Tavernetta

"Just a few early seatings remain for this celebrated Italian restaurant’s five-course prix fixe ($175) with optional wine pairings ($85) — better move fast to ring in the new year over tardivo in black truffle vinaigrette with hazelnuts and pecorino, radiatore pasta with braised boar and mushrooms, and stuffed lamb saddle with polenta and figs, among other elegant selections." - Ruth Tobias

"Like all of Frasca Hospitality Group’s restaurants, this acclaimed Italian haunt will be welcoming guests in grand style on Christmas Eve, offering a few specials in addition to its regular menu of antipasti, handmade pastas, and entrees like bison osso buco with farro, apples, squash and gremolata — many of which can be tricked out with shaved truffles in honor of the holiday." - Ruth Tobias, Eater Staff

"While Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder (see above) may well be Colorado’s most famous dining destination, its Denver sibling is every bit as notable. Set on the Union Station platform in full view of the trains, the sleek restaurant and lounge takes a broader regional approach to Italian cuisine than its Friuli-focused sibling, proffering a seasonal menu that might find Venetian-style beef carpaccio next to Sicilian-inspired swordfish with caponata next to classic bistecca Fiorentina; the splurge-worthy wine list naturally follows suit. And the service, of course, is as polished as the tableware." - Eater Staff

"Tavernetta nails the Italian trifecta: good wine, handmade pastas, and great hospitality. But what makes this one of the best restaurants in the city is they also have one of the best steaks you can find in Denver—we’re talking about you, New York strip with charred eggplant and ricotta salata. Add on an after-dinner cookie plate, a spacious bar with a great spritz list, and a soul-warming fireplace, and you’ve got a restaurant you probably won’t want to leave (but eventually you’ll have to). While it’s not the cheapest—pastas can hit $38 and the grilled branzino rings in at $56—you’re guaranteed a beautiful meal in a beautiful setting." - allyson reedy

"Denver’s best Italian restaurant, helmed by the James Beard Award-winning team behind Frasca Food and Wine (located in nearby Boulder). You can’t go wrong with anything on the seasonally changing menu, but if you can, try the carpaccio alla Cipriani, bucatini with papini pesto, and the branzino with tomato, orange, and fennel." - Travel + Leisure Editors