Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Denver

OpenTable

Updated 05 November 2026

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Denver? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Mizuna

4.9

4.9 (2542)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Central

About the restaurant

Beautiful little Mizuna is consistently rated among the best restaurants in the country. A neighborhood eatery firmly rooted in French cooking techniques, Mizuna aims to marry tight, professional service with culinary mastery. With a menu that changes monthly to reflect the bounty of each season (on land and by sea), Mizuna is the flagship restaurant to Bonanno Concepts, Frank Bonanno’s chef driven restaurant family, dedicated to delicious meals, storied experiences and laughter.

Parking is available in the lot behind the restaurants (on Grant Street right before 7th Ave.)

Top review

Katie

Dined 2 days ago

My husband and I have been to Mizuna three times and each time we have had a wonderful experience. Natalie treated me so well when we went to Mizuna the second time when I was feeling under the weather and all of the staff always does an amazing job. We went for the third time for our first wedding anniversary and everyone made our dinner an unforgettable experience. The food is outstanding, the staff is fantastic, and the atmosphere is beautiful. We will 100% be back in the near future. I wish I could give them a 10/5 stars.

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Experience

Welly Wednesday!

Experience

Sunday Supper: Our Annual Truffle Dinner

Experience

Christmas To Go

BRUTØ

4.9

4.9 (337)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

BRUTØ is an 18-seat tasting menu restaurant focused on fermentation, preservation, and regenerative sourcing. Through technical process and research-driven cooking, the brutalist menu explores the intersection of sustainability and global food pathways - highlighting ingredients at their peak through thoughtful extraction, transformation, and full utilization.

BRUTØ is located in the Downtown Denver Free Market. We have our own entrance off of 18th street, however you are welcome to enter through Free Market’s main entrance.

We are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM and Friday, Saturday from 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM.

Top review

Pete

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent experience- food was amazing, staff were incredible. Chef Carolina’s menu was tremendous and she was awesome at explaining the dishes

Jack’s on Pearl Wood Fire Grill Steakhouse

4.9

4.9 (1038)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Platt Park

About the restaurant

An American Contemporary Menu with a Little Southern Influence!

Offering two distinct dining experiences, Jack’s on Pearl gives you options for your fine dining experience. Our main floor is set with white tablecloth dining featuring prime steaks, pecan shrimp, lemongrass scallops and an on-site oyster bar. Our second floor features a more casual setting and large outdoor patio.
Both floors feature creative cocktails, and a robust wine list.

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Top review

Jo Nell

Dined 4 days ago

We went for a birthday dinner at Jack’s on Pearl. The food was delicious, the drinks were great and service was top tier. This was a great spot for special occasions, and we will definitely return.

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Popular dish

Seafood and Mushroom Risotto

4.9

4.9 (1644)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Highlands

About the restaurant

Wildflower is a restaurant that highlights seasonal, locally-sourced, plant-forward shared plates. The experience draws inspiration from the Western landscape and the traditions of the neighborhood's original Italian and Mexican settlers.

Due to the limited size of the space we kindly ask our guests making reservations to join us for dinner experiences. For groups of 5 or more please call to make reservations. Reservations at Wildflower made for drinks only are not permitted unless approved by management. Wildflower is a cashless property.

The "Bouquet of Wildflowers"chef-driven server-tailored tasting experience can last anywhere between 1.5-3 hours depending on party size. Please let us know at the start of your meal if you have time limitations so we may do our best to keep you on track. The "Bouquet of Wildflowers" is not available after 9pm.

Top review

Max

Dined 2 days ago

This was one of, if not the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. Done wolfs tailor, Alma, tavernetta, Etc. Service was excellent, and the food was absolutely incredible. If they don’t have a star when you’re reading this review, they will soon. More than deserving. Can’t recommend enough. Will 100% be back. Thank you to Jackson, Tyler and all of the staff that took care of us tonight. Truly memorable evening.

The Ponti at the Denver Art Museum

4.7

4.7 (1060)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Central

About the restaurant

The Ponti presents a locally sourced and inspired menu, emphasizing vegetables, ancient grains, and heirloom legumes, complemented by handmade pastas, fish, and meat. Open for lunch, drinks, and small bites every day and dinner on Tuesdays!

Top review

Lisa

Dined 5 days ago

The gnocchi were excellent. The ambiance was very nice.

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4.8

4.8 (277)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Five Points

About the restaurant

Located in Denver’s vibrant RiNo neighborhood, BearLeek is the debut restaurant from Chef Harrison Porter, joined by CDC Rema Maaliki and Beverage Director Carlos Hugo Meza. Driven by the team's global culinary journey—from New York to Melbourne to Peru—BearLeek brings curiosity and creativity to every plate. The name, inspired by the German word for ramp, bärlauch, symbolizes renewal, growth, and new beginnings. The menu reimagines familiar flavors with playful twists while the inventive bar program mirrors the kitchen’s seasonality through high-technique cocktails and a thoughtful wine list. Designed with artistic energy and warmth, BearLeek invites guests to share in a dining experience that’s globally inspired, deeply personal, and delightfully unexpected.

Top review

SoniaGold

Dined 6 days ago

The new menu is so good. Love the scallops, leek, pasta and sea bass. All amazing ingredients. Cant wait to go back for more.

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4.7

4.7 (991)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown / LoDo

About the restaurant

At Mercantile, every plate is a testament to the land, the season, and the artisans who bring it to life. Located in the heart of LoDo, we blend culinary innovation with genuine hospitality, creating a space where locals feel like celebrities and every guest is treated like family. By day, our dining room and café hum with energy, offering Saturday and Sunday brunch as well as weekday curated two-course lunches and a welcoming atmosphere. By night, Mercantile evolves into an elevated dining experience—where flavors unfold in layers, conversation flows, and every meal is an invitation to connect. Under the visionary leadership of James Beard Award-winning Chef Alex Seidel, we celebrate Colorado’s finest growers and producers, ensuring that every dish is as intentional as it is unforgettable.

Top review

Carrie

Dined 2 days ago

Andrew chose our menu for the evening and it was the best dinner of my life. He knew so much about the source of the ingredients and flavor combinations so he paired our wine with each course. Just a wonderful experience and a food adventure.

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Experience

Chef's Table

Duo Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (3618)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Highlands

About the restaurant

Duo Restaurant is a treasure for those seeking a special dining experience tucked in Denver’s hippest neighborhood, Highland. Duo offers a relaxed and unassuming environment attracting diners who might wish to linger over a cup of coffee, a glass of wine at the bar, or to enjoy a hearty meal.

The stylish neighborhood restaurant is elegant and exciting. It’s the kind of place you want to show off to those who think they know where all the hot spots are in the city!

Duo Restaurant offers a seasonal changing menu with the freshest ingredients available from our local farms. Choose from a selection of appetizers or entrees that will satisfy the biggest meat eaters or the most discerning vegetarians.

Top review

SteveGold

Dined on 31 Oct 2026

Duo is always great! Consistently we get great service and delicious food.

The Bindery

4.6

4.6 (221)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Highlands

About the restaurant

Welcome to The Bindery Denver, an intimate neighborhood eatery perched in the heart of Denver’s vibrant Lower Highlands.
We strive to balance our modern lives by providing artisanal foods, handcrafted and nurtured with great care. Our dining experience is grounded in tradition yet playfully inventive and decisively chic.
With established roots in Denver's dynamic restaurant landscape, The Bindery has attracted a following as both a neighborhood gathering place and a destination for its airy ambiance, impressive pastry program and ambitious menus. A welcome embodiment of the LoHi community, the restaurant offers a charming escape for it's brunch-time appeal, curated wine list, craft cocktail and beverage selections. The Bindery is sustainably designed, timeless and romantic. There is a graceful elegance to the restaurant.
The Bindery accepts reservations for all day dining as well as brunch and has 55 shared parking spots in the garage.

Top review

MitchGold

Dined on 30 Oct 2026

Food is always excellent and the Bindery's team excel at service and make it a great experience.

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Experience

Feast of the Seven Fishes

4.6

4.6 (537)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Denver

About the restaurant

Stellar Jay offers a vibrant rooftop dining experience featuring live-fire cooking with shared plates amidst Colorado’s urban and mountain vistas in Downton Civic Center, Denver. The nature-based menu honors ingredients cooked over the open flame and inspired by seasonal harvests.

**Please note we do not currently offer dining outside on our terrace.

Top review

KristinaGold

Dined 4 days ago

Really beautiful food and experience. The cookie ice cream dessert, the short ribs, bread service, gnocchi and sweet potatoes were my favorites! The cabbage and berimundi had some heat to it but still great!

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Popular dish

SORBET

Popular dish

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Popular dish

Tempura Mushroom

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