Monday is the quiet night in any restaurant town, and Denver is no exception. The tasting counters that earned the city its Michelin stars, Beckon and The Wolf's Tailor among them, go dark to rest the kitchen. What stays open is a strong second tier that is anything but second-rate: a master sommelier's Italian room by Union Station, a Nobu outpost in Cherry Creek, the Japanese counter that put Denver sushi on the map. These six are confirmed open on Monday, with the hours that make a start-of-week dinner easy to plan.
Six Denver rooms confirmed open on Monday, from Tavernetta's Italian to a LoHi rooftop. Book Tavernetta; the tasting-menu counters are closed.
How Denver Eats on a Monday
Denver runs on an early, altitude-adjusted clock. Prime tables sit 6:00 to 7:30, and most kitchens wind down by 9:30 or 10:00, a touch earlier on a Monday. The pattern to know: the chef-driven tasting rooms close Sunday and Monday, while the larger Italian, steak and Japanese rooms keep a full seven-day week. A Monday reservation is rarely hard to get, which makes it the best night in town to land a table that would be impossible on a Saturday.
Denver sits inside the Colorado Michelin Guide, which launched in 2023. The starred rooms tend to rest on Monday, but several Michelin-listed names below, Tavernetta and Guard and Grace among them, serve straight through it. Tipping is the US standard of 18 to 22 percent. Reserve a day or two ahead for the marquee Monday tables; the rooftops fill first in summer. For the wider city, start with our Denver dining guide.
The Six Best Denver Restaurants Open on Monday
Ranked by what we would book first on a Monday, each confirmed against its current Monday hours. Every entry links to its full verdict.
- TavernettaOpen Monday, dinner 5–10pm. The Frasca Hospitality team's Denver Italian room, run with master sommelier Bobby Stuckey's wine sensibility, near Union Station. House-made pasta and one of the city's deepest cellars, served all seven nights. It is the best Monday-night dinner in Denver. Reserve a day or two out.
- Guard and GraceOpen Monday 4–10pm. Troy Guard's glass-walled modern steakhouse downtown on California Street, with dry-aged cuts, a raw bar and a long Monday happy hour. A Michelin Guide listing and a full seven-day week make it the reliable Monday steak dinner. Good for closing a deal at the start of the week.
- Matsuhisa DenverOpen Monday 5–9pm. Nobu Matsuhisa's Cherry Creek dining room runs the signature black cod with miso and yellowtail with jalapeño every night of the week. The most polished Monday-night sushi seat in Denver. Ask for the counter and order the omakase, or let the kitchen send the classics.
- ChoLon Modern AsianOpen Monday 3–9pm. Lon Symensma's Blake Street room is built around one famous bite, the French onion soup dumpling, alongside kaya toast and a broad pan-Asian menu. It keeps full Monday hours downtown. Good for a relaxed group that wants range and a few showpiece plates.
- Sushi DenOpen Monday, lunch 11:30am–2pm and dinner 5–9:30pm. Toshi Kizaki's South Pearl Street counter has flown fish from Nagahama market for decades and remains the local benchmark for Denver sushi. Busier and more neighbourhood than Matsuhisa, and open Monday. Sit at the bar and watch the knives.
- El FiveOpen Monday 4–9:30pm. A fifth-floor rooftop in LoHi with mountain-and-skyline views and a spread of Spanish and eastern Mediterranean tapas from the Edible Beats group. The view is the reason to come on a Monday; book the sunset slot. Good for a date or a small celebration.
Best for a Monday Date or Deal
For a Monday-night date, the rooftop at El Five in LoHi takes the view and Tavernetta near Union Station takes the wine. For a start-of-week business dinner, Guard and Grace and Richard Sandoval's Tamayo on Larimer Square both hold full Monday service. See the global best first-date restaurants.
Denver Monday Dining FAQ
Which Denver restaurants are open on Monday?
Six rooms we trust open on Monday: Tavernetta near Union Station (dinner 5-10pm), Guard and Grace downtown (4-10pm), Matsuhisa in Cherry Creek (5-9pm), ChoLon downtown (3-9pm), Sushi Den in Platt Park (lunch and dinner) and El Five in LoHi (4-9:30pm). Denver's Michelin-starred tasting rooms mostly close Monday, so these are the strongest start-of-week tables.
Are Denver's Michelin restaurants open on Monday?
Most are not. The Colorado Michelin Guide launched in 2023, and the city's starred tasting counters, Beckon and The Wolf's Tailor among them, close Sunday and Monday to rest the kitchen. Several Michelin-listed rooms do serve Monday, including Tavernetta and Guard and Grace. For a Monday, judge by the kitchen and the confirmed hours rather than the star.
Where can I get sushi in Denver on a Monday?
Two of Denver's best Japanese rooms open Monday. Matsuhisa in Cherry Creek runs Nobu Matsuhisa's signature menu nightly, including the black cod with miso, from 5pm. Sushi Den on South Pearl Street, the local benchmark for decades, serves both lunch and a Monday dinner from 5 to 9:30pm. Sit at either counter and order the chef's selection.
Is Monday a good night to eat out in Denver?
Yes, if you choose well. Monday is the easiest night to land a table that would be booked solid on a weekend, and the Italian, steak and Japanese rooms keep full service. The trade-off is that the chef-driven tasting menus are closed, so save those for midweek. Tavernetta and Guard and Grace are the strongest Monday bets.
How far ahead should I book a Monday dinner in Denver?
A day or two is usually plenty, since Monday is the quiet night. The exception is the rooftops in summer: El Five and the patios fill fast for sunset, so book those ahead. Tavernetta and Matsuhisa reward a little notice, while ChoLon and Sushi Den often hold space closer in.
Where to Eat Near Denver
Heading into the mountains on a Monday? See our companion guides to Boulder, Aspen and Vail, browse the city's defining Italian, steakhouse and Japanese rooms, or plan a different night with the full Best Restaurants in Denver guide.
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team. Hours change; we confirm Sunday and Monday service against each restaurant's published schedule before listing, but call ahead for holidays. This guide carries affiliate reservation links and earns no fee for inclusion.