Chowhound Lists Most Expensive Tasting Menus in Every State, Gets Colorado Wrong

In 2018, Beckon became Denver's first chef's counter, tasting menu-only concept. At the time, we wondered if local diners would embrace the pricy experience.

Spoiler: They did, and more tasting menu options soon joined the scene. In 2023, Beckon was among the first restaurants in the state to be awarded a Michelin star when the guide launched its first Colorado edition.

Beckon might be the first, but is it the priciest dining option around? On February 17, Chowhound released its roster of the most expensive restaurant tasting menus in every state, listing Beckon and Ukiyo, which opened under Bao Brewhouse a year ago, for Colorado.

But Chowhound is wrong.

At $195 per person, Beckon isn't even the most expensive option among Colorado's current six Michelin-starred restaurants. And Ukiyo, which does not have a star, is $175. Oddly, Chowhound also misses the mark in its description, which says nothing about Ukiyo and only focuses on Beckon.
Here's the current pricing for the state's Michelin-starred restaurants:

Alma Fonda Fina
This is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the state with an à la carte menu, so the price to dine here depends on how much you order.

Bruto
Currently $175 for eleven courses.

Beckon
$195 for a two-hour experience (its website does not list a specific number of courses).

The Wolf's Tailor
$200 (no course count or time limit listed).

Frasca
This twenty-year-old Boulder fine-dining stalwart offers two standard menu options: the four-course Quattro Piatti menu for $150 or the Fruili menu for $215, which includes several small bites to start followed by six courses and two desserts.

Bosq
The only Michelin-starred Colorado restaurant outside of the metro area, Bosq is located in Aspen and offers five courses for $195 or a nine-plus course chef’s tasting experience for $275, making it the most expensive among the starred restaurants — but not the most expensive in the state.

That title goes to a brand-new addition.

What is the most expensive restaurant tasting menu in Colorado?

This month, chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and his wife, Nadia, opened Thirteen20, an eight-seat chef's counter in RiNo's Taxi development. Bickelhaupt cooked in Colorado once before, when he and Nadia opened Konro Dinner Club after leaving Chicago following public blowback surrounding a 2017 incident in which he violently attacked his ex-wife and then-business partner at their former business, 42 Grams.

His 2021 move to Denver with Nadia is the subject of a self-funded documentary, 86ed, which positions Bickelhaupt as a victim of cancel culture. Konro didn't last long in Denver and the Bickelhaupts ended up moving to Florida, where they still operate the resurrected Konro in West Palm Beach.

At $295 per person for ten to fourteen courses, Thirteen20 is significantly more expensive than Denver's Michelin-starred restaurants. Diners can also add on a beverage pairing available for an additional $195 or an N/A pairing for $175.

There are two restaurants that have a pricier option than Thirteen20 — though neither is the standard offering.

Frasca has a single chef's table located inside its kitchen where only one party can dine each night. That experience will cost you $305 for at least ten courses, plus a front-row seat to the culinary action.

At Edge, the restaurant inside the Four Seasons Denver, the private chef's table that offers "an unobstructed view of the kitchen's inspired creations through a floor-to-ceiling glass window," according to its website, starts at $500 per person, though that price does include wine pairings.

What is the best restaurant tasting menu in Colorado?

Any of the Michelin-starred spots are a safe bet, but there are three other places that should be on your radar.

Sushi Den
This pioneer of Denver's sushi scene is great for a meal anytime but for a truly special experience, book its chef's table. The price starts at $150 per person for a two-hour experience and each diner will fill out a form with preferences before the meal. The chef's table only seats two guests each hour, so at most, you'll be dining with one other pair. It's an intimate omakase experience from one of the best restaurants in town.

Sushi by Scratch
A new addition to Larimer Square, this omakase counter opened in December and is located below NADC Burger. The $195 experience includes a half-hour of bites and sips in the lounge before your reservation beginsm plus seventeen courses of expertly prepared bites.

Black Cat Farmstead, Longmont
Chef Eric Skokan, whose Boulder restaurant Bramble & Hare has a Michelin green star for sustainability, has created a magical dining experience at his Longmont farm where he recently launched a permanent version of the farm dinners he started serving during the pandemic. The price is $145 per person and guests are greeted with a welcome drink before settling into a private custom-built greenhouse where a tray of starters is already waiting. Because there is only one seating a night, there's no time limit so you're free to linger over the meal. The menu changes daily depending on what's being harvested and special details abound, from the wood-fired stove that keeps the space cozy to the teas created by Skokan's son that accompany the dessert courses.