How do you get a reservation at a busy Denver restaurant?
Find out when the restaurant releases tables and book the moment that window opens, set a notify alert or join the waitlist for the dates you want, and be flexible about time and night. If the book is full, try the bar, the counter or the patio as a walk-in, ideally right at opening or late on a weeknight.
Most "fully booked" restaurants are not actually full. They are full at 7 p.m. on Friday, which is when everyone tries to book.
Denver has more restaurants that need planning than it did a few years ago, especially since MICHELIN started covering Colorado. The good news is that the tactics that work in bigger cities work here too, and the competition for a table is usually less intense. This page walks through them in the order that tends to work.
Step one
Know When Tables
Open
Every restaurant decides how far ahead it takes bookings. Some use a rolling window, adding one new day each morning; others release a whole month of dates at once. The booking page or the restaurant's own website usually says which, and often at what time of day.
If you want a prime table at a place that books up, set a reminder for the release and book in the first few minutes. You can always cancel within the restaurant's policy if plans change, but you cannot get back a Saturday that went while you were deciding.
Denver restaurants use a mix of booking platforms, including OpenTable, Resy and Tock, and some take reservations only by phone or on their own site. Start from the restaurant's website so you are booking where it actually manages its tables.
Step two
Use Waitlists And
Notify Alerts
Cancellations happen every day, especially in the 24 to 48 hours before a reservation when card-hold policies start to bite. Booking apps let you set an alert for a date and party size and will notify you when a matching table opens up. Set several alerts across different nights rather than one.
Speed matters when the alert arrives, so keep your account signed in and your payment card saved if the restaurant requires one. A smaller party helps a lot: tables for two open up far more often than tables for six.
Some restaurants also keep a same-day waitlist you can join in person or by phone. If you are already in the neighborhood, it costs nothing to ask.
Step three
The Bar, The Counter
And The Patio
- Bar and counter seats. Many Denver restaurants hold these for walk-ins and serve the full menu there. For two people, this is often the easiest way into a restaurant that is booked for weeks.
- Arrive at opening. The first half hour of service is usually the best walk-in window, before the reservations stack up.
- Eat late. A 9 p.m. table on a Tuesday is a different market from 7 p.m. on a Saturday.
- Patio season. Denver gets a long patio season, and some restaurants seat outdoor tables only on a walk-in basis. Weather decides how many there are on a given night.
- Lunch and brunch. If a restaurant serves lunch or weekend brunch, the same kitchen is often far easier to book at those times. Our best brunch in Denver guide is a good place to start.
Before you confirm
Read The Policy
Restaurants that hold tables with a card usually state a cancellation window and a fee for late cancellations or no-shows. Tasting-menu restaurants sometimes sell prepaid tickets instead of reservations, and those may be transferable but not refundable. Read what you are agreeing to before you confirm, and cancel through the same platform as early as you can if your plans change.
It is also worth noting dietary needs in the booking itself, or calling ahead, rather than raising them at the table. Kitchens running a set menu can usually accommodate allergies with notice and struggle to do so without it.
Ready to choose? The Denver restaurant directory lists every MICHELIN-recognised restaurant in the city with its neighborhood, and Denver restaurants by neighborhood helps you pick an area first.
Common questions
Reservations, Answered
How far ahead should I book a Denver restaurant?
It depends on the restaurant. Many popular Denver restaurants release tables on a rolling window, often somewhere between two weeks and a month ahead, and a few release a whole month at once. Check the booking page or the restaurant website for its exact window, then book the day it opens if you want a weekend prime-time table.
Can you walk in at Denver restaurants that take reservations?
Often, yes. Many Denver restaurants keep bar seats, counter seats or patio tables for walk-ins. Arriving right at opening or late in the evening on a weeknight gives you the best chance.
Do Denver restaurants charge for no-shows?
Some do. Restaurants that take a card to hold a reservation usually state a cancellation window and a fee if you cancel late or do not show. Read the policy shown at booking, and cancel through the same app as early as you can if your plans change.
What is the best night to get a hard-to-book table in Denver?
Sunday through Wednesday is usually easier than Thursday through Saturday, and early or late seatings are easier than 7 p.m. If a restaurant is closed some weekdays, the nights right after a closure can fill quickly.
Get in touch
Advertise, Or Correct
Our Facts
Growers, restaurants and anyone who knows this food better than we do. If a season, a variety or a fact on this page is wrong, tell us — corrections get priority. Name, email, message. That is it.