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Rioja, Denver, CO
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Rioja

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Visa Dining Collection

$31 to $50
Mediterranean
1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
Chef Jennifer Jasinski's creatively inspired food is influenced by local seasonal products. Rioja is simple, pure food that emphasizes bright flavors and textures. The wines are a collection of fun interesting varietals that complement the cuisine.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Jennifer Jasinski

From the OpenTable editors: Rioja's Jennifer Jasinski is a trailblazer, being the first chef from Denver to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2013, along with many other accolades. The Larimer Square restaurant recently celebrated two decades, and the open kitchen still fires out rustic Mediterranean fare, from fresh handmade pasta to smoky grilled octopus.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (303) 820-2282
  • Website
    http://www.riojadenver.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    Whatever the occasion, Crafted Concepts has a venue and menu to exceed your expectations. We truly thrive on creating custom events and exciting experiences – the only limit is your imagination!
  • Private party facilities
    The culinary prowess of James Beard award winner, Jennifer Jasinski, is highlighted at every meal served by the talented Rioja staff. A Mediterranean menu with local, seasonal influences is served in semi-private or restaurant-wide events from 20 to 150 handled with Rioja’s award-winning expertise.
  • Location
    1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / LoDo
  • Cross street
    15th St; Larimer St
  • Parking details
    Valet available on Larimer Square each night of the week for dinner, $10 off with Rioja validation.A parking garage is located directly behind the restaurant on Market Street. Street parking is available throughout Larimer Square.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Experiences

  • Spring Harvest Pasta Dinner

    $125.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 21, 2025 only
    Join our talented culinary team for a pasta experience featuring house made pastas with local Spring ingredients.

Menu

Rioja's menu was last updated 2025-03-19.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 10,545 people are saying

Rioja reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Denver / Colorado

    Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Rioja delights with "creative dishes presented beautifully" and a "menu that pleases every palate." Guests rave about "amazing food and service," highlighting dishes like artichoke tortelloni and Thai pork. The ambiance is "delightfully quiet," making it perfect for special occasions. Don't miss their "incredible house-made bread" and desserts!

10,545 Reviews

  1. Charles VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Sat at the bar. Service was outstanding. Cannellini Bean Soup -- phenomenal. Black & White Tagliatelle -- phenomenal! Highly recommend and can't wait to go back!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Cheri

    Denver20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and ambiance were fantastic. Service was not. Throughout dinner we had to wait for and ask for our server to be attentive to our table. Good thing there was excellent runner and table bus service.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Thomas VIP

    Phoenix22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was professional, courteous, and helpful. Unfortunately, we don't recall his hame.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Barbie

    Denver2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Rioja does not disappoint! Service, food, everything was impeccable! I was celebrating my mother‘s 93rd birthday followed by taking her to the symphony. She said what a perfect evening and she loved the restaurant! It was her first time there. 

    Is this helpful?

  5. Melissa

    Fayetteville3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was a fantastic experience. The staff were all attentive and very friendly. The food was outstanding and I appreciated the flexibility of being able to split the bill.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Amy

    Washington DC10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Creative dishes presented beautifully. I ordered the pork chop and cannelloni soup. Both were delicious! My dining partner’s half order of black and white linguini as an appetizer was yummy. Flank steak a bit tough, but good. Veggies that accompanied the dish—onions and potatoes— were perfect. Definitely recommend!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Kari

    Portland1 review

    3.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Server was abrupt and unfriendly. Food was very overpriced and small portions. Wasn’t impressed. Glasses of wine are also an extremely overpriced. It’s a beautiful restaurant and great location. I think I’d go back for a drink and appetizers but not dinner.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Sheri VIP

    Denver8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was outstanding. The service was mediocre and disappointing

    Is this helpful?

  9. Jennifer

    Denver4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a lovely light dinner at Rioja. The menu was exceptional with plenty of choices to please every palate as well as the opportunity to have a smaller portion on some of the menu items. My Tagliatelle was a great seafood dish with homemade pasta, a lovely presentation, and scrumptious sauce. The breads were incredible. There is also opportunity to sit outside in warmer weather. The best part was that the indoor environment was delightfully quiet. You could actually hear your dinner conversation without noise from other diners, even those close to your table.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Nancy

    Denver8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The service was perfect and the food was exceptional. I am still thinking about the bacon wrapped halibut.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Rioja is rated 4.8 stars by 10545 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Denver / Colorado
  4. Denver
  5. Downtown / LoDo

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Rioja

1431 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Additional information

  • Cross street
    15th St; Larimer St
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / LoDo
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Valet available on Larimer Square each night of the week for dinner, $10 off with Rioja validation.A parking garage is located directly behind the restaurant on Market Street. Street parking is available throughout Larimer Square.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.riojadenver.com/
  • Phone number
    (303) 820-2282
  • Catering
    Whatever the occasion, Crafted Concepts has a venue and menu to exceed your expectations. We truly thrive on creating custom events and exciting experiences – the only limit is your imagination!
  • Private party facilities
    The culinary prowess of James Beard award winner, Jennifer Jasinski, is highlighted at every meal served by the talented Rioja staff. A Mediterranean menu with local, seasonal influences is served in semi-private or restaurant-wide events from 20 to 150 handled with Rioja’s award-winning expertise.

Featured in

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