This glam Union Station spot is where you go for elegant Italian fare, thanks to the award-winning team behind Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine. In a stunning dining room decked with colorful art and a centerpiece open kitchen, feast on refined housemade pastas like a ricotta gnudi with summer black truffle that earned the restaurant MICHELIN Bib Gourmand status. Bonus points for a cozy fireside lounge and outdoor patio, perfect for lingering over a Venetian spritz or glass of wine.

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.

Chef Johnny Curiel grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico, and started washing dishes in his dad’s restaurant at age 14. Today, the Michelin Guide considers him the best young chef in Colorado and awarded one star to his first solo restaurant Alma Fonda Fina. In a light-filled corner space filled with warm ceramics and woven textiles, he puts out soulful and modern Mexican fare—think seared hamachi aguachile, lamb shank birria, and tacos folded with a 12-hour brisket confit.

With one MICHELIN and Green Star each, it's no surprise The Wolf’s Tailor serves up one of Denver’s most innovative tasting experiences. Chef Taylor Stark puts sustainability front and center in seasonal dishes that could include wood-fired Colorado spring lamb with sour cherry tonkatsu and wagyu with chanterelle miso, all served in a cozy, brick-walled space, charming garden, or private outdoor tent.

This sophisticated MICHELIN-Recommended spot has been serving up pitch-perfect Northern Italian food since 1992. It’s still one of Denver’s top special occasion destinations, thanks to an award-winning wine list—one of the city’s best—and refined dishes like lobster ravioli and braised duck with Kalamata olives. Cap celebratory meals here with the torta di formaggio, a decadent cheesecake topped with lavender honey and toasted hazelnuts.

At buzzy BRUTØ, Eleven Madison Park alum Byron Gomez serves up showstopping contemporary tasting menus that marry his Costa Rican roots and fine dining pedigree. Grab a spot at the intimate, 18-seat chef’s counter for a MICHELIN-Starred tasting experience that could include caviar-topped palmito and wood-fired duck hearts with anticucho.

Packed since the day it opened in 2010, this relaxed Italian restaurant from James Beard Award winners Kelly and Erika Whitaker’s is a go-to destination for stellar pizzas and other wood-fired delights. Add in an inviting, industrial-chic space and a clever Italian wine list, and it’s easy to see why Basta is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant.