Restaurants You Should Try in Aurora, Colorado

German influences run through America like rivers. Just look at the legacy of both hamburgers and frankfurters; American staples named after their German cities of origin. Helga’s, then, is not a surprising edition to a city’s line up of restaurants. A restaurant and deli, Helga’s serves a mixture of schnitzels and Rhineland specialties.

The Nile Ethiopian Restaurant is a great ambassador for sub-Saharan cuisine. The restaurant encourages guests to eat the Ethiopian way by sharing from the same plate. This can include a mosseb (tray) of food that a whole group can sit around. The food is traditionally scooped up on torn pieces of a large flatbread known as injera.

Advertised as a purveyor of nostalgic flavor, Rosie’s Diner is practically a museum of 1950s American restaurants. With neon lights, and black-and-white tiles, the team at Rosie’s serves breakfasts, dinner and traditional handmade milkshakes. Each dining booth contains a juke where a quarter can buy two songs.

The French Press is a cafe serving the best traditional French food. Breakfast items such as French toast and crepes sit alongside American classics such as fried eggs with mixed meats. There is also an attached bakery that produces wonderful loaves of French style breads, as well as a selection of delicate pastries.

Sam’s No 3 restaurant specializes in Mexican food, but also features Greek and American classics. Regardless of what you fancy, with a 16-page menu, there is bound to be something for everyone to choose from. One of the venue’s biggest draws is the huge selection of skillets, served with fresh, sizzling chili that customers can choose between. With so much spice on offer, it will be worth getting one of their equally amazing milkshakes.

Masalaa is a fantastic vegan and vegetarian restaurant in downtown Aurora. The restaurant has opted to portray and present spices across the entire menu in a way that is most typical of its subcontinent roots. There are helpful signposts that direct customers through dishes that explore the many different states throughout India.

Monsoon is a traditional and authentic Indian and Pakistani restaurant located in the grounds of Aurora’s Southlands mall. Start with the spicy tandoori wings with Monsoon’s signature chili garlic-lime sauce followed by a vegetarian specialty dish such as dal tadka – yellow lentils cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, roasted cumin and topped with butter. Leave room for a traditional Indian dessert such as kheer – creamy, sweet basmati rice pudding with almonds, pistachios and coconut

Established by two sisters, Sarin and Sandy, who grew up in Bangkok watching their family cook delicious, traditional Thai dishes, Pearl of Siam brings the tastes of the owners’ homeland to Aurora. Try the Siamese seafood hot pot – a cilantro- and chili-flavored hot and sour stew with shrimp, scallops, mussels, squid and mushrooms.

Though not a strictly a restaurant in the conventional sense, the uniqueness of the Dry Dock Brewing Company means the venue is nevertheless worth a mention, especially for lovers of handcrafted beers. The brewery includes a 180-seat tasting room with 16 beers on tap and though it doesn’t serve its own food, guests are welcome to order in food from local eateries while they sample Dry Dock’s award-winning beers.