Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Downtown / LoDo

This place is well worth the hefty price tag. If you’re looking for a place to treat yourself, this is the spot. Everything was amazing!

ChoLon is one of our favorite restaurants and we went to celebrate our daughter’s engagement. My husband always say, “When you go to ChoLon, you don’t worry about two things: your calorie count and your pocketbook. The food is always excellent and Joe, our server, was top notch! I feel it’s a little pricey, but for special occasions it’s worth the splurge! I would highly recommend!

We recently celebrated our wedding anniversary and a birthday at Osteria Marco, and the experience was absolutely unforgettable. Our server, Bex, went above and beyond to make our night special. She was incredibly attentive, warm, and made us feel truly valued. The food was outstanding—every dish was delicious—and the drinks were crafted to perfection. The atmosphere was inviting and added to the joy of the evening. We couldn’t have asked for a better place or team to celebrate such a meaningful night. Thank you, Osteria Marco, for making our celebration so memorable!

Such a great restaurant with amazing flavor combinations! The steaks are so delicious and the sauces are great. The cabbage was my favorite vegetable tonight because they burst with flavor. This is one of our go to restaurants in Lodo. Definitely worth the visit. Our server Joseph was super attentive and helpful with menu suggestions…say yes to the espresso martini shots for dessert!

Christmas Dinner with my son at Venice Ristorante in Denver. Great view across from a decorated Union Station. Reservations at 6pm, sat at 6:15. Bread service was an ample amount for two with leftovers. Worth the price as far as volume but not overwhelmingly amazing. Appetizer: fried zucchini and calamari. Zucchini was amazing! Calamari needed salt but well cooked. Spicy marina dipping sauce, very mild, zero heat. Enough for 3 people. Entrees: Gnocchi with Burrata was incredible and a large portion. We took half home. Excellent texture and taste. Highly recommend. Piccata: well cooked, could cut with a fork, mash potatoes silky, veggies average. Three huge pieces, easy dish to split, if desired. Pics of of not great due to lighting. Huge shout out to the manager and hostess. There was an elderly gentleman that missed the stairs and fell face first on the floor, resulting in a bloody facial lacaration and injuries. They did great with a packed restaurant on Christmas, handling the situation. Holiday dining note: our server was great, I ashed him about his night and he seemed reserved. I said I hoped he was making some good holiday money with nice customers. And he his face dropped. He was so sweet and said not really, no one’s tipping or really nice. We did our best to change that and basically left half our check amount as a tip. But a small reminder that a bit of kindness even a compliment or smile goes a long way, especially on the service industry, on a holiday.