El Five

Three stars is me being generous. Let me start out by saying that we came here while on vacation from NYC, that is to say sticker shock isn't a thing for us when it comes to dining. With that preamble out of the food was hit or miss and even the hits did not justify the price tag. We were seated and asked for some time to look over the menu while they took our drink order. So far so good. Next they came for the food order and really pushed the paella. When we said we wanted to stick to the small plates and explore the menu. It was like a switch flipped and all of a sudden we were second class citizens. They asked about food allergies but gave zero insight into the menu. We didn't think this was too strange until we were almost done with the meal (more on that later) and we heard our waiter talking to the newly seated people next to us who apparently ordered the paella. He was very sure to point out which things were "the best on the menu right now" and give pairing suggestions for the small plates. Completely unprompted I might add as we heard the whole exchange. Where the bell was this when we mentioned we ONLY wanted the small plates? Now I've been to tapas that only brings one plate at a time but the wait between courses was nuts. Our last dish was even (we think) forgotten about or given to another table by mistake because our waiter came holding the check and I think realized he messed up and tried to play it off like it would be right out, spoiler, it wasn't.Overall if I was just rating the food this would be a four star review but the service was abysmal, the view wasn't at all worth it, and the food while very good when it was good, was very bad when it was bad and at this price point you don't get to be hit or miss.On to the food itself. The Toum was quite good and it's been forever since I had it so I was pleasantly surprised. The croquettes were ok too but the smoked burrata was a disaster. No cohesion, too many mismatches in the strong flavors presented with only the cheese to act as a cohesive influence. This wouldn't be so bad except that they give you the tiniest half of a burrata in the center which is nowhere near enough to smooth out the rest of the dish. The crab was excellent and saved the day but the couscous was another oversalted mess.

This place lives up to the hype! According to many locals, we were lucky to snag a dinner reservation and now I know why! The restaurant is so trendy looking. I was there during the early evening, before sunset and kept imagining what the place looks like at night. I can imagine it must be a beautiful spot for a nice date. I ordered the pineapple cucumber Collin's cocktail and it was delicious and refreshing! For food we tried the crab toasties, bison meatballs, salt cod croquettes, lamb shank and seafood paella. The portions were nice! Some smaller than others, but not necessarily one bite dishes. My favorites were the crab, meatballs and croquettes. All were very good, but I'd probably pass on the lamb shank next time as it was shredded and I found it to be lacking that lamb flavor I love. If you're in Denver and haven't tried this place, I'd highly recommend you do. I can't wait till our next visit. We'll be sure to visit "Linger" their sister restaurant as well.

This is a very upstate New York type of place. Beautiful people, beautiful atmosphere, lively crowd. I feel if you're in the area this is something you should for sure make a priority to visit.

This place is falling out of favor.... I really enjoyed it before but recently it's been feeling like a money making scheme with no thought behind the new dishes. The melon and halloumi tasted flat - the spiciness they were going for with the watermelon fell short as the watermelons were not sweet or juicy. The Dungeness crab was okay. Just okay. Wouldn't get again. The only good dishes that stay consistent is the seafood paella. The crema catalana was so good! I enjoy the service as they are very attentive. The seating feels so crowded and they just want to cram as much people as possible to make the most profit. They do not care about the seating arrangements. You look to the right and you can literally kiss the person next to you. You look to the left and you can hear their whispers. I think if they spread out the tables and didn't try to utilize every single space it would be nice.

El Five is the perfect spot to bring someone visiting if you're looking to impress. Laid back but classy vibe inside with a great view & rooftop for sunset. There are few things I love more than g&ts and tapas and El Five has both of these categories on lock. Fever tree tonic is the superior brand in my opinion so when the. glasses game out with pour your own tonic on the side my face lit up. The food was killer, the service was spectacular and the ambiance and views will keep up coming back. If they have the fish with Nduja do not skip it was the most memorable dish of the night.

Amazing from start to finish! From service, server recommendations, cocktails (smoked old fashion ), apps, entrees, & skyline views the experience was top tier!

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Denver! The tapas and paella are phenomenal- the garlic dip tapa was demolished instantly and the seafood paella is a MUST. The ambiance is super cool, with warm and dimly light atmosphere and the best view of the denver skyline.

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

Everything was pretty good! Ambiance, service, food were all on-par. We ordered so much food that we had plenty of leftovers, which also still tasted great the next day!Biggest con was the wait time for food. We called in the paella order early (takes an hour to make, apparently), but don't think they got the memo. Our group was dining for more than 2 hours!

Outstanding experience we had on 9/28/2024. This was my daughters 21st birthday celebration. Service and food were second to none!!. The entire staff, completely professional and made the evening so pleasant. Our server Aidan, really took the time to go thru the menu and guided us when to put orders in. Yes, it is pricey, but your going to get what you paid for. The place is gorgeous inside and some great views of downtown Denver at dark.We were so full we had to take our main meal home! We will definitely be back!!