La Chiva

I am so grateful I discovered La chiva. They serve True authentic Colombian food. It tastes just like as if I were in Colombia again. The feel of the restaurant also gives that true Colombian vibe. I definitely recommend this place. Their service has also gotten immensely better over the years too. Now stop reading and GO eat some delicious authentic food!

So freaking cute and delicious!!!! I had never had Colombian food until eating at La Chiva. I went with friends and one is Colombian. She said it is the most authentic she has found in Denver. A lot of the dishes were similar to Costa Rican and Cuban food I have had before. The empanadas, plantains, and shredded beef were amazing!!! I would come back and eat my weight in those three items. I highly recommend experiencing Columbia food at La Chiva.

Let me be fair. The food is good to really good. With that said, be aware that before you pay the automatically add a 15% "service charge" to your bill. I am a believer in tipping so I added an additional 15% tip on top of the service charge. NOT COOL of them to slide this extra cost in the bill. Honestly it's enough to make me want to try different places before I go back.

My Colombian wife really enjoyed the sancocho here, and generally thinks this is a great spot for more regional soup and stew based dishes. I got the bandeja montañera , which unfortunately we both agreed was quite bland and dry and just not enjoyable at all.

Shared dinner here with a friend tonight. We each ordered an empanada as an appetizer. Mine was beef and was really good. We shared the La Chiva Picada (serves 2). I wouldn't order that again. The best part of the plate was the sweet plantains and maybe the yucca. We used all the sauces and could have used more because a lot of it was dry (aoli helped!) or greasy (salsa helped!). Our server was very attentive and the decor and ambience is excellent. I will come back to try something more up my alley like the Pabellon La Chiva or carne asada! The perfect sample patter, Colombian chorizo, yuca, Sweet and savory plantains, rellena, papa criolla, chicken, Chicharron, arepa and salad

We headed to La Chiva on a recommendation of a friend. Needed a change of pace from the ho-hum suburban chains. What a unique place. La Chiva hit the mark. Our waiter was very friendly and super helpful. Our meal started with a cocktail, my dinner companion ventured out and tried the mango margarita which was lovely, I just needed wine. Now for dinner. Our friend suggested the sampler platter La Chiva Picada which included a generous assortment of Columbian items including plantains, chicken, potatos, rellena and 2 tasty dipping sauces. Next we ordered the Bistec and the Piscado. I LOVED the fish... a flaky fillet swimming in a creamy coconut broth. The steak was nice served with rice and patacones. Finally, the desserts were calling.... we order the flan the the guava bread pudding. They were delicious. La Chiva was such a fun change of pace. Great place to go with a group that likes to share. Only down side is the mandatory tip.

This was a great find! I love latin American cuisine and La Chiva did not disappoint. This cute restaurant is located along Broadway, and what may look like a small establishment, is a restaurant that makes you feel like you're in Colombia. The decor, music and staff are friendly. The seating itself is plentiful, and actually is a two story establishment. I do have to say that they seem understaffed, though friendly, they took a while to get our orders and get the food out. The empanada is one of my favorites here in Denver, I love the corn based shell and the beef is packed with flavor. This gets a solid 5 out of 5. It is pricey for the small portion but it is worth it!The arepa is good but nothing special. My girlfriend opted for more of the vegetarian filling which included avocado, rice, beans and cheese. It's filling and huge but flavor wise lacking. We are not fans of many latin style cheeses due to the eraser/rubbery texture.I opted for the bandeja Montanera which gave me a plate filled with grilled and fried meats. The patacones tasted great and went well with the meats. My favorite was the pork, it was succulent and juicy. Overall it gets a 4 out of 5. Like the arepa, it was also lacking in seasoning. Overall great experience, though some of the dishes can use a little more seasoning, it was a great find!

A couple of things that make this a 3 star. 1. Service fee (i.e. mandatory tip amount): unless it's a large party, I will never understand a mandatory service fee. The mandatory tip here is 18%, and this applies to all party sizes, whether the service is good or bad. Just raise your prices and be upfront about it! We had no idea until we were paying and saw no advertising. 2. The food was good but I wouldn't eat here again. It wasn't that good, and my t-bone steak wasn't super quality.

Ambiance - 5/5 Service - 4/5Food - 3/5Drink - 5/5This place is so unique. With Colombian music playing and fairy lights, its patio has a lot of charm.We made a reservation and we're seated on time. Service was really friendly and got everyone's drink order immediately. I had Mojito and it was awesome.For entree, I shared the La Chiva Picada for two. Waited 30+ minutes for the dish and it was underwhelming. The sauce was delicious but the meat (the fried chicarron and chicken were very dry. I liked the fried yuca and rellena Colombiana (a stuffed sausage. very unique and delicious)

Met friends for lunch on a Sunday. We were seated right away in a quiet area. I ordered the special soup the Santandereano which was delicious. There was rice, avocado, and a nice salsa next to a large bowl of a meat/vege soup. The meat was very tender add the broth flavorful. There was quite a bit of pork belly, and potatoes along with some pieces of beef. Others in our group ordered different things, and while I didn't get the name of what they ordered, they were very happy too! Nice to find a Colombian restaurant where many of the patrons seemed to be from that area.