Potager

I started with the goat cheese souffle with tomato soup ($12.50) and it was amazing, highly recommended. The bresaola and buffalo mozzarella pizza ($14) was the best pizza I have had in Denver, and I have been to all the highly rated pizza places in town. My wife had Monkfish ($24), which was very good. We were both quite full but split a brownie with strawberries and ice cream that I found average for this caliber restaurant but that she thought was very good. They had lots of wines around $30/bottle and the Jumilla we had was very good. Comparable Denver restaurants are Mizuna and Kevin Taylor, but in my experience Potager is cheaper and has larger portions. Pros: Food, service Cons: Parking, no reservations more

Two buddies and I arrived on a non descript Wednesday night . We sat down at the bar and waited for our drink orders to be taken. 15 minutes later the bartender took our drink order. At the one hour and five minute mark we were seated. Pros: good wine bar, nice atmosphere. Cons: customer service is laughably bad, out of numerous dishes. more

This place is absolutely lovely. The space is gorgeous with a large curved bar where you can wait for your table (which if you don't go early and on a weekend you will do-so worth it though). The menu changes seasonly so it's always a delight to go back every few months and see what's new. Everything I have tried has been fresh, interesting, and well balanced. This place is not for those who like strictly traditional flavors. If you go, you HAVE to get the chocolate pudding for desert (whether you are full or not). Yes, the portions are on the smaller side, but I've never left hungry. It really is a beautiful place! Oh, and I have never experienced any rudeness or contempt from the staff, but perhaps I've just been lucky? Pros: beautiful space, wine selection, interesting and everchanging menu Cons: no reservations more

ate at potager last night. loved everything about it.... the place is casually elegant, our food was delicious, the service was great & the portions were huge. i'm bewildered by some of the negative comments by other people on this web-site. Pros: ambience, food, service Cons: no cons more

We took friends here for a birthday. All four of us agreed it would not be a place we would return to. The pluses first- our food was good. The outdoor patio looked nice. There is also a nice simple atmosphere inside, although it is noisy. The minuses- on a beautiful evening, the hostess could have told us there were tables outside. The restaurant was not very busy, and if it was full back there, we would have waited. There is a definite ""attitude"" from the staff, which is unpleasant for the most part. Next, most of the menu is appetizer size portions. This works at a ""tapas"" type restaurant, but not here. Most of the items would not work together as far as flavors go. We came hungry for dinner, so we only had a few things to chose from- (two were sold out.) The waiter explained they don't waste food here, and they were going on vacation. So essentially, they weren't ordering much. This seemed strange to go on vacation in the summer, when their specialty is the use of lots of fresh herbs and produce. O.K., send what you have. The mahi mahi was very fresh, and prepared nicely. The two people in our party that each ordered two small portions left hungry. This was after dessert. Unfortunately, the service was so slow that at times all of us were looking around trying to figure out where our server disappeared to. We finished half our meal with nothing to drink. Our server dumped the dessert menu on our table, (we're still thirsty), and twenty minutes later I had to go to the open kitchen area and ask if we can place the order. I gave it two stars because the food tasted good. The bill for four came to around $260 with tip. We eat out often, this was expensive for what we had. Pros: Food good Cons: Slow service, very small portions, expensive more

As you can see people either love or hate this place. I'm kind of in the middle myself. I like the fact that it's a locally owned neighborhood place - not some slick chain. I like the philosophy of the chef/owner which is one of sourcing and serving only the best local ingredients. I have had some very delightful meals there especially when the weather is nice and you can sit out back on the patio. What I don't like: very small portions at very large prices, the noise (you'll be lucky if you can carry on a conversation - hence the more pleasant patio experience), and the fact that if you're over 45 you'll feel like a relic. The staff and crowd are too, too young and chic. I think there are better restaurants for the money in Denver. Pros: not a chain, locally grown ingredients, delicious food Cons: small portions, noise, parking, no reservations more

My wife, a friend, and I went there on May 9. We got there at 5:25 pm, the small sign said they open at 5:30, and the door was locked. As we waited, we saw that maybe six staff members were gathered at the bar, sampling wines. They saw us standing there waiting but made no acknowledgement. Once it got to a few minutes past 5:30 and the door was still locked, with the employees still standing around drinking wine, we left. I've never eaten there and will never return, as they demonstrated their complete contempt for the customer, in my opinion. more

I had to write this review in response to the negative review showing up under Potager because I disagree. Potager is one of the best restaurants in Denver. The wait can be long and they may run out of certain dishes because everything is fresh. The flavors are simple. They use a few ingredients and it is about tasting those individual ingredients. Don't expect to be overpowered by sauces or spices, so may not be for everyone. I have dined at the restaurant many times and highly recommend it. Pros: Fresh ingredients, simple clean flavors. Great service. Cons: Long wait. more

No reservations are allowed, a minimum 1 hour wait on Saturday night should be expected. No parking, bohemian crowd and limited seating. Excellent waitstaff and service; however, the food is mediocre at BEST and the prices are out of line for the quality and quantity of food served. The ""famous"" wilted greens were okay, but nothing special. The gnocci with bolognese was more a huge disappointment- the gnocchi was nice, but the bolognese sauce was bizarre. It looked like they had simply pan cooked some hamburger meat and sprinkled it onto the gnocchi... As far as entrees, the chicken I ordered was tasteless (as in boiled chicken) and the special fish stew was primarily filled with potatoes. I would not recommend this restaurant - it has a 4 star price tag on 1 star food... Pros: Service Cons: Food Quantity and Quality, Parking, Ambience more

I'm writing this review because I've moved away from Denver and I miss Potager terribly! I lived in the neighborhood for two years and it was a joy to be able to walk to this gem of a restaurant any time. The food was consistently delicious, service always friendly, professional and unintrusive. I trusted their chef so much that I came to intentionally order menu items that sounded the most strange to me - just to see how she would make them delicious, and she did, without fail. It's possible I'm obsessed, but I receive their menus by mail now and enjoy simply reading them, looking forward to the next time I will be in town for a meal. I appreciate their emphasis on locally produced, artesanal, seasonal ingredients - and they've always made great wine recommendations. Obviously, highly recommended. Note however that the ambiance is not ""fancy"" or formal - I'd describe it as classy and casual. Pros: Food, wine pairings, supports small local producers Cons: Parking more

I love Potager! The emphasis is on fresh ,seasonal products and innovative preparation. Not cheap, but the quality warrants the prices. For those who appreciate a ""Chez Panisse"" approach to fine dining, Potager will not disapoint! Pros: Fabulous food, friendly, informed service more

This is my favorite dinner spot in Denver. I have always received great service and I am always greeted upon entering the establishment. Since I work in the hospitality industry I find great customer service is half the battle! The food is always amazing and the atmosphere always seems to be on fire with electricity and enthusiasm. The chef uses local and seasonal items to incorporate in the food prepared. Attention to each flavor on your plate is evident here. The chef and kitchen staff must love what they do! Funny, I've never thought of any of the plate sizes ""small"" as past reviewers have mentioned. Although I have moved away (Phoenix is home now), I still recommend this place to friends travelling to Denver. If the pastry chef still makes pots de creme (warm chocolate custard....yummmm!) don't miss out! more

This restaurant is a Jewel on the Denver dining scene. Everything about the dining is refreshingly different, wonderfully prepared, and screams gourmet cooking. It's true that the portions aren't super sized but quality trumps quantity at this comfortable, enjoyable establishment perfect for dining with friends or a loved one. If you get a chance to try either the chicken or pork loin, you will wonder how they do it. Both dishes are simply spectacular and on par with the finest eateries in the country. If you are looking for the corporate restaurant chain experience, this place is not for you. If you love gourmet cooking, served in a rustic, open kitchen environment full of charm and character....look no further.. this is one of Denver's very best. Pros: Fresh Seasonal Menu featuring market fresh ingredients Cons: The parking is tight but worth the hunt more

The food tastes fine and the cuisine is definitely a bit different than in other restaurants. But, and this is a big but - the portions are tiny and the prices are high. No valet parking is available and parking on the street is tight on the weekend more

I tend to recommend this place because, playing the odds I guess, it's bound to be ok. I do seem to recall that most of my food was good and the space was kind of cool, though I did ask for part of my meal to be sent back for more heating. I agree that this kind of thing is not to be expected from a place with such a price and style. I would say it's about as good as Le Central or Z Cuisine - none of which is outstanding, but still definitely enjoyable and interesting. Seems in Denver there may be only a handful of truly excellent restaurants in general; maybe the real talent tends to land elsewhere? Regardless, you'll probably be non-plused if you're coming from a S.F. or N.Y. or Paris, but, this place is a little above average in my experience in Denver if you don't mind small-ish portions for larg-ish prices, while potentially spending some time parking and waiting for a table. Pros: not bad food, and nice atmosphere in a nice area of the city Cons: to real cons; just not the best you might find in this life, though you might alsmost expect it from the menu and atmosphere here more

Potager has the best food in Denver, created and served by non-pretentious folks. Karen, the wine buyer, is excellent and has lots of fun picks. The food is always interesting and changing - new menu every 5 weeks or so (Corn menu coming this week!). You can choose from many small plates or go for the entree size plates. Wait staff is excellent and has been there for a long time - as long as we've been going there (since Potager opened!). Pros: Fresh food, constantly changing menu, excellent wine selections Cons: People have found out about Potager, so you may have to wait on Fri/Sat at 7 pm; doesn't take reservations more

Potager never disappoints. The menu changes seasonally, the food is always nothing short of excellent, the service is head and shoulders above anything else in Denver, the wine list is great... I discovered Potager five years ago, and have been there many times since. It is my favorite restaurant in Denver, bar none. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance Cons: Not cheap, Parking can be tough more

Excellent place for a romantic dinner, and atmosphere is a plus. But my entree was cold, and while they accomodated and reheated it, it still didn't taste right. This isn't the quality of food that I'd expect while ""fine dining."" more

Don't be deterred by the one person's review - this place is amazing. I just moved to Denver a few months ago, and after living in great food towns like Seattle and SanFran, was pleased to find a calibre restaurant like this. It has become a mainstay for me - great food, wine, service. more

What a disappointment!!! High prices, skimpy portions, creativity run amok! Tasteless pasta, mussels in a sauce that tasted like saurkraut, several raviolis that would not satisfy a chikd, arugula salad carelessly prepared and only small appetizer size. If it were not for the bread, we would have walked away hungry and a $100 lighter. The restaurant space was attractive and we thought we were in for a Berkeley gourmet experience. I think I will dine at Whole Foods the next time I am in Denver and save my money for a real restaurant! Pros: nice room, linen tableclothes, clean rest room Cons: below average food, mediocre service, lack of dining value more