Denver, Vail, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Beaver Creek, and Boulder, get ready, the Michelin Guide awards come out on Monday, September 15.
The prestigious institution came to Colorado three years ago, celebrating the Centennial State cities that paid to have Michelin come to it. This means food-favorite areas such as Aurora don’t have the opportunity to get considered. For the past two years not much has changed, but maybe 2025 will be different, at least in additions to the awards.
Last year six restaurants received a Michelin star, two got a green star, and nine places received the Bib Gourmand, the distinction for “good quality, good value cooking.” The guide also celebrated 29 recommended restaurants, making a total of 44 places to get recognition, the same as the first round in 2023.
The big change was Alma Fonda Fina taking home a star, and we wouldn’t be too shocked if chef Johnny Curiel’s Mezcaleria Alma in Denver also took home recognition this year. It was, after all, just listed as one of the New York Times’ best restaurants in America.
We’re excited to see what may have changed this year, and we don’t expect anyone to have fallen off the list. Hopefully more stars and more love to some of Colorado’s amazing restaurants are part of the 2025 line up. That said, here’s our predictions for this year’s awards.
The First Two-Star Restaurant In Colorado
For the last two years Frasca Food & Wine has received a Michelin star, but this year we predict it will be bumped up to two. After all, it’s the most prestigious restaurant in Colorado, something owners Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson have worked toward for 20 years. This year Frasca Food and Wine won Outstanding Restaurant during the 2025 James Beard Awards, which also tips the winning scales in its favor.
Last Year’s Misses Getting Recognition
Very few things changed on the Colorado Michelin Guide list from 2023 to 2024, and this year we hope to see more places added. Let’s start with Spuntino, one of the best restaurants in Denver that was ignored by Michelin both years. In 2014 the restaurant became what it is today, and features the eclectic blending of North Italian cuisine with chef Cindhura Reddy’s Indian background. Pasta, sauces, sausages, and even amaro get made in house, by a small and dedicated team. The wine list is excellent, and if the busy dining room is any indication of how beloved Spuntio is, the local awards should be.
Flagstaff House certainly should be in the guide too. Not only does the gorgeous restaurant have decades of tasty history, but chef and co-owner Chris Royster has upped the ante with intricate plates paying homage to the season and local bounty. Plus, there’s no restaurant nearby that offers such a spectacular view.
Sap Sua is another miss from last year’s awards. The City Park Vietnamese restaurant has raked in other accolades such as scoring one of 20 slots on Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants list in 2024, notice from the James Beard Foundation, and last year making New York Times’ best 50 restaurants in the country list. When we asked co-founder and chef Ni Nguyen why he thought Michelin didn’t mention Sap Sua, he replied,“Maybe they didn’t review us, that could be. We would love to know what their process is, just so we can get better.”
New One-Star Restaurants
Last year I said this and I will say it again, Restaurant Olivia deserves to receive a Michelin star. Not only is it fine dining Italian like Frasca Food & Wine, but the service and attention to detail are top notch. Chef Ty Leon has crafted a menu showcasing both skill and dedication to a sustainable food system. Olivia represents the future of fine dining, and remains unique in its class.
Could we also see a star for Xiquita? Chef Erasmo Casiano has poured his heart and skill into making ancestral Mexican food, and creating a place to bring said cuisine into mainstream Colorado. It’s thoughtfully crafted, delicious, and showcases values that should be important not only to diners, but the Michelin inspectors too.
Bib Gourmand Additions and Subtractions
Let’s get this out of the way. I love Tavernetta. Everyone loves Tavernetta, but no one would say it’s a “good value” spot. Yes, it has a $35 lunch special, which is the criteria for a Bib Gourmand. But come on, it feels a little like cheating. Give it the star it deserves. Or at least add to the recommended restaurant list, not the Bib Gourmand one.
However, a good deal can be found at Cart-Driver LoHi, where the setting is as stellar as the servings. To be fair it wasn’t open last year in time for the Michelin awards, but it was in 2023 and received no notice.
The same can be said for Yuan Wonton, chef Penelope Wong’s dumpling spot in Park Hill. It’s not cheap food by any means, but one can easily have a perfect meal for $35.
At the end of the day it’s not clear what makes a restaurant “worthy” of Michelin Guide attention. It’s also not fair to leave out excellent restaurants nearby because the city doesn’t pay for coverage. That’s why, awards or not, DiningOut will continue to highlight chefs and restaurants that stand out in all sorts of ways, and for all the right reasons.
