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Twelve Restaurant
Rating Details »
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Five Points, Northwest2233 Larimer St
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 293-0287
3-course Prix Fixe continued!
Join us at twelve on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday's. Choose ANY appetizer, entree and dessert for only $35 (plus tax and gratuity)
- Hours:
Tue-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
Sponsored Result
Announcement Nearby
Two Ladies Cooking
- Category:
- Food Stands
- Neighborhood:
- Northwest
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14 reviews for Twelve Restaurant
Went here with a group for dinner. Great service and great food. It is a small place, but they dealt with a group of 20 just fine.
Some in the group ordered appetizers for their main course, others just ordered their entrees. There is a bit of something for everyone: pasta, chicken, fish, meat, and some vegetarian entrees. Most of us ordered dessert to share. I refused extra spoons, I wanted my dessert all to myself.
Everyone loved their food and we are a group of foodies! Food is our profession. I highly recommend this place - at least October 09 was a great month!
This is my new favorite restaurant in Denver. We didn't know much about it and our expectations were not that high. We left knowing this restaurant was great, but what made it great:
- Wonderful service;
- Large portions;
- Terrific menu;
- Great tastes from each app and entree; and
- Top notch chef.
This is definitely a must not miss in Denver.
I believe Twelve belongs in the upper tier of Denver restaurants. Admittedly I was seduced before I even sat down. The nondescript brickface front opens to a sexy interior. High style, from the super sleek wood bar down to the silverware and placemats. Reminiscent of an earlier time. Speakeasy-esque. Also, the Tuesday, Wednesday prix fixe deal during the summer is a steal!
The server, Josh, was excellent from start to finish. He had thorough knowledge of the menu, excellent timing, tossed in a nice mix of humor, and led us through a wonderful evening.
As for gripes about portion sizes, maybe you'd be better off at Ted's Montana Grill. A three course meal should leave you feeling fed and giddy, not ready to be plucked and prepped as foie gras. Anyway on to my night. We got an excellent bottle of wine, a 2006 Viognier from the Santa Ynez Valley for only $36. We started with the Kampachi and Mushroom soup. The kampachi was perfect. The fish was divine and the accompaniments (avocado, harrisa, mango) mingled exquisitely. As the kampachi reminded us of hamachi, we asked Josh who the ready answer that kampachi is hamachi in the 4-6 lb range. He joked "it's the veal of yellowtail." Bravo Josh. As for the mushroom soup, thick, rich, and velvety, if maybe wanting a touch of salt.
Entrees. The halibut (with clams) was fresh and perfectly cooked. The pear tomato fondue seemed to lack a little on the pear front. Not enough balance. The clams were nice but the one hit in service was that there was no place to discard the shells. I had the duck confit with lentils, sweet onion, and figs. A-plus on the lentils, which so often are served mushy, not so here. The duck was crisp and juicy, and the savory richness was matched by figs so sweet they tasted of chocolate.
And the super star of the evening - the budino for dessert. A divine pudding, white as pearls, smooth and luscious and topped with a salted caramel layer that transported me to another place. Couldn't have been better!! The other dessert, the chocolate plate, was good but my-oh-my, that budino was good. The entire 3 course meal with a bottle of wine, a glass of sauternnes, tax, and tip came out to around $165.
I urge all of you to go! The menu changes once a month and I will visit for them all. If you see someone at the bar, greedily spooning a budino, come have a bite.
Terrific little restaurant. All the dishes were fresh and seasoned "simply" but in a good way.
It's hard to review a place that changes its menu every month, but I guess with Twelve you have to take the good (food) with the bad (concept). For those not in the know, Twelve has a menu of twelve ingredients and the menu changes every month. So, for November '09, there were dishes like Arugula (salad), Foie Gras, Butternut Squash (ravioli), Beef (braised) and chicken (roasted breast). We tried a number of them; nothing was really a big wow dish, but all were made with a care and attention to detail that you don't always find in Denver restaurants. For example, the green salad had a nice mixture of greens, and instead of having overwhelming chunks of carrot and what I think was a radish of some kind, they shaved them, so they had the same thin crisp texture of the greens. The foie gras was detestable; the piece I had was cold, bloody and raw. I think the chef forgot to de-vein the duck liver so I was having to pull at sinewy bloody strands of liver, and it totally lacked the rich smooth quality of foie gras. Maybe this is some sort of traditional french foie gras technique, but to me it was not appetizing. It was also served with a delicate, cheesy puff pastry, the strong flavor of which totally threw off the balance of the dish. I felt obligated to swallow it all down, having paid 15 dollars for the appetizer portion. My wife had the butternut squash giant ravioli, and while it was tasty, it wasn't very unique, other than the size of the ravioli (with a circumference as big as your head). The beef was excellent; it was a beef shoulder served in the style of "coq au vin." Not really sure what that means; it seemed like a regular boeuf bourgignon. The desserts were forgettable; the special bread pudding tasted exactly like french toast.
Service was fine; they have a nice bread selection and are quick to fill your water glass with either still or sparkling water. Our waiter was very friendly and had some helpful suggestions. The chef came out mid-meal but rather than visit any of the patrons, he plopped himself down on the banquette to talk to a friend for a few minutes. Strange. I really liked the space; it is roomy, and Twelve doesn't crowd the tables too closely. So you can have a nice conversation over dinner and enjoy the food without having to yell over one another. One last issue was the pricing; it's a bit overpriced for what you get. Given its low-rent district location and reasonable, but on the small-side, portions, I would have expected a lower price point. But our bill was more than 200 dollars for four, and only two of us had drinks. Twelve has haute cuisine aspirations, but it delivers only a nice neighborhood restaurant experience. At the end of the day, I can't give Twelve more than three stars.
Dined at twelve last night for Restaurant Week. Again with a group of 4, so I got to taste a lot of things! I liked that you could choose anything off the regular menu for the prix fixe.
To start, I got the butternut squash soup, and it was my favorite of the bunch. Smooth, silky, good flavor. The abalone was also good, and the salad was nice. The best part about the watercress salad was the grapes, that were encased in bleu cheese and rolled in chopped pistachios - very innovative and delicious! I didn't try the foie gras, but my friend enjoyed it!
Unfortunately, the entrees fell a little bit short. The portion sizes were TINY - I mean, really small. I hope that this is just for Restaurant Week, but based on Brooke H.'s review, I fear that's not the case. The beef my friend ordered, while really delicious (and my favorite) had three tiny slices of steak, alongside a short rib cannelloni. The regular price for this entree was $29. Definitely NOT worth that price! The pork (tenderloin and shoulder) was decent, but the shoulder was over-salted. The risotto was good - nice balance of chorizo, calamari, octopus, and saffron risotto. Almost like a paella risotto.
The absolute loser was the barramundi, which unfortunately, I ordered. It was horrible. One bite and I knew I wouldn't finish. It was watery, and tasted "dirty". I suspect that it was due to the celery/artichoke broth and veggies that surrounded it. But, the flavor was so unappealing I was shocked (I'm really not that picky). After everyone at the table tried it, I left the rest of the portion. I literally had two bites.
When the server came by, I told him about my problems with the dish. He was gracious and conveyed our thoughts to the chef. The chef had the arrogance to send the server back to tell us that the barramundi is a fish that swims close to the shore, and sometimes certain fish will taste of earth (dirt, if you will). Huh? Excuse me? I've had barramundi many times and it never has tasted like dirt. And, if there is a chance that this fish would taste that way - why put it on the menu? Or, at the very least, slice a piece off the fillet and cook it alongside and taste it before you plate it and send it out to a customer. What the hell?
That left a really sour taste in our mouth. Sometimes, restaurants (in this case, the chef!), just needs to apologize for the mistake and move on. Also, there was no offer made to exchange the entree for something else (??), and there was no discount taken off the bill. Again, this sings to me of arrogance by the chef.
The trio of chocolate desserts was great. The blood orange-cream tart was nice (though the aftertaste tasted a little like baby aspirin!), and the meringue "ile flotants" weak and bland.
The service by Eli was absolutely awesome. Despite the meager meal, we left him a great tip. He was friendly, engaging, and very professional. Definitely ask for him if you dine here!
For a chef who trained with Bradley Ogden at One Market AND Gerald Hirigoyen at Fringale in San Francisco AND Wofgang Puck in Vegas, I expect way better. Just because we're Denver doesn't mean we don't know great food and portion sizes! You're going to have to do better to be a viable restaurant.
When I started out writing this review, I was going to give 3 stars. But after re-reading, I realized it's really a 2-star review. "Meh. I've experienced better" is the perfect statement. I might come back to try this place one more time. But honestly, way better meals can be had in Denver for the price.
We were SO looking forward to trying Twelve -- Kudos for having your regular menu and portion size during Restaurant Week -- You are the only restaurant we chose to visit during our "Non-Restaurant Week". The only week out of the year we don't dine out 2-3x
Unfortunately our experience was very much like Brook H. and Lynn L's.
In fact, I wish I had read their reviews prior to going -- I certainly wouldn't have ordered the Barramundi, which was terrible. The fish itself had a catfish like taste and texture, and just wasn't fresh. It sat atop 2 quarters of an artichoke heart, and tons (2 ozs) of celery, which gave the whole dish a cooked celery taste.
The broth tasted like celery water.
No starch. Just the tiny fillet atop the aforementioned veggies
The HTB had the beef. Beautifully plated; approx. 3ozs of beef sat next to a "Short Rib Cannelloni", which was a thin strip of pasta rolled with maybe 1/4 oz of filling. Completing the plate was 1 onion, and 2 baby carrots.
I can't comment on the dish, as I didn't want to take one of the few bites.
Starters were foie gras para me, and pork rillettes for the HTB.
The foie gras was quite good. Minuscule, but good
The Pork, not so much.
It was terrine - like, but it just didn't work with pork
Desert was the highlight of the meal. Blood Orange Tart and Chocolate 3 ways. Yummy !!!!!!
Wine list and beer selections were OK. I found a Zin I like, and the HTB was happy with his Stella Artois.
The Hostess (Owner) was very sweet, even called me when an earlier reservation became available. Servers were very attentive -- grabby on the dishes, but had a good sense of humor about it.
The tab was still $100, so Restaurant Week or not, I want a properly prepared and filling meal -- something I did not find at Twelve.
I'm sure another faceless 5 star reviewer will retort, we have a bet how long it will take for the next review to say they brought home a doggie bag, or how yummy the celery is --- Fake reviews are so tacky !!!
however it is what it is --- just not very good.
Another great evening at twelve!
We were lucky enough to have Josg again as our server. We started with some cocktails, fresh greyhound, marg, and some other type of fun martini.
Not only was Josh our server, he was our bartender too!! So talented! :)
I started with the foie gras........YUM! People have complained about the portion size, but really?? How much foie gras should one consume? I thought it was perfect. I then had the pork, once again the presentation and flavors where delish. Dessert was amazing too. I just received an email for the March menu and cant wait to check it out again!
One issue...the bill was still was $300 during restaurant week. While I dont mind spending benjamins on good food, I know some may not be thrilled about that.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/6/2008 ROTD 3/8/2009 First to Review
I finally got a chance to eat at twelve last night. The concept is, 12 months of the year, 12 menus… Read more »
Sweet boneless Christ! This place is good.
We had no idea it was even coming, walking downtown one night what used to be a papered up abandonned something next to a pawn shop was a now a very nice restaurant.
We finally decided to give it a try the other night and I'm a fan. I know we'll be back once a month at least!
I'm not normally a beef fan unless it's ground, seasoned and in a tortilla of some sort, but the steak course was great! two cuts of meat, both awesome!
The Onion soup was not at all what I was expecting, it was more awesomer!
At the risk of giving away this neighborhood secret, everyone needs to try out Twelve.
Oh and the name, that's cuz the menu changes every month. I can't imagine twelve killer menus but I'm not at all doubting that they can pull it off.
This place appeared to pop-up overnight. We had seen the facade for many month with just newspapers covering the window and then one day - poof a new fancy local to dine!
It is a cool concept - 12 ingredients, 12 items on the menu, changing each month!
We finally made it over there tonight!
We were a bit early for dinner, 5:40 - but they were very gatious and seated us where we wanted!
Josh was our waiter and was amazing! He explained many of the items on the menu that were foreign to us!
The water thing was cool. They have a neat filtration system that they use to deliver water to the table in frosted bottled, with and without bubbles.
We started with the soup - it was a creamy onion - served to the table in a pitcher, poured over a crouton with yummy cheese. Mmmm!
So yummy! I almost licked the bowl! They had a special special of washington oysters with was wasabi fish eggs. Yummy!!
For our meals I went with the prawns. It was listed as whole prawns - but they were kind enough to cut off the heads prior to delivering it to the table. Thank you!
Hubby went with the beef and claimed - i melted like butter in his mouth! The braised lettuce was not to my liking, but the "root" veggie was very good.
We also got some amazing wine! I went with an Australian Syrah, hubby went with a different one. Both were lovely!
We decided to go whole hog and get the 3 types of chocolate desert. It is one of the few items that remains on the menu month after month!
It was great!! It contained a souffle, Mexican chocolate ice cream, and a frozen moose type thing that was mmmm!
It was a fabulous meal! Definitely not quick, which was fine with us, but keep taht in mind if you need to be somewhere!
We are excited to see what next months ingredients will be! Make sure and visit so we can keep the neighborhood up and coming!
We had such high hopes for twelve, that my hubby and I chose to dine there for v-day. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending it or going back anytime soon. Everything was great- except for the most important part- the entree. I had the fish of the night and my husband had the risotto. Both plates were bland and watery... and small. The best part of the meal was the bread which we only received after asking, " why does everyone here have bread except us?" That said, the decor was sparse and nice, the waitstaff were pleasant and the owner stopped by to give us a sample of the soup- which was divine. So it was a mixed bag... but I was expecting better.
What a great find! The vibe is relaxed but with a touch of class and the food gets more interesting with each bite! Everyone in the restaurant, from the hostess to the chef was gracious and accommodating and we appreciated every minute of our visit. Amazingly, the chef makes everything in-house, from the bread to the ice cream, so partake and enjoy!
Yummy Schmummy. There was an hour and a half wait at the place we tried to go to so we changed our minds and went to Twelve.... and were so happy and fulfilled. We got sat right away by the happy host... Let's just say a place can be judged on their scallops. Chewy and dry? No. Scrumptious. Juicy. Fall apart with your fork yummy. I like to review a place before I read the other reviews... so here goes. I was delighted to walk in and reminisce about Manny's. This space used to be a greasy, fried heaven of a blues bar. Now it's a foodie's heaven and needs more recognition because it has real food. Fresh, gourmet and very knowledgeable service. We sat at the bar and liked our server so much we shared our dessert with him (you know how it is - we forced him to partake in our dessert). Please support this place. It was not crowded and deserves our *insert positive adjective here* local palates and supportive reviews. It's called "Twelve" because they said they change their menu every month. Seasonal and down-to-earth. Super wine selection from one of the best someliers in town. Yes.
Horrible!!! The service was so slow. We put 2 hours in the meter and still got a parking ticket. The food was uninventive and bland. Much more than you would expect for the $200.00 bill we ended up with! The good things were a wonderful hostess and the atmosphere was perfectly nice. Finally, not that I don't like children, but it was baby central. When you're dropping that kind of money, you don't want little feet kicking you while you sit on the common bench that lines the wall the tables back up to. Oh, and the chef is rude, rude, rude. If you're going to drop this kind of money, go to Mizuna, Duo, Deluxe or Rioja.
