12 DECEMBER 18-24, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Full Plate THE FIFTEEN BEST NEW DENVER RESTAURANTS OF 2025. BY MOLLY MARTIN Every year, it seems to get harder to narrow down the best new places to dine in Denver, and 2025 is no exception. Since the arrival of the Michelin Guide in the state in 2023, new restaurants across Col- orado have upped the ante. From the start, Michelin took note of tasting menu-style res- taurants...and more keep opening here. This year, two earned Michelin stars just months after their debuts: Kizaki and Margot. Both are indeed exceptional, and that duo, along with two more tasting-menu spots, make the roster of the best new restaurants this year. But you don’t need to drop hundreds on a single meal to get a taste of what’s happening at the city’s most impressive dining addi- tions. This year’s lineup features a variety of new places we’ve loved, including fi ve up- scale à la carte spots, two restaurants that double as bars, and four more casual eateries where reservations are not required. Here are our picks for the fi fteen best new restaurants that opened in Denver this year: THE TASTING MENU SPOTS The Counter at Odells 3200 Irving Street In October 2024, Miles Odell had a quick hit on his hands when he opened Odell’s Ba- gel, combining his Jersey upbringing, Jewish heritage and Japanese fi ne-dining experience. This year, that fi ne-dining background came to the forefront when he opened the Counter at Odell’s, which operates out of the same space in the evenings. The intimate affair, a 16-course kaiseki-inspired meal that includes both hot and cold dishes, isn’t as stuffy as some other tasting menu spots — it’s clear that you’re eating very high-quality food in a bagel shop, which is part of the fun, as evidenced by the fi rst course on a recent visit: a latke topped with otoro and caviar. The whole dining experience lasts about two hours and is the kind of meal you’ll be thinking about long after, making it well worth the $175 per person price tag. Kizaki 1551 South Pearl Street Toshi Kizaki and his brother, Yasu, are Denver sushi pioneers. Since opening Sushi Den in 1984, they have become an integral part of the city’s culinary evolution. South Pearl Street at East Florida Avenue is known as Den Corner, and the latest addition to the area is the crowning jewel of chef Toshi’s career: Kizaki, a sort of restaurant-within- a-restaurant that shares its address with Margot. Behind one door in this space is the intimate, nine-seat chef’s counter where Toshi and his team dish out a stunning, 20- ish course omakase experience priced at $225 per person. Offerings change depend- ing on what’s fresh, and with an expert like Toshi leading the way, all you need to do is relax and enjoy a truly sublime sushi session that feels like a masterclass in thoughtful storytelling through food. Margot 1551 South Pearl Street Since rooting his former pop-up concept at a permanent address, chef Justin Fulton has elevated Margot ti its most vibrant iteration yet. Every dish is made with local ingredients and fl ourished with color and texture — edible blooms, a tangle of fresh herbs, the gloss of fi nishing oil. While visu- ally striking, the highlights of the twelve- course menu priced at $165 per person offer unexpected comfort. Fresh-baked olive oil brioche, pillowy bites of Parisian gnocchi, and a dense dark chocolate dessert await those at the chef’s counter as well as the spacious main dining room, where walk-ins are welcome and the season’s latest creations are available as à la carte options. Sushi by Scratch 1441 Larimer Street We were admittedly skeptical of Sushi by Scratch when it moved into Larimer Square last December. The ten-seat omakase counter is located below NADC Burger, another con- cept from season thirteen Top Chef contestant Phillip Frankland Lee, who now owns thirteen Sushi by Scratch outposts with his wife, Mar- garita Kallas-Lee. (Denver was the twelfth.) The Montecito location earned a Michelin star in 2021 and 2022, so expectations were high when Sushi by Scrach announced it was coming to Denver, but the idea of a high-end omakase chain was a bit off-putting. Still, Sushi by Scratch has proven itself a standout in the Mile High scene. A meal here runs $195 per person for seventeen courses, plus a 30-min- ute pre-dinner experience in a lounge area where guests enjoy a welcome beverage and canapé service. After moving to the ten-seat counter, you settle in for a perfectly-paced, professionally-guided meal that feels a lot like a dinner party where you don’t have to do any work — besides keeping up with the bites. UPSCALE FAVORITES BearLeek 2611 Walnut Street RiNo got a real culinary boost in July 2025, when chefs Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki, who met while working at Mercantile in Union Station, opened their fi rst eatery in the subter- ranean space that was formerly Osaka Ramen. A set of stairs transports you to a trendy res- taurant that’s urban, edgy and energetic. The team is clearly having fun with the food, adding themed touches throughout, like brioche rolls served with bear-shaped seasonally fl avored butter and the popular BearPop dessert made with passionfruit sweet cream and black garlic salsa macha. Settle in with an Amari Palmer to sip and let the hip-hop playlist and helpful staff guide you through the menu, which just continues to get stronger. Boombots Pasta Shop 2647 West 38th Avenue Husband-and-wife team Cliff and Cara Blauvelt are on a roll. Their rowdy little Sun- nyside sandwich shop, Odie B’s, expanded to RiNo in January, and in November, their brand-new concept, Boombots, made its debut next door to the OG Odie B’s. Despite its pasta focus, this isn’t an Italian joint. In- stead, it takes inspiration from all over for a menu that’s a pleasure to explore. Start with the best charcuterie board in the city and an order of Big Ass Mozz Stix before moving on to options like the dirty martini bucatini (which you can pair with a pasta water mar- tini), samosa agnolotti, or smoked duck and green chile lumache. Boom! Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse 2345 East Third Avenue Yes, Broadway 10 is another steakhouse in Cherry Creek, which means it’s not even lo- cated on Broadway...but bacon! Jeff Dixon, the owner of a restaurant that opened a decade ago at Broadway and 10th in Oklahoma City, thought long and hard about where he wanted to open his second spot, and Rick Sapkin, the developer of a sleek new building at Third and University, thought long and hard about what eatery should occupy the fi rst fl oor. All that thought shows in the smart interior, attentive service, expansive menu...and that bacon. Start your meal with the bacon fl ight, and you’ll be in hog heaven at Denver’s B|10. Cimera 3330 Brighton Boulevard We’ve long loved the rooftop views on the top fl oor of the Source Hotel, but with the October opening of Cimera in the space that was formerly the Woods, the food, drinks and decor are now as much of a draw as the downtown vistas. Former Hop Alley execu- tive chef Geoff Cox is leading the team at this pan-Latin spot, along with consulting Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz. Brightly col- ored murals bring a vibrancy to the space, while bites like the tuna tiradito, papa rellena and pork belly skewers are early standouts. Pig & Tiger 2200 California Street In 2020, chefs Darren Chang and Travis Masar introduced their modern Taiwanese concept Pig and Tiger as a stall at Avanti in Boulder. This summer, they made the jump to a Denver brick-and-mortar, which has been a big win for local diners. The dishes here com- bine Chang’s Taiwanese heritage and Masar’s encyclopedic knowledge of East Asian cui- sines for a menu that’s fi lled with heart. Start with a May Mei, a salted plum spritz named for Chang’s mother, then dig into favorites like the signature crispy, double-fried Taiwanese fried chicken served with chicken fat rice and a small,bear-shaped jar of chile honey; along with newer additions like beef noodle soup and vegetable dumplings fi lled with butternut squash, spinach and tofu alongside a maple and burnt lemon yum yum sauce. Coming soon: Taiwanese breakfast service. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS An otoro and caviar-topped latke at the Counter at Odell’s. MOLLY MARTIN
