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A steady pace of new restaurants is the true signal of a healthy dining scene. It means that there’s creativity within the community that’s translating to realized businesses that feed into shifting consumer desires. Recently in Denver, this cycle has produced brilliant modern Mexican eateries, astonishing high-elevation bagels, and snacky cocktail bars out the wazoo. In short, it’s been a good year for food here.
But beginnings beget ends, and sometimes a closure comes like a gut punch because, well, it’s a genuine blow for you and your stomach. This year had its share of these moments, losing institutions like 66-year-old Taco House and 42-year-old New Saigon and a few that never really got a chance, such as five-month-old Rolling Pin Pizza.
Below, we recognize some of our favorite debuts this year, as well as those that we’ll be mourning into the new one. We haven’t included temporarily closed restaurants, nor have we included any of our 2024 25 Best Restaurants, four of which opened this year (and we obviously love): Baekga, Carne, Dân Dã, and La Forêt.
Read More: Denver’s Best Restaurant Openings and Saddest Closings in 2023, According to 5280 Staffers and Contributors
The Best Restaurant Openings in Denver in 2024
Cozobi Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma
If there’s a darling of Denver’s current dining scene, it’s Alma Fonda Fina. Opened at the end of 2023, the LoHi restaurant has racked up local and national accolades and, unsurprisingly, is one of the most competitive reservations in town. Luckily, chef-owner Johnny Curiel has made his modern Mexican fare more accessible this year by debuting two new concepts: Cozobi Fonda Fina in downtown Boulder and Mezcaleria Alma next door to the original eatery. While they’re not designed to duplicate Alma’s style—Cozobi puts an emphasis on Mexican maize traditions, and Mezcaleria focuses more on seafood—both spots satisfy the same craving (without a month’s wait for a table).
Magna Kainan
Filipino fare can be difficult to locate in the Mile High City, especially if you’re looking for a full sit-down experience. That’s why Magna Kainan from Portland-based, James Beard–nominated chef Carlo Lamagna was one of 2024’s most anticipated restaurant openings (ask Bon Appétit). The high-end eatery finally opened its doors in November and has quickly proved that it deserved the hype. The crab fat noodles, a staple of Lamagna’s Portland restaurant Magna Kusina, is the definition of a dish that slaps: handcrafted strands stained with squid ink, slicked with unctuous crab innards, and punctuated by pickled corn and peppers. The insane wicker chandelier in the center of the dining room deserves a shoutout, too.
Welton Street Cafe
It’s not technically new-new, but considering that this family-owned soul food restaurant has been closed for two and a half years, its reopening deserves to be celebrated. With deep roots in Five Points’ Black community, Welton Street Cafe has shouldered countless logistical issues in relocating one block up its eponymous street (the reopening was originally planned for summer 2022). But now we can all rejoice in the Dickerson family’s wings and pork chops again. Don’t miss the Caribbean-influenced items, either, such as the pates—fried hand pies stuffed with juicy ground beef and other fillings.
Luchador Taco & More
Transitioning from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar is arduous and expensive, but every year, it seems to produce at least one of Denver’s best new restaurants. We’re glad that Zuri Resendiz of Luchador made that leap this year. His creative Mexican fare—think: al pastor tacos with octopus instead of pork—is highly craveable and hasn’t lost the charm of its mobile days, a testament to Resendiz’s flair for flavor and desire to keep this iteration of his business relatively cost-friendly, despite adding a number of higher-end plates, as well. Splurge on the lamb or the lomo saltado, then come back for all-day happy hour on Wednesdays for your fill of quesabirria.
Read More: Luchador Taco & More Brings Mexican Street Eats to Whittier
Rich Spirit Bagels
Denver’s bagel boom has many players, with the debut of Odell’s Bagel and the rapid expansion of Washington, D.C.–based chain Call Your Mother. But we believe Rich Spirit Bagels truly set the tone for this golden(-brown) age. From the team behind Bakery Four, Rich Spirit came out on top in our blind bagel taste test in April (keep it simple and order a toasted everything with plain cream cheese if you go), and its limited menu and hours (Thursday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.) clearly give the team the room to focus on the quality of their flagship—and, for now, only—product. Perhaps more businesses will explore this model in 2025, because it looks like it’s working.
Read More: We Blind Tasted 5 of Denver’s Most Famous Bagels. Here’s How They Ranked.
The Saddest Restaurant Closings in Denver in 2024
Fruition (Closed January 2025)
Sitting on Sixth Avenue since 2007, Fruition has long been the elder, more subdued sibling to the flashier Mercantile, chef Alex Seidel’s New American restaurant that, by virtue of its location inside Union Station, has literally been at the center of Denver’s dining scene for a decade now. Fruition, though, feels like a more faithful representation of Seidel’s farm-to-table style. It’s cozy and warmly lit, with a streamlined menu that always puts produce first. It’s a real neighborhood spot, which is why it’s regrettable that Seidel announced a few days ago that Fruition will close on January 12. The Capitol Hill/Cherry Creek area is taking a loss, and whether you live nearby or not, you should try to make a reservation before D-Day (although it seems most have already been snatched up).
Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs (Closed October 2024)
While Biker Jim’s slow demise, which began when founder Jim Pittinger cut ties with the brand in June, made the biggest hot dog headlines this year, the closure of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs is just as much of a loss for local frankfurter fans. Nearly two decades old, the independent fast food joint was everything customers could ask for: reliable, unfussy, and just so tasty. While an outpost in DIA still stands, there really is no replacement for the original Colfax location. Thanks, Steve, for the sausages.
Fox Run Cafe (Closed October 2024)
Located across the street from Steve’s, Fox Run Cafe announced its closure the same day as its neighbor. Moving past the sick irony of the situation, we’ll remember the brunch restaurant for its homey atmosphere and its bangin’ chicken sandwiches—both the spicy version on the lunch menu and the biscuit version on the brunch menu. The banana bread was great, too. In fact, pretty much everything here was. Damn it, mornings just won’t be the same, will they?
Carm & Gia Metropolitan (Closed September 2024)
Carm & Gia Metropolitan always stood out for being incredibly charming even though (or, maybe more accurately, because) it never tried too hard. The vintage diner-inspired decor and the sprawling menu felt kitschy in the best way possible, and the burgers and green chile fries were to die for. Owner Razz Cortés-Maceda fought through a number of operational challenges—the restaurant opened in February 2020 and suffered a fire the following year—before calling it quits this fall. But if she’s up for it again, we’ll be in line for her next eatery.
Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri (Closed February 2024)
Originally based in Centennial, Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri opened a second location on 16th Street Mall in November 2023, so it was extra surprising when owner Ana Fanakra closed both shops merely three months later. Personal illness and a lack of downtown pedestrian traffic in the winter contributed to Fanakra’s business decision, and we will miss her infectious energy and her care for the local community—and her Scandinavian-style baked goods, of course, the coconut-topped skoleboller chief among them.
Il Posto (Closed February 2024)
A staple of Denver’s Italian scene for 17 years, Il Posto was the brainchild of chef Andrea Frizzi, a captivating man with equally captivating food. His dishes, which adhered strictly to Italian traditions just as often as they turned toward global inspiration (e.g., harissa lumache, pineapple zeppole), always had something to say. Luckily, Frizzi is slated to launch a new concept, Risica, inside the Edit apartment building in RiNo next year. We hope he taps into some of the rustic appeal of Il Posto’s original Uptown location, and fingers crossed he brings the arancini back.
