Exploring Denver’s Italian Culinary Scene: Pasta, Pizza & More

1. Barolo Grill

Barolo Grill in Cherry Creek North is an award-winning restaurant that specializes in creating Northern Italian food found in the provinces of Tuscany and Piedmont.

Their modern Piemontese menu is reinvented seasonally by Chef Darrel Truett, who uses in-season regional ingredients from local farmers and artisans.

He blends traditional and contemporary cooking techniques to turn out exquisite dishes that can be easily paired with owner and wine director Ryan Fletter’s beautifully curated wine list, which features quaint family-run wineries that adhere to earth-friendly farming practices. At Barolo Grill, guests will experience a Northern Italian fine dining experience with an elegant ambiance.

3030 E 6th Avenue, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-393-1040, Map

2. Panzano

Panzano is centrally located in the heart of Denver just a few blocks from the trendy 16th Street Mall and the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

The four-diamond, award-winning restaurant offers modern Northern Italian cuisine with a focus on organic, seasonal ingredients in every dish.

This is the go-to Italian cuisine for vegetarians and those with gluten sensitivities. Their motto “those who eat well, live well” is reflected in their health-conscious Italian menu, featuring everything from antipasti such as their zuppa di zucca to their secondi like anatra arrosto. Panzano is a good choice for any occasion, from pre-theater dinners to weekend brunches.

909 17th Street, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-296-3525, Map

3. Cart-Driver

Cart-Driver in the Rino Art District of Denver was inspired by the carrettiera, a person in Southern Italy who distributed farm goods to villagers from a horse-drawn cart and served dishes to people along the way.

Sharing is the core principle behind the name and is what remains at the heart of this 640-square-foot shipping container turned restaurant.

This new-age restaurant with its old-world charm allows guests to indulge in premium wood-fired pizzas and seasonal market plates at communal tables. There are signature Italian-inspired spritzers and local craft brews, too. Here, diners can exchange life stories in a warm and welcoming environment over a hot Cart-Driver pie.

2500 Larimer Street, #100, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-292-3553, Map

4. Gaetano's

Gaetano's restaurant has a long history, from the wild, wild, west era to bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition to a local eatery for charismatic mobsters who drew in the crowds.

The Smaldones and their three sons owned this iconic restaurant for more than three decades, doing whatever it took to keep it thriving.

In recent years, it was sold to the Breckenridge and Wynkoop family, who breathed new life into it while also preserving its rich history. Guests can dine in what feels like another time, thanks to the black-and-white photos adorning the walls and authentic hand-made Italian dishes like cappelacci de pera. Map

5. Cucina Colore

Cucina Colore was established in 1994 in the Cheery Creek North neighborhood of Denver.

It presents a modernized version of Italian cuisine in a casual-chic ambiance and redefines Italian cuisine with a bold, creative, and contemporary menu.

Guests should expect only the freshest ingredients in a variety of salads, sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and traditional main dishes with a twist. The atmosphere is bright and lively thanks to their wood-burning pizza oven and open kitchen concept. Menu favorites include the sautéed mussels appetizer, any of their wood-fired pizzas (which you can order gluten free), and the garganelli. Buon appetito!

3041 E Third Avenue, Cherry Creek North, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-393-6917, Map

6. DiFranco’s

DiFranco’s is an unassuming and laidback counter service-style Italian restaurant.

Though the eatery is small, they’ve made a big splash on the Denver foodie scene, receiving accolades that include Denver’s 30 Under 30 award for owner Ryan DiFranco.

This hip and contemporary restaurant focuses on providing an ever-changing seasonal menu that utilizes locally sourced and organic ingredients to create fresh made-to-order salads, sandwiches, and pastas.

The self-described chef-driven, quick-service restaurant focuses on simple Italian cuisine good enough to get compared with Grandma’s back in the old country. Sure bets are the roasted beet salad, chicken parm sandwich, and penne pasta with prosciutto vodka sauce.

955 N Lincoln Street, Unit D, Denver, CO, Phone: 720-253-1244, website, Map

7. Luca

Luca is a Sicilian restaurant in the heart of Denver’s popular Governor’s Park.

Owned and operated by Chef Frank Bonanno and named after his son, this neighborhood eatery serves up delicious food reflective of his deep Italian roots.

This is the home of classic Sicilian comfort food – ricotta cavatelli, pappardelle, veal saltimbocca, and roasted black cod.

The custom-built, wood-burning oven provides mouth-watering aromas and delectable dishes like applewood-smoked lamb, brick chicken, and grilled porchetta. Chef Bonanno changes his menu throughout the year, accentuating seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and always utilizing house-cured meats, breads, cheeses, and pastas.

711 Grant Street, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-832-6600, Map

8. Lo Stella Ristorante

Lo Stella Ristorante is an authentic Italian restaurant in the Golden Triangle.

Following the tradition of the original restaurant – the oldest and most successful family-owned eatery in Portofino, Italy, for more than 165 years – it brings its culinary heritage to Denver’s Downtown. Lo Stella is run by eighth-generation family member Alessandro Polo.

Guests are welcomed into this warm and relaxing establishment by friendly staff and given the chance to indulge in some of the most coveted recipes of the Polo family. Each dish is made with fresh locally sourced ingredients, but with the distinct regional flavors of Portofino, which include distinctive pesto and Bolognese sauces.

1135 Bannock Street, Denver, CO, Phone: 303-825-1995, Map