The Most Delectable Tapas/Small Plates in Colorado Springs

Trellis Wine Bar

★★★★★ 4.5 (26)

"Denver has really been surprising me with the wine bars lately. I'm rather obsessed with Trellis. It's only 15min from my house haha!The space is great, open, yet cozy seating. The staff was very friendly and helpful.They have a super fun and interesting wine selection, which I love. The more varietals or regions I've not tried before, the happier I am!We were there on a Sat and they had bruncharcuterie board which was hard boiled eggs, waffles, yogurt w/fruit, bacon, and marcona almonds. I loved it! It was effectively finger food b'fast.I wanted to move in but they closed for an event so I couldn't sadly, lol. I can't wait to go back!"

The Rouge Wine Bar & Patio

★★★★☆ 3.9 (65)

"Lovely ambiance. It is a different decor than most restaurants which was appealing. The food was decadent and service was phenomenal. We got the marrow bone, truffle fries, split a salad and had the French onion soup. Everyone helpful and kind. We sat on the patio and it was cold out but the heaters were working. The best spot on the patio is next to the fire pits but those were taken of course. Oh and the drinks were delightful. Unique and delish."

Dio Mio

★★★★☆ 4 (382) • $$

"Alright Dio Mio. Here's the 5 stars you deserve! This is one of my most recommended spots in RiNo, especially if my friends and I are trying to brainstorm last minute plans for dinner. I've lost count how many times I've been here. Even though I keep ordering the same items, I'm constantly impressed by the quality of food, beverage, and customer service.My top dish is the Radiatori (second is the Cacio e Pepe) though I'll deviate every once in awhile to get a seasonal special. Friends often gravitate towards adding on appetizers like Broccoli and Artichokes, both of which are artfully crafted in terms of flavors and textures. Paired with wines or cocktails, it's quite the romantic venue!"

El Five

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1099) • $$$

"Amazing food and amazing ambience! My husband and I came here after our wedding for a celebratory dinner. Our waiter was amazing and the staff made sure we had a table with an amazing view, outdoors. I cannot wait to go back here again"

Brutø

★★★★☆ 4.4 (111)

"Writing this review brings tears to my eyes because it was such a treat dining at one of Denver's first Michelin-starred restaurants. Brutø was just as you'd expect from the reservation flow on Tock to the seating process upon arrival. My partner and I came here for our anniversary and felt incredibly special throughout the evening. I'm still drooling over the menu.Everything was exquisite, served with detail and enthusiasm. My favorite dish was probably the Lamb + Eggplant because I had no idea lamb or eggplant could taste so emotional. The bison carpaccio as part of the Canapes was also delightful. I'm sure none of this will sound familiar as Brutø rotates their menu, but all I'm saying is that it's worth saving up to visit.I didn't do their alcohol pairings and went down the street for a brief happy hour instead, since we got to Dairy Block earlier than expected. From experience, call a car if you're doing any of their pairings. I had some FOMO from our neighbors that indulged. Maybe next time! I will forever cherish the printed menu from our dinner, to keep the memories alive."

Sienna Wine Bar & Small Plates

★★★★☆ 4.2 (177) • $$

"Very spacious wine bar. The wines are delicious, great prices. Great place for friends or going solo. Cute patio for when the weather is nice and warm. Feels like you're in Italy."

Silver Queen Tap

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Great ambience, drinks, and food. Excellent friendly staff. Stopped in this weekend and really enjoyed the red ale, nachos, wings, chicken sandwich, and canned cocktail. The music was spot on too!"

Ambli Global Cuisine - DTC

★★★★☆ 4.3 (203) • $$

"Ambli DTC had been closed for a LONG time. As a matter of fact, it had been closed for a good amount of time even after the peak COVID period had been long gone. One of the newsletters I had received from Belleview Station said it finally reopened; this was not too long ago. Since then Ambli had been on my mind and finally today, I came here with my daughter on a quiet Tuesday night in early October of 2023. Ambli, it's so good to have you back!!We got a nice two seater table in the lounge. A beautifully dimmed light made the ambiance so inviting and comfortable. The young man at the reception and our waiter were very welcoming and attentive. They were well-dressed in black...I appreciated their impeccable professionalism. We went with zero proof tonight. The non-alcoholic gin tasted exactly like the same as alcoholic gin. I got the grapefruit and my daughter got lychee. There is one more flavor which is pineapple. I truly hope that they'll expand more on the zero proof side. My suggestion is that they add a cucumber flavored cocktail. We were pretty impressed with the food we ordered. Indian Trio (hopefully that is the name for it) had 3 different kinds of items and each one came with 2 pieces (so 6 pieces total.) The sauce that accompanied them made the whole dish so delightfully delicious.And Kuku Paka! This dish ($30) comes in this large plate that's big enough to feed two adults easily and this stole the show! The chicken pieces in the creamy coconut curry, the generously portioned/placed rice and the freshly baked naan bread gently placed on top of the rice were beautifully presented on a large white plate. And the cilantro sprinkled on top of the curry enhanced the whole experience. I can easily come back to get this amazing curry dish just about any time; it's that good!!"

Ototo

★★★★☆ 4.3 (265) • $$

"Finally made it to Ototo after wanting to go forever, and it was well worth the wait! Absolutely loved the size and intimate setting of the restaurant. Felt so cozy! We had a lot of different dishes, and enjoyed every one of them! The bacon mochi was so much fun...great texture. I can't remember what the special sushi roll was, but it was amazing. The highlight, though, was the hama kama. We devoured that! Just writing this is making me want to go back stat! Really, really great evening!"

Ambli Global Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.6 (214) • $$$

"Wow!There's one thing called going out to eat, and then there's going out for a dining experience. My first visit to Ambli was the latter.From the very welcoming hostess, to the ambience (formal yet very casual), and to the extremely knowledgeable and courteous wait staff, this place was a delight. Even with the Saturday evening rush, the hostess came over multiple times to check on us (making sure to remember our names), and the wait staff were diligently serving each table, while making sure our drinks were filled and courses were not delayed. I was impressed with the seasonal varieties on the menu (veggie options galore), and the flavorful dishes with a very respectable serving size. I especially loved the Huitlacoche Tacos and the kuku paka chicken. The drinks are A+ as well. Looks likes I have found my new go-to restaurant when I'm in the mood to jazz it up!"

Miya Moon

★★★★★ 4.7 (29)

"10/10 recommend this place! I love a good tapas place and I've found our new fun spot. We tried the Spicy Edamame, Crispy Cauliflower with Mala sauce, and chili wontons. Each dish was good, even our toddler ate everything! We got the orange chicken entree to share and it was the perfect amount of food for 2 adults and a 2 year old. The restaurant has such a great ambiance and atmosphere, and the service was impeccable (Javier was our waiter and he was great!) Will definitely be coming back to try other dishes!"

The Carter Payne

★★★★★ 4.5 (40)

"We were seeking something new and stumbled across this gem on our excursion. Tucked in a beautiful church that originated in 1897 as the first African American church in Colorado Springs is The Carter Payne, bringing the same sense of community to its visitors. We were immediately greeted and staff explained how they were set up. It was brunch hour so we sat down to explore the menu. Around us, there were three bars-one for specialty cocktails, one for beer, and one for wine. Each offered unique options that I promise you can't find elsewhere. Food and most of the non-alcoholic options were at the table. We opted for a flight of mimosas, French press coffee and brunch. I had the arrachera and eggs. My husband had the monte cristo French toast plate. I subbed the tortilla with a biscuit because The Carter Payne has house made jam that I couldn't pass up. Our mimosa flight came out and it was perfection. A large bottle of champagne and a flight of four juices including grapefruit, orange, pineapple and cranberry. We started with that and out came our food. Both plates were beautifully put together-visually and flavor combinations were well thought out. The jams for the weekend were pear ginger and blueberry lemon. Both of these were absolutely bursting with flavor. The steak on the arrachera was lacking a little in the seasoning department and the biscuit was cold. The eggs were a little overcooked for me. Outside of those small things, this was an extremely positive experience. The art on the wall was awesome and the staff were incredibly kind and attentive. We will definitely be back!"

The Wobbly Olive

★★★★☆ 3.9 (348) • $$

"Stopped here for dinner while in town for work. It was fantastic! It wasn't busy since it was a Monday. We arrived during happy hour so our drinks were half off. We also ordered an eggplant flatbread and I got the steak sandwich for my dinner. Everything was fantastic. I got the pumpkin pie martini and it was a fun and festive dessert drink! I highly recommend!"

Super Mega Bien

★★★★★ 4.5 (332) • $$

"The hubs and I met up with a friend to catch up. The space is beautiful and the staff was really friendly. We ordered all small plates and I have never had food come out so fast! The rules they have on their website are to not linger and they certainly have a menu that can support that. We started with papas bravas, artichokes and the croquettes. Then we moved to the ropa vieja and it was so good we ordered it again. That and the croquettes were repeats. We also added in a side of plantains which were crispy and oh so perfect. We chatted for just a bit more waiting for our bill and after we paid. This is a great place to come if you are short on time and ready to eat delicious food served very quickly."

Wolf Peach Public House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (85)

"Wolf Peach Public House was an impromptu date night for us. I saw they were available for reservations on OpenTable and we decided to give it a try. The restaurant was very nice, the dining area was average sized but they do have a large patio with outdoor seating. Our food was good, but not for the faint of heart (haha). This restaurant uses strong bold flavors which was not our favorite for one of our entrees. What we ordered: Wolf Peach Ricotta- Outstanding! We will definitely order this againScallops- this is the entree that was definitely outside of the box and was not our favorite. The order comes with 4 Japanese scallops. It is served with a pea purée, wasabi, chimichurri, prosciutto, and citrus. Flavor overload, we will probably not order this again. Also, the scallops were slightly fishy, which is a risk you take when ordering seafood in CO (haha). Burger- holy cow!! This was our favorite and will definitely order again. Everything tasted so fresh and the avocado aioli was on point. The side salad it comes with had the most delicious dressing, super refreshing. Fried fingerlings are not my favorite version of fries but good overall. Overall, we will be back and would definitely recommend checking this place out!"

Adriana's Mexican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (431) • $$

"Adrianna's is consistently excellent! Trish is an amazing waitress, always pleasant even when very busy...(Actually all of the wait staff, from the owner o down, are always friendly and personable). The food is consistently excellent. The ocho on the dinner menu (picoso, por favor) is an absolute fave...but I'll occasionally surprise myself with a chimi or other, excellent, entree.Highly recommend!!!"

Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (545) • $$

"Came here for a casual birthday dinner with my boyfriend. It has been on our list for a while. We walked right in on a Sunday, late afternoon and were seated immediately. We were sharing a few items because family style seemed like the way to go. Random people would bring out food and drinks which was nice to see as we never ran out of water or were looking for someone when we needed something. We ordered as a starter the coconut shrimp, and Chicken Satay/ Shrimp Pad Se Ew as our main with a side of white rice and peanut sauce. The food was really delicious. We enjoyed everything that we ordered. It was the perfect amount for two people and we had a small to go box with leftovers, enough for a small snack later. However, those three items cost over $100. I did take off one start because the prices were a bit much, all around $5-$10 overpriced for fairly small portions. I know it's rare to find good Thai in Colorado but $30 for Pad Se Ew is outrageous. $16 with maybe $5 more for protein is still above average. Honestly the food was good, but the prices would keep me from being a regular and coming back. Either lower the prices by $2-10 or make the portion sizes bigger. Overall, 3.5/5 stars"

Sullivan Scrap Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.5 (92) • $$

"Cheers to the last meal of 2023! We went back to our favorite spot for NYE dinner and it was the easiest decision. The vibe is always so calm and the flavors and textures in every dish are out of this world. If you haven't checked out Chef Terence and his team yet, you're missing out! They have a nose to tail and roots to tip commitment that shines through in every bite. And let me tell you, their Apple Cider Margarita is a game-changer. The Bruschetta is a must-try, with four different toppings on perfectly toasted bread. And the house-made bucatini on the Lamb and Truffle Carbonara is next level. Plus, you can order some dishes in half portions, so you can try even more amazing flavors. If you want to know more, hop on to their page and see what all the fuss is about. Trust me, it's worth it! What's your favorite dish to order here?BRUSCHETTA DUO. stem and seed pesto, grilled apples, butternut squash, tomato jam, parmesan on house-made focaccia goat cheese mousse, roasted beet, tomato carpaccio, sesame, romano on house-made focaccia. SAGE GNOCCHI 19 / 31 stem and seed pesto, local mushrooms, squash, tomato carpaccio, parmesan, aged balsamic LAMB & TRUFFLE CARBONARA(NEW DISH) house Lamb Truffle Carbonara herb bucatini, black winter truffle, lamb sausage, romano AMERICAN WAGYU BEEF* AMERICAN WAGYU BEEF* (NEW DISH) smoked onions, potoates, carrots, kale, miso bordalaise"

Neighbors

★★★★☆ 4.2 (128) • $$

"My friend had this placed bookmarked on her Denver list. It was my first stop while visiting.Simple designed wine bar, with a neighborhood feel. Looked like the crowd was full of regulars. Nice indoor/outdoor seating.Food - was great. We split the mini crab cakes, the Greek salad and the hot artichoke and feta dip. Everything was super yummy.Service - was great, she was a kind young lady with a nice smile. She offered us wine samples, before we decided on choice. We stayed late, and they never rushed us out. My ticket says Noto was our server. Drinks - we all had glasses of wine. I had the Contacto Alvarinho, I belive. There wine menu rotates. We enjoyed our time here."

Ollie & Park's

★★★★★ 4.7 (12)

"I came here for happy hour the other day and it did not disappoint. We basically tried everything on the HH menus so can't comment on their dinner menu. With the exception of the chicken slider (a bit overcooked and dry), everything was wonderful especially given the price point. The menu had a large variety for HH food and the portion sizes were pretty big. We had the tacos, pimento cheese, Mac and cheese, chicken sliders and grilled Caesar salad. I do wish the salad came with croutons instead of bread, but that's my personal preference. Staff was super friendly and attentive. I had the HH wine which was fine, but hey for $5 wine on the patio it wasn't too shabby. I fear the space is a bit too big and there weren't too many customers, but I'm hoping that it changes in the upcoming months. I also appreciate the dishware, which was more upscale than your typical restaurant plates/silverware."

YumCha - Central Park

★★★★☆ 4 (180)

"Denver Resturant week ended today, March 10, 2024. We don't always manage to partake. But, this year, after spending the last 7 weeks somewhat housebound due to knee replacement surgery, I said we are going. I checked a few menus for some favorite restaurants. The choice was ChoLong Modern Asian in Central Park. Obviously, a lot of others thought the same thing. Every day and time that I tried in the Open Table reservation site was filled. Finally we got one for tonight..The selections for Small Plates were quite varied. Pot Sticker, egg rolls, soup dumplings-both the French Onion variety and the General Tao, Kaya Toast, and many more. You could choose four items. For Main course, again the selection was vast. We ordered the pork vindaloo, and for an up charge, the Mailaysian Noodles. Both dishes we as good as we have ever had them.A most unique dessert item are the donut rounds, sugar coated and served with a scoop of mocha ice cream. A perfect sweet bite to finish off this wonderful meal was enjoyed.As we finished and were chatting with our server, I asked when the patio was going to open. To my total shock and surprise, she told us that ChoLon CP as were know it, is closing after tonight. There will be remodeling and another Yum Cha will be there instead. We have eaten at the downtown Yum Cha several times and the food is excellent. The biggest difference, I guess, I the overall atmosphere. Instead of an upscale restaurant, Yum Cha is more like "drop in for a small bite and a drink." (Or so I understand it.)There will be new ChoLon at Sloan's Lake in west Denver. It will be in the building Boat House. So, there you have it. We were so glad that we were able to drive just 15 minutes from our Aurora home and get to Central Park area. We certainly will give a try to the new Yum Cha in two months. By then, the patio will be open and we can still enjoy both varieties of soup dumplings. As always, tonight's service was outstanding. The hustle and bustle of a busy time was still and enjoyable occasion."

Miners Saloon

★★★★☆ 4.2 (349) • $$

"The hubs and I caught up with friends on a weekend day. The service was friendly and fast. The food seems to be pre-prepared which is totally fine, just limited in any modifications (more an fyi than an issue). I got the veggie wrap and picked out the onions, no biggie. It was a delicious veggie wrap and went well with the sour lemon beer on tap I sampled. Everyone else got a turkey sammie and we're happy with their selection. The space feels quintessential Colorado and had a nice view of the mountains. I'd absolutely come back again."