Rioja

My wife and I have been here 2 times, and it is one of our favorite places for a date night in Denver. The food is exceptionally good from entrees all the way to the bread. The cocktails are spot on, and the service is top notch. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoys inventive food with fresh ingredients.

The food is amazing one of the best meals I had in my life the server was ok with suggest a meal that went above in beyond expectation. What was lacking was the service server was bit a scattered brain and the other wait staff would ask if they anted something and never come back with it . Great food but someone need to figure out the small details here. If they want to be at the top of the list in Denver they should fix the small things

If you’ve seen my profile, you may be asking – can someone who primarily seeks out happy hours for discounted food and nearly rated In-n-Out as a 5 star establishment be qualified to rate a James Beard Awarded restaurant? Though the answer is “probably not”, as I sat at the beautifully set table, dressed in my Old Navy sports coat with fake sewn-on pockets, for just a few hours I felt like I belonged.

The service we received at Rioja was phenomenal from the second we arrived. Our server, Justin, was quick to greet us and take our order. We had placed our entire order at the very start, and Justin had paid particular attention to ensure that our food was spaced out and delivered fresh. He offered to split our steak entree onto two (beautifully dressed) plates, and brought out small plates with each course, offering an incredibly smooth sharing experience. The small things stand out – I had unknowingly dropped my napkin and Justin immediately picked it up and replaced it, the supporting staff refilled our water glasses faster than we could drink it, and surely much more. In total, we dined in for about 3 hours, and did not once feel rushed.

You don’t have to read many other reviews to hear about the delicious, high quality food. I could write all day about the dishes, but the highlights for me were the house salad (substituted goat cheese for gorgonzola with no trouble/upcharge), artichoke tortellini (too delicious for words), and the ricotta cavatelli (this was really good and felt like a better value than some other dishes). The breads/butter, fresh bacon, wagyu tri-tip, espresso mascarpone dessert, and latte (which Justin didn’t charge me for!), were also really good.
The drinks were great. I really enjoyed the Sangria and Pearadise (which tasted like a gourmet rocket pop). Justin helped with white wine recommendations, and definitely proved his expertise.

Now back to the real world… this place is pretty pricey for me. The plates are generally small and the drinks come at a steep price. One could certainly order less extravagantly than I did (we ended up with a bit more food than needed for the two of us), but it can start to take away from the experience.
Nevertheless, I will be back. I think Rioja is fantastic and a great place to celebrate an anniversary, grieve a breakup, or just treat yourself to a luxurious night. 5/5

Rioja is absolutely divine!! Went in with my wife and kids for a family meal and fell in love. The handmade pastas were amazing. We didn’t dig to deep into the menu as we normally do because we got stuck repeating our first order. Ricotta Gnocchi, Black Truffle Gnocchi & Egg Yolk Ravioli. The Gnocchi was like eating fluffy little cheese pillows. It was so delicious we ordered it all a second time. Then finished up with some Beignets for desert. We were absolutely in a trance and we only took one picture of food. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The atmosphere is amazing and the wait staff was awesome. Highly recommend trying this restaurant if you’re in the Denver area.

Impeccable service. We ordered our food in phases. Really like when not rushed. All was well prepared and as described. Our service was just perfect. It has been some time since being cared for like this.