Colorado Receives Its First Michelin Stars—Discover Where

The Michelin Guide, affiliated with the French tire manufacturer, has long been regarded as the ultimate authority on fine dining. For over 123 years, it has recognized the best restaurants around the globe with its prestigious Michelin stars.

Since its arrival in the United States in 2005, the guide has honored only a select few destinations with its accolades, including New York, California, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Florida. Now, it has finally made its way to Colorado.

On September 12, Michelin revealed the Colorado restaurants that received Michelin stars, as well as Green stars and Bib Gourmand honors (more details to follow). Here’s what you need to know.

Which restaurants in Colorado received Michelin stars?

In its inaugural year in the Centennial State, five Colorado restaurants were awarded Michelin stars, including three in Denver, one in Boulder, and one in Aspen. They are:

• Beckon, a modern restaurant in Denver featuring a rotating multicourse tasting menu every quarter
• Bosq, a contemporary venue in Aspen focusing on seasonal tasting menus crafted from foraged, fermented, and locally sourced ingredients
• Bruto, a Mexican eatery in Denver offering an omakase-style multicourse tasting experience
• Frasca Food and Wine, an Italian restaurant in Boulder that provides both a la carte and tasting menu options
• The Wolf’s Tailor, a contemporary dining establishment in Denver with a multicourse menu influenced by Nordic, Italian, and East Asian cuisines

All new additions to the Michelin guide earned one star. In Michelin's rating system, one star indicates a stop worth making, two stars merit a detour, and three stars warrant a journey. Both Bruto and The Wolf’s Tailor are helmed by chef Kelly Whitaker, who also oversees Basta and Hey Kiddo, both of which have received other accolades.

Michelin provided insights from its anonymous inspectors, who visit the restaurants multiple times a year and collectively decide on the award winners, explaining why these five establishments received their stars.

For instance, regarding The Wolf’s Tailor, one inspector noted, “The menu evolves throughout the year to explore various themes, but diners will consistently find a focus on ingredients that showcase technical precision and balanced flavors, with fermentation being a recurring theme.” As for Bosq, an inspector remarked, “The menu format allows guests to tailor their own tasting experience of four or more courses. From freshly foraged spruce tips to butter sourced from local cooperative dairy farms, this concept emphasizes attention to detail—even ingredients sourced from Mytour, like New England lobster, gain a touch of local flavor through grilling over juniper wood.”

Currently, there are only 226 Michelin-starred restaurants across the United States—a number that is fewer than the total of starting players in the NBA or the living Tony Award winners, as noted by Denver mayor Mike Johnston during the announcement event.

“This award signifies that you are among the finest restaurants in the city, the state, the country, and the world,” stated Gwendal Poullennec, international director of The Michelin Guides, during the event.

Other Michelin awards in Colorado

Four dining establishments were honored with a Green star, a new category introduced in 2020 to acknowledge restaurants committed to sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

Blackbelly Market in Boulder was awarded a Green star for its “comprehensive use of every ingredient and animal, most of which are processed in-house; sourcing from local farms that practice natural methods; and cultivating herbs and flowers on-site,” as stated by Michelin. Another Boulder restaurant, Bramble & Hare, received a Green star for its “organic farm spanning 70 acres with over 250 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and grains, along with 360 acres dedicated to pasture for raising heritage sheep and pigs,” according to Michelin. Both Bruto and Wolf’s Tailor also earned Green stars alongside their Michelin stars.

Currently, there are only 21 restaurants in North America with the Green-star designation. Of the 17 located outside Colorado, 15 are in California, which held its Michelin ceremony in July.

“It’s truly remarkable for a first-time selection to feature so many Michelin Green Stars. Our famously anonymous inspectors were impressed by the high-quality, locally sourced ingredients used in these restaurants, all obtained seasonally and sustainably. This is an exciting time for the culinary scene here, and we sense a growing momentum,” said Poullennec.

In addition, Caroline Clark of The Wolf’s Tailor earned the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award, while Ryan Fletter and Erin Lindstone of Barolo Grill in Denver received the Michelin Sommelier Award. Sergei Kiefel of Frasca Food and Wine was honored with the Michelin Outstanding Service Award, and Kelly Kawachi of Blackbelly Market was recognized with the Michelin Young Chef Award.

The Michelin Guide Inspectors named nine restaurants to receive the Bib Gourmand designation, which honors eateries for excellent food at great prices: AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q, Ash’Kara, Basta, The Ginger Pig, Glo Noodle House, Hop Alley, La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal, Mister Oso, and Tavernetta. All Bib Gourmand restaurants are located in Denver, except for Basta in Boulder.

An additional 30 restaurants received recognition in the Recommended category, indicating they impressed the Michelin inspectors, although they didn’t earn a star. This includes:

• A5 Steakhouse (Denver)
• Barolo (Denver)
• Blackbelly Market (Boulder)
• Bramble & Hare (Boulder)
• Dio Mio (Denver)
• Dushanbe Tea House (Boulder)
• Element 47 (Aspen)
• Fruition (Denver)
• Guard and Grace (Denver)
• Hey Kiddo (Denver)
• Marco’s Coal Fired (Denver)
• Mawa’s Kitchen (Aspen)
• Mercantile Dining and Provision (Denver)
• Mirabelle (Beaver Creek)
• Noisette (Denver)
• Oak at Fourteenth (Boulder)
• Olivia (Denver)
• Osaki’s (Vail)
• Potager (Denver)
• Prospect (Aspen)
• Q House (Denver)
• Safta (Denver)
• Santo (Boulder)
• Smok (Denver)
• Splendido at the Chateau (Beaver Creek)
• Stella’s Cucina (Boulder)
• Sweet Basil (Vail)
• Temaki Den (Denver)
• Wyld (Beaver Creek)
• Zoe Ma Ma (Boulder)

At the awards announcement event, Timothy Wolfe, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, emphasized that the Michelin Guide Colorado represents a significant milestone not just for chefs and restaurants, but for the entire state.

“This showcases the rich diversity of our culinary heritage and highlights our dedication to sustainability and farm-to-table dining,” Wolfe remarked. “As we approach this historic moment, we recognize that the world will soon discover what we have cherished for so long: Colorado's culinary excellence. We can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

While the announcement is thrilling, particularly for the honored restaurants and their cities, it wasn’t without controversy. Only eateries in Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail, Snowmass, and Beaver Creek—locations associated with some of the priciest ski resorts—were included. Cities like Colorado Springs, the state's second-largest, and Aurora, known for its diversity and notable restaurant scene, were left out. According to the New York Times, four Colorado tourism boards paid Michelin between $70,000 and $100,000 to be considered for the guide, while Aurora and Colorado Springs opted not to participate. It remains unclear if other areas of Colorado will be included in next year's Michelin guide.