Best Restaurants for Birthdays in River North (Denver)

My wife and I dined here for both dinner and then brunch the next day. Both were great. I had the diver scallops and they were superb, maybe in the top 3 I’ve had. The Burratta appetizer was plenty for 2 and very good. For brunch I had the chicken skillet. Very flavorful.

Did a holiday tea with the girls and it was beautiful! Tea and food were delicious- my 8 yr old niece who said she did not like cucumber sandwiches ate almost all of them and asked for more! We loved it and will be back, thanks Babes!

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.

High Tea in the Atrium was the best. Great atmosphere and Christmas decor, wonderful piano music and even better strolling carolers followed by the jazz combo playing Christmas tunes. Price was high but the experience could not be duplicated. That said, I miss the smartly uniformed doormen and found it took quite a while to get a drink and we were seated at least 30 minutes late. Also, the newly renovated Ellington's is disappointing with such poor acoustics and "all white" decor. Sorry to say that the hotel as a whole is no longer the best in Denver.

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve lunch. The fillet was perfect, as usual, and the crab salad is a must. Our server, Stephanie, was on point and a true delight. Overall, our family had a wonderful afternoon. Capital Grill never disappoints.