Alto Restaurant in Denver: DNC Dining Review

Alto Restaurant is located in Denver, Colorado near Larimer Square. This establishment blends great atmosphere, good music, wonderful food, and fine wines to cater to its guests and to provide them with a wonderful dining experience. The featured items at this restaurant are the Pan Seared Duck Confit, which is served with butter poached fingerling potatoes and grilled frisee. For the seafood eaters the Seared Sea Scallops with the pea puree, beluga lentils, and grapefruit emulsion are an option that tickles the taste buds. It's also a good idea to try the Five-Course Tasting Menu, which offers a variety of options.

My personal favorite is the Seared Sea Scallops which were cooked just right. Those familiar with scallops know what it is to get a scallop that is overcooked as well as one that is undercooked. TOUGH! Neither one applied in this case. They were perfect.

For those vegetarians that chose this restaurant the vegan menu is not expanse. With the exception of the salads that are available, there is only one vegan dish, which is the Fennel Risotto with baby spring vegetables and sweet corn nage, though the latter is one of the big sellers.

The drinks available offer something for those that like the traditional as well as those that like something a little on the edge. The Mango Margarita offers a tropical twist to the regular lime flavor of the traditional margarita by adding mango puree. There is also the Blueberry Mojito that blends a little lime, a little mint, and a little blueberry rum to make a refreshing drink. Finally for extraordinary try the Cucumber Martini, this pairs Hendricks Gin with fresh cucumbers for a refreshing spirit.

And the thing that sets this upscale restaurant apart is the live music nightly. There are many different bands that play here that are jazz, blues, and other artists. A calendar of performers is available on the restaurant's website.

Takeout food is available, but is totally not the same as having it served fresh. As for a wait on a table for a party of four, on the weekend, I wouldn't count on getting a table without a reservation. Yes, the food and service are just that good. My suggestion is to not take children to this restaurant. It's more of an adult establishment for fine dining. Valet parking is available.

Prices range for starters from $2 each for the oysters on the half-shell with shaved horseradish, to $11 for both the thin crust pizza and grilled spring asparagus to $15 for the antipasti platter (cheeses, meats, and vegetables). For the salads the prices start at $8 for the Brussels sprout salad to $10 for the Caesar salad. Entrée prices start at $19 for the Fennel Risotto to $37 for the Colorado Rack of Lamb. There is also available the five-course tasting menu for $75. The items available for this special change on a daily basis, so you may make multiple trips and get three totally different entrees.

The restaurant is located near Larimer Square at 1320 15th Street, Denver, CO 80202. Their phone number is 303.893.ALTO (2586). The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until late (meaning that if they have a reservation for a party at 11:30 p.m., they will be there until that last customer is finished eating). They also offer Happy Hour Tuesday through Friday from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Reservations are required either by calling the restaurant or by using their website's access to Open Table. Although, if you don't have them the staff do whatever is within their power to find a table. The dress code is dressy. However, while visiting we did see some people enter the restaurant in business casual attire. Though the majority in attendance that night would have thought the others were underdressed.

It is a wonderful spot to take your mate or someone that needs to be impressed. This dining spot offers some mouthwatering dishes that take one outside of the ordinary world of cuisine and into another universe.