Culinary Capital

Boulder County’s top 25 restaurants in spotlight

By Linnea Covington

Boulder County has long featured great places to eat, and thanks to the Michelin Guide coming to Colorado, some of our favorite places have even more accolades. Chosen by the editors, these 25 hot spots speak to our tastebuds. From Hawaiian-inspired sushi and hyper-local cuisine to refined New Mexican fare, book a seat at one of these amazing restaurants.

Hapa Sushi
Boulder 
Japanese and Hawaiian cultures mesh at this Pearl Street Mall hot spot, which features a menu of sushi, grilled entrees, katsu and teriyaki. The Boulder Hapa was the first of the four current locations and has been serving fresh Asian fusion here since 1999.

Spruce Farm & Fish
Boulder 
At this airy spot in the historic Hotel Boulderado, diners can dive into an order of spiced peach marinated chicken with whipped potatoes and green beans; the house salad with local produce, white balsamic dressing, and choice of protein; and other fresh and crave-able new American dishes. The eatery has been going strong for over 10 years, bringing the area a peaceful spot for brunch and dinner.

The Greenbriar Inn
Boulder 
Located on 20 acres of land around the foothills, the Greenbriar Inn has been a romantic and special destination since opening in 1967. The restaurant benefits from this space, utilizing the 7,000 square-foot farm to provide fresh greens, herbs, vegetables and flowers for the venue. Dinner and Sunday brunch menus feature classic American fare with a local twist, plus great cocktails and wine.

Corrida
Boulder  
The view from the patio of Bryan Dayton’s Spanish-inspired chophouse offers one of the best happy hour visages, and inside guests can also dine on one of the best menus in the county. While ordering chef Samuel McCandless’ black cod laced with Basque cider, bell pepper and espelette, or the Spanish octopus with sunflower seed, marigold leaf, mokum carrot and jalapeño prove savvy, pay special attention to the restaurant’s regenerative beef program as well. There’s nothing like it in the whole state. Gin and tonics done table side and a solid wine list round out the experience.

Flagstaff House
Boulder 
Originally built as a summer cabin in 1929, today’s owner Don Monette has taken one teacher’s dream and turned it into a memorable restaurant in the heart of Boulder. Monette bought the space in 1971, expanded it and added outdoor terraces. Now it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a chef’s tasting or the four-course menu with options such as local sweet corn soup, Colorado lamb with mint peas, and summer squash galette. 

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder  
Bobby Stucky, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Peter Hoglund’s almost 20-year-old spot just received one Michelin Star, the only in Boulder. However, we have always known it was a winner both in the wine program and the menu. The food garners inspiration from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a sub-alpine region in northeast Italy. Think dishes such as cjalson, a type of dumpling filled with Olathe corn, wild mushroom, taleggio and lamb bacon; and swordfish with sweet peppers, anchovy, romano beans and basil.

Santo
Boulder 
Chef Hosea Rosenberg built this bright, Southwestern-style restaurant as a homage to his hometown of Taos, New Mexico. On the menu diners will find classics such as the green chile cheeseburger, red chile posole and a line-up of tacos topped with braised lamb, shrimp, mushrooms and more. Don’t miss the homemade bizcochitos either, the sweet cookies speak to the chef’s childhood.

Sugarbeet
Longmont
Modern American fare can be had at Seth and Justine Witherspoon’s eight-year-old restaurant. Dishes include seasonal items such as a rack of lamb with grain mustard potato purée, risotto laced with yellow pepper and confit tomatoes, and gnudi bolognese. Book a table for dinner any Tuesday through Saturday.  

Brasserie Ten Ten
Boulder 
Take a trip to Paris by visiting Peg and Joe Romano’s charming brasserie off the Pearl Street Mall. Expect French favorites including pomme frites, beef tartare, salad nicoise, duck a l’orange, steak frites and more. The restaurant first debuted in Boulder in 2003 but closed in 2020 during the pandemic. Lucky for us, last year it reopened with chef Tony Hessel, proving just as magnificent as before. 

24 Carrot Bistro
Erie
Located in the historic downtown area, chef Kevin Kidd brings farm-fresh produce and seasonal ingredients straight to the table. Indulge in a bright, flavorful dinner here every night save Monday, and try items such as the elote mussels with roasted local corn; crispy duck confit with white corn polenta and a garstrique made with local peaches and saffron; and of course, the signature roasted carrot salad. 

Thrive
Boulder 
Eschewing the usual restaurant model, founder Corey Jacobs’s Thrive is actually a drive-through eatery. Be that a healthy, organic, high-quality drive through. Items include the Dragonfruit Dreamsicle smoothie with coconut milk, fruits and functional mushrooms; the Bacun Burger featuring a protein-dense nut and veggie patty; and fresh salads like the Inner Flame, which heats up with chipotle lime cashew dressing.

Teocalli Cocina
Lafayette
Paying homage to maiz, or corn, chef Julio Gaspar offers guests a taste of Mexico through street-style tacos, platters of pasilla adobo roasted chicken, cheese enchiladas and so many house-made salsas. The space proves airy and bright and feels like you’ve entered a greenhouse where appetites flourish and grow.

Bohemian Biergarten
Boulder 
Get a taste of a European beer hall by visiting this pub. The exposed brick walls of the historical building and dark wooden tables add to the ancient biergarten feel, that and the giant glasses of Belgium beer. The venue was founded by Czech Republic native Zdenek Srom in 2013, and it has been serving the neighborhood solid plates of Eastern European food to go with the pints ever since. 

South Street Market
Louisville
Grab-and-go from an array of freshly prepared meals at this corner shop. Owned by Barbie Iglesias, the idea behind South Street Market is to offer an abundance of seasonal foods catering to an array of diets including gluten-free and vegan. It’s easy, quick and delicious. 

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
Boulder 
A visit to the stunning Dushanbe Teahouse should make anyone feel special. The setting exudes elegant magic, with detailed designs, art and plants decking out the space from top to bottom. While tea-time may be the main focus, there’s a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items too, often incorporating tea into the dishes. For example, the lapsang souchong Benedict, Cuban sandwich with lapsang tea-rubbed pork and pancakes made with traditional Indian chai spices. 

Stella’s Cucina
Boulder 
Boulder local Stella Spanu opened her quaint Italian restaurant this year, and it’s been a star of the scene ever since. Inside guests can marvel at the Art Deco inspired design, all while indulging in chef Filippo Piccini’s menu of local goodies such as Colorado beef tartare with truffle, house-made ravioli with spinach and seasonal veggies cooked simply with olive oil. 

Japango
Boulder 
On a nice day take a seat on one of the three patios here, or, choose a spot inside at the sushi bar or at an intimate table. Yukiji Iwasa is the master sushi chef behind the menu, which runs the gamut from traditional bites to innovative, locally inspired creations. Diners can even request the sushi to go and take it for a luxurious picnic in Chautauqua Park.

Acreage
Lafayette
Go for the food and stay for the view at Stem Cider’s indoor-outdoor restaurant. With a deck, inside seating, cider garden and large lawn with picnic tables, it’s the best place to bring a whole crew for the house-made ciders, plates of duck confit poutine, stunning salads, cider-infused bratwurst and fire-roasted chicken thighs. 

Farow
Niwot
Tucked into an unassuming building, Lisa and Patrick Balcom’s Farow is a secluded spot full of local flavors and a dedication to a more sustainable food system. “Our menu stays relatively small and at least half of the menu changes weekly, flowing with whatever we can get from our local farmers and ranchers at the time,” says Lisa Balcom. In fact, 90% of the ingredients are sourced within 10 miles of the restaurant. This leads to a seasonal menu with items such as corn ribs with roasted peppers, shaved lamb shoulder with redeye gravy, and pan-seared bass with cucumber salad. 

Parma Trattoria
Louisville 
In 2012 Parma Trattoria opened, bringing something we don’t often see in the local dining scene—a mozzarella bar. Build your own charcuterie board or have the chef do it, and then add on classic Italian pasta dishes and a pizza. The menu proves so extensive, there’s truly something for everyone on it. 

River and Woods
Boulder 
Enter the cute old miner’s cabin on Pearl Street and get ready for an intimate brunch or dinner that speaks to old school dishes done in a modern, sustainable way. Think burrata meatloaf, shrimp and grits and campfire-style s’mores prepared table side. Thanks to chef and partner Daniel Asher, this restaurant is also a Zero Foodprint business, and 1% of sales goes back to restoring Colorado. 

Birdhouse
Erie
Tacos, ramen and rum make up the tirade of chef JV Hernandez’s eclectic restaurant, and it’s a surprisingly great combination. Start with the five cheese queso and a plate of chicken karaage, then move on to a main course of mushroom or Nashville hot tacos and bowl of Thai curry ramen. It’s a flavorful and fiery journey, best washed down with a tiki-inspired cocktail. 

Piripi
Erie
Dive into the global cuisine of Hugo Meyer, an Argentinian-born chef who began his culinary career in Germany at the tender age of 17. The menu features Spanish-style tapas as well as entrees such as gluten-free chicken piccata, vegan curry and house-made fettuccine with a variety of sauces. Make sure to reserve a seat for the monthly paella dinner, it happens the first Monday of the month.

Rosalee’s Pizzeria
Longmont
Everyone needs a neighborhood pizzeria, and lucky for Longmont residents, it’s Amy and James Ross’ old world, East Coast-style shop. Pizzas are served as rounds or squares, with all the classic toppings available. Dine in or get take-out Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm, or until the day’s dough sells out.

Zoe Ma Ma
Boulder 
Fill up on roasted duck wanton soup, pork belly bao, lu ro fan, potstickers and other Chinese street food delights at Edwin Zoe’s laidback take-out spot. While the menu is small at the 13-year-old eatery, all the food is made with whole ingredients and Zoe uses organic as much as possible. 

Honorable Mentions

A special congratulations to the Boulder restaurants and staff who received recognition in the Colorado Michelin Guide!

One-star Awardee Defined by Michelin as, “High-quality cooking — Worth a stop.”
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder

Green-star Awardees
Highlighting restaurants at the forefront of sustainability
Blackbelly Market, Boulder
Bramble & Hare, Boulder

Michelin Outstanding Service Award
Sergei Kiefel and front-of-the-house team, Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder

Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award
Kelly Kawachi, Blackbelly Market, Boulder

Bib Gourmand Award
Recognizing great food at a value
Basta, Boulder

Michelin Recommended Restaurants
Blackbelly Market
Dushanbe Teahouse
Santo
Zoe Ma Ma
Bramble & Hare
Oak at Fourteenth
Stella’s Cucina