This place is beautiful and the service was great. It’s a good spot for a special occasion (they treated a birthday discreetly and lovingly with a note waiting at the table and a comped dessert with a candle) but I wouldn’t recommend going here for the food. Maybe drinks and dessert for the experience and views, but not the food. The menu selection is creative but limited, and there’s not much to choose from if you don’t want meat. The meals we did order were… just not good. We ordered the radicchio salad and didn’t finish it since it was soooo strongly and oddly seasoned, and we got the sweet potatoes. They were fine. We had planned to order more food but skipped right to dessert - the candy bar, which was yummy. We also appreciated their selection of non-alcoholic drinks, including “de-alcoholized” wine. But, we left hungry and had to break into the hotel room snacks. Again, a nice place for drinks and dessert, but they have a lot of improvement to make on the dinner menu. I wish them the best because the hotel itself is fantastic.
Vegetarian options: Selection is not great and feel more like sides.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Dan Andrews
Phenomenal evening, delicious food and amazing service. It's remarkable how great the experience was with how new this spot is. Attention to detail is second to none.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kate Warner
I can’t speak highly enough of this place! Every dish, down to the sweet potatoes, was phenomenal. The servers were knowledgeable and on their game. Check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim Brant
Absolutely stunning presentation. The service was impeccable and outstanding recommendations. The portions were perfect as well. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Teague Riggin
Excellent food, excellent service. Blown away after being open just a few months
The food might be good if you have a chance to try it. We requested a table, waited, were text that a table was ready. When we arrived we said we would like small plates and drinks. The manager decided to move us without communicating with the host which left one of our party standing while only 2 in our party got seats. The staff did not engage when asked for help and the manager wouldn't speak with us. They wouldn't take ownership of their mistake and we left after wasting an hour of our time with no food or drinks. New restaurants are hard, we get that, but this was a true disappointment. Skip the roof top and stay at Pasque or another restaurant in another building. Pasque cocktails were wonderful and staff professional. Odd to have such different restaurants in one building.
Service: 1
Jan
Thank you for this wonderful evening! NEW YEAR'S EVE 2024!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jessica M.
Food was okay, service was subpar. Food came out before drinks, wine served after main course was done. The atmosphere was awesome and was overall an okay experience. I just expected the service to be top tier for the price we paid. The food was also good but not great. I felt like things were masked by sauce and fried-ness. I will try one more time before I stop coming here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Rachel Visnovske
This place is mid at best. Non-responsive to contact attempts to update our reservation, no direct number. Interior visual appeal doesn’t make up for literally everything else that made up the mediocre experience. Disappointed I chose to have my birthday dinner here.
Parking: Valet was super friendly and hospitable. Best service we received of the evening.
Kid-friendliness: Not remotely kid friendly. My stepdaughter is very well behaved and we were sat away from the rest of the dining room because she was the only kid there, to celebrate my birthday with my husband.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Lynne Fox
This is probably THE WORST review I have ever given. We were so excited to try this new bar. It is spectacularly designed but does not rise above the typical hotel bar/restaurant. There was so much wrong it’s hard to know where to start. Go to the top floor restaurant at the Fire Hotel instead. If you are the sort of person who wants the novelty of telling friends you went to the top floor at Populus Hotel, then it will be fine. Our friend invited us to have a drink here tonight. He left three messages to make a reservation and never received a call back. If they had been clearer about making an online reservation he probably would have done that. We were able to walk-in (the bar was pretty empty the whole time we were there.) We arrived well before 4:30, hoping to see the sunset at 4:35pm and were greeted with some ridiculous admission process in the lobby so missed the sunset. The attitude of staff was unfriendly, almost resntful. I honestly felt they wanted to give the message we were unwelcome. Even though there were four of us we were seated at the bar where it was impossible to have a conversation. The barstools were beautiful but the most uncomfortable I’ve ever sat on. My back was sore from the hard stool and from twisting around to try to have a conversation. The bartender seemed inexperienced. He served my husband his drink while mine sat for ten minutes where he’d made it. I had a no-alcohol drink which didn’t seem to have all the ingredients published in the menu and was just an overpriced sparkling lemonade. The small plates were fine but nothing special. The squash was hot and crispy, same for the mushrooms, and their side dips were bland. No one checked back to see if our food order was ok. I guess they are expecting plenty of business from one time stay hotel guests due to the novelty of the building and don’t care whether locals patronize the bar. Better management, training, and hospitality would go a long way, but probably not far enough for me to go back.
Thank you to Stellar Jay for the response. I will consider another visit sometime in the future, perhaps during nice weather since your patio is very attractive.
Let's go Studio Gang! Hey you know what's cool? Modern architecture that isn't a snore, adapts well to a unique site, and looks like local trees. Neat. Cautionary tale: No matter how fussy about architecture you are, don't be the person I saw walk in and be offered a window seat who refused it due to "the wall not being interesting enough to look at". The wall in question, by the way, was slices of tree trunks, certainly in the top 10% of walls I've ever seen. The food here is really yummy and the portions were bigger than expected, but most of all Jeanne Gang's studio did a really cool job with this building, Wildman Chalmers (of Pittsburgh) did a great job with the interiors, think green art deco and even cooler hanging papyrus scraps downstairs(!?), and overall it's a joy to be in. I found particular joy in knocking on the walls of some kind of stone that the structure's exterior is comprised of, you can feel it at street level and at the cool rooftop, it's a very solid feeling building which is a nice contrast to some modern structures that can feel a bit plasticky up close.
Atmosphere: 5
Glenn Wilson
Stopped in during our stay at the Populus Hotel for some drinks and appetizers. We had the squash and sweet potato dishes and thought they were perfectly prepared and delicious. The staff were friendly, kind and seemed genuinely intersted in making even our simple order a special experience. Stop by for the beautiful views and stay for the great food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim Burcham
Tried to book the private room (eg, ready to spend thousands here), and got the runaround for a month. Was told the space was available on the date I needed, ready to sign a contract, and then was told they had made a mistake. I provided other dates, and never heard back. Tried another contact, and didn't hear back.
As a new space in Denver trying to build business with locals, this feels like a terrible approach on the service side of things.
Service: 1
Kendall Holub
This was our first time at Stellar Jay and it will be our last. We were highly disappointed in the service we received at such a nice restaurant. The waitress was acting very overwhelmed and there were so many open tables. It seemed that they sat everyone at the interior seating and left all of the window tables vacant. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a nice view and part of the reason we chose this restaurant. My friend is sober and ordered a mocktail and they handed him an alcoholic drink. After getting our drinks wrong TWICE, we were very skeptical to even drink them. The tables next to us that ordered right before we did got their food immediately and we were left sitting without food (or drinks since they kept getting it wrong). The skewer was cooked unevenly with some pieces extremely rare and then others well done. Trout was just ok. It was also my friend’s birthday and we told the waitress and she said she would bring the dessert out with a candle. Guess what, dessert shows up, no candle. Overall I was just disappointed I had to pay so much money for what would be best described as a 2 star experience. I hope they get it figured out because it could be a really nice place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Joash Narainsamy
The mushroom fritters were just delicious! Loved how light and crunchy they were, and the squash aioli that went with it was good too.
This place is beautiful and the service was great. It’s a good spot for a special occasion (they treated a birthday discreetly and lovingly with a note waiting at the table and a comped dessert with a candle) but I wouldn’t recommend going here for the food. Maybe drinks and dessert for the experience and views, but not the food. The menu selection is creative but limited, and there’s not much to choose from if you don’t want meat. The meals we did order were… just not good. We ordered the radicchio salad and didn’t finish it since it was soooo strongly and oddly seasoned, and we got the sweet potatoes. They were fine. We had planned to order more food but skipped right to dessert - the candy bar, which was yummy. We also appreciated their selection of non-alcoholic drinks, including “de-alcoholized” wine. But, we left hungry and had to break into the hotel room snacks. Again, a nice place for drinks and dessert, but they have a lot of improvement to make on the dinner menu. I wish them the best because the hotel itself is fantastic.
Vegetarian options: Selection is not great and feel more like sides.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Phenomenal evening, delicious food and amazing service. It's remarkable how great the experience was with how new this spot is. Attention to detail is second to none.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can’t speak highly enough of this place! Every dish, down to the sweet potatoes, was phenomenal. The servers were knowledgeable and on their game. Check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely stunning presentation. The service was impeccable and outstanding recommendations. The portions were perfect as well. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food, excellent service. Blown away after being open just a few months
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pickled Potatoes, Roasted, Tempura Mushrooms, Stellar
The food might be good if you have a chance to try it. We requested a table, waited, were text that a table was ready. When we arrived we said we would like small plates and drinks. The manager decided to move us without communicating with the host which left one of our party standing while only 2 in our party got seats. The staff did not engage when asked for help and the manager wouldn't speak with us. They wouldn't take ownership of their mistake and we left after wasting an hour of our time with no food or drinks. New restaurants are hard, we get that, but this was a true disappointment. Skip the roof top and stay at Pasque or another restaurant in another building. Pasque cocktails were wonderful and staff professional. Odd to have such different restaurants in one building.
Service: 1
Thank you for this wonderful evening! NEW YEAR'S EVE 2024!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was okay, service was subpar. Food came out before drinks, wine served after main course was done. The atmosphere was awesome and was overall an okay experience. I just expected the service to be top tier for the price we paid. The food was also good but not great. I felt like things were masked by sauce and fried-ness. I will try one more time before I stop coming here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
This place is mid at best. Non-responsive to contact attempts to update our reservation, no direct number. Interior visual appeal doesn’t make up for literally everything else that made up the mediocre experience. Disappointed I chose to have my birthday dinner here.
Parking: Valet was super friendly and hospitable. Best service we received of the evening.
Kid-friendliness: Not remotely kid friendly. My stepdaughter is very well behaved and we were sat away from the rest of the dining room because she was the only kid there, to celebrate my birthday with my husband.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
This is probably THE WORST review I have ever given. We were so excited to try this new bar. It is spectacularly designed but does not rise above the typical hotel bar/restaurant. There was so much wrong it’s hard to know where to start. Go to the top floor restaurant at the Fire Hotel instead. If you are the sort of person who wants the novelty of telling friends you went to the top floor at Populus Hotel, then it will be fine.
Our friend invited us to have a drink here tonight. He left three messages to make a reservation and never received a call back. If they had been clearer about making an online reservation he probably would have done that. We were able to walk-in (the bar was pretty empty the whole time we were there.)
We arrived well before 4:30, hoping to see the sunset at 4:35pm and were greeted with some ridiculous admission process in the lobby so missed the sunset. The attitude of staff was unfriendly, almost resntful. I honestly felt they wanted to give the message we were unwelcome.
Even though there were four of us we were seated at the bar where it was impossible to have a conversation. The barstools were beautiful but the most uncomfortable I’ve ever sat on. My back was sore from the hard stool and from twisting around to try to have a conversation.
The bartender seemed inexperienced. He served my husband his drink while mine sat for ten minutes where he’d made it. I had a no-alcohol drink which didn’t seem to have all the ingredients published in the menu and was just an overpriced sparkling lemonade.
The small plates were fine but nothing special. The squash was hot and crispy, same for the mushrooms, and their side dips were bland. No one checked back to see if our food order was ok.
I guess they are expecting plenty of business from one time stay hotel guests due to the novelty of the building and don’t care whether locals patronize the bar. Better management, training, and hospitality would go a long way, but probably not far enough for me to go back.
Thank you to Stellar Jay for the response. I will consider another visit sometime in the future, perhaps during nice weather since your patio is very attractive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Let's go Studio Gang! Hey you know what's cool? Modern architecture that isn't a snore, adapts well to a unique site, and looks like local trees. Neat. Cautionary tale: No matter how fussy about architecture you are, don't be the person I saw walk in and be offered a window seat who refused it due to "the wall not being interesting enough to look at". The wall in question, by the way, was slices of tree trunks, certainly in the top 10% of walls I've ever seen. The food here is really yummy and the portions were bigger than expected, but most of all Jeanne Gang's studio did a really cool job with this building, Wildman Chalmers (of Pittsburgh) did a great job with the interiors, think green art deco and even cooler hanging papyrus scraps downstairs(!?), and overall it's a joy to be in. I found particular joy in knocking on the walls of some kind of stone that the structure's exterior is comprised of, you can feel it at street level and at the cool rooftop, it's a very solid feeling building which is a nice contrast to some modern structures that can feel a bit plasticky up close.
Atmosphere: 5
Stopped in during our stay at the Populus Hotel for some drinks and appetizers. We had the squash and sweet potato dishes and thought they were perfectly prepared and delicious.
The staff were friendly, kind and seemed genuinely intersted in making even our simple order a special experience.
Stop by for the beautiful views and stay for the great food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tried to book the private room (eg, ready to spend thousands here), and got the runaround for a month. Was told the space was available on the date I needed, ready to sign a contract, and then was told they had made a mistake. I provided other dates, and never heard back. Tried another contact, and didn't hear back.
As a new space in Denver trying to build business with locals, this feels like a terrible approach on the service side of things.
Service: 1
This was our first time at Stellar Jay and it will be our last. We were highly disappointed in the service we received at such a nice restaurant. The waitress was acting very overwhelmed and there were so many open tables. It seemed that they sat everyone at the interior seating and left all of the window tables vacant. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a nice view and part of the reason we chose this restaurant. My friend is sober and ordered a mocktail and they handed him an alcoholic drink. After getting our drinks wrong TWICE, we were very skeptical to even drink them. The tables next to us that ordered right before we did got their food immediately and we were left sitting without food (or drinks since they kept getting it wrong). The skewer was cooked unevenly with some pieces extremely rare and then others well done. Trout was just ok. It was also my friend’s birthday and we told the waitress and she said she would bring the dessert out with a candle. Guess what, dessert shows up, no candle. Overall I was just disappointed I had to pay so much money for what would be best described as a 2 star experience. I hope they get it figured out because it could be a really nice place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
The mushroom fritters were just delicious! Loved how light and crunchy they were, and the squash aioli that went with it was good too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
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