Sean Kelly Sells Desmond Bar & Grill in Park Hill

When chef Sean Kelly opened Desmond Bar & Grill at 2230 Oneida Street in November 2015, it marked not only a return to the roll of restaurateur for Kelly but also an opportunity for his Park Hill neighbors to enjoy a chef-driven menu in a part of Denver short on...

By Westword Staff

July 18, 2017

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When chef Sean Kelly opened Desmond Bar & Grill at 2230 Oneida Street in November 2015, it marked not only a return to the role of restaurateur for Kelly, but also an opportunity for his Park Hill neighbors to enjoy a chef-driven menu in a part of Denver short on quality restaurants.

But a year and a half later, Desmond is closed, with a note on the restaurant's Facebook page explaining the reason:

Dear Friends and Fans,
Desmond Bar & Grill has been sold. Thank you for your support over the last two years.
Wishing you health and happy eating,
Sean and all of us at Desmond

We've been unable to reach either Kelly or the new owner of the space, so don't have additional details. But for now, Desmond is definitely closed; however, a sale means the restaurant could open again, either as Desmond or with a new name. Before the building became Desmond, a group of investors had converted a former dance studio into a restaurant called Table Top, which opened in July 2014 and lasted about a year.

Kelly has been one of Denver's culinary guiding forces for years, dating back to his time as the opening executive chef for Barolo Grill; that was followed by a succession of his own restaurants, including Aubergine, Somethin' Else and Claire de Lune, in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2016, Desmond won our award for Best New Neighborhood Restaurant.

Kelly currently runs SK Provisions inside the Denver Central Market, so there's still a good option for finding his cooking.

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