and the menu is wide ranging enough that it keeps my frequent visits fresh and satisfies any kind of client want.

Acova is in LoHi and tucked in a residential on some streets. It's next to some other shops and…read morebars. I arrived on a Friday night and it was pretty full of people. We thankfully got sat quickly without a reservation. The inside is nice and ambient lighting. It also has an indoor/outdoor bar which I'm sure is great in the summer. I mainly came here because I knew they had tomato basil soup and I was having a strong craving. To start I got the queso fundido because of a place has it on the menu, I must try. I asked if it could be done without meat and our server said no - that it was premade. Honestly, this was just okay queso. Definitely not authentic or anything like actual queso fundido. Would not order again. The soup was good! Not the best I've ever had but definitely good. The only thing was we ordered a soup but didn't specify and got the small size. I would specify a bowl if you want a meal sized portion. The grilled cheese that came with it was tasty! The chicken Caesar wrap was fine. Portion is sorta small but glad it comes with a side. Nothing too special. Overall the place is nice, staff is friendly and food is fine. I wouldn't particularly want to return but if a friend suggested, I'd give it another shot.

On a cold snowy day in May (I wish I was kidding) I was told I needed to head over to Pony Up for…read moreby far the best french dip sandwich. When I say that I could have eaten another one immediately after finishing, is an understatement. The sandwich was incredible. The bread was toasted to perfection, the meat melted in your mouth and the dip was incredibly rich and full of flavors. We did share the crispy potatoes lived up to their name and were a good compliment to the sandwich. This is a MUST have when you are in downtown Denver.

My group of friends decided to try Pony Up after a Friday afternoon Pilates class and I'm so glad…read morewe do. When it was originally explained as a French dip restaurant, I'll admit I was skeptical but I'm very happy to say that I was wrong. This place is truly great. I ordered the alameda street and I feel confident saying I've never had a better French dip. The bread was perfectly fluffy and the flavors were seriously surprising. We also ordered the crispy potatoes and just thinking about them again is making my mouth water. The interior of the space was super vibey with disco balls and fun art. Def downtown vibes. Parking was not ideal, but it never is downtown. I ended up at a meter a couple blocks down which was totally fine. I love how meters allow you to pay by phone now and text you when your time is almost up.

Omg. We LOVED Jacks! We got there early and were happy to…read moreget 2 seats at the bar. This seems to be a popular spot, so I recommend a reservation or early arrival. We ordered the salmon Sashimi to start (epic), the Hipster Wedge salad, (yummmm) and the filet Champion style. THAT was one of the best steaks we have ever eaten. Incredible. The service was outstanding, the lighting/ ambiance were perfect. Pearl Street in Denver is a cool little district to walk around when the weather is nice too. Loved the area! We will be back!

The KC strip steak…read more Stop. Go no further. Order the KC strip steak. Im sure there can be no better steak in Denver. If you live near here or can fly to denver, come here and get the KC strip steak. The pecan and mesquite bring a nice flavor balance to the meat. The veal demi glace and herb butter bring a fantastic mouth feel and flavor highlight. Insanely good. Admittedly, they like to undercook the steak, so I asked for mine more cooked than I usually would. The steak came out just like I like it, so I advise asking them to cook a little longer. The sushi seems a bit adventurous for my tastes. The service was impeccable. The ambiance seemed a little more refined downstairs, so I regret not waiting for a downstairs table.

Great location with a cool vibe. Scratch kitchen is most impressive. Chad did me properly by…read morerecommending the most excellent chicken pot pie.

Great spot - especially before seeing a show next door at the paramount theater. The waitress even…read moreasked what time the show was to make sure everything was timed perfectly. My little planner heart very much appreciated that. My dirty martini was perfection. Fritomisto (sp?) to start was very very yummy My steak and fries was exceptional - the cut of steak was great! Our waitress was so sweet and attentive. She LOVES hockey and shared some fun Avs stats with us since the game was on too which was fun :) Also highly recommend making a reservation.

Securing the dinner reservation for a birthday dinner required planning. Completely worth the…read moreeffort and, the price, for our intimate dining experience. Staff was engaged and knowledgeable. Each course was visually stunning and the flavors were extraordinary. We opted for the non-alcohol beverage pairing and were delighted with the intricate taste balancing. Really added to the dining experience and amazed us with color, texture, ingredients, aromas, and tastes. One of the best dinners and lovely restaurant evenings I have had the privilege of sharing.

Went for my Wife's Bday and our anniversary. They treated us to one of the outdoor tents with…read morefireplace. Atmosphere was great. Staff was very knowledgeable and were incredible. Food was well worth the experience. Highly recommend dinning here and the experience. Andrew our main staff was one of the best and the other staff are great. If your in Denver and want an incredible experience go here. Book ahead as reservations go quickly and well worth the cost and experience. Thanks Andrew and Staff.

Food + drinks, SO good. Patrick & David took care of us Saturday morning and made our brunch so funread more

Date night with another couple and were excited to try Briar Common Brewery. First - super cool…read morebuilding. Love the vibes, the interior decor and second floor + outdoor patio options. We didn't take advantage of the patio vibes or rooftop deck with a fire pit, but this is still on our list! While waiting for a table, we cozied up to the bar and ordered drinks. One of the bartenders noticed I ordered the hibiscus margarita and asked me, offhandedly, if I was a fan of spice. Yes, please. With that, he cancelled my order and made me something "not on the menu" but what I called the "Patrick special." So good. Thanks, sir! We ordered burgers and shared their buffalo cauliflower starter. This, my friend, was absolutely amazing. Loved the buffalo spice paired with the bleu cheese. Easy way to enjoy some veggies. And along the same theme, I ordered the Buff and Bleu burger. This was so good, so flavorful and so messy. Don't judge me, but I resorted to using my fork, lol! It was so well balanced. Will have again. Parking here means street parking, but there were plenty of open spots on a Saturday night. The walk was nice. We can't wait to return, maybe on a game day, or maybe to enjoy Sunday brunch on the rooftop. Maybe a sunset for another date night. With this level of yumminess, the possibilities are endless.

Rioja is a fancy restaurant that delivers high quality dishes and a great atmosphere. Given its…read moredowntown location, it's a perfect option for visitors staying downtown or for a fine dining experience prior to a show. We had an out-of-town friend staying in downtown Denver for a conference. We wanted to impress her, and I had been wanting to visit Rioja for some time, so we gave it a go. Everything about the experience was perfect. This includes the service, which was warm and knowledgeable. We ordered the two James Beard award dishes, the fresh bacon and the artichoke tortellini, to share between us. Both were delightful and definitely worthy of the attention. I had the mushroom pappardelle; which was appropriately rich and satisfying. We also had a round of drinks. We all enjoyed our drinks and found them to be well-balanced. My friend was delighted by this experience. Mission accomplished.

We came here with a huge party and it was a fun experience! The servers kept our waters topped up…read moreand we had a really interesting experience eating all the food. The server gave us a lot of info like telling us which food dishes were James beard award winning. The breads were yummy but very small and the server came around to distribute it to us individually. We tried the fresh bacon first -- it's basically a piece of pork belly in a garbanzo bean mush with butter / oil around it. I liked the bean mush the most, it added a lot of flavor to the pork. The pork is actually pretty similar to a piece of Kalua pork, we were eating with some Hawaiians and they thought it was just like kalua pork minus rice. I ordered the artichoke tortellini but it was extemely rich and I was a bit shocked by how creamy it was. Served with small pieces of artichoke hearts and some cheese. I found it was best if you ate it with a bit of the broth as it adds a lot of flavor that balances the super creamy tortellini. I loved the dessert-- it's basically a chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Some of my table mates ordered the peas and carrots dessert and it looked really interesting kind of like a salad. I took off a star because they seemed to keep clearing only half the table and taking away our silverware without giving more. We found ourselves short of utensils a few times! There could also be more clear signage about where the bathroom is.