New Denizen

2026 marks the fourth year of the MICHELIN Guide (official)’s and the first year all restaurants in Colorado were eligible to be included in the guide. The 4 new restaurants that earned Stars or Bib Gourmand are located in Denver and Aurora.

The 11 new restaurants added as Recommended are located in Denver, Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Breckenridge.

📌 Save this post for planning your next night out.

Milpero in Denver has been added to the list of Colorado restaurant to receive One MICHELIN Stars.

All other restaurants that earned MICHELIN Stars in previous years have retained their designations:

Denver:
Alma Fonda Fina
Beckon
BRUTØ
Kizaki
Margot
Mezcaleria Alma
Milpero *

Boulder:
Frasca Food and W**e

Aspen:
Bosq

* New

Three restaurants, annette, Pig and Tiger, ROUGAROU have been newly minted with the Bib Gourmand distinction.

11 restaurants were added as Recommended restaurants: Casa Juani, Dân Dã, dearemilia_denver, Florence Supper Club, Four By Brother Luck, Heretík, Madeline, Radicato, Rootstalk, The National Telluride, The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor

The full list of Recommended restaurants can be found on the Michelin site.

I highlighted five notable restaurants and cafes that opened in Denver and Colorado during the month of August in my latest newsletter drop on Substack. Featured spots you should know about included:

Blossom by SYC (Highland)
The Carriage House (Cheesman Park)
Poor Boys Louisiana Po’boys and Kitchen (RiNo)
+ more

plus an illustration I drew of a tasty pasta from annette

For the details on each spot, newsletter subscribers can check their inbox for the email that went out last week. Not on the list? Hit the link in bio.

📸s: Laura | New Denizen, 3: Stephan Werk Stephan Werk | Photographer + Filmmaker
Illustration: Laura | New Denizen

Believe it or not, I only had one gyro sandwich, one veggie melt, a strawberry lemonade, and countless glasses of water while reporting this story at Pete’s Kitchen on Colfax Avenue for my first story published in Westword: https://www.westword.com/food-drink/petes-kitchen-colfax-denver-late-night-diner-40927362/

My Chemical Romance. The Black Parade 20th Anniversary tour. August 27, 2026. Coors Field. Denver, CO

I highlighted four notable restaurants and cafes that opened in Denver and Boulder during the month of July in my latest newsletter drop on Substack. Featured spots you should know about included:

Rễ Tre : Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar (Athmar Park)
Cinq à Sept (Boulder)
La VCinq à Septland)
+ morLa Viettan illustration I drew of ramen from dave C. wang’s little kitsdave C. wang delittle kitsunespot, newsletter subscribers can check their inbox for the email that went out last week. Not on the list? Hit the link in bio.

📸s: Laura | New Denizen, 3: KaLaura | New DenizenWilkins
IllustrationKalli Wilkins DenizenLaura | New Denizen