The 10 Best Restaurants In The RiNo District Denver

Situated just north of downtown, Denver’s River North District is a flourishing hub of creativity. From art galleries to breweries, RiNo is an environment where art becomes reality, especially among the chefs of these top 10 restaurants.

Park Burger

Restaurant, American, Pub Grub

A Denver classic, this restaurant sports the 2014 Best Veggie Burger, while also providing a multitude of various speciality burgers that play on flavors from both the Mediterranean and Mexico. Each ingredient is fresh and provides every meal with a satisfactory combination of tastes. In an atmosphere that’s neighborhood-friendly, Park Burger is the place to relax on a hot afternoon with a milkshake or one of the many Colorado beers on tap. Bring the family and enjoy this casual setting that even provides live concerts some nights of the week.

Biju's Little Curry Shop

Restaurant, Indian, Vegetarian, Gluten-free

A series of brightly colored chairs in the outdoor seating area recall the vibrant collection of flavors inside each bowl at Biju’s Little Curry Shop. Serving original food from Southern India, the restaurant presents each healthy meal in a bowl, using fresh ingredients and a scale for measuring each customer’s desired spiciness. Located in what used to be an old loading dock, the restaurant features an outdoor counter with a garage-style window opening onto the inside. Vegan and authentic, chef Biju’s creations keep drawing Denver in for more. ice cream |© Lotus Head/WikiCommons

Sugarmill

Restaurant, Dessert

Dessert is the key word here. At Sugarmill, the chefs work to create the sweetest masterpieces you can imagine, from house-made ice cream to a chocolate-pistachio cream cake. But dessert is only half the menu. Besides offering a creative spread of main dishes, all made in-house and with fresh ingredients, this restaurant allows visitors to view the chefs at work right in front of them. Meanwhile, a chic atmosphere offers the perfect environment for sweet and savory fans to unite. Interior of Work & Class | Courtesy of Work & Class

Work & Class

Restaurant, American

Reaching back to working-class roots, the menu here taps into simple meals that taste fantastic and have American and Latin-American influences. The idea is a restaurant that does comfort food brilliantly but goes above and beyond the typical burger and beer joint. Work & Class uses all fresh ingredients and additionally rotates the menu on a seasonal basis, to include a variety of crazy-delicious flavors. Where even the name recalls the industrial history of RiNo, Work & Class is worth the visit.

Acorn

Located in a repurposed 1880 foundry, Acorn offers a dining experience of shared dishes, a seasonal menu, and all the flavors of an oak-fired oven. The foundry, called the Source, houses a new epicurean marketplace with Acorn serving up a family-friendly spread of delectable and famous recipes, including their renowned home-made gnocchi. A place where each dish is meant for sharing, the atmosphere here encourages family-styled dining. Sit back and enjoy the chatter with one of the many speciality cocktails and see why this place really is one of the best in the area. Entreé at Americatus | Courtesy of Americatus

Americatus

This one is new-world Italian through-and-through, where every item on the menu, even the cheese, is made by hand in-house. From freshly made pasta to savory meats, Americatus is full of Italian traditionalism while adding just the right modern twist to each dish. Enjoy an ever-changing menu while checking out the patio and the dining room, which is fashioned completely from reclaimed plywood and steel, and, following the theme of the menu, is entirely hand-made. With such an ambiance, this is a place to get in touch with classic flavors while still experiencing the industrial undertones of Denver’s RiNo.

Hutch & Spoon

Cafe, Coffee

A restaurant that stays true to all-local, all-fresh ingredients to create house-made, delicious food, Hutch & Spoon takes its place among the top 10. Known for having one of the best breakfasts in Denver, this neighborhood cafe rests nestled in a 125-year-old building and promotes sustainability by using re-purposed elements to create its convivial atmosphere. Since opening in 2009, the cafe has been a keystone of the district’s brunch scene, with an espresso bar that will satisfy any coffee addiction.

Fuel Cafe

Cafe, Restaurant, American

The perfect place to refuel, located on Ringsby Court, Fuel Café embodies the industrial feel of Denver’s River North. It’s a restaurant that brings out the hip and contemporary, using fresh local food to make a diverse and adventurous menu that changes on a month-to-month basis, reflecting the changing of the seasons. Experience a stylish and vibrant dining room that’s sleek and new, or relax outside on the patio. Regular lamb roasts and wine tastings also take place here!

The Populist

Restaurant, American

Where environment and food are shared, this restaurant uses a communal dining arrangement that expresses emphatically the new American style of eating. Showcasing fresh and local foods such as the Colorado grass-fed burger, The Populist offers family-friendly classics with exciting and creative twists. Check out the pleasant patio lit by strings of lights that recall the community-based ambiance of this RiNo hotspot with companionable seating and a cheerful atmosphere. Whether enjoying a meal or just drinks, The Populist only adds to the creative vibe of River North.

Los Chigones

Restaurant, Mexican

One of Denver’s must-try Mexican restaurants, Los Chigones takes traditional dishes from Mexico and completely re-designs them. The food might be a stretch from authentic, but it is worth exploring, from fantastic salsas to a number of speciality tacos. Additionally, up-beat wall decor presents a plethora of hues that will draw you into another lifestyle. Enjoy the RiNo scene from atop the roof patio while indulging in one of the numerous delicious speciality cocktails on the menu. There’s always something new to try and nothing to dislike when you visit this neighborhood necessity.

About the author

Michelle Schmid

A native of Colorado, Michelle Schmid is an avid writer, reader, and traveler. True to her mountain roots, she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing wherever she travels. A visitor of many different cities and curious about all cultures, foods, and lifestyles, Michelle is a vibrant scholar of creative writing and classical languages, which she studied during her time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She loves discovering restaurants, bookstores, gardens, and other hidden-away places that most people might overlook, while collecting sights, sounds, tastes, and sensations to fuel her collection of stories and poetry.