International in Denver

6799 E. Belleview Ave. Denver Tech Center

720-476-3164

Experience, romance, theatricality: You get these in spades at Ambli. Hospitality, too, which starts with a warm tableside welcome from co-owner Pariza Mehta’s father, a longtime restaurateur who was born in Tanzania, then came to Denver via London and Dallas. But it doesn’t end with him: Servers and runners are equally eager to please, as is the well-traveled menu. Tapas and entrees hop from country to country, continent to continent, a tour that could go very wrong but largely succeeds. Plates are easy to share, with something for everyone, from steak chimichurri flatbreads to fish and chips sliders to lobster shooters. While certain sharp-edged flavors have been rounded off (penang beef curry lacks the pungency of fish sauce), the dishes are still respectful. As a result, Ambli is a good-natured crowd-pleaser, the restaurant to choose when you want Indian and your friend wants fish and chips.

1 article

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

1770 13th St. Boulder

303-442-4993

Tea, International, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Perhaps you've heard about the years-long political struggle to get the City of Boulder to accept the Dushanbe Teahouse after it had already been sent there in boxes -- eight years during which the mayor of Dushanbe died without seeing his dream of an exchange fulfilled. Perhaps you know that over the years, the food at Dushanbe has been variable -- sometimes terrific, sometimes so-so. But you absolutely can't argue with the amazing list of teas it serves, teas with names like White Jasmine Moon and Paradise Green, good-for-you teas like Tender Tummy and Feel Better Brew, concoctions that your waitperson will serve with such warmhearted concern that you know she deeply and personally cares about your well-being. Sit on the patio, listen to the snowmelt-swollen creek rush by, sip and meditate on international understanding.

20 articles

Comal Heritage Food Incubator

1950 35th St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

720-500-3455

Mexican, International, Critics' Pick

Comal is a restaurant on a quest: It opened in as a lunch spot in RiNo in late 2016 with the goal of training low-income women (many from Mexico, El Salvador, Syria, Ethiopia and Iraq) in restaurant and business skills, and some of its graduates have moved on to open their own food endeavors. In July 2023, it moved to a larger Five Points space that substantially increased the number of diners it can accommodate and added breakfast service. Stopping for a meal here, which varies from Mexican to Syrian to other regional specialties depending on the day, is the best thing you can do to lift your spirits — and fill your belly.

29 articles

East Side Kosher Deli

499 S. Elm St. Southeast Denver

303-322-9862

Deli, Jewish, International, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

During his tenure as owner of the venerable East Side Kosher Deli, Joshua Horowitz has been carefully revamping the deli counter and grocery store. In 2017, he took things to the next level, gutting the establishment and reopening with a fresh cultural aesthetic and a mouthwatering menu that incorporates a healthy ration of smoked meats — brisket, turkey — along with something unexpected: sushi. An on-site sushi chef rolls out 100 percent kosher sushi, relying on clever alternatives for no-nos such as shellfish. He didn't reinvent the wheel entirely, though: Diners who wander in for the classics will still be greeted with matzoh-ball soup and one heck of a pastrami sandwich.

9 articles

Hutch and Spoon

3090 Larimer St. Downtown Denver

303-296-2317

American, International

2 articles

Indulge French Bistro

4140 W. 38th Ave. Northwest Denver

303-433-7400

French, International, Recommended

Indulge is a warm, happy house, with a curtained dining room, a marble-topped dwarf bar and what look like furnishings from a Normandy farmhouse restaurant unloaded into an abandoned Italian trattoria - which this space used to be. Chef/owner William Wahl's family runs a restaurant in France, Au Vrai Normand, and after a stint with Kevin Taylor, Wahl and his wife decided it was finally time for a place of their own. The menu they've assembled is a beautiful, overwhelmingly delicious board of straight French classics and American iterations, all approached with perfect French technique.

4 articles

Linger

2030 W. 30th Ave., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

303-993-3120

International, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Built from the bones of the old Olinger Mortuary building, Linger burst onto the scene in 2011 with an international menu and a theme to match the surroundings (cocktails listed on toe tags, tables built from gurneys, water served in apothecary bottles). Although newer buildings have blocked some of the view from the rooftop bar/deck, Linger’s continued commitment to sustainable practices and carefully sourced ingredients have kept the restaurant at the top of the list of Denver dining destinations.

115 articles

Lunchboxx

2669 Larimer St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

720-420-0853

International, Best Of

1 article

Mandala Infusion

4450 Broadway st #202 Boulder

720-370-5800

Health, Himalayan, International

Mandala Infusion brings a small piece of Tibetan culture to Boulder through a restaurant that believes that, at the heart of any establishment, is community. We are creating food that is very pure and health conscious. Our dishes are flavor-forward, enriched by the atmosphere of our Tibetan bistro, complete with a sangha table, herb garden, and a prayer wheel hand-crafted in Tibet. Our restaurant is a space for locals, for cyclists, for explorers, for the health conscious, and those who enjoy all of the flavors of life.

Radha Govinda's

1400 Cherry St. East Denver

303-321-0626

Vegan, International, Menu

Vegans, rejoice: Radha Govinda's serves up an all-you-can-eat buffet that's now entirely plant-based. The restaurant is only open four days a week, but it's worth the wait to get yourself in the door. The menu changes daily; check the website for the current choices. The prices at Govinda's make eating well extremely reasonable, and on balmy days, the patio is perfect for al fresco dining.

11 articles

Red Square Euro Bistro

1512 Larimer St., Denver LoDo/Ballpark/Commons Park

303-595-8600

International, Russian, Best Of

Tucked into a nook in Writer's Square, Red Square Euro Bistro has a dark, plush interior with deep-red walls and velvet seats that line a massive wooden bar in the center of the space. The restaurant serves a menu of heavy European cuisine to diners sitting at candlelit tables. But as the night presses on, the crowd grows, coming in mostly for vodka. Red Square maintains a massive selection of imported and domestic varieties, in addition to a number of flavored types infused in-house.

5 articles

Roots

1200 Miramonte St. Broomfield

720-279-0570

International

Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen

8775 E. Orchard Rd. Greenwood Village

720-710-9508

Brewpub, International, Best Of

Spice Trade Brewery has unusual roots: It was born inside Arvada's Yak & Yeti Restaurant, brewing beers made with herbs and spices to complement the Indian and Nepalese food. So it made sense that when the brewery opened its own distinct location in May 2020, it would push these flavors even further. The new Spice Trade, set in an airy corner spot and bursting with color and electricity, offers rotating street food and dishes from around the world, including everything from Thai wings and char siu barbecue to Moroccan tagine and butter chicken arancini. Pair them with beers like Tamarind Belgian Dubbel, Sichuan Saison and Chai Milk Stout, and you have a party in your mouth.

11 articles

Stowaway Kitchen

2528 Walnut St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

720-583-5481

Breakfast/Brunch, International, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

If there’s one word that captures the feeling of dining at Stowaway, it’s “nurtured.” At this daytime cafe, which opened in 2015, your appetite will be nurtured by wholesome foods made with a global influence that keeps things as fresh and exciting as they are comforting, and your soul will feel nurtured by the downright welcoming, happy vibes. Coffee and cocktails round out the offerings, making us equally happy when we stop by for a breakfast bite or a little afternoon reinvigoration.

13 articles

Zeppelin Station

3501 Wazee St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

720-460-1978

International, Retail, Best Of, Slideshow

Zeppelin Station opened its doors in March 2018, welcoming RiNo residents to a newfangled food hall (or food court, if you're old enough to remember the sprawling structures that sold cheap sunglasses and housed the long-suffering Sbarro). But unsurprisingly, this concept from the folks behind the Source and the Source Hotel is way, way cooler. And with the bar open every day, you can spend hours in the space, sampling bites from here and there and always returning to the welcome embrace of your bartender. If food courts had been this much fun, shopping malls might never have become extinct.

22 articles

International in Denver

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