OpenTable's Most Booked Restaurants in Denver

With Denver's food scene growing by leaps and bounds in exciting new ways, how do diners decide where to eat? Do they think of a restaurant that they've seen covered in the media, or a place they've heard about from friends? Or do they go to one of the dining apps and website services that not only help recommend eateries worth trying, but can also make reservations for the meal?

Of those online services, OpenTable was one of the first web-based reservation engines. Users can search the database by location, cuisine, price or availability, then choose a date and time for a reservation. It launched in 1998, and now operates in over twenty countries, representing more than 80,000 restaurants.

That's clout. And one of the many ways diners can use OpenTable's website is to see its multiple lists featuring most viewed, most saved, recommended by diners, most award-winning and most booked. Here are the top 15 Denver-area restaurants that made the most booked list for the past week:

15. Texas de Brazil
8390 East Northfield Boulevard
720-370-8990
texasdebrazil.com/locations/denver
Texas de Brazil is a Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, chain that started in Texas in 1998; its locations feature endless servings of flame-grilled beef, lamb, pork, chicken and Brazilian sausage brought to the table by servers with the meat on skewers until you surrender and beg them to stop. The restaurants also boast a huge salad area with a variety of seasonal,chef-crafted side dishes.
14. True Food Kitchen
2800 East Second Avenue
720-509-7661
truefoodkitchen.com/locations/denver
Denver is a haven for modern healthy eating, and there's even a health-focused restaurant in Cherry Creek, True Food Kitchen, which was developed by integrative medicine physician Dr. Andrew Weil in Arizona back in 2008. The seasonal, chef-curated menus are designed to be anti-inflammatory and to be enjoyed by diners with various dietary requirements like gluten intolerance, food allergies and a need for no seed oil. But this is no hippie-dippie health-food shop: there are plenty of comfort foods like grass-fed burgers (and turkey burgers), bowls and pizzas.

13. Alteño
249 Clayton Street
303-532-4999
altenorestaurant.com
Alteño is Johnny and Kasie Curiel’s fourth eatery in the metro area, following their success with Alma Fonda Fina and neighboring Mezcaleria Alma (LoHi) and Cozobi Fonda Fina (Boulder). Michelin-starred chef Johnny Curiel’s newest creation pays homage to his Jaliscan Highland roots and traditions, incorporating a mix of heritage flavors and preparations that spotlight the cuisine and culture of the iconic Los Altos de Jalisco. The Curiels' beverage program balances native Mexican flavors and agave spirits like raicilla and mezcal, with classic cocktails and a wine list that includes a selection of Mexican, European and American wines by Alteño’s in-house sommelier.

12. Kawa Ni
1900 West 32nd Avenue
303455-2984
kawanidenver.com
Kawa Ni is an American version of an izakaya, or Japanese pub, offering good eats and a robust bar with whiskey, sake and cocktails. It was opened in LoHi by chef Bill Taibe, who opened the first Kawa Ni in Westport, Connecticut, and expanded in 2023 to Denver. The Denver location won recognition from Michelin in 2024.
11. Matsuhisa
98 Steele Street
303-329-6628
matsuhisarestaurants.com/denver
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is an icon of modern Japanese cuisine, having been trained in Tokyo but absorbing culinary influences from his career stops in Peru, Argentina and around the globe. His 7,800 square-feet Cherry Creek dining room serves his world-famous signature dishes, including yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, black cod miso and whitefish tiradito.

10. Ocean Prime
8000 East Belleview Avenue, Greenwood Village
303-552-3000
ocean-prime.com
You can enjoy a higher class of surf-and-turf with the seafood and steaks at Ocean Prime in the Denver Tech Center, part of the national Cameron Mitchell Restaurants chain. Ocean Prime serves a chef-curated menu, handcrafted cocktails and an award-winning wine list in an elevated atmosphere (this location even has a dress code, which is a rarity in Denver's casual dining scene). It's perfect for OpenTable because reservations are recommended.
9. Shanahan's Steakhouse
5085 South Syracuse Street
303770-7300
shanahanssteakhouse.com
Yes, Shanahan's is named after and was co-founded by the former Denver Broncos football coach. But it's not a sports bar; it's a modern, artsy interpretation of the classic steakhouse. Shanahan's delivers to the table USDA prime-aged Midwestern beef with a signature "Bone-In" cut selection that isn't available at typical steakhouses. The seafood is flown in fresh daily, and is responsibly sourced from sustainable fisheries. It's definitely a hot spot for a special night out.
8. Quality Italian
241 Columbine Street
303-532-8888
qualityitaliandenver.com
Quality Italian is part of a national restaurant company based in midtown Manhattan, where its flagship restaurant is located; it has a 125-seat restaurant with white-tablecloth steakhouse experience in Cherry Creek. The restaurant doesn't serve Colorado-grown local beef, but the steak sauce is whipped up right at the table. There's plenty to order from, including pastas, pizzas, meats and seafood, as well as a raw bar with oysters and shrimp.

7. Seasons 52
8325 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree
303-799-0252
seasons52.com/locations/co/lone-tree/lone-tree/4544
Seasons 52 is a restaurant serving seasonal menus of seafood and meats that are cooked lighter, but still flavorful. You'll find everything from burgers and steaks to pastas and salads. This is a national chain founded in Florida, which also owns the Olive Garden Italian chain.
6. Tavernetta
889 16th Street
720-605-1889
tavernettadenver.com
Tavernetta's Italian cuisine and wine have been hailed by the James Beard Foundation, the Michelin Guide, World's 50 Best Discovery List, Wine Spectator and more. It's a Union Station spot built by the award-winning team behind Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine, Denver's most heralded restaurant group. Be sure to order housemade pastas like the ricotta gnudi with summer black truffle that earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand status.
5. North Italia
190 Clayton Lane
720-941-7700
northitaliarestaurant.com/locations/denver
Denver has a long history of Italian restaurants, but many of its current stars are relatively recent arrivals. North Italia in Cherry is a popular destination, with forty other locations in over a dozen states; it's currently owned by the same company that operates Cheesecake Factory. The menu focuses on pizza and pasta, as well as seafood, pork and ribs.
4. Le Colonial
255 Fillmore Street
720-994-5255
lecolonial.com/denver
You might think Le Colonial is the first Vietnamese-inspired restaurant in Cherry Creek, but Chez Thoa had that distinction, with chef Thoa Fink serving her exquisite fare in the 1980s. Le Colonial continues that tradition for the Cherry Creek crowd, though, with the spirit and flavors of 1920s of Saigon. This national chain has locations in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Delray Beach, Lake Forest and Naples.
3. Linger
2030 West 30th Avenue
303 993-3120
ediblebeats.com/restaurants/linger
Linger is housed in a former mortuary (the sign says it all), and the restaurant by the Edible Beats team was one of the first highlights of the emerging LoHi neighborhood. The rooftop patio features the show-stopping 1975 GMC RV food truck as a kitchen, so you know you're having a very Denver experience. The pan-Asian and Middle Eastern menu includes, baos, skewers and all manner of tasty street food.
2. Guard & Grace
1801 California Street
303-293-8500
guardandgrace.com
This is celebrated chef Troy Guard’s signature local restaurant (it's named after his daughter). It's a 9,000-square-feet, modern American steakhouse located in downtown with one of Denver's largest patios, an expansive raw bar, a wood-burning oven and open kitchen. It's Michelin Guide Recommended and was named the 47th Best Steakhouse in the World last year by World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants List.
1. Sushi Den
1487 South Pearl Street
303-777-0826
sushiden.net
Everyone in the local sushi scene acknowledges Sushi Den's owner and chef Toshi Kizaki as the OG of sushi in the area. Sushi Den was among the first to bring the traditional Japanese street food to Denver's then-unsophisticated food scene, and Toshi and co-founder/brother Yasu flew in fresh fish daily from Japan to make sure their sushi and sashimi met the standards they grew up with. That determination has paid off, with their Platt Park neighborhood restaurant spinning off into an empire of eateries, with the eponymous Kizaki omakase restaurant as Toshi's coup de grace. But Sushi Den was the first, and is still the one to beat for a great meal that needs OpenTable to make reservations.