Voted Best French food in Denver 2021, Catch your fix for modern casual French food and European vibes at this stellar downtown Denver Eatery, Coohills
Located at 1400 Wewatta St, visit open table for nightly availability
Food
The food at Coohills is absolutely wonderful. Their menu is centered on approachable French cuisine with a modern twist. There are accents of other European flavors and items to round out the selection. Anyone can find something to satisfy their palate, whether you are in for a romantic evening with loved ones or a business dinner, you will leave happy. My wife and I came in on a Friday night to find every table full and a nicely busy bar along with a private event going on behind a curtain next to the dining room. The lean kitchen crew was working diligently at the direction of Chef Tom and it was great to smell the open kitchen moving at a fast pace.
Chef Tom Coohill's Famous Crab Cakes with white wine tarragon sauce
Chef and Owner Tom Coohill continues to be involved which has led to the restaurants continued success. To be opened for 10 years and survive a pandemic, you have to be great. "We make everything in house from scratch and try to use as many local vendors as possible", mentioned tom as we enjoyed our first course. The pandemic has effected their ability to get local ingredients, so they have shortened their menu in efforts to keep their support of mostly local vendors. Their focus on local ingredients really shows in their food, tons of color, flavor and texture highlights the rocky mountain inspired French cuisine.
We started off with a simple pear salad, complete with a house made vinaigrette that fit the bill. House baked Epi bread with truffled butter and Tom's most famous dish, Crab Cakes with white wine tarragon sauce that is the BEST in Denver. It has been on the menu since the restaurant opened and is the one constant on an ever changing menu offering.
House baked bread with Truffle butter, Pear Salad and Papas Bravas
For our entrees we ordered Chicken Coq Au Vin and the Mosaic Ash Strip (seen below) paired with potatoes Papas Bravas, a classic Spanish style potato wedge. The Chicken was cooked wonderfully and tasted great, but the highlight of the course was the Strip. Wrapped in Prosciutto, this steak was outstanding for the price point and boasted tons of flavor as you would expect in French cooking. Portions are huge, we could have easily shared just the steak or the chicken but were happy to have ordered both.
Mosaic Ash Strip w/ Acorn Squash puree, prosciutto, pomme de terre and candied garlic jus
Dessert ended our experience with great flavor- Pastry Chef Nikki Baldacchi's Bread pudding, a staple @coohills, is made with Brioche croutons and comes with spiced apples, caramel sauce and Ice Cream. A fantastic end to a wonderful meal.
Drinks
The beverage menu @coohills is excellent. Skylar Dorman's cocktail list has a wonderful array of house drinks with different liquors to complete an option for anyone. There is a level of creativity that is appreciated here.
The list offers 15 glass pours of wine, plenty local beers on tap and by the bottle or can & They even had a drink of the day: I had the Bees Knees that night and it was great.
@coohills 2 page wine by the bottle list has plenty of offerings for a connoisseur or a casual bottle of wine to be had from Europe or the US mainly. You will not have trouble finding something to drink and pairing with your meal.
Coohills has a lively bar scene with TVs and tables around the edge. It's a great place to go to before an event at Ball Arena for a quick Crab Cake and a beer!
Service
Service at Coohills was smooth and easy- all the staff was knowledgeable and there was a level of teamwork service displayed throughout the night. We were reassured that our cocktail choices and wine pairings would work great and they did, and our table was properly cleared and prepped for the next course.
The staff here is incredibly nice and fortunate to have you dine with them. You can tell that they like working there and have a level of appropriate sophistication for the vibe they are delivering. It's great to have a friendly, welcoming restaurant downtown, which comes from the top down. Tom is welcoming, greets guests and likes to make sure everyone is taken care of.
Bees Knees and @coohills Menu, which changes frequently based on ingredient availability
Ambiance | 4.8 Dishes
Coohills is a beautiful restaurant. The open cold and hot kitchen lines create the feeling like you're in the middle of Tom's Kitchen and provide a great centerpiece that welcomes you in. With tall ceilings and excellent mood lighting, the restaurant is not your typical space. Wine bottle displays, modern tile and tall curtains provide depth, mood and drama which enhance the dining experience. They have a great bar area, plenty of private party options and a patio when the weather permits along the creek. They really hit on that modern European vibe even after 10 years. There's nice touches all over the place.
Coohills Open Kitchen
Overall | 4.8 Dishes
Chef Tom Coohill has a great handle on this perennial winner of a restaurant in downtown Denver. To be in business for 10 years and still continue to win best French cuisine shows how much he and staff still care for this restaurant. If you haven't been here, it's a must try. If you have been here before the pandemic and it's been awhile, come back. It's ever evolving and changing and due to pandemic staffing concerns, it will be different, if not better than the last time you came. Perfect for a date night, business dinner or private event, you will be taken care of, full and happy when you leave.
For reservations, head over to Open Table by clicking the link below:
Cold Line @Coohills
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