The 10 most anticipated Denver restaurant openings of 2024

The holidays are over, but there are plenty of gifts to look forward to in 2024 when it comes to the food scene in Denver and surrounding areas.

Chefs are stepping up their game to make this leap-year worth it, while the Michelin Guide’s anonymous reviewers continue to scope out the risk-takers they might have missed in the rating system’s inaugural year in the Centennial State. That spotlight, in addition to Colorado’s already-thriving culinary environment, is also attracting out-of-state names to the Mile High City.

Warning: Make your dinner reservations a priority in 2024 because things will be busy.

Here are the 10 most-anticipated restaurants we know about so far.

Gusto! Italia and ChoLon Lakehouse

Chef Lon Symensma and Christopher Davis-Massey — co-owners of ChoLon, Bistro LeRoux and YumCha — are docking two new restaurants at the luxury Lakehouse condo building across the street from Sloan’s Lake.

Gusto! Italia, set to open on the ground floor of Lakehouse in March 2024, will feature playful interpretations of dishes from all over Italy, including pizzas, pasta and an array of antipasti selections, like melted leek focaccia or fresh mozzarella di bufala.

In addition, the pair will open a third location of ChoLon, which features Southeast Asian cuisine and is known for its French onion soup dumplings, in the Lakehouse in March. Half the menu will be the same, crave-able dishes you can get downtown and in Central Park, but the rest will feature new dishes from chef Symensma, as well as dim sum selections.

4200 W. 17th Ave., Denver; cholon.com

Odell’s Bagels

Chef Miles Odell has spent the last 10 years perfecting his bagel recipe, which he will debut at his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Odell’s Bagel, in spring 2024. Odell’s Bagel is taking over the former Denver Bread Co. space, serving hand-rolled, naturally leavened bagels made with locally milled flour, house-smoked salmon, trout and whitefish, plus breakfast sandwiches. Odell also hopes to host 12-seat chef’s tasting experiences on Friday and Saturday nights, collaborating with chefs from around the world.

3200 Irving St., Denver; instagram.com/odellsbagel

Wonderyard Garden + Table

Francois Safieddine, owner of ViewHouse and My Neighbor Felix, wants to rejuvenate downtown Denver with his new, whimsical concept, Wonderyard Garden + Table, set to open by February 2024. Wonderyard is a bar-forward restaurant with art deco designs, like bird cages with booths inside, giant tea cups as tables, seven dining areas spinning on a turntable, a 6-foot parrot and 3-foot butterfly sculptures.

2200 Larimer St., Denver; wonderyard.com

Blackbelly Market Denver

Blackbelly Market is opening its first Denver location in the former il porcellino salumi space, which will close on Jan. 27. It will include homemade charcuterie, salami and salumi selection from 2023 Michelin Young Culinary Professional Kelly Kawachi and the Blackbelly team, as well as a quick-service breakfast and lunch menu, nearly identical to its Boulder location. That includes its famous breakfast burritos, Italian subs, cobb salads and banh mi. Plans are to open in February.

4324 W. 41st Ave., Denver; blackbelly.com

Magna Kainan

Portland chef Carlo Lamagna, a 2022 James Beard Award finalist who was also named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021, plans to open a Filipino restaurant, Magna Kainan, in RiNo in mid-summer 2024. Lamagna is partnering with Denver restaurateur Juan Padro’s Culinary Creative group, which owns Mister Oso, Bar Dough and Senor Bear among others, on the project.

Magna Kainan, a sister restaurant to Lamagna’s original Portland spot Magna Kusina, will serve woodfired smoked meats, seafood and classic Filipino dishes like Pancit Palabok (a noodle dish with shrimp sauce) and lumpia (a Filipino version of fried egg rolls).

1350 40th St., Denver; magnapdx.com

Church and Union

“Top Chef” alum Jamie Lynch, who competed on both Season 14 and Season 17 All-Stars, are bringing Church and Union’s fourth location to Denver, together with business partner and chef Adam Hodgson. The upscale, New American concept is owned by South Carolina-based 5th Street Group, which has Church and Unions throughout North and South Carolina, as well as in Tennessee. Church and Union’s Denver location will open for dinner in downtown Denver in June 2024.

1433 17th St., Denver; churchandunion.com

C Burger and C Bar

Local restaurateur Brian Dayton, who’s behind popular spots like Corrida, Oak at Fourteenth and Brider, dipped his toe into the fast-casual dining scene with the opening of C Burger within Sanitas Brewing Co. in Englewood last year.