One of Denver's most popular and critically well-received Italian restaurants, Osteria Marco is warm, inviting and casual. Whether you're out with friends or family, if you're in the mood for an authentic Italian meal, there are few places better than this one. While best known for their artisan pizzas, their menu features a pleasing choice of Italian favorites from house-made cheeses and cured meats like the capra ricotta, perfect to smear on crusty bread to entrees like lamb meatballs with creamy polenta, capra ricotta and smoked tomato brodo. Unpretentious and familiar, relax over a glass of wine from their superb collection, share a plate of antipasti and enjoy the convivial atmosphere. The restaurant also offers a nice selection of cocktails beside the wine list. For reservations, call the restaurant.
Frasca Food and Wine is one of the few fine dining establishments in the student-friendly Pearl Street Mall, and it makes up for this dearth by really soaring above everything else here. Frasca can be found on the far east end of the mall within close distance to parking garages and Boulder Creek, but far enough away from the main stretch to be free of the student and family crowds. The restaurant itself is large and modern, but it maintains an air of intimacy, mostly due to the lack of crowds and high waiter-to-table ratio. The options on the menu are delicious, with fresh, organic ingredients bought from local farmers and each menu item that includes a note about which of Frasca's many wines will go best with your meal, eating here is a real experience. -Sabrina Zirakzadeh
Southern Sun Pub & Brewery is run by the same guys who own the Mountain Sun pub on Pearl Street where they brew the eponymous and delicious beers. There are two other pubs in addition to this one and the original; each one offers their signature eight beers on tap, the Blackberry Wheat, Old School Irish Stout, Colorado Kind Ale, XXX Pale Ale, Isadore Java Porter, Annapurna Amber, Quinn's Golden Ale, Illusion Dweller IPA and the FYIPA, respectively. They also have seasonal, wheat and some Belgian inspired beers that will knock your socks off with their high ABV content. Inside the pub, the atmosphere is very scholarly, there are no TVs and books line the shelves. All this makes for great conversation, and if you want some sun (winter excluded), the patio is a perfect place to take your pint.
A popular local Vietnamese eatery, Pho 95 has customers hooked on to its delicious soups and dishes. Celebrating the traditional Vietnamese dish 'Pho' - a noodle soup served with meat, usually, beef or chicken. If you're a longtime Pho lover or have never even heard of the dish, this restaurant sure knows how to cook up some excellent Pho. There are different variations of the soup, try the rare steak version or their 'Dac Biet' - a combination of rare steak, brisket, tripe, tendon and flank. They serve them according to sizes, so if you just just want to do some tasting, go for their small and if you happen to fall if love, the large will be happily served. There are various other authentic Vietnamese dishes, from curries to rice and noodles. The prices are affordable, so one can stop over anytime without causing a dent in the pockets. If you want to show your love for the shop, buy one of their t shirts with messages like 'Pho-Sho!' or 'The Pho-KING'.
Cafe Terracotta is a quaint restaurant nested in a Victorian home in Littleton. The warm ambiance with its red bricks, dim lighting, hardwood floors, exhibition kitchen and bar, will just want you to linger more after your meal. Maybe that's why it's so popular with the locals. The cafe's beautiful patio which has a lovely sculpted garden is another reason for its popularity. It's a great place to enjoy amazing food and drinks with those whom you love and care and also with your colleagues. A houseful of friendly noises and romance brewing, that's what Cafe Terracotta is while serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Come see for yourself.