Since The MICHELIN Guide first arrived in Denver in 2023, over 30 restaurants around town have received some level of recognition across the Guide’s 5 tiers, whether it be a Star, a Green Star, a Bib Gourmand, or a Selected restaurant. If you’re looking for your next spot for a night out, a place to bring out-of-town guests, or a great meal for a client meeting, here’s three of my favorite Denver’s MICHELIN restaurants that fit the bill. 

 Mezcaleria Alma | One Star 

Mezcaleria Alma head Chef Johnny Curiel is something of a local Denver restaurant scene icon, with two restaurants in the City boasting a Star each and another on the Selected list (plus a Bib Gourmand spot in Boulder). My personal favorite in the set is Mezcaleria Alma, a small, One Star spot located next door to the more well-known Alma Fonda Fina. The rotating, seasonal menu is inspired by the tastes of Mexico City and features seafood-focused small plates and an extensive collection of mezcal. The interior brings to mind a private, speakeasy-esque aesthetic with warm accents and friendly staff, plus a chef’s counter bartop for a peek behind the scenes. 

While getting in without a reservation is next to impossible, if you’re planning a meal for a small group with advance notice, this spot deserves to be on the list. The tapas-style menu works well with about three plates per two people, and even with a drink and dessert tacked on, you can expect a per person total of around $50-60. 

Recommended dishes: Ceviche de Huachinango, Pescadilla de “Marlin” 

Ceviche de Huachinango

 The Ginger Pig | Bib Gourmand

The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recognition is for restaurants featuring great food at a great value, and The Ginger Pig in northwest Denver near Tennyson Street fits that perfectly. This unassuming spot doesn’t take reservations, but offers a patio and garage-style doors to the interior for those frequently-beautiful Denver nights, and the layout of the tables provides decent privacy between parties. Chef Natascha Hess brings her experience in Beijing home kitchens to Denver with a menu featuring street food classics like Chinese Borscht, Ants Climbing a Tree, and Beijing-style dumplings, plus unique dishes like the Hong Kong French Toast. 

This menu works well for individual meals as well as shared plates—I would recommend going family-style to try more! For a group of four, I found four dishes plus a side and an app to be plenty of food for sharing, and with an order of dessert as well, expect that total to come to around $40-50 per person. 

Recommended dishes: Beijing-Style Dumplings, Hong Kong French Toast

Beijing-Style Dumplings

 Safta | Selected

This Mediterranean spot located in the Source Hotel in RiNo is featured in the Denver MICHELIN Guide as a Selected restaurant, a ranking given to a wide variety of restaurants on the MICHELIN radar serving up meals worthy of special acknowledgement. Safta boasts a large dining room in a U-shape along an exterior side of the hotel with large windows stretching all the way around. The airy design relates well to the menu, which includes regional classics like scallops, falafel, kebabs, dips, and much more. 

There are five varieties of hummus, all with an ultra-creamy classic hummus base that’s the best I’ve had in Denver so far. Safta’s menu works well for individual meals or shared plates, although again I would recommend going family-style to get more of the menu. Between just the hummus and the salatim options (which include muhammara, labneh, babaganoush, and more), I could’ve easily made a meal for myself, but the small plates and entrees sections both have standout options as well. For a group of four, one option from the hummus section, two from the salatim section, two from the small plates, one from the entrees would be plenty to satisfy the hungriest of eaters, and expect the total to come to around $50-60 per person. 

Recommended dishes: Lamb Ragu Hummus, Borekas

 Borekas]