WaterCourse Foods just keeps getting better. The atmosphere has always been lovely: The open, airy space features animals and landscapes painted across the walls by Ravi Zupa, with tall stools lining the bar and comfortable booths tucked by the walls. But over the past year, WaterCourse cut out its weekday breakfast hours, allowing chef Rachel Kesley to concentrate on the meals where the kitchen really shines: lunch and dinner. In addition to a solid spread of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and other entrees, there are daily specials, including creative soups and rotating cheese boards, and the dessert tray is massive and decadent. Add to those elements a solid wine and beer list, and you've got a vegetarian restaurant that caters to any palate, every day of the week. But Kesley's penchant for rolling out multi-course spreads tied to Valentine's Day, Denver Beer Week and other blowout occasions makes this a great special-occasion spot, too.

Readers' Choice: WaterCourse