5 Best Restaurant Designs in Denver
The experience of being in a restaurant is a series of impressions, and sequentially these are made first by the restaurant designer, followed by the staff, and only lastly by the food.
From the comfort of your chair, your table’s proximity to others, noise levels, colors, materials, and lighting, the restaurant theater is largely at the mercy of he/she who designs the set.
As a professional residential and commercial interior designer in Denver, I have a unique vantage point to share some of the most notable restaurant designs in our great city.
Here are my picks of 5 of the best restaurant interiors in Denver- not just chosen for conforming to a contemporary design trend, but for their sophistication in creating a cohesion ambiance to best bring together people, food, and drink.
Listed in no particular order:
AVELINA
Avelina has a decor described as quintessential New Denver. Think contemporary Midwestern design with hints of the desert. The popular street facing bar has a beautiful base of backlit stone slab. Throughout the restaurant expect plenty of leather, wood, and well designed lighting. The layout is very well balanced with the open kitchen as backdrop, complete with lovely aromas coming from it. Avelina is highly recommended for all meals including its delicious brunch!
TAVERNETTA
The hottest restaurant in Denver, Tavernetta, delivers not just the best Italian food in town, but also some of the best restaurant design. It is worth making your reservation one month in advance to guarantee yourself a spot in this old-Italy-meets-modern-NYC Scandinavian-influenced design.
Feel connected to the past via their use of limestone walls, timber beams, and plaster ceilings, yet within a bright, light-filled atmosphere that is masterfully laid out more like a home than a public space. The designers did an excellent job at creating warm and comfortable spaces without making them look or feel heavy. Whether you are looking for kitchen view excitement, a spacious space for your group, a secluded table for two, or the neighborly feeling of sitting near the warmth of a fireplace with a glass of wine, this restaurant has a space to fit your mood!
GUARD AND GRACE
This award-winning restaurant design is 4 years old but is showing no signs of being dated. It is a large, upscale modern steakhouse that is playful, bright, and welcoming. It features “fiery grills and charcuterie, oyster bar and bar tops, private rooms, and a posh, walk-in, floor-to-high-ceiling glassed wine cellar.”
Guard and Grace’s design allows in lots of natural light and has lots of sparkle. The open kitchen is a central design feature of the space. A showcase wine cellar holds more than 3,000 bottles.
STOIC & GENUINE
This Denver Union Station seafood restaurants offers a hip, yet playful design complete with lights shaped like fishing rods and an octopus inspired design painted on the walls. The materials and lighting at Stoic & Genuine are fantastic, as are the multiple options for seating, including not just tables and bar, but also stools that are a front-row seat to the action in the kitchen. Oyster lovers can park themselves in front of the oyster display cabinet to rejoice in the New England abundance.
UCHI
The crystal bricks create daytime magic, whereas the wallpaper gives it that iconic look that the Uchi brand is known for. This contemporary Japanese restaurant, first opened in Austin by James Beard Award winner Chef Tyson Cole, serves up a menu of small hot and cold plates, along with sushi and sashimi that “is just amazing, incredibly fresh and the flavors are mind-blowing.” The food is as beautiful as the decor making this a prime spot for anyone with a love of aesthetics. Quite expensive, but worth it for the visual and gastric delight!
Enjoy your dining experiences at these 5 wonderful Denver restaurants! If you are also looking for something to do, I recently wrote about 5 Must-See Denver Landmarks and my favorite Denver interior decor shops.
If these restaurant designs inspire you and you want to learn how you can incorporate your favorite features into your Denver home or commercial space, I’d love to help!
Margarita Bravo
Denver’s Best Interior Designer
Margarita is a luxury interior designer and decorator, remodeler, furniture curator, and creator of experiences. Margarita’s unique skill set has evolved from her strong educational background and European and Latin American sources of inspiration. Now with design studios in Denver, Miami, and Montecito.
Margarita
