Colorado’s Best Restaurants: Five Colorado restaurants awarded Michelin Star

By Marco Cummings September 13, 2023 | updated 3 years ago

Restaurant Olivia, 290 S. Downing St., Denver, was named a Michelin recommended restaurant Tuesday. (Courtesy: Joni Schrantz)

Five Colorado restaurants received a Michelin Star on Tuesday, a mark considered one of the highest honors in the culinary world.

“We’re delighted that the first Michelin Guide Colorado is finally here!” Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said in a statement. “The 44 restaurants included in the 2023 Guide are perfect examples of the culinary excellence of our state’s dining scene and we couldn’t be prouder.”

The five Colorado restaurants and corresponding head chefs awarded a Michelin Star were:

• Beckon in Denver — Duncan Holmes

• Bosq in Aspen — Barclay Dodge

• Brutø in Denver — Michael Diaz de Leon and Kelly Whitaker

• Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder — Ian Palazzola

• The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver — Taylor Stark and Kelly Whitaker

“In particular,” Riggs said, “the fact that Colorado restaurants earned four Michelin Green Stars — there are only 17 other Green-Star restaurants in North America — is a testament to the incredible commitment our restaurants have for sustainable, local ingredients and the highest possible culinary standards.”

In addition to the five Michelin Stars awarded, four restaurants received a Green Star. Introduced in 2020, the Green Star signifies excellence in sustainable gastronomy.

The four restaurants that received Green Stars were:

Blackbelly Market in Boulder

Bramble & Hare in Boulder

Brutø, in Denver

The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver

The New York Times reported that the Colorado Tourism board agreed to contribute $100,000 a year for three years to participate in the guide. Other tourism boards in Denver, Boulder, Aspen and Vail also contributed between $70,000 to $100,000, while counterparts in Aurora and Colorado Springs did not.

That decision left some restaurants, such as Annette in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace — run by James Beard Award winner Caroline Glover and Brother Luck’s three restaurants in Colorado Springs — off the list, the New York Times reported.

Colorado becomes the sixth American locale recognized by the Michelin Guide since it first published a guide to New York in 2005. Other locations recognized by Michelin included California, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Florida.

In addition to the five restaurants awarded a star, nine other restaurants were recognized with a “Bib Gourmand” designation last month. According to Michelin, while the award is not quite a star, it is a “just-as-esteemed rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.”

The nine restaurants recognized with the Bib Gourmand were:

AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q in Denver

Ash’Kara in Denver

Glo Noodle House in Denver

Hop Alley in Denver

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal in Denver

Mister Oso in Denver

Tavernetta in Denver

The Ginger Pig in Denver

Basta in Boulder

Thirty more restaurants were recommended by the guide without stars. But those involved in the day to day running of a restaurant consider even just a recommendation an honor.

“As difficult as this journey has been at times, it seems impossible to put into words how much it means to earn praise and validation from an organization like Michelin,” Austin Carson, co-owner of Restaurant Olivia said. “I think all of us who have spent time dreaming about opening a restaurant have in some way imagined what it might feel like to get Michelin recommendation.”

“When Michelin reviewed our restaurant, we didn’t have any idea that they were coming to Colorado. So, there was no strategy … No game being played. Who we were, and are, is a reflection of our values and our love for this industry,” Carson said.

The list of Michelin recommended restaurants is as follows:

A5 Steakhouse in Denver

Barolo Grill in Denver

Blackbelly Market in Boulder

Dio Mio in Denver

Bramble & Hare in Boulder

Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder

Element 47 in Aspen

Fruition in Denver

Guard and Grace in Denver

Hey Kiddo in Denver

Marco’s Coal Fired in Denver