Have visited before. Outstanding once again. Food, Wine, Service, Ambience. Had a first time visitor with me so of couse we had to have the awesome Artichoke Tortelloni. Server recommended the pork chop. It was excellent. Had a bottle of Nascetta, and obscure wine from Italy. I actually knew it so I ordered it. Great to have a fun wine list!
Peter Docteroff
If you've seen my profile, you may be asking - can someone who primarily seeks out happy hours for discounted food and nearly rated In-n-Out as a 5 star establishment be qualified to rate a James Beard Awarded restaurant? Though the answer is "probably not", as I sat at the beautifully set table, dressed in my Old Navy sports coat with fake sewn-on pockets, for just a few hours I felt like I belonged.The service we received at Rioja was phenomenal from the second we arrived. Our server, Justin, was quick to greet us and take our order. We had placed our entire order at the very start, and Justin had paid particular attention to ensure that our food was spaced out and delivered fresh. He offered to split our steak entree onto two (beautifully dressed) plates, and brought out small plates with each course, offering an incredibly smooth sharing experience. The small things stand out - I had unknowingly dropped my napkin and Justin immediately picked it up and replaced it, the supporting staff refilled our water glasses faster than we could drink it, and surely much more. In total, we dined in for about 3 hours, and did not once feel rushed.You don't have to read many other reviews to hear about the delicious, high quality food. I could write all day about the dishes, but the highlights for me were the house salad (substituted goat cheese for gorgonzola with no trouble/upcharge), artichoke tortellini (too delicious for words), and the ricotta cavatelli (this was really good and felt like a better value than some other dishes). The breads/butter, fresh bacon, wagyu tri-tip, espresso mascarpone dessert, and latte (which Justin didn't charge me for!), were also really good.The drinks were great. I really enjoyed the Sangria and Pearadise (which tasted like a gourmet rocket pop). Justin helped with white wine recommendations, and definitely proved his expertise.Now back to the real world... this place is pretty pricey for me. The plates are generally small and the drinks come at a steep price. One could certainly order less extravagantly than I did (we ended up with a bit more food than needed for the two of us), but it can start to take away from the experience.Nevertheless, I will be back. I think Rioja is fantastic and a great place to celebrate an anniversary, grieve a breakup, or just treat yourself to a luxurious night. 5/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Artichoke Tortellini
Muhammad Mehran
Nice ??Good location ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SusanK
We dined with friends after a performance at DCPA. The server inquired about whether we needed to leave for a performance which was great. All of us had pasta dishes. They were good but not great. My fish was not very hot. The restaurant was noisy and I was glad to see many diners enjoying the restaurant but we had a hard time being heard.
Yano
Our server was absent for the first 15+ minutes we were there. Took drink orders. Someone else brought them out. But he walked by our table a good 10+ times before stopping by even though our menus were clearly closed and we were ready to order. Had heard of this place but never been before. He spent a good 5 minutes describing how the chef was using the seasons to come up with his sauces, blah, blah. Then said the food was so good, every single item on the menu, that he'd seen people cry over it. I doubt it. It's ridiculously overpriced. The food is mediocre at best. We had the grilled octopus. For $40, it should have been twice the size. The beans and escarole that accompanied it could not have been more bland. The grilled grapes and chorizo puree were the best thing about the dish. Had much higher expectations for this place based off of reviews from friends and Yelp. I don't get the hype, and for the price, would definitely not recommend going certainly won't be returning.
LujeanC
Our dining experience was excellent. Jeremiah was great and talked us through the menu. We were checking the place out to see if we wanted to do my 40th birthday party there. The food was DELICIOUS! We had a great experience.
Craig Malott
1) table not ready at time of reservation.2) waiter is double sat by front of house3) was told kitchen is running behind when asked if we have any plans after dinner. We did not. It was 6pm, so it was quite confusing how they were running so late, so early in dinner service.4) the table next to us, whom arrived 15 minutes after us, said they did have plans afterwards. Waiter decides to value their time over ours, and it's our anniversary, and the restaurant was aware of this.5) my first course features burnt, crispy gnocchi. I asked the waiter, "Is this supposed to so toasted?" Of course, no it wasn't, and was told, "This is definitely not up to our standards." Waiter sends it back to the kitchen.6) I am then told I WILL NOT receive my first course. Literally! I was asked, "do you want some bacon? Because we can't get your first course out now." I would be treated better than this at any other restaurant. Chili's has higher standards than this.7) Brass tax: the executive chef here should be demoted to McDonald's. Is quality control part of your job? Because you sent out the worst pasta dish I have ever had, then let your table go hungry and denied them their meal for it. Who is trusting this person? Totally unprofessional, and really really really bad at your job.8) Manager visits table and says, "Sorry about your dinner. We'll treat you better next time you are here." Next time?!?!? Excuse me? Next time? Yeah, then he walked away. Wow, I am super enthusiastic to come back to this restaurant after such consolation.9) after an hour at the restaurant, I receive the only food I have been offered, my enteee.10) waiter says, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy... you get free dessert!" Excuse me... I'm still hungry! I've been in your restaurant for 90min and all I have received is 6oz of seafood. Whatever.. impress me with dessert!11) two extremely miniature ice cream cones arrive. Exactly one bite each, and another for the baby cone it's attached to. Oh, but there's more! Two glasses of their house cava. "It's so exclusive! We make it ourselves!" This is the worst champagne I have ever had. It's not served in a flute, it has next to no bubbles, and it's disgusting. If it were $7 a bottle, it would still be the worst one on the shelf.12) $150 bill. No first course for me, no dessert charged, no wine. RIPOFF. WORST MEAL. WILL NEVER BE BACK. So how exactly did this happen? Well, I had 2oz of Basil Hayden whisky. I just looked up the price of a 750ml bottle of this, and it is $31.99 at my local store. Now remember, the restaurant gets it for much less than this. Nonetheless, the price of 2oz was $19. So...750ml is 25.3 oz...$19/2=$9.5 per ounce... $9.5 x 25.3... so they are upselling this bottle to $493.35. I don't have enough words to express how utterly unacceptable this is. Wine should come at an upcharge of about 225% at a nice restaurant. I worked the industry in the past, this is a standard number. However, Rioja is selling whiskey at an upcharge of 1542%. Simply mind-blowing ? so yea, expect everything here to be equally over-priced. The food, when actually served to the patrons who ordered it, is good... but at what cost?13) one year ago, this was my favorite restaurant. It's now the worst place I have been to in years. To say it's gone downhill is a dramatic understatement.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kathan Amin
Great place to celebrate a special occasion! :) Artichoke tortellini is phenomenal! Tarts are made by their special pastry team and are very tasty. Cant wait to go back!
A little fancier than we were expecting and it's a nice, relatively quaint atmosphere. The service was ridiculously slow and a bit awkward / weird at points, but not all bad. And the Artichoke Tortelloni was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Sean L.
My wife and I have been here 2 times, and it is one of our favorite places for a date night in Denver. The food is exceptionally good from entrees all the way to the bread. The cocktails are spot on, and the service is top notch. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoys inventive food with fresh ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hazelnut Flourless Fudge Torte, House Salad
BrynnB
Amazing food! Such unique dishes and we will totally be back! Definitely top 5 restaurants in Denver! Only issue we had was the back corner area of the restaurant was extremely hot, taking away from being comfortable in the restaurant. We can't wait to come back though!
BacchuV
1) table not ready at time of reservation. 2) waiter is double sat by front of house 3) was told kitchen is running behind when asked if we have any plans after dinner. We did not. It was 6pm, so it was quite confusing how they were running so late, so early in dinner service. 4) the table next to us, whom arrived 15 minutes after us, said they did have plans afterwards. Waiter decides to value their time over ours, and it's our anniversary, and the restaurant was aware of this. 5) my first course features burnt, crispy gnocchi. 6) I am then told I WILL NOT receive my first course. Literally! I was asked, "do you want some bacon? Because we can't get your first course out now." I woukd be tested better than thus at any other restaurant. Chili's has higher standards than this. 7) Brass tax: the executive chef here should be demoted to McDonald's. First off, is quality control part of your job? Because you sent out the worst pasta dish I have ever had, then let your table go hungry and denied them their meal for it. WOW who is trusting this person? Totally unprofessional, and really really really bad at your job. 8) Manager visits table and says, "Sorry about your dinner. We'll trest you netter next time you are here." Next time?!?!? Excuse me? Next time? Yeah, then he walked away. What a dope! 9) after an hour at the restaurant, I receive the only food I have been offered, my enteee. 10) waiter says, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy... you get free dessert!" Excuse me... I'm still hungry! I've been in your restaurant for 90min and all I have received is 6oz of seafood. Whatever.. impress me with dessert! 11) two extremely miniature ice cream cones arrive. Exactly one bite each, and another for the baby cone it's attached to. Oh, but there's more! Two glasses of their house cava. It's so exclusive! We make it ourselves!" This is the worst champagne I have ever had. It's not served in a flute, it has next to no bubbles, and it's disgusting. 12) $150 bill. RIPOFF. WORST MEAL
Calex
We go here quite a bit and always enjoy it. My only complaint is that we sat in the back room this time and it was stuffy and hot compared to the front room - I've noticed it before and wish they could fix it.
Have visited before. Outstanding once again. Food, Wine, Service, Ambience. Had a first time visitor with me so of couse we had to have the awesome Artichoke Tortelloni. Server recommended the pork chop. It was excellent. Had a bottle of Nascetta, and obscure wine from Italy. I actually knew it so I ordered it. Great to have a fun wine list!
If you've seen my profile, you may be asking - can someone who primarily seeks out happy hours for discounted food and nearly rated In-n-Out as a 5 star establishment be qualified to rate a James Beard Awarded restaurant? Though the answer is "probably not", as I sat at the beautifully set table, dressed in my Old Navy sports coat with fake sewn-on pockets, for just a few hours I felt like I belonged.The service we received at Rioja was phenomenal from the second we arrived. Our server, Justin, was quick to greet us and take our order. We had placed our entire order at the very start, and Justin had paid particular attention to ensure that our food was spaced out and delivered fresh. He offered to split our steak entree onto two (beautifully dressed) plates, and brought out small plates with each course, offering an incredibly smooth sharing experience. The small things stand out - I had unknowingly dropped my napkin and Justin immediately picked it up and replaced it, the supporting staff refilled our water glasses faster than we could drink it, and surely much more. In total, we dined in for about 3 hours, and did not once feel rushed.You don't have to read many other reviews to hear about the delicious, high quality food. I could write all day about the dishes, but the highlights for me were the house salad (substituted goat cheese for gorgonzola with no trouble/upcharge), artichoke tortellini (too delicious for words), and the ricotta cavatelli (this was really good and felt like a better value than some other dishes). The breads/butter, fresh bacon, wagyu tri-tip, espresso mascarpone dessert, and latte (which Justin didn't charge me for!), were also really good.The drinks were great. I really enjoyed the Sangria and Pearadise (which tasted like a gourmet rocket pop). Justin helped with white wine recommendations, and definitely proved his expertise.Now back to the real world... this place is pretty pricey for me. The plates are generally small and the drinks come at a steep price. One could certainly order less extravagantly than I did (we ended up with a bit more food than needed for the two of us), but it can start to take away from the experience.Nevertheless, I will be back. I think Rioja is fantastic and a great place to celebrate an anniversary, grieve a breakup, or just treat yourself to a luxurious night. 5/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Artichoke Tortellini
Nice ??Good location ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We dined with friends after a performance at DCPA. The server inquired about whether we needed to leave for a performance which was great. All of us had pasta dishes. They were good but not great. My fish was not very hot. The restaurant was noisy and I was glad to see many diners enjoying the restaurant but we had a hard time being heard.
Our server was absent for the first 15+ minutes we were there. Took drink orders. Someone else brought them out. But he walked by our table a good 10+ times before stopping by even though our menus were clearly closed and we were ready to order. Had heard of this place but never been before. He spent a good 5 minutes describing how the chef was using the seasons to come up with his sauces, blah, blah. Then said the food was so good, every single item on the menu, that he'd seen people cry over it. I doubt it. It's ridiculously overpriced. The food is mediocre at best. We had the grilled octopus. For $40, it should have been twice the size. The beans and escarole that accompanied it could not have been more bland. The grilled grapes and chorizo puree were the best thing about the dish. Had much higher expectations for this place based off of reviews from friends and Yelp. I don't get the hype, and for the price, would definitely not recommend going certainly won't be returning.
Our dining experience was excellent. Jeremiah was great and talked us through the menu. We were checking the place out to see if we wanted to do my 40th birthday party there. The food was DELICIOUS! We had a great experience.
1) table not ready at time of reservation.2) waiter is double sat by front of house3) was told kitchen is running behind when asked if we have any plans after dinner. We did not. It was 6pm, so it was quite confusing how they were running so late, so early in dinner service.4) the table next to us, whom arrived 15 minutes after us, said they did have plans afterwards. Waiter decides to value their time over ours, and it's our anniversary, and the restaurant was aware of this.5) my first course features burnt, crispy gnocchi. I asked the waiter, "Is this supposed to so toasted?" Of course, no it wasn't, and was told, "This is definitely not up to our standards." Waiter sends it back to the kitchen.6) I am then told I WILL NOT receive my first course. Literally! I was asked, "do you want some bacon? Because we can't get your first course out now." I would be treated better than this at any other restaurant. Chili's has higher standards than this.7) Brass tax: the executive chef here should be demoted to McDonald's. Is quality control part of your job? Because you sent out the worst pasta dish I have ever had, then let your table go hungry and denied them their meal for it. Who is trusting this person? Totally unprofessional, and really really really bad at your job.8) Manager visits table and says, "Sorry about your dinner. We'll treat you better next time you are here." Next time?!?!? Excuse me? Next time? Yeah, then he walked away. Wow, I am super enthusiastic to come back to this restaurant after such consolation.9) after an hour at the restaurant, I receive the only food I have been offered, my enteee.10) waiter says, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy... you get free dessert!" Excuse me... I'm still hungry! I've been in your restaurant for 90min and all I have received is 6oz of seafood. Whatever.. impress me with dessert!11) two extremely miniature ice cream cones arrive. Exactly one bite each, and another for the baby cone it's attached to. Oh, but there's more! Two glasses of their house cava. "It's so exclusive! We make it ourselves!" This is the worst champagne I have ever had. It's not served in a flute, it has next to no bubbles, and it's disgusting. If it were $7 a bottle, it would still be the worst one on the shelf.12) $150 bill. No first course for me, no dessert charged, no wine. RIPOFF. WORST MEAL. WILL NEVER BE BACK. So how exactly did this happen? Well, I had 2oz of Basil Hayden whisky. I just looked up the price of a 750ml bottle of this, and it is $31.99 at my local store. Now remember, the restaurant gets it for much less than this. Nonetheless, the price of 2oz was $19. So...750ml is 25.3 oz...$19/2=$9.5 per ounce... $9.5 x 25.3... so they are upselling this bottle to $493.35. I don't have enough words to express how utterly unacceptable this is. Wine should come at an upcharge of about 225% at a nice restaurant. I worked the industry in the past, this is a standard number. However, Rioja is selling whiskey at an upcharge of 1542%. Simply mind-blowing ? so yea, expect everything here to be equally over-priced. The food, when actually served to the patrons who ordered it, is good... but at what cost?13) one year ago, this was my favorite restaurant. It's now the worst place I have been to in years. To say it's gone downhill is a dramatic understatement.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great place to celebrate a special occasion! :) Artichoke tortellini is phenomenal! Tarts are made by their special pastry team and are very tasty. Cant wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Artichoke Tortellini
Umberto was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Artichoke Tortellini, Grilled Wagyu Tri Tip, Rioja Picnic
Restaurantji Recommends
A little fancier than we were expecting and it's a nice, relatively quaint atmosphere. The service was ridiculously slow and a bit awkward / weird at points, but not all bad. And the Artichoke Tortelloni was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
My wife and I have been here 2 times, and it is one of our favorite places for a date night in Denver. The food is exceptionally good from entrees all the way to the bread. The cocktails are spot on, and the service is top notch. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoys inventive food with fresh ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hazelnut Flourless Fudge Torte, House Salad
Amazing food! Such unique dishes and we will totally be back! Definitely top 5 restaurants in Denver! Only issue we had was the back corner area of the restaurant was extremely hot, taking away from being comfortable in the restaurant. We can't wait to come back though!
1) table not ready at time of reservation. 2) waiter is double sat by front of house 3) was told kitchen is running behind when asked if we have any plans after dinner. We did not. It was 6pm, so it was quite confusing how they were running so late, so early in dinner service. 4) the table next to us, whom arrived 15 minutes after us, said they did have plans afterwards. Waiter decides to value their time over ours, and it's our anniversary, and the restaurant was aware of this. 5) my first course features burnt, crispy gnocchi. 6) I am then told I WILL NOT receive my first course. Literally! I was asked, "do you want some bacon? Because we can't get your first course out now." I woukd be tested better than thus at any other restaurant. Chili's has higher standards than this. 7) Brass tax: the executive chef here should be demoted to McDonald's. First off, is quality control part of your job? Because you sent out the worst pasta dish I have ever had, then let your table go hungry and denied them their meal for it. WOW who is trusting this person? Totally unprofessional, and really really really bad at your job. 8) Manager visits table and says, "Sorry about your dinner. We'll trest you netter next time you are here." Next time?!?!? Excuse me? Next time? Yeah, then he walked away. What a dope! 9) after an hour at the restaurant, I receive the only food I have been offered, my enteee. 10) waiter says, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy... you get free dessert!" Excuse me... I'm still hungry! I've been in your restaurant for 90min and all I have received is 6oz of seafood. Whatever.. impress me with dessert! 11) two extremely miniature ice cream cones arrive. Exactly one bite each, and another for the baby cone it's attached to. Oh, but there's more! Two glasses of their house cava. It's so exclusive! We make it ourselves!" This is the worst champagne I have ever had. It's not served in a flute, it has next to no bubbles, and it's disgusting. 12) $150 bill. RIPOFF. WORST MEAL
We go here quite a bit and always enjoy it. My only complaint is that we sat in the back room this time and it was stuffy and hot compared to the front room - I've noticed it before and wish they could fix it.