Of course there’s steak on the menu in Denver—but as the city has grown up and shed its cowtown image, so have the restaurants. Food has become an important part of the city’s culture: Local magazines write profiles about up-and-coming chefs, and national publications like the New York Times, Food and Wine, and Bon Appetit have featured articles about Denver’s tantalizing fare and local celebrity chefs. For both locals and visitors, dining out can be an opportunity to explore world cuisine and local fare and tempt your taste buds with something delectable.

On any night of the week, Denver restaurants offer mouth-watering comfort food, a selection of ethnic fare from African to Vietnamese, and contemporary seasonal cuisine that highlights produce and meats that thrive in Colorado.

Every Denver neighborhood seems to have its favorite local hangout, whether it’s a coffee shop, a spot for surprisingly fresh seafood and sushi, a microbrewery with classic pub food, a café for spicy Latin American eats, or an upscale award-winning restaurant with a world-class wine list. And sprinkled around Denver there are a number of excellent restaurants to choose from for those special occasions in life.

Still, when it comes to that steak for dinner, the options are limitless in Denver: Slice into a juicy cut amongst the kitschy animal decor of the Buckhorn Exchange, one of the city’s oldest restaurants, savor tender beef cooked to rare perfection and elegantly served while a sommelier picks the best wine at the Palace Arms, or try buffalo steak in a re-created Western fort as your champagne is “tomahawked” with flair at The Fort.

Denver’s Best Restaurants

• Most Unusual Brunch: Bump & Grind Café
• Best Carnivore Dining Experience: The Buckhorn Exchange
• Best Ambience: Domo
• Best Latin American Restaurant: Cuba Cuba
• Best Menu with Local Produce: Potager
• Best Pay-What-It’s-Worth Meal: SAME Café
• Best Vegetarian Meal: WaterCourse Foods
• Best Neighborhood Restaurant: Bang!
• Best Spot for Your Sweet Tooth: Devil’s Food Bakery
• Unique Dining Experience: The Fort