16 JULY 9-15, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Pre-show Meal Prep WHERE TO EAT BEFORE YOU SEE A SHOW IN DOWNTOWN DENVER BY RUTH TOBIAS With eight venues and nearly 6,800 seats to fi ll, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts has a regular stream of performances for theatergoers of all tastes. But deciding where to eat before the show can be a con- stant struggle. While the recent exit of Church & Union and its pre-show prix fi xe menu may pose a slight bump in that road, the downtown dining scene is diverse enough to satisfy a wide variety of tastes (and budgets) within a 15-minute walk of the Arts Complex. Op- tions abound for a pre-show splurge to mark a special occasion, a quickie nosh before curtain time, and everything in between. Since the DCPA recommends patrons arrive at least 30 minutes before their show starts, it’s important to plan your evening backward from there. For higher-end restau- rants, you’d be well advised to give yourself a couple of hours for dinner, and also let your server know you’re Broadway-bound (so to speak). Most restaurants in the Central Business District and LoDo are familiar with the drill and happy to oblige. Chez Maggy 1616 Market St. Explicitly designed with the theater crowd in mind, the four-course prix fi xe menu ($75) at celeb chef Ludo Lefebvre’s outpost in the Thompson hotel is also tailor-made for Fran- cophiles: From escargots à la bourguignonne and steak tartare to trout almondine and crème brûlée, it’s a compendium of classics to kick off your culture crawl. (Note that the staff recom- mends reserving your table for 5 p.m. sharp.) Chopstickers 1617 California St. In a mad rush to make it to the show on time? This quick-casual Chinese kitchen is among your best bets. In no hurry at all? It’s still one of your best bets. From killer potstickers and water-fried bao to dandan noodles and pork belly over rice, the small but mighty menu doesn’t miss, fi lling you up but good for a pittance. Gaia Masala & Burger 1530 Blake St. Gyro calzones? Paneer pizza? Tikka masala burgers and cheesesteaks? Coming right up at this blast-and-a-half of an Indian fusion joint, where the service is fast, the price is right and the business hours are the cherry on top: it’s open until 3 a.m., so you can return post– curtain call to rehash the evening over some mango-chili margaritas and gulab jamun. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar 1539 17th St. Choose your own adventure at this long- standing seafood specialist, whose menu has the advantage of versatility. By all means, pop in just to crush some oysters and a dirty martini, or plan ahead for a blowout complete with stacked shellfi sh platters and caviar ser- vice. On Sundays, a bowl of cioppino for two comes with a bottle of wine for $90 — call it an early-bird special for the matinee crowd. Olive & Finch 1000 14th St. Location, location, location, as they say: Mary Nguyen’s eclectic all-day cafe and bakery sits smack in front of the Arts Complex, so it’s a no-brainer in terms of convenience. It doesn’t accept reservations, but it does do a brisk takeout business. That means if the house is already packed with parties digging into fi ve-spice sticky ribs, steak frites and chicken schnitzel, or taking advantage of its $32 three-course prix fi xe menu, you can grab sandwiches and sweets to go, then fi nd a primo place to perch outside and people- watch prior to showtime. Pony Up 1808 Blake St. Aside from making the meanest French dip in town (not to mention a rocking cocktail), this beloved bar has a whole lot going for it from a theatergoer’s perspective. For one thing, it hosts happy hour until 7 p.m., so it’s a prime location for pregaming. For another, the kitchen’s open until 1 a.m., guaranteeing you can get your grub on after the show and before. And from 11 p.m. to closing time, you can do it with a half-priced bottle of wine to boot. Red Square Euro Bistro 1512 Larimer St. Long among the most overlooked and under- rated restaurants in Denver is this Eastern European hideaway, where the hearty likes of pierogi and pelmeni, goulash and golubtsi, schnitzel and stroganoff go down easy, ac- companied by a shot of vodka (or two, or three). The bar stocks around 90 labels from across the globe — Iceland, Ireland, and Italy as well as Poland, Russia and Ukraine — while making its own infusions in fl avors like beet, fi g and horseradish. Rioja 1431 Larimer St. Laying the foundation for fi ne dining on Lar- imer Square when it opened 22 years ago, this Mediterranean mainstay hasn’t lost a drop of mojo since. The space is as spruce as ever. The pork belly with curried garbanzo bean puree and the artichoke tortellini remain worthy of their fame. And the Old World– centric wine list is relevantly thoughtful. Plus, the staff is a well-oiled machine at ac- commodating theatergoers. Provided you’ve allotted yourself ample time, they’ll even proffer a four-course tasting menu that, at $85 per person ($120 with wine pairings), is a damn good deal, from the fi rst bite of tuna tartare with saffron aioli to the last beignet stuffed with goat cheese and fi gs. Sam’s No. 3 1500 Curtis St. This landmark diner stays open until 8 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, which isn’t an invitation for you to show up nonchalantly at, oh, 6:30 p.m. and expect to be out by 7. Not only is there often a wait for a table, but it could take you a solid 15 minutes just to scour the colossal menu. A 2-pound combo burrito and a pint of Coors Banquet? A meatloaf melt and a mocha shake? Or just a good old Greek omelet and a cup of joe? There’s no wrong answer, really — though considering the por- tion sizes, coffee’s not a bad idea to keep you from snoring through the whole performance. Tavernetta 1889 16th St. Given the Frasca Hospitality Group’s renown for high-touch service, you can rest assured that the team at this suave Italian destina- tion in Union Station will watch the clock on your behalf while minding every other detail that makes for a meal to remember. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show before the show. This one involves such dazzling seasonal dishes as paglia e fi eno (“straw and hay”) pasta in rabbit ragu; branzino a salmoriglio herb sauce with pota- toes, artichokes and olives; and peach-yogurt semifreddo with basil. A celebratory glass (or bottle) of wine goes without saying. Trybal 1670 Champa St. Once you fi gure out how to get into this self- styled “African speakeasy” (it’s not as tricky as it might seem), you’re in for an immersive experience to rival any stage production: sultry decor, mood music, tropical cocktails and all, right down to the small but satisfying menu of skewers, jollof rice, and the like. Better still, it’s open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so it’s a sure thing for a recap over a nightcap. Honorable mentions Coohills recently launched a $50 three- course prix fi xe menu for Ball Arena attend- ees that proved so successful with Nuggets and Avs fans that it’s now being offered year-round. Likewise, the three-course prix fi xe menu at Le Méridien’s signature New American restaurant Corinne is not spe- cifi cally billed as a pre-theater amenity, but functions as just that. A bit closer is the EDGE steakhouse at the Four Seasons hotel, just spitting distance of the DCPA, which offers complimentary valet parking to any guest with theater tickets and a tab exceeding $75. Also nearby is The Nickel at the Hotel Teatro just across the street from the Arts Complex, where the Theatre Nights package gets you a priority dinner reservation and a tour of the DCPA’s backstage studios. Over in Larmier Square, Osteria Marco is a solid family-friendly choice, while Tamayo provides free margaritas to anyone with a theater ticket. And Stellar Jay atop the Popu- lus hotel lets you soak up the dramatic views along with small plates and smart cocktails. Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS The Chicken Paillard at Chez Maggy is a refi ned pre-theater option. PHOTO BY MARC FIORITO, GAMMA NINE PHOTOGRAPHY
