All around town, candlelight flickers across the tables of Denver’s most engaging restaurants. The sensuous pleasure of perfectly prepared food and fine wine weave an intoxicating spell. Charm and enchantment flavor the meal as couples hold hands, laugh quietly and enjoy an unforgettable evening. These Denver dining spots are perfect for your next romantic rendezvous.
THE BRIARWOOD INN 1630 Eighth Street Golden, CO 80401 (303) 279-3121 Hours: (Sun) Brunch 10:30 am-2:30 pm; (Mon-Fri) 11 am-2 pm; daily 5-9 pm Booths with tapestry cushions and burnished woods envelope diners in Old World ambience. Every meal includes four incredible courses. The appetizer tray features shrimp, pate, smoked salmon butter, marinated vegetables, cheeses and a delicate mousseline followed by spinach salad or romaine with feta and olives. The list of entrees is enormous including veal medallions with asparagus and luscious crab fingers in béarnaise sauce, tournedos of beef, pheasant, trout, and seafood dishes served with vegetables du jour. Dessert is an overwhelmingly large assortment of fruits, toasted coconut bananas and nut-filled brownies. It comes with a large, white cake box so guests can transport the goodies home to appreciate another day.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Brunch only when January 1 falls on Sunday, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
THE BROKER 821 Seventeenth Street, Denver, CO 80202 (303) 292-5065 Denver Tech Center, 5111 DTC Parkway, Englewood, CO 80111 (303) 770-5111 Hours: Daily 4:30-11 pm Preferred seating at the downtown Broker is in an authentic bank vault. Red leather booths, each with a crystal chandelier from the 1930s, and beautifully arranged tables with fresh flowers and candlelight set the mood for a sensational evening. A bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp precedes every dinner, and all meals include appetizer, salad or soup, entrée, and dessert. Prime cuts of beef, duck with sun-dried cherry chambord glaze, and Alaskan halibut crusted with piñon seasoning top the extensive menu. The setting is unique and the staff treats guests as if they have been singled out for special attention. The Tech Center location has a European country house décor with similar menu selections.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
CAFÉ PARADISO 2355 East Third Avenue Denver, CO 80206 (303) 321-2066 Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5:30-9 pm Don and Mary Wilkerson tempt diners with exquisite Sicilian and Northern Italian recipes in their little corner of paradise. Veal and chicken prepared in a variety of ways are the specialties of this house. Veal Angelina is a Marsala sautéed scaloppini with fresh mushrooms finished with specks of ham and morsels of mozzarella. A spicy Ciopino teeming with clams, mussels, calamari, scallops, shrimp and fish followed by Mary’s extraordinary Drunken Chocolate Cake approaches perfection. Fine abstract watercolors decorate the faux painted walls. Subdued lighting gives the room a romantic radiance that invites intimate conversation. There are only 10 tables, so reservations are highly recommended.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25 - $35
DÉJÀ VU 2710 East Third Avenue Denver, CO (303) 321-2324 Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5:30-10 pm Candles cast fanciful shadows on the yellow-gold walls as smooth jazz and the subtle scent of fresh flowers fill the room. Owners Dennis and Jeanette Cionetti greet and seat guests in their handsome dining spot while Chef Dan Bushell fashions delectable entrees such as Grilled Salmon with roasted dill potatoes and steamed vegetables in lemon beurre blanc, and Black Soy Dipped Filet of Beef with tobacco onions, whipped potatoes and herb coulis. The outdoor patio offers a place for quiet handholding, and fine French oil paintings provide an understated European touch to the intimate drinks area where diners can order from a small, well crafted bar menu.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25 - $35 LAUDISIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO 1710 29th Street #1076 Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 442-1300 Hours: (Su-Thurs) 5-9:30 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5-10 A newly-constructed mall seems like a counterintuitive place to find romance, but step into Laudisio’s new Boulder digs and you’ll discover a wood-paneled nook for sweet talk and even sweeter gourmet cuisine. The Boulder landmark has reinvented itself into a luxurious Italian eatery complete with dark booths, ambient lighting and an attentive wait staff. Italian gourmet favorites include the sumptuous risotto with duck confit or a simple chicken breast with a crisp polenta side smothered in pomodoro sauce. And any romantic night out wouldn’t be complete without the restaurant’s signature toffee tuile dessert, a towering monument to a night of fine wine, fine food and equally fine service.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
HIGHLAND'S GARDEN CAFÉ 3927 West 32nd Avenue Denver, CO 80212 (303) 458-5920 Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5-9:30 pm Sitting side by side, two lovely north Denver homes have come together to form a captivating Victorian restaurant. Owner and chef Patricia Perry prepares sophisticated entrees such as Pan Seared Grouper, Beef Tenderloin Medallions with stilton, and a zesty Paella of saffron rice, lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops and chorizo. Starters and salads are equally interesting. The escargot in mushroom caps and fresh pear with sherried walnuts and saga blue cheese are perennial favorites. The wines are primarily Californian and French. Exposed brick and dreamy murals grace each room. And the patios are wrapped in a riot of flowers—the perfect background for a satisfying summer dinner.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30 - $40
JANLEONE 1509 Marion Street Denver, CO 80218 (303) 863-8433 Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5-10 pm; (Sun) Brunch 11:30 am-2 pm Candles and luminescent brass chandeliers gleam throughout this 19th century mansion. Charming rooms of four or five tables afford the ideal atmosphere for a deliciously romantic interlude. Extravagant entrees and rich sauces like Filet of Beef with Gorgonzola and a port wine mushroom sauce are lovingly prepared and Blueberry Bread Pudding covered in caramel is Pastry Chef Mara Leone’s signature delicacy. When the weather turns warm, the garden is filled with flowers, and guests linger over dessert and coffee touched by the evening breeze. Live piano music on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30 - $40
MIZUNA 225 East Seventh Avenue Denver, CO (303) 832-4778 Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5-10 pm Mizuna resonates with quiet conversation. Linen-draped tables are clustered through the room where diners savor imaginatively prepared fresh ingredients and admire the artistic presentations that have become the hallmarks of Chef Frank Bonanno. Together with owner Doug Fleischmann, they have turned creativity in the kitchen up and the dining room lights down to entertain guests with intriguing combinations of excellent food and superb wines in a warm, relaxed setting. Green Tea Poached Chilean Sea Bass rests on a bed of stir-fried farmer’s market vegetables accented with spicy carrot sauce. A delicious rack of Colorado lamb shares the plate with a goat cheese and cranberry pudding drizzled with chanterelle mushroom sauce. The freshness of the Lemon Scented Pound cake arrayed in white chocolate and sun dried cherries or exquisitely tart Black Berry Crisp with mascarpone gelato and lemon reduction provide a grand finale.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $35 - $45
PALACE ARMS 321 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 297-3111 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2 pm, 6-10 pm; (Fri, Sat & Sun) 6-10 pm The city’s only four-star restaurant resides in the 108-year-old Brown Palace Hotel. Tuxeoed wait staff present a formal first impression, but the service is relaxed and the menu, continental cuisine with regional touches, celebrates the tradition of classic dishes and inventive presentation. To start, diners can select the quintessential Beluga Caviar or have fun with the Lobster Enchilada, a squid ink tortilla overlaid with lime cream. Famous for its Colorado Rack of Lamb, the succulent meat is crusted with fresh rosemary and served with fig chutney and pommery glace. The wine cellar boasts almost a thousand labels and continuously wins Wine Spectator’s "Best of Award of Excellence." Men: Don’t forget your jacket. Ties are optional.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $60 - $70
PANZANO 1717 Champa Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 296-3525 Hours: (Mon-Thur) 8 am-2 pm/5-10 pm; (Fri) 8 am-2:30 pm/5-11 pm; (Sat) 8 am-2:30 pm/5-11 pm; (Sun) 8 am-2:30 pm/4:30-9:30 pm Guests feel as though they’ve stepped into a Renaissance painting as they enter Panzano at the elegant Hotel Monaco. Executive chef Jennifer Jasinski’s versions of classic Northern Italian dishes give a new interpretation to housemaid pastas, luscious meat entrees, crisp-crusted breads and salads that are a symphony of appetite-gratifying flavors. The gnocchi with grilled sea scallops, oven roasted tomatoes, olives and grilled zucchini is a colorful blend of coastal flavors as is the Genovese fish stew. Panzano provides an elegant taste of Italy with more than a touch of romance.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25 - $35
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open.
The Top List of Romantic Restaurants - Denver, CO