Sarah Banks
Audio By Carbonatix
We’ve had our eye on the pending arrival of Heretík since December, when chef Theo Adley first revealed plans to open the restaurant in the former Koko Ni space in RiNo, in the space atop BearLeek.
Since then, it’s been not only on our own list of the nine most-anticipated restaurant openings in Denver this spring, but also made the Robb Report’s list of fifteen most exciting restaurant openings in the country.
Well, anticipate no more. Late this week, Adley and team quietly opened the restaurant up for reservations to the public starting Wednesday, May 6.
Why the fuss? To answer that, we need to look north to Lyons, where Adley’s restaurant, Marigold, has been raking in the accolades, including a James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef in the Mountain Region in 2024, a 2025 HOSPY Finalist for Restaurant of the Year, and a spot in Westword’s Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now. (Yes, it’s not in Denver. But the fact that we still included a restaurant forty miles outside of town speaks volumes).
At Marigold, the menu focuses on the cuisine of northern Italy and southern France, with dishes changing often based on seasonality and whim. Heretík, meanwhile, is expected to be more focused on Spain and France, with a hard lean into the French heritage “cou-nou” rotisserie chicken. We haven’t seen the space yet, but Adley previously told us the rotisserie setup would be prominently placed in the restaurant, greeting diners as they enter in a not-so-subtle way.
Past that one chicken dish, the rest of the menu looks to the sea, with a daily-rotating selection of fish, shellfish, oysters, crab and so on. Overall, we anticipate a more simple and rustic experience compared to Marigold, with small plates and a more consistent menu. We’re particularly interested to see what the wine list has in store, as previews have mentioned a highly regional approach centered on Basque and Southwestern France producers.
Heretík marks a welcome return to Denver for Adley. Before taking his game north to Marigold, he was most recently known as the executive chef at former RiNo hotspot, the Populist. Other highlights of his résumé include the Flagstaff House in Boulder, the Little Nell in Aspen and the much beloved Squeaky Bean.
The hype behind Heretík is in no short supply. We’re looking forward to seeing how the opening delivers.
Heretík is located at 1441 26th Street and is open from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; and from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit maisonheretik.com.
