At the beginning of 2025, The Denver Post rolled out its list of the 8 most anticipated Denver restaurant openings planned for 2025 (and two to grow on). Only a pair of those have opened in the interim, Bar Amorina and Cerebral Brewing/Outside Pizza.
But we’ve already got eight more places to salivate over. Here they are, in alphabetical order:
Bear Leek
A pair of chefs from Denver French restaurant Brasserie Brixton are taking over the former basement space of Osaka Ramen this summer for a new RiNo restaurant called Bear Leek. Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki met while cooking at Mercantile nearly 10 years ago. The name comes from the German translation of “ramp,” and “every meal will begin with house-made bread and charred leek-butter in the shape of a teddy bear,” and “end with a bruin-molded Italian ice cream,” according to Business Den, which first reported on the restaurant. Opening: summer.
2611 Walnut St., Denver
Blossom by SYC
An upscale Chinese restaurant from the owners of One Concept Restaurant Group will take over the Lower Highland space formerly occupied by El Chingon. One Concept owns Go Fish Sushi, Miya Moon, Mikaku Ramen & Temaki and The Bronze Empire, among others. The 80-seat restaurant will serve “a mixture of well-known Americanized dishes along with more traditional Chinese recipes,” according to BusinessDen. Planned opening: unknown.
1691 Central St., Denver
Ceci! Italian Lounge
James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Alon Shaya, who owns Israeli restaurant Safta, is opening an Italian restaurant in the same building, The Source Hotel. Ceci! Italian Lounge will focus on wine, cocktails and small bites on the second floor, according to Pomegranate Hospitality, which Shaya and his wife, Emily, run. Shaya spent time in Italy as a chef.
3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver
Chubby Unicorn
This Mexican food restaurant, located in the Mission Ballroom complex, is from Terry Walsh, the restaurateur behind Rolling Smoke BBQ and its four metro Denver locations. The 90-seat restaurant will have a patio and serve nachos, tacos and more. Planned opening: April or May.
4180 Wynkoop St., Denver
Insee Thai
Business partners Ounjit Hardacre and Dueanphen Rungrueang will open a 70-seat casual eatery next to their more upscale restaurant, Daughter Thai, in Lower Highland. The counter-service noodle joint is named after Hardacre’s father, and it will feature noodle soup bowls and street rice plates, including tom yum noodles and duck noodles. Opening: Late spring or early summer
1700 Platte St., Denver
HashTAG
Troy Guard, owner of TAG Restaurant Group, will open the largest outpost of HashTAG, his “boozy brunch joint,” inside an office tower downtown. The 4,000-sq.-ft. spot includes an enclosed rooftop patio and extended hours. TAG also owns Guard and Grace, Los Chingones and Bubu, as well as two other HashTAGs in Central Park and Highlands Ranch. Planned opening: April or May.
1125 17th St., Denver
Malinche Audiobar
Chef Jose Avila has multiple projects in the works, but the first to open will likely be Malinche Audiobar, which will bring together Japanese-style yakitori with Mexican mezcal and music. The cocktail-forward spot will pour mezcal made from Avila’s property in Oaxaca, while the food will be centered around skewered yakitori smoked over binchotan, a high-quality charcoal used in Japanese cooking. The meat will come from Avila’s ranch. Opening: late spring.
1541 Platte St., Denver
Pig & Tiger
Darren Chang (born in the Chinese year of the Pig) and Travis Masar (born in the year of the Tiger) are moving their restaurant from the Avanti Boulder food hall to a full restaurant in Denver’s Five Points. Pig & Tiger will be the “marriage” of “Travis’ passion for various Asian cuisines, Darren’s food memories being raised by Taiwanese parents, and their 25-plus years of combined culinary experience,” the website says. “Pig and Tiger showcases the cuisine of Taiwan through traditional classics, modern favorites, and new interpretations combining flavors and techniques, all while using local Colorado products.” Planned opening: summer.
2200 California St., Denver
