Dio Mio

Hostess was very friendly and explained several of the dishes, including her favorites, when we sat down. She informed us to remember our table number because we would need it when we placed our order at the counter. I was immediately disappointed to find out I would be placing my order at a counter. In a Michelin Guide restaurant I would have imagined my order would be taken at my table. I ordered the Calamari Squid Ink Pasta, as recommended by our server, and my husband ordered the Agnolotti. We both preferred his dish over mine and said it had more flavor. This restaurant was good and I would return again but definitely not while it's busy because I would be very frustrated to wait in line to order my food.

We were invited here by our friends for a chill and casual dinner and we really enjoyed it!We ordered a few drinks which were okay but their food is where it's at. We ordered the charred cabbage and the tuna aguachile as appetizers which were both great! As for the pasta, we ordered the Cacio e Pepe, Radiatori and our favorite of the night - Squid ink Fettuccine. All of their pasta dishes were robust and so fresh.Also, quite a few people seem to hate their counter-service system (God forbid you walk a couple of steps to order) but we actually liked this system. We just ordered when we were ready and didn't feel rushed. We also didn't have to worry about getting a check as you pay at the counter. All in all, our dinner at Dio Mío was very nice and it's also in a great neighborhood for after dinner drinks :P We'll definitely be back.

Dio Mio has absolutely perfected the air of pretentiousness, without anything really to be particularly excited about.When I arrived I was greeted by a rude hostess, who was miffed that I was dining alone without a reservation. (How dare I on a Sunday evening!?).I was placed in the far back corner of the restaurant despite plenty of tables being available that weren't toilet-adjacent.The host hurriedly shoves me the menu, which has in big bold letters a *TABLE TIME WARNING!*The menu first explains you can only be at that table for 60 minutes, before going into their whole counter service thing.Considering my table was wobbly, stunk like their toilet, was hidden in the corner, and I had to leave it to order from the counter (???!) because they don't do table service, I would be surprised to learn they have a lot of table campers, but I guess better safe than sorry? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ At the counter, I asked for a recommendation, and the staff was raving about their new dish. The pasta I ordered included these crunchy wasabi peas, that I thought sounded gross, but the order-taker was all about it. I wish I had listened to my gut on that one because the dish was frankly just gross. The wasabi peas did not in any way pair with the rest of the dish, and they provided a weird soggy mouthfeel that left a lot to be desired.How this restaurant was recognized by Michelin for its food or service is beyond me.Honestly, if I wanted pasta, I'd go to one of Denver's amazing pasta spots like Coperta, Tavernetta, Spuntino, or any of the others.I'd probably hit Olive Garden before heading back here. At least they have table service. This spot is *highly* meh, and unbelievably pretentious, with poor flavors and terrible customer service to boot.Avoid this spot.

The pasta here is so delicious. The entire menu is good. The pesto is my favorite by far but we tried the squid ink pasta too and it was wonderful! We have been a few times and will be back

Dio Mio had been on my list of Italian places I wanted to try in Denver for some time now, and it did not disappoint. We were here for their happy hour before rush hour so we had no trouble finding street parking. The ambience is casual but hip and modern, a bit dimly lit on the inside with plenty of outdoor patio space. The staff were all friendly and helpful. You first go to the counter to order and start a tab, and then they'll bring the food and drinks out to you. Now, the food: I was craving some delicious bread, and the house focaccia just hit the spot. Fresh with a delicious crispness on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. We had it with the brown butter and also with prosciutto and both were delicious (though the brown butter was a tad on the salty side for our taste). The charred spring salad had a slightly sweet, refreshing onion vinaigrette that complemented the other richer dishes we ordered nicely. While the pesto (made with pistachio and with a sprinkling of furikake) was tasty, the cacio and pepe (which we had with fennel sausage) was by far our favorite dish of the night. If you don't get any protein, the cacio and pepe is only $12 during happy hour--what a deal! By dessert time, we did not leave the gun and take the cannoli--I finished every bite right there.

The host was so nice. He recommended the peaches and tomatoes. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Grilled peaches, fresh tomatoes, ricotta cheese, prosciutto, mint, sunflower seeds, chili flakes, oil maybe. Very good. Even my septuagenarian father said he never would have thought to order it, and that it was wonderful. Seriously so good. The cacio e pepe was also wonderful. The waiter was also very friendly. I highly recommend this place.Edit: On the way home to California, in line at the airport, talking about the trip to our family reunion in Denver, my father says to me ... "What was that peach dish we had again? That was fantastic!".

Overhyped. Pasta was undercooked (beyond al dente) and sauceless. Service is also confusing: waiters will seat you and bring you utensils and your food, but orders, priced at fine dining standards, are placed at the counter with an expected tip before service had even started. However, the restaurant is so understaffed that we waited over 30 mins on the waitlist and only got seated after going up to check on our place in line upon seeing multiple cleared tables. Service once seated was slow, with only 2 wait staff for a busy restaurant on a Sunday night, and I had to walk up to the counter with the empty water carafe to get a refill.We ordered the squid ink cavatelli and the rigatoni. Both dishes came almost 30 mins after we were seated and after a later party had gotten their full meal. The pastas were small portions, lukewarm, harder than al dente, and undersauced, making it a very dry dish. The rigatoni barely had any sausage pieces or kale. The cavatelli was a bit better, as it has some sauce to coat the pasta noodles and made the dish more palatable. We did enjoy the cannoli, which was fairly priced and had a tasty strawberry cheesecake filling. The manager was able to comp the rigatoni dish after we left feedback and gave us a 10% coupon on our next visit, but I won't be going back.

Great neighborhood spot for a casual or elevated dinner. I love to grab a table outside for fresh air (it's nice that the street isn't too loud). There might be a wait but every time I've been, the service has been nice and efficient. Once you find a table, ordering takes place at the counter inside. The appetizers CARRY this menu!! The focaccia with black butter, the meatballs, and prosciutto with chips are a must!!! Every pasta is good and has it's own twist. Giving four stars because although I love the creativity with pasta flavors, sometimes my tastebuds don't love them. Overall, definitely recommend, even if you go just for apps!

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!

This place was interesting. It's set up like a modern quick(er) service establishment with wooden booths. You will first get seated at a table to look over the menus. Next you will have to go up to the counter and order your food/alcohol and give a credit card in order to open your tab. After you place your order, the food will be delivered to your table. Food: To start, We ordered the house focaccia, and man.. I will be thinking about this later! This was by far the star of the show! It had the perfect amount of crust on the outside while soft and pillowy on the inside. Deliciously salty and the whipped black butter was to die for! I would seriously come back just for the bread alone. For our entrees we ordered the Radiatori and cacio e Pepe. My husband loved his dish (radiatori) but I unfortunately wasn't overly impressed with mine (cacio e Pepe). It just didn't have a ton of flavor.For dessert we got the cannolis to go which were delicious! Overall, we really enjoyed our experience. However, I'm docking a point for 2 reasons. 1- because of my dish lacking flavor and 2- the fact that it was SO unbelievably hot in there. I understand it's the middle of summer but if you don't have any A/C, I would really recommend adding at-least a few fans since there was absolutely no air flow.