Which Denver restaurants serve tasting menus?
Most of Denver's starred restaurants are tasting-menu or chef's-counter rooms: The Wolf's Tailor (two stars), Beckon, Brutø, Margot, Kizaki and Milpero (one star each). Ukiyo, a recommended omakase room near Larimer Square, works the same way. These rooms seat few people, release reservations in batches and often take payment in advance.
A chef's counter is the most rewarding way to eat in Denver and the hardest to book. Here is how the city's counters work and how to choose between them.
Denver's top end is unusually counter-heavy. Instead of large dining rooms, most of its starred kitchens serve a set menu to a small number of guests who watch it being cooked. That shapes everything about the experience, from how far ahead you book to what happens if you need to cancel.
How we picked these
We list the two-star first, then the one-star counters in the order they were starred, then the recommended omakase room. Consider it a reading order rather than a league table; restaurants cannot pay to appear.
The counters
Seven rooms, very few seats
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Two Michelin Stars
The Wolf's Tailor
Kelly Whitaker's eclectic multicourse menu in Sunnyside, Colorado's only two-star restaurant. Built around Colorado ingredients and heritage grain.
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One Michelin Star
Beckon
Duncan Holmes's eighteen-seat U-shaped counter in RiNo, open since 2018. Vegetarian and pescatarian menus can be planned in advance.
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One Michelin Star
Brutø
An eighteen-seat tasting menu inside Free Market on the Dairy Block in LoDo, centered on a wood-burning hearth and focused on fermentation, preservation and regenerative sourcing. Part of Whitaker's Id Est group.
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One Michelin Star
Kizaki
Toshi Kizaki's Edomae omakase on South Pearl Street: a small counter plus a couple of booths.
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One Michelin Star
Margot
Justin Fulton's seasonal multicourse menu at an eight-seat counter on South Pearl. The bar serves à la carte if you cannot get a counter seat.
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One Michelin Star New 2026
Milpero
Johnny Curiel's tasting menu on Ringsby Court in RiNo, starred in 2026. Listings note that it cannot accommodate many dietary restrictions, so check before booking.
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Recommended
Ukiyo
A small omakase room off Larimer Square from chef Paul Sananikone, recommended rather than starred and usually the most approachable booking of the group.
How booking works
Plan like it is a ticket
Counter restaurants treat a reservation more like an event ticket than a table hold, because an empty seat at an eight- or eighteen-seat counter cannot be filled by a walk-in.
- Find the release schedule. Many counters publish dates in batches at a set time. The restaurant's own website or booking page will say when.
- Expect to pay up front. Prepayment or a card hold with a cancellation window is common. Read the policy before you confirm; we do not list prices, which change with the menu.
- Declare restrictions at booking. Set menus are planned in advance. Some counters can adapt with notice; some, like Milpero by its own listing, cannot accommodate many restrictions.
- Use waitlists. Notify alerts on booking platforms are the best way to catch cancellations, which go quickly.
- Arrive on time. A counter usually serves everyone together. Arriving late can mean missing courses.
- Cancel early if plans change. A no-show at a tiny counter is a real loss for a small business.
Our reservations guide covers booking windows, waitlists and walk-in tactics for the rest of the list.
How to choose
For the single most decorated meal in Colorado, The Wolf's Tailor. For the most theatrical counter, Beckon or Brutø's hearth. For sushi, Kizaki, or Ukiyo if you want an easier booking. For the newest star, Milpero. For a first taste without a full commitment, Margot's bar.
On the night
What a counter evening is like
A tasting menu is a set sequence of small courses chosen by the kitchen, usually served to everyone at the same pace. At a counter you sit facing the cooks, so the meal doubles as a view of the kitchen at work, and chefs often present dishes themselves. Expect the evening to take a few hours, and plan transport home accordingly.
Drinks are usually offered as an optional pairing or by the glass and bottle. If you are visiting from sea level, remember that Denver sits at 5,280 feet and alcohol can hit harder than at home; a lighter pairing or a non-alcoholic option, which many counters offer, is a sensible choice on your first night in town.
Photography, dress and celebrations vary by restaurant. When in doubt, ask when you book: counters are small, and the staff would rather plan for a birthday or a quiet table than be surprised by one.
Common questions
Questions, Answered
How far ahead should I book a tasting menu in Denver?
As soon as the restaurant releases dates. Several counters publish reservations in batches and fill quickly; check the restaurant's own website for its release schedule and set an alert.
Which Denver restaurants have chef's counters?
Beckon, Brutø, Kizaki and Margot all seat guests at a counter, and Alma Fonda Fina has a chef's counter alongside its dining room. Ukiyo is a small omakase room.
Do Denver tasting-menu restaurants take walk-ins?
Rarely at the counter itself. Margot's bar serves à la carte, and some restaurants keep bar seats for walk-ins; check each restaurant's policy.
Sources
Where These Facts Come From
Awards and addresses are checked against the sources below. We do not publish hours or prices; confirm details with each restaurant before you go. Spotted an error? Tell us.
- KDVR: 2026 MICHELIN Guide, all recognized restaurants in Colorado
- MICHELIN Guide: Colorado restaurants
- 5280: Beckon
- Wikipedia: Brutø
- MICHELIN Guide: Margot
- Westword: Sushi Den founder opens omakase concept on South Pearl
- 5280: Margot aims high with multiple menus from a tiny kitchen
- Michelin: first statewide selection for Colorado
Keep exploring
More Denver Guides
What changed in Denver's 2026 MICHELIN Guide
Milpero's star, three new Bib Gourmands, four new names and one departure.
RiNo and Five Points restaurants
Ten recognized rooms in RiNo and two new Bib Gourmands on Welton Street.
LoHi, Sunnyside, Berkeley and West Highland
Northwest Denver: the two-star, two Curiel stars and four neighborhood rooms.
South Pearl, Wash Park and Cherry Creek
Two stars in one building, a supper club, Barolo Grill and Baker's Bib.
Mexican restaurants in Denver
Three Curiel stars, pozole in Ballpark, Cherry Creek's Alteño and more.
Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese in Denver
Kizaki, Hop Alley, MAKfam, Pig and Tiger, and Federal Boulevard's Little Saigon.
Italian restaurants in Denver
Tavernetta, Barolo Grill, Olivia, Dear Emilia, Florence Supper Club and Dio Mio.