Colorado's 5 Best Restaurants In Denver With Stunning Rocky Mountain Views, According To Reviews

Denver has developed somewhat of a reputation as a foodie city in recent years. Carved in the city's culinary grooves, the Gourmet Food Hall is filled to the brim with diverse foods, making it a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Inside the bustling Denver Central Market, you will find ice cream, sourdough bread, fresh fish, and specialty chocolate. However, there is one thing you won't find — spectacular views of the Rockies. For those, all you need to do is grab a table at one of Denver's restaurants and bistros with breathtaking mountain views.

Denver is easy to navigate on public transport — including the RTD buses and light rail — and has an abundance of connections to its main travel hub, Denver International Airport, only 21 miles from the city's bustling downtown. To help you navigate the plethora of Denver's coveted restaurants with a view, we have collected the best spots in the Mile High City featuring patios, terraces, wall-to-ceiling windows, and breathtaking rooftops — so you can enjoy a side of Rocky Mountain views with your meal. In order to narrow it down to five unmissable spots, we have relied on trusted local compilations (such as Visit Denver) and local recommendations (including Reddit). Every single one has been individually vetted against customers' reviews on Tripadvisor, Google, and Yelp, so you can walk into these restaurants knowing they come highly recommended.

Rated the #2 overall restaurant in the city on Tripadvisor, 54thirty proudly carries the title of the city's highest rooftop bar The restaurant is located on the 20th floor of Le Meridien Denver Downtown hotel, a 4-star boutique hotel mere minutes away from the heart of downtown. In fact, 54thirty's name is a nod to the altitude it sits at: an astonishing 5,430 feet. As you take in the views of the city and the glistening Rockies from its glass-paneled windows, you can enjoy small plates drawing from global cuisines and creative cocktails.

The vibe at 54thirty Rooftop is that of a laid-back drink lounge, with a full bar, high stools, and low sofas right by the windows, from which you can enjoy the stunning views of the city. The restaurant also organizes events year-round, from DJ nights and cocktails at sunset to themed nights. While planning your visit to 54thirty, be sure to check the forecast and call ahead, because bad weather can shut the place down.

It should come as no surprise that many pick 54thirty for the views of downtown and the surrounding jagged peaks of the Rockies. On Google alone, it has almost 3,000 reviews — the ample majority of which are 5-star. However, as one local Redditor points out, this popular watering hole "gets super packed [...] on weekends" — when it stays open from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Opt for weekdays if you want to enjoy a quieter experience, filled with sharing platters of braised beef tacos, chicken satay skewers, and BBQ pork sliders, accompanied by draft beers or wine.

Located on the lively Larimer Square in downtown Denver, Tamayo is Richard Sandoval's culinary tribute to his home turf, Mexico City. Head to the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon to join Tamayo's weekly rooftop party between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On the rooftop deck, you can expect unparalleled views of the Rockies, accompanied by DJ music, cocktails, and happy hour offers. However, Tamayo's coveted al fresco spot is not the only space available to drink and dine with the city at your feet. For the colder winter months, the main indoor restaurant on the second floor has tables right against its spacious windows.

Denver is filled with a wide variety of Mexican eateries, from award-winning taquerias and Michelin-starred fine dining establishments to themed restaurants filled with palm trees and neon. In Tamayo, dishes from the chef's childhood spent in Mexico City are reflected in the menu, like chile relleno, beef tampiqueña, Camarones Diabla, and shrimp and crab enchiladas. Supplementing the restaurant's lunch and dinner menus is a vast drink list, featuring over 100 tequilas and other agave-based spirits, as well as cocktails inspired by quintessential Mexican flavors.

Diners' opinions across platforms are overwhelmingly positive, both for the food served and the general atmosphere of the place, especially after dusk. As one Google reviewer puts it, Tamayo has a "great rooftop patio [...] with beautiful views of the city at night." The majority of reviews on Google are 4 stars and above, and many customers mention their bottomless brunch ($42 per person, at the time of writing) as an unmissable experience with great value.

Perched on the fifth floor in LoHi — the city's edgy neighborhood filled with trendy bars, restaurants, and architecture — El Five boasts clear views of the city and stunning mountainous sights. The restaurant has both a cozy, indoor space with intimate seating and a patio ideal for al fresco dining. As one Reddit user puts it, this Mediterranean-inspired eatery boasts "a patio which offers the best view, [and] the entire place is set up nicely with floor-to-ceiling windows."

Reviewers on popular platforms like Yelp and Google rave about it. The restaurant has more than 3,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on the latter, and it features as the fifth-best Denver restaurant with a view on Tripadvisor. As another Redditor puts it, "El Five has a view of the mountains on one side and one of the best downtown views on the other side."

At El Five, the food is just as important as the location. You can enjoy "tapas with a view," as their tagline goes, while you sip Spanish red wines and indulge in a menu of Iberian and Mediterranean dishes — from Middle Eastern meze to rich Spanish paella. It is worth saving space for the dedicated dessert menu, which has Basque baked cheesecake, Turkish kunefe, and crema Catalana, catering for the sweet tooth in your party.

Located in South Broadway and close to Washington Park, BurnDown is praised by reviewers for its unique vintage vibe and mountainous vista. A relatively new addition to Denver's culinary panorama, the restaurant only opened in fall 2023, following a fire in the former commercial building. Since it's relatively new, BurnDown has fewer reviews than other spots on this list, but the reviews it does have are overwhelmingly positive. As one reviewer on Tripadvisor writes, "This place has great views of the city and foothills." Indeed, the locale is also featured among VisitDenver's official compilation of restaurants with great views, a further accolade for this one-of-a-kind hole-in-the-wall establishment, which was originally a furniture store.

You can enjoy the hilly views at BurnDown during brunch, lunch, and dinner. While the lunch & dinner menu is a bit more formal — think French onion soup, charred Brussel sprouts, and wild mushroom pappardelle — you can indulge in a more relaxed, no-frills experience at brunch, where street-style tacos, the "Hangover Burger," and "The Captain's French toast" are among the many casual options. You can reserve a spot at the ground floor restaurant, but if you are heading to BurnDown for its views, it's worth noting that the rooftop area operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Still, a local reviewer on Google highlights, "There's plenty of space to find a good spot" across the restaurant's three open floors and two roofs with seating.

Like many other big cities in the U.S., it pays off to stray off the beaten path of downtown Denver to look for lesser-known community hubs frequented by locals. This is certainly the case for Historians Ale House on Broadway Street, located in the heart of the Baker district and south of Denver's historic Civic Center and Capitol Hill districts. This small gastropub offers a relaxed atmosphere and gorgeous views from its 2,000 square-foot rooftop patio. Face north, and you will be immersed in the city's downtown skyline. Direct your gaze west, and you can take in the view of the mountains as they hug the city. This small locale has amassed many positive reviews on Google, where one reviewer writes that Historians Ale House has a "good view of the other businesses & street but one fantastic view of the snow capped peaks in the distance."

As the name suggests, the restaurant aims to shine a light on Colorado's rich food history by showcasing local Colorado brews on tap and adding a twist on contemporary Denver cuisine. You can even enjoy the locale's unique flair for the dramatic by arranging your very own banquet dining event, in which tables are laid out and an array of pre-arranged food is served and styled for communal enjoyment, buffet-style. Even if you are just there to enjoy your burger and fries, be prepared to see them wrapped in brown paper and theatrically tied with string — a playful nod to packed lunches.

In order to bring you the best spots in Denver that afford the finest views over the mountains, we have relied on trusted compilations (e.g. Visit Denver, Eater) and local recommendations on Reddit. Every entry on this short list has been backed up by customers' reviews on Tripadvisor, Google, and Yelp.

As reviews on food quality and affordability are also incredibly important, we strived to feature only restaurants combining scenic views and strong food ratings across the board. The five establishments featured differ in location, budget, and views — so you can enjoy the amazing variety the Mile High City has to offer. Happy dining!