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Category: American (New)
Neighborhoods: Northwest, CBDMon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
"My mom is in town for the week, visiting from the Bay Area, so I knew I needed to treat her to at least one really good, fancy meal. Oh,…" read more »
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I was lucky enough to be taken here for my birthday last night by a very dear and, yes, generous friend. We've been eating in Kevin Taylor's restaurants since his first - Zenith at the Tivoli. That's a lot of meals under our expanding belts. Kevin has a lot of hits and a few misses in his restaurants over these many years but RKT is definitely his showpiece.
It was a Tuesday night and the place was pretty dead - a couple of larger parties of men on expense accounts and a couple of other smaller parties. The room is beautiful but not much of a vibe, especially when not even half full. It was refreshing to be able to hold a conversation without having to yell at your fellow diners for a change though.
First, I will say that the whole experience is pretty world class. From the welcome at the valet stand, to the lovely setting in what is really Denver's finest small hotel, to the flawless service - all perfection.
The food was very good. We probably should have done one of the tastings paired with wine. The seven course with wine in $175, which considering a la carte prices, is pretty reasonable. We chose to order off the menu though. I only ordered an appetizer and an entree and was quite satisfied because, although the portions are small, the food is rich, rich. I had the grilled scallop appetizer which was perfectly cooked but literally one bite ($15) and the lamb for an entree, also beautifully medium rare ($35). Even though I didn't order dessert, they brought me a small plate with a couple of chocolates and a candle (no singing - thanks for that). So, expect to spend a minimum of $75 per person for 3 courses - quite a bit more if you get into the fois gras, lobster and Kobe beef.
The wine list is a work of art but you are going to be hard pressed to find anything under $100 (especially if you go French). We had a lovely, crisp white burgundy and nicely balanced Oregon Pinot Noir that matched perfectly with my lamb. Wine service, as with the service in general, was incredibly professional but not particularly friendly - that's OK with me in a rather formal setting.
So, it was a lovely, if very expensive evening. I didn't get a look at the check but it had to be well over $500 for three people. The star off is because I guess for that kind of money I'm expecting a culinary epiphany of some sort and one was not forthcoming. The food was fine, among the best in Denver perhaps, but it wasn't anything like a Le Bernardin, Daniel or Commander's Palace, where you leave knowing that you've been blessed to experience the very best of the best.
I recently visited Denver and was looking for a good dinner. We chose Restaurant Kevin Taylor because we had read good reviews and because it was convenient (we were staying in the same hotel where the restaurant is housed). We chose not to do the wine pairings and instead had a cocktail and then a glass of wine each.
We had an awesome waitress - Mel. She was so helpful in figuring out what to order and was overall very friendly and made the dining experience more enjoyable. We decided to go with the 4 course tasting menu because the cost was right and there were just so many choices that looked too good to pass up. Now if i had to do it over I would either eat less from each course or just share with someone else because by the end of the night i was too full to be enjoying myself. But back to the food. . .it was amazing. We started off with a taster from the chef - i believe it was shrimp. Next I went with the tuna tar-tare appetizer and my date went with the beef tar-tare - both were to die for. For the soup/salad course Mel suggested that one of us had to try the pea soup - which was nothing like the pea soup you get in a can. This was poured over melted cheese right in front of me. She was definitely right, it was really yummy. My date went with the duck salad at my insistence, and it was also very tasty. For the main course my date got the Venison and I went with the Bison and got an extra side of goat cheese pollenta. The only negative about their menu was that you are not able to substitute items which is why i got the extra side of pollenta (it came with the lamb), but I was in heaven. By the time dessert came, I could barely eat anymore, but since it was part of the menu we went with it. We got the creme brulee and the junior mint cheesecake. Again it was all to die for - and yes it really did taste like junior mints.
I would definitely return if I ever find myself in denver.
I recently had the most amazing 5-course pairing meal at Restaurant Kevin Taylor (RKT). The food was impeccable, and I was with a group that was open to sharing (always a good thing with a menu that makes it hard to pick just one item). They change the menu seasonally, and currently they have a few things that I will be dreaming of: the lobster and sweet potato gnocchi with truffle emulsion may be the best thing I've ever eaten. The southwestern take on a cioppino was not at all what you'd expect, and it rocked. The Kobe confeit literally melted in my mouth. And finally, the fresh blueberry cobbler was the perfect end to an amazing dining experience.
I should add, the experience was more than just the food; our sommelier Toby had the most perfect knowledge of everything he poured.. He was friendly, approachable, and particularly creative on the dessert pairings.
I have dined here several times over the last few years and Kevin Taylor's continues to deliver. Fabulous food, consistently great service in a pleasant atmosphere. The steak tartare is always a highlight and the desserts are wonderful. If there was a complaint last time, it was that the great sommelier who had helped us in the past doesn't appear to be there anymore. The mumbling woman with a nose piercing who helped us was a poor substitute for the excellent wine help we were used to there.
That aside, the food was great as usual and our waiter was as professional and on top of it as they come. The price makes it a special occasion kind of place, but it's always my first choice for celebrating.
We went for 5280 week in February. We had a very late reservation but were still pleasantly surprised that the restaurant was still busy. Food was splendid. Great date location.
It's Restaurant Week! During this week we usually dine at establishments we haven't tried yet, to get a "feel" for the restaurant. On Sunday night we went into Restaurant Kevin Taylor expecting it to be slightly above average, but nothing more. Oftentimes hype will inflate people's reviews, and were expecting something nice, but not stellar.
Having said all that, I can sum up our evening in two words: "HOLY SH*T!"
The Superb: First and foremost, the food. From the salad and pork belly appetizer, to the salmon and sirloin entree, we were very happy with the flavors and textures. I have heard that people complain about the portion size here. It is definitely not your average "American-sized" meal, but it is still more than enough food (and calories) to leave you satisfied. It also helps if you dine over a few hours rather than shovel everything down in 30 minutes.
Also Superb: The service. The Sommelier was both knowledgeable and friendly. Our server was also funny and very attentive without being overly present. My favorite.
The location in the Hotel Teatro was also a treat, although if you take the stairs back up from the bathroom, you may get lost. Luckily the bartender at the bar guided my wife back.
All in all, this restaurant lives up to it's high rating. 5 stars from me.
I made reservations for 4, and said there was one person (me) with a nut allergy, and one person with a wheat allergy (not me). From the moment we got there, the service was gracious and accommodating, without even a hint of being too classy for the likes of four people whose age barely tops one hundred.
They really kept the allergies in mind while talking to them about the courses. And the food. The food was amazing. Pork belly. Yes. Potato confit. Wow. The food was incredibly flavorful, but not overly salted. Awesome.
If it weren't so expensive, I'd go here more. But it's worth the price. Definitely worth the price.
I feel obligated to give Kevin Taylor more stars than the two allotted, given the professional 4 star rating it apparently has in the restaurant (non- Yelp style) biz, but I can't justify it.
Don't get me wrong - the service was excellent. The waiters kept our wine glasses full, remembering what each of the 20+ individuals there were drinking. The courses were properly timed and the waiters were polite when I asked what some skeptical sounding dish actually was (some rare type of fish). The ambiance was enjoyable, too. Our party was located in the wine cellar, which isn't an overly large room, but we made use of the space to our best abilities. I wouldn't suggest reserving the wine cellar for a party consisting of more than 25 people.
It's the food that got me. I've tried to tell myself that fancy restaurants like Kevin Taylor are what they are - you pay $16 for a scallop appetizer that you can eat in one bite. Generally, your entree is smaller than a kidney bean. That's just the way it is . . .
But honestly? While the scallop was enjoyable, the ahi tuna salad was "eh" and the lamb? I've had better from Kitchen Schriefer (meat bought from the grocery). Aside from the entrees truly being of sub-standard size (yes, even for fancy-shmancy places like this), the lamb wasn't nearly as tender as it should have been, was dry, and was paired with beans in a strange Mexicanesque ensemble. It was weird.
My husband's steak? 3 bite sized pieces over a thin layer of mashed potatoes.
The only formidable portion of the meal was the dessert. Chocolate cake that my husband swears was filled with lacquer. If it was, I couldn't take it. It was delicious though - molten style, with a creamy chocolate sauce (maybe lacquer) inside.
Am I spelling lacquer wrong? It sounds like I'm painting walls. Maybe I mean liquer? Oh well.
I won't be going back to Kevin Taylor on my own whim. I really don't understand the 5 stars it's being given, but to each their own. Perhaps personal dinners are far better than what they dish out for company parties. I'll never know!
In the words of "Formula 51," "Well, Sh*t in a bag and punch it!". This place was perfection. The food was exquisite, the service was stellar, and the ambiance was actually quite pleasant and easy to have a discussion in. The food was surprising in that they manage to squeeze a ridiculous amount of flavor into each bite, whether it was side dish, embellishment, or what. Really spectacular. The sommelier really knew his stuff, too, which really helped to enhance the whole experience.
Highly recommended, especially for a special date.
Maybe I'm not as sophisticated as I'd like to think.
Maybe I can't tell the difference between a $70 and $15 bottle of wine.
But I like the theater. I like going to museums. I like listening to classical music. Shouldn't I like this restaurant?
The answer? Not if I don't want to.
We got a gift certificate to KT's from our dear friends in FoCo (more than likely we would have never eaten here). The intention was for all of us to go to dinner together at some point but it never worked out... so SV and I ventured forth in our best duds, parked at a 4 hr meter and prepared for a culinary party in our collective mouths.
Not so much.
It's hard to justify spending $35 on a bit of steak and braised short rib. The steak was delicious, granted but I can get a tastier steak with better portions for $20+ almost anywhere. I'm not a portions hog but dang... that was a teeny steak.
So the service was excellent but we go out to eat for the food. And it was disappointing. And the ambiance made me feel like a kid at a funeral; I know that I'm supposed to be dressed up, reverent and solemn but all I wanted to do was play with my Legos.
Sorry Kevin. Your restaurant is just okay. It's a good thing you get theater traffic...
I was going to 3 star the dinner, and you'll read why, but thinking about all the truly disappointing meals that were more expensive, I decided to change my 3 to 4 stars for Kevin Taylor (KT).
With that in mind, I submit my review for your review:
I "Expected" so much...maybe too much, and we all know about restaurants and expectations.
This is why I held off reviewing the restaurant, and went ahead and reviewed Hotel Teatro, where we had a special occasion over-night out on the town.
Teatro was a 5 star experience, so much so, that I doubt they would allow anything less than a 5 star restaurant in their space,
Here's why I was going for the eh status:
1. Our Bad -- We didn't make reservations till last minute, in fact, the concierge was the one who made the reservations upon check-in.
The only seating available was 9pm, and again, our bad, we should either eaten elsewhere, saving KT for another night, or have nibbled, but then I'm not hungry enough at dinner. What ended up happening, was we were too hungry, which doesn't work either.
I also had the feeling that they were overbooked, and we were only accommodated since we were guests of the hotel. It was obvious that an extra table was quickly added, nice of them if I'm correct, but we got the kiddie table feeling.
On the positives, service was just terrific. Professional, not at all intrusive, and they had great instincts; knowing when we needed something, and when to let us enjoy.
The food itself consisted of the freshest ingredients.
We started with a salad topped with duck, nuts and fruit. I enjoyed every bite; more so than the BF who doesn't like sweet with salad -- matter of taste.
The BF really enjoyed his Rib Eye, one of the better cuts he's ever had; certainly the best prepared and plated. He enjoyed every bite.
I had the Sea Scallops. My bad. I was just too hungry for the 3 scallops -- granted, they were huge, but not enough as I don't eat corn; the suggested side for the dish. They did sub the corn for some asparagus, but this is Novelle Cuisine, so I ended with 3 scallops atop 3 spears. Every bite was delicious, but I was diving into remnants of rib eye ( the BF moves fast).
The wine list was amazing, I loved the decor, and the service, so much so that I upped the stars in anticipation for a future dinner.
Oh no...more expectations.
What a disappointing meal. Overall I would say the dishes lacked flavor - not bold, not subtle - just bland. I had the foie appetizer, badly overcooked. Foie also seemed to be not the freshest...maybe they flew it over from France? Claimed to be Grade A foie, tasted more like Grade C. YUCK, you have your name on this Kevin Taylor?
I had the pan seared red snapper for dinner - the fish just wasn't fresh, no way to sugarcoat it. I'm not sure if they don't fly in fresh fish for Saturday or what the deal is, but it just smelled like old frozen fish. I nearly sent it back, but after the stinker of an appetizer, I was just ready to get out of this place. The fish was cooked fine, but the sauce was the only decent part of this dish. The vegetables that accompanied this had zero flavor whatsoever - bland.
Service and wine selection was great, as expected. The only highpoint of the night was attentive service.
This place is amazing. It is absolutely the best restaurant I have ever been to, hands down. The food is creative, sensual, and succulent.
I went with my fiance for our anniversary last week. After reading the reviews I was afraid it would be.. I don't know, too stuffy, too fancy? But I felt at home at once. The atmosphere of the main dining room is warm, with a bit of western charm via local art. They also have a very cool wine cellar that is available for private groups, and it is pretty reasonably priced, I'm considering doing my wedding dinner there.
We did the 7 course dinner with the wine pairing. The foie gras and scallops were unbelievable. Such perfect balances of flavors and textures. The soups were very cool. They bring a bowl with the ingredients in it to the table, then pour the hot broth over the lobster and such. I had never had "cheek" before, but again, the veal cheek was incredibly tender and moist. I really just can't say enough about how fabulous the food was.
In addition the staff was so friendly and attentive. The server had no problem dealing with my mans nut allergy. Also, we tend to not like sweet wines and we were concerned about the wine pairings being too sweet for our tastes - the sommelier came over and hand picked wines that were just right for our palates. Often those pairings are 'cookie cutter'.
I was so impressed with the whole experience. I've worked in restaurants before, so I'm very attentive to mistakes, poor service, etc.
I highly recommend it. But FYI reservations are required!!
I had dinner here tonight -- the 5-course tasting menu. First of all, my server Ellie and her assistant were perfect.
The lobster napoleon was outstanding.
The corn soup wasn't worth eating.
The grilled lobster salad was great.
The butter glazed lobster was ludicrously small but tender and delicious.
The peanut butter cup was one of the best desserts in Denver.
Most disappointing dining experience I've had in Denver.
Everyone I know crows about this place. And the reviews make it sound like heaven.
It's enough to make me distrust my tongue.
Maybe I just ordered the wrong stuff. I admit that I've only been there once, but I was definitely uninspired.
I'd probably give this place 4.5 stars if I could. My friend and I tried this place because Mizuna was closed from 7/1-7/10 and we were both very satisfied with the meal.
We both ordered the 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Unlike many other tasting menus, you choose the courses at KT. The advantage of this is you can pick dishes you like and with me and my dining companion, we picked different dishes and shared meaning we each got to taste 14 dishes.
We each did two appetizers, soup, salad, seafood entree, meat entree, and dessert.
Most of the dishes were quite delicious with one or two standouts and the weakest dishes being the soups. The thing keeping me from giving this place 5 stars is the textures of some of the dishes were not up to par, this is somewhat mitigated by the generally outstanding combinations of flavors, but still removes just enough of the luster.
The meal ended up taking about 3.5 hours and we left quite happy and a bit tipsy. Be warned, they pour closer to a full glass than a half and after 7 you will probably be feeling it.
Amazing food and service. Very Expensive and worth it if you demand the best. I walked in with no trouble 8 pm Friday without reservations. If there is a short coming on this restraunt based on the low capacity on a Friday night I would say it is not with the quality or service but maybe in it's choice of location with sufficient clientelle. Perhaps Denver needs to catch up to Kevin Taylors! I feel finer from dining here. Thanks!
So the staff being so incredibly nice and cool balances out the boring as hell ambiance for the 4 *s. Popeye's has more character. The portions were small but definitely top-notch. Hey if you aren't cool with the micro-greens then you just aren't sophisticated enough for me. Venison (just decent). 6 slices of jalapenos resulted in an extra $2 charge. Hey maybe I should give them just 3 *s. I can't give a 4 to a place I won't go back to despite the local boy goes big story.
I just hosted an event here in their wine cellar room (located a level below the restaurant) for about 20 people. (everyone sits at one large table) The room was fantastic, and the food was great as well. Absolutely no complaints. Portion sizes were perfect. After soup or salad, and the entree, there was still just enough room for dessert, and you still left feeling happy and full, not uncomfortably stuffed and full. Food was served with a nice presentation. I received many compliments on the restaurant, room and food and would definitely go back when hosting people in Denver.
This is our anniversary spot. My wife and I usually dine here once or twice a year. It has always been very good. The service is extremely professional and perhaps bordering on stuffy. The wine selections are great. The menu is very inventive. It's the first place I tried Kurobata pork (the equivalent of Kobe beef). It was amazing. They normally provide an amuse bouche, which is a bite-sized snack served first. It's usually something somewhat bizarre that the chef comes up with. I highly recommend this place for special occasion dining, or if you just have money to throw around.
Like the last reviewer, Kevin Taylor was the first upscale restaurant I have been to since moving from SF. The service was amazing, although they were not terribly busy. We made reservations online for 8:15 and due to an unexpected parking debacle, we showed up at 8:30 and they sat us apologetically because they took 3 min to set up the table. The service was phenomenal. My fiance went to the restroom during dinner and while he was gone they warmed his plate to ensure the food was warm when he returned, We received several tasty treats as "compliments of the chef", but really the chef needed to be complimented because the French cuisine was fantastic.
By far the best fine dining experience I've had in Denver. The food is EXQUISITE. The service IMPECCABLE. If my budget allowed, I'd eat here much more often. As it stands, can only afford a once a year treat to Kevin Taylor's. It is the food us foodies, wish to have at each dining experience. Everything is cooked to PERFECTION. The ambiance is beautiful and cozy, not stuffy. Foie Gras is to DIE FOR. The mushroom soup was UNBELIEVABLE. They've GOT EVERYTHING RIGHT here at KT's.
This is my favorite restaurant in Denver! I enjoy going here for a special occasion or during restaurant week! The decor is traditional and the cuisine is contemporary American/French. I highly recommend the tasting menus to sample a variety of Kevin Taylor's creations. The presentation of the food is creative but the most important thing to me is the flavor combinations that he creates. He uses fresh and unique ingredients to please the palate with great flavor. The portions are perfect also. Coming from Chicago I am used to high quality and creative flavors and this is the only restaurant in Denver that will get 5 stars from me at this moment.
3-course Prix Fixe continued!
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