12 of the Buzziest New Restaurants and Bars in Denver, Fall 2024

Denver’s crush of new restaurants and bars is not slowing down. This fall, we saw a new entry in our burgeoning bagel scene, a Mexican spot from a Michelin-starred chef, and even Italian takes on Asian dumplings. We delighted in pizza, doughnuts, and fried chicken.

All said, here are a dozen of our favorite new spots to put on your To Eat and To Drink lists.

Jump Ahead:

• Church and Union
• Dumplin’
• Mezcaleria Alma
• Odell’s Bagel
• Pasque
• La Reyna Azteca
• Roberta’s Pizza
• The Salty
• Stellar Jay
• Sweet NOLA Snoballs
• Urban Cowboy Public House
• Welton Street Café

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Church and Union

• Address: 1433 17th St. (Union Station)
• Cuisine: Modern American

For steak and pasta with a rock ’n’ roll vibe, meet Church and Union Denver, the latest outpost of two-time Top Chef contestant Jamie Lynch’s Charleston-based eatery. What you’ll first notice is the ceiling, black with 17,000 hand-painted white words from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Once you focus down on the menu, you’ll find unexpected combos like braised bacon, melon, and wasabi aioli alongside more traditional plates like trout, lamb shank, fried chicken, ravioli, and steak. Finish off your meal with torched meringue-topped banoffee pudding (and vow to reread the Chinese classic).

Dumplin’

• Address: 3609 West 32nd Ave. (West Highland)
• Cuisine: Italian-Asian fusion

Fans of Bones, chef Frank Bonanno’s now-closed ramen, bao, and dumpling joint, will be thrilled to see Dumplin’ debut in the former Salt & Grinder space. But there’s a twist. Dumplin’ includes an Italian riff on the Asian fare, so think cacio e pepe ramen and wagyu beef with grated truffles and parmesan dumplings, dipped in balsamic vinegar or Calabrian chile oil. (Purists can also order Bones’ popular lobster ramen and more traditional pork and scallion dumplings.)

Mezcaleria Alma

• Address: 2550 15th St. (LoHi)
• Cuisine: Modern Mexican

In less than a year, Johnny and Kasie Curiel have opened three restaurants and won more awards than they probably have time to collect, including a Michelin star. Their third spot, Mezcaleria Alma, just opened next door to Alma Fonda Fina—and it’s even smaller, so you’re going to want to get your reservation for the moody spot early. Mezcaleria serves Mexico City–inspired small plates and sips, including burrata con huitlacoche, uni aguachile, and a roster of mezcal-loaded cocktails. Expect that same soulful Mexican cooking, only a little rowdier, like the capital city itself.

Read More: The Top Restaurants in Denver in 2024: Alma Fonda Fina

Odell’s Bagel

• Address: 3200 Irving St. (West Highland)
• Cuisine: Breakfast

We’re living in a golden age of bagels, what with Rich Spirit and Call Your Mother building upon the legacy of Rosenberg’s and Moe’s. Adding to our holey, carby revolution is West Highland’s Odell’s, from Japanese fine dining chef (and Jersey native) Miles Odell. The naturally fermented bagels are crowned with everything from pastrami lox and salmon roe to the classic bacon, egg, and cheese. Get there early—they’re open Thursday through Monday at 7:30 a.m.—because they do sell out.

Read More: Will Odell’s Bagel Be Denver’s Hottest New Breakfast Spot?

Pasque & Stellar Jay

• Address: 240 14th St. (Central Business District)
• Cuisine: Modern American

There’s been a lot of hullabaloo over the Populus Hotel, the eco-friendly, carbon-positive property across from the Denver City and County Building. But even if you’re not checking in, there’s reason to check out the aspen tree-inspired building’s two restaurants: the ground-level Pasque and rooftop Stellar Jay. Both helmed by Tavernetta vet Ian Wortham, Pasque is a seasonal, all-day spot with dishes like savory beignets and roast chicken with preserved peaches. Stellar Jay is more live-fire-with-a-view and features an upscale menu of Colorado-staple proteins (think: bison, venison, trout, and quail). Be warned that the fancy architecture and sustainability come with a high price; entrees at both restaurants start at $31.

La Reyna Azteca

• Address: 1100 S. Santa Fe Dr. (Overland)
• Cuisine: Breakfast/Mexican

It’s fitting that the king made way for the queen. While nothing can fully replace the iconic Breakfast King’s 24/7 energy, country-fried steak, and orange vinyl booths, La Reyna Azteca is doing its part to feed this section of Santa Fe Drive a solid breakfast of a different sort. (And the orange vinyl booths live on!) While not exactly late-night, the Mexican spot, which also has locations in Aurora and on East Hampden Avenue, serves fajitas, burritos, pancakes, and omelets from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Roberta’s Pizza & Urban Cowboy Public House

• Address: 1665 Grant St. (North Capitol Hill)
• Cuisine: Pizza (Roberta’s) and bar (Urban Cowboy)

Roberta’s, the Brooklyn-born Michelin Bib Gourmand pizzeria, kind of snuck into the Denver dining scene when it opened in early October as part of the Urban Cowboy Denver hotel. There weren’t hour-long lines like when Chicago’s Giordano’s came here, but that only makes it easier to get the award-winning, wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies. The bubbly, blistered crusts aren’t the only reason to head over to the hotel housed in the 1880s George Schleier Mansion, though; its Urban Cowboy Public House bar is really cool. A blend of old-timey, rustic woods plopped into a brick-walled, almost industrial space, the vibe—and drinks like the Serenity Now with sotol, amaro, cucumber, and lime—have made this as much of a destination as the pizza.

Read More: How Urban Cowboy Preserves a Piece of Denver History

The Salty

• Address: 3985 Tennyson St. (Berkeley)
• Cuisine: Bakery

Tennyson Street is already hopping in the morning, what with Call Your Mother and Bakery Four inspiring lines out the door for their bagels and baked goods. Now there’s another reason to line up early in the a.m.: the Salty. The Miami doughnut shop just opened its first Colorado location—its farthest west—and the 24-hour brioche and cake rings are among the best we’ve had. While some flavors rotate seasonally (run don’t walk there ASAP for the pistachio white chocolate before it’s gone), the signature vanilla bean glazed and brown butter and sea salt cake doughnuts are always available. They’re also pouring Intelligentsia coffee drinks, in case you’re looking for a caffeine buzz in addition to your morning sugar rush.

Sweet NOLA Snoballs

• Address: 916 Jersey St. (Montclair)
• Cuisine: Shaved ice

There may be snow on the ground, but there’s also “snoballs” in cups at this new Mayfair shop. Inspired by her time in New Orleans, Lara Stepneski-Mintz brought Big Easy shaved ice to Denver with Sweet NOLA Snoballs. The ice is soft—more Italian ice, less snow cone—for absorbing the syrup flavorings—and that’s what Snoballs are all about. Choose from a bazillion fruit flavors, plus seasonal options like eggnog and frozen hot chocolate. Snoballs can also be topped with sweetened condensed milk for added richness.

Welton Street Café

• Address: 2883 Welton St. (Five Points)
• Cuisine: Soul food

It’s been a long time coming, but Welton Street Café is back—just when we need it most. The classic soul food gathering place closed its longtime Five Points restaurant back in 2022, and while it took longer than expected to reopen in a new space, Welton Street Café’s Denver-famous fried chicken and smothered pork chops are once again flying out of the kitchen. The new location, which required a full gutting of electrical, plumbing, and flooring, even has a full bar, which means Jungle Birds to wash down your fried catfish.

Read More: Welton Street Café is Five Points’ Soul Survivor