Cherry Creek is constantly improving, and one of the perks of spending a lot of time here is watching this district/neighborhood evolve. Every few years, the restaurant scene seems to take another step forward, and right now it feels like Cherry Creek North has more truly great dining options than at any point I can remember.
For example, the Clayton Hotel. I’ve been a Clayton member for several years, so I was excited to hear that, through October 4, the rooftop restaurant is hosting SHEEP, a limited-time pop-up from Michelin two-star chef Kelly Whitaker of The Wolf’s Tailor. The four-course prix fixe menu centers around open-fire cooking and Colorado ingredients, and, for the first time, the Clayton rooftop is open to non-members during the pop-up. If you’ve never been, it’s worth the visit for the rooftop alone. Hopefully, this isn’t a one-time collaboration and that Clayton continues bringing in guest chefs after SHEEP wraps up.
Cherry Creek has been our family’s stomping grounds since the early 2000s. (Anyone else remember RoBar?) Our office with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is at First Avenue and Milwaukee Street, so I’m fortunate to spend a lot of time here with clients, friends, and family.
Good restaurants genuinely make me happy. Some of my favorite conversations, celebrations, and client lunches have happened around these tables, and over the years I’ve developed plenty of opinions about where to go depending on the occasion.
When clients relocate to Denver, one of the questions I get surprisingly often isn’t about real estate. It’s “Where should we eat?”
So I put together this list of my favorite Cherry Creek North restaurants. These aren’t rankings or sponsored recommendations, just the places I personally find myself returning to again and again.
I hope you discover a new favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions: The Best Restaurants in Cherry Creek North
All opinions are my own. After years of living and working around Denver, these are the Cherry Creek North restaurants I recommend depending on the occasion.
- What’s the best Cherry Creek restaurant for a long conversation with an old friend?
- Hillstone.
- Comfortable, consistently good, and one of those places where you can settle in without feeling rushed, especially for a long lunch.
- Where should we go for an upscale dinner with six or more people?
- Toro.
- Richard Sandoval’s contribution to Cherry Creek is a great choice for a larger dinner. Bonus: valet parking at the Clio Hotel makes it easy.
- What’s the best steakhouse in Cherry Creek that isn’t a nightclub bar pretending to be a steakhouse?
- 801 Chophouse.
- Classic steakhouse that's not trying to be trendy. Also: valet parking.
- What restaurant makes you say, “That was amazing. We’re coming back tomorrow!”?
- Alteño.
- Seriously. jalapeño truffle cornbread and avocado margaritas. Serioisly
- Where should I use the expense account for sushi?
- Uchiko from Tyson Cole | Matsuhisa from Nobu Matsuhisa (tie)
- When someone else is picking up the bill...
- What’s the best moderately priced restaurant in Cherry Creek North?
- The Cherry Cricket.
- A little like walking back in time, it remains proof that sometimes a good burger is all you really need.
Other Cherry Creek Restaurants Worth Knowing
A few excellent options that didn’t quite fit into one of the categories above:
- Le Bilboquet
- Quality Italian
- Bar & Chophouse / Broadway 10
- Cherry Creek Grill
- Local Jones
- Le Colonial
