My roomie and I made reservations here for Denver restaurant week, and it was amazing! Â They change their selections daily as to whats fresh and what they have on hand. Â I am pretty adventurous in what I eat and so we were willing to try whatever they think is best. Â We ate the wild boar ragu and it was super tasty! Â Not only was the food great but some of the best service I have ever encountered at a restaurant, and not annoying so. Â My water was never empty, my wine glass either ;) definitely recommend this place, and I'm not an Italian lover!
Review Source:5280 review:
Tip of the hat to Il Postio for not having a set menu for the entire restaurant week, but instead having a daily menu based on fresh ingredients and the chef's creativity.
I don't know why I've waited so long till I finally dined at Il Postio, even though I'm a regular at their neighbors Thin Man and St. Marks. I'm glad to finally discover this cute and intimate restaurant which boosts a small menu for 5280 but a lengthy wine list that is almost exclusively Italian, a hail to their unflinching fidelity to high-standard italian fare. If you're a beer drinker, expect to be downing Peroni's all night.
The interior was simple and sophisticated with low lighting and candle light tables. The kitchen is open with a chefs bar which wraps around, and I wouldn't mind grabbing a seat at the counter next time to watch the masters at work. The staff was impressively friendly and helpful, I really liked the casual demeanor of the sommelier who stopped by the table. He ended up helping me pick out a nice white to compliment my dinner. At first I was skeptical looking at their Italian-only white. I'm preferential to a west coast californian or oregon white, and have never ventured as far as an italian glass. Surprise! I now know to be less narrow minded about whites.
Food was delicately prepared and high quality with a beautiful presentation. The ricotta gnochi was fantastic in a light mushroom sauce and was not too soft or mushy. For me, the small portions were perfect and I was a happy and full camper by the time I finished.
one star taken for the noise level and cramped tables. The acoustics were poor and I almost had shout to my companion across from me. I felt horrible that I could overhear the conversation of my neighbors and they probably us.
Will have to try again when their full menu returns after 5280
It's Denver Restaurant Week. Â We set ourselves up with a 5pm reservation on a Monday night at Il Posto. Â Easy, right? Â
We arrived at 4:50 to a completely empty restaurant. Â Most staff were near the kitchen, likely reviewing the nightly specials. Â Cool! Â And silly us with our Open Table reservation with the place empty. Â No worries, here comes the hostess (short blond hair) with her cup of hot tea in hand.
"Can I help you" - "yes, we've got a reservation for Restaurant Week at 5pm ..." Â
"Well, we're not open for another 10 minutes, do you mind waiting? Â There's no seating area for waiting. Â There's a pregnant pause and an implication that we should step outside and wait. Â My partner's blood is already boiling...
It's February 25th in Denver. Â It's 35 outside. Â It just snowed a foot of snow this weekend. Â
I'm thinking: "How about you sit us at a table for 10 minutes until you open"? Â I don't ask for this as it's clear this wasn't even an option. Â
Another approach - "here, let me seat you and would you like some hot coffee, tea, while you're waiting?" Â Didn't get that either. Â
So, we're waiting, outside, on the sidewalk, waiting for our 10 minutes to tick-tock away. Â Five minutes later, two women walk in, she grabs menus and seats them. Â Uhhhh... ?
Hey if the men can stand around outside, so can the women. Â Or, wave at us and invite us in. Â I walked in to let her know what I thought of all this but my partner was ready to go - he was more then incensed at this point. Â We got in the car and as I'm pulling away from the curb, I notice she stuck her head out and was looking for us. Â Too late, dear.
5:13pm, an email arrives: "Il Posto has canceled your reservation for 2 on Monday, February 25, 2013." Â Icing on the cake. Â Glad to see they are quick to manage their reservation book.
Isn't the whole point of Restaurant Week to introduce you to new dining experiences, drive revenue in an otherwise slow period, and leave lasting impressions to bring people back? Â I think the owner/manager of this place would do well to retrain his staff on what this week (two actually) are all about. Â Because when service is lacking, people tell other people. Â Lots of them...
After reading reviews, I was rather hesitant to dine at il Posto. The restaurant food service are top of the shelf. Great wine selection. Apparently the reviewers that commented on the small portions are use to eating all you can eat buffets. The portions are perfect. As to the service, please this restaurant is modeled after Italian restaurant where one takes their time enjoying the food and the company at the table. In summary, I would ignore the comments about poor service, slow delivery of courses and small quantities. Now if one enjoys Golden Corral, Il Posto is not the restaurant to have dinner
Review Source:We had very mixed feelings about his place. We loved the food. I had calamari (wonderful, unusual preparation. Not fried. Steamed with anchovies and cauliflower), Paparadelle with Pork Ragu, and the Margate. For dessert the donuts. Everything was delicious. My husband had the salad and the pork tenderloin. All wonderfully prepared.
The troubling thing about this restaurant and the reason why we will probably not be returning is that the tables are SO close together that it is hard to have a conversation that doesn't include your surrounding tables (we heard WAY too much of our neighbor tables conversion) and the wait staff literally hit our chairs every single time they walked by because the distance between tables was too small. They must all have bruised hips. You can ignore that jarring for a while but after an hour or two it just gets to be too much. We were glad to leave when we did. For these prices a diner deserves to have a relaxing enjoyable dinner.
To rate on food alone I would give it 5 stars - but unfortunately a total review should include the entire experience and for that I can only give 3 stars.
I've been going here for years, and its still remains one of the best restaurants in town. Â Very cool modern Italian restaurant with that small lively independent restaurant atmosphere. Â They are the only restaurant I've found that has real Italian burrata- that magic goo that has to be flown in from Italy and eaten within a few days. Â If you've traveled in Italy and eaten a LOT, you'll love Il Posto, its the real deal.
Review Source:It is A-OK If you have 2+ hours to spend on dinner.
Yes this place has a cramped cool atmosphere, yes the food is delicious and authentic.
I have dined here twice and have sad the same consistent service which seems to be expected at Il Posto, slow. On my last experience there was a 65 minute service gap between our last bite of appetizers and when our entree hit the table. It would have been longer if we had not told our server that we were on a time limit. She then casually went back to her "wine education" which is just drinking on the job. We then heard her ask to "fire" our dishes. Â We were only one of two tables, this was done at the 55 minute mark after appetizers. Â After a few more sips of wine she came back and offered to buy us dessert. My husband reminded her than we were now late for our event and had no time to eat our meal much less get dessert. We wolfed down our overly salty dishes as quick as possible and left.
After leaving I reflected back on first dining experience and the slow dragged on service made us late for our event then as well. Ugh! I fell for it again!
I understand that taking your time is the Italian way of enjoying a meal but such a long service gap is not always appreciated.
Overall experience was decent, and would have merited a three star review. Â
Unfortunately, when my girlfriend and I arrived we were put in a very small, very tight back table (the whole place is small and cramped inside). Â To be more comfortable, we asked if we could sit side by side on the booth side of our table, rather than across from each other like everyone else. Â Our server responded "absolutely, let me help you set that up". Â We continued our meal like that for about 3o minutes when all of a sudden a very short (physically and emotionally) man comes out from the back and jolts over to our table and starts yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!???"
Shocked, we stumble for a moment, trying to understand what he's so upset about. Â Finally, he informs us that he's VERY upset that we decided to sit at our table unconventionally, and explains that we should have asked someone before doing something like that. Â Before we could even respond, he had stormed off back into the kitchen. Â This man was the owner, and he had embarrassed us in front of this entire, very small and intimate restaurant.
That guy SUCKED! Â When we told our server what happened, he apologized, but the owner never came back out to apologize for himself. Â What a BABY!
Needless to say, never again. Â Food was only mediocre, and definitely over priced as well.
We waited over an hour for our entrees, and then they were cold. Â When we complained, the owner told us that they don't serve it too hot or too cold, just right. Â In other words, we were idiots and he was wonderful. Â Although they comped the meal, we were told not to come back. Â I guess when you think you are great, you forget that the customer is always right.
Review Source:What a gem of a place! Tucked into the charming neighborhood that surrounds 17th Ave, Il Posto has a sexy, spartan vibe that works for it. Spartan only when it comes to the decor as the food is chock full of outstanding flavors. Love the ever changing menu and the shots of brachetto served as a complimentary apertif. My date had been there before and he recommended the calamari. I was expecting a platter of fried squid rings and tenticles, as that is what most calamari is. Instead I was blow away by the succulent lightly pan fried rings served with a mixture of capers and other yummy things. So delicious. We also started with the buffalo mozzerela served with speck, cranberries, and basil. The cranberries were a refreshing alternative to the usual tomato pairing with this dish and it gave it a wintery feel.
For my main course I choose the parpadelle of the night, one with a pork ragu that was out of this world. I am really not a pork person but I could eat this any given day and be perfectly content! I also stole some bites of my companion's braised pork cheeks. Perhaps I should have saved the adjective "succulent" to describe this dish. I mean falling apart sticky sweet/spicy goodness paired with a hearty squash side. I love the portion sizes here, they fill you up but leave you room for the next course without making you feel like a double stuffed Oreo, which is why we obviously had to get dessert. We chose the homemade doughnut holes, great choice. Served with an apple/cinnamon sauce, poached apple slices, and apple gumdrops it was a light and sweet ending to our evening.
Il Posto's service was outstanding. Our server knew when to come over, and when to leave. The atmosphere is bustling but not overly hectic. I love the open kitchen but was not really enthused about sitting at the banquette with "everyone else". However, it fits with everything about the restaurant, they want you to make friends with your unexpected dining companions! Which we did actually! Il Posto also has a great wine list. The list exclusively features wines from Italy which adds to their authenticity and credibility. The service staff is very educated and passionate about wine so don't hesitate to ask any one of them questions. I will definitely be back to Il Posto. I usually go downtown for the "newest thing" but I keep finding that I am drawn back to 17th Ave as more and more cool places keep popping up here. Excited to see what's next!
Il Posto is delicious! Â I've been twice now and love that the menu varies daily. Â The servers are always friendly and knowledgeable and the food is always delectable.
The first visit, I went with my grandparents and we sat on the porch is nice crisp fall evening weather. Â They started us off with a free little taste of Lambrusco, which was excellent and not-too-sweet. Â We then each ordered a glass of wine, all of which were tasty, albeit a bit overpriced in my opinion. Â Each of our meals were great. Â My grandma and I both ordered a risotto that was yummy, but we wished was a bit warmer since we were being served outside. Â My grandpa ordered the ricotta gnocci which was to. die. for. and all of us agreed it was the best dish at the table.
Upon my return with a friend, I opted for the gnocci which was just as good as I remembered and we split an appetizer of patate that was really well flavored. Â I'll be back soon, and with a smile!
It is impossible to get into Il Posto on a Friday evening without reservations---so my grandaughter convinced the owner to let us sit outside in spite of the 55 degree temperature, and it was ok--after a glass of wine. Two of us had the risotto of the day, and I had the gnocchi of the day. It Turns out I was right, the gnocchi was near perfect. We'll be back, but with reservations for inside seatting.
The outside service was very good even though we surprised them.
I've been here more times than I can count and it is consistently wonderful. Â The menu is constantly changing, so specific recommendations are a bit irrelevant. Â (Except, they always have bombolini - cream filled donuts - for dessert. Â They are a must!)
Last night, I had 2 different pastas, one was paparadelle with pork and the other was taglietelle with shrimp - both amazing. Â We started with fresh tomatoes and smoked burrata. Â Finished with a salted butter caramel pudding with blueberry compote and shortbread. Â All of them were great. Â
The atmosphere is great. Â Perfect for a date or even a business meeting, depending on where you sit. Â It is quaint with small tables, fairly close together. Â Open kitchen, and when the weather is nice, open front and patio.
The only reason I do not give them a 5 star is because if you don't eat early in the night, they may run out of certain menu items. Â
One of my faves in Denver. Â Definitely worth it!
I went on a Sunday night not knowing that a lot of places in Denver close early or stay closed on Sundays.
This place was busy, but I was impressed that with just 3 wait staff, they moved quickly and efficiently. Â Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Â She suggested the unpulled burrata when they ran out of calamari. Â It was good, for sure, but I prefer the freshly pulled mozzarella from curd and hot salt water, if I had to compare. Â I also thought the cucumber didn't go as well with the cheese as did the flavorful tomatoes and basil.
We also tried the salad with pistachios and fennel- good but not something I'm dying to have again.
What really stood out was the pappardelle with meat sauce. Â The portion was small, but the pasta was home made and al dente. Â The ground meat was delicious, and they served just the right amount of parmesan. Â
My dinner companion had the risotto with saffron. Â I enjoyed the saffron on risotto, but the risotto didn't have the creamy texture I'm used to with arborio rice. Â Maybe the saffron threw it off and it would taste better with mushrooms...not sure, but something was un-risotto-like about it.
Still, this place is worth trying, and I like that they don't have the same menu items every day.
Terrific recent fri nite dinner. Risotto was done to perfection. Interesting lamb dish also perfectly done with beautiful and intriguing sides if pressed watermelon and roasted figs plus a novel "ash" pressing on plate to rub meat in that imparted a subtle charcoal flavor. Had a great super Tuscan from luce- montalcino region- made me change secondi plate to lamb from the branzino with soft shell crab which sounded cool too! Lucas is doing great with platings and Mario made my wife's risotto - she called it best she hadn't made herself and she is a 'risotto snob' - it earned Mario a 6 pk of fat tire from the liquor store at the corner!
Review Source:So my wife and I each got two appetizers, two entres, and two desserts. Â We split them and shared. Â The overall impression is that everything is fresh but the food here is not "to die for" and definitely not worth over $150 bill.
If you are trying every chic restaurants in town, then try it. Â Otherwise try something else like Rioja, The Kitchen, or Cafe Vendome.
We found ourselves at Il Posto because we were looking for good food for lunch but also wanted something in a "cute" atmosphere. Â After running down a list of places, agreed on Il Posto for its lunch menu and sunny dining room.
Lodged in between dive bars and liquor stores, you wouldn't guess that a fine dining Italian restaurant is lurking on 17th Ave. It is a relatively small place and can get busy on the weekends. Â The menu changes daily but you can always count on the same general round of apps. and some variety of risotto options. Â If you are looking for a glass of wine with your lunch, try the house white for $5 or red for $6. Â I always enjoy risotto and since I feel Denver generally lacks it, I'm hard to talk into anything else when I find some as good as this. Â I'm not raving about this place but it is reliable and not overly trendy.
Il Posto is nice, without being out of my price range like some other Denver Italian places and in a neighborhood I rather go to than the downtown options. Â My recommendation go for lunch one day, sit back with a glass of wine on their porch or next to the large front windows and enjoy a little laid back time with good food.
What a joke!
"Organic Green Label Pancetta." Huh? Who gives a rat's ass? Andrea Frizzi, my son, you have gone over the edge. Tatoos, flowers, hearts of palm and marinated rubabrb on a plate with foie gras? From where did you get these silly ideas? The drama of it all, the giant plates with minuscule portions ...$18 for over-cooked, mushy papardelle smothered, and I do mean, smothered in a sour "pork belly" sauce which had some other non-descript mushy thing lurking under the pasta. A calamari stuffed with some breading. None of it had any flavor, but it looked cool, served on a long skinny vessel with 4-beans floating around. The calamari were rubbery and the stuffing was worse than my great grandmothers Thanksgiving Day turkey stuffing. You know the type...has that faint smell of urine in everything...
The gnocchi was also over-cooked and mushy. (Does Il Post mean "mushy" pin Italian?)
But the biggest tragedy of all was watching the cooks, all tattooed, and greasy, sweating over the plates, using their hands to move the food, wiping their hands on dirty towels and then using the same dirty towels to wipe clean the plates. The open kitchen has devolved into a showcase of the absurd.
Woe is me..what does this joint have to do with Italian food? And all the adoring fans, sitting there thinking, "This must be good, because it sure looks cool."
Pitiful, absolutely pitiful.
I can't help thinking II Posto is the sort of place that people feel like they're supposed to really like, even though it's not all that fabulous. We visited with two friends and it was very underwhelming.
The menu was okay. Nothing stood out as a "must have" choice. (I think their wine list was probably more impressive than the menu. But only 2 of the 4 of us drink, so that didn't help much.) I had the gnocchi, which was served on a huge plate. However, there was far more plate than gnocchi. The amount you would expect in a "tapas" style serving.
The dessert list was impressive, but our wallets were already pretty hammered by that point (w/tip, it was $160 for the four of us), so we declined the temptation.
Service was quite blah. Slow and not all that personable. The space is average, not very pretty. Not very much seating available, so make a reservation is you're intent on dining here. Otherwise, could be a long wait on a busy night.
What a fabulous restaurant!
I came last night with my friend who had a bad experience before but loved the food so much he had to give it a second whirl. I'm happy he did because it was such a great dining experience.
We started off with a rabbit appetizer. Rabbit you ask? Yes. I was a little hesitant but it was great! The breast and the thigh were cooked perfectly, a little gamey, but the flavor was amazing.
I got the risotto with asparagus and saffron. OMG. It literally melted in my mouth. The creamy, smooth taste I could have eaten all night! My friend ordered the steak and of course I had to have a bite. YUM YUM YUM! It literally melted in my mouth.
No complaints here, I'd be back in a heart beat!
Il Posto has a lot going for it. Fresh ingredients, with a menu that changes daily, great staff, amazing wine list (with a great sommelier). On top of that, a chef/owner who seems impossibly on top of things as he whirls from guest tables to greeting station to the kitchen with the busy cheerfulness of a man who clearly loves his job.
Reading some of the poor reviews, I get the sense that people are not happy with the "Price to Value" ratio. There are some complaints about plate size, though I think these complaints fail to account for the fact that the menu follows the Italian "Two Course" model. You should expect to get a pasta dish (Primi) and an entree (Secondi). These two courses will set you back about $15 for the first and ~$25 for the second, which means $40 before talking about Appetizers or beverages. The wine list is also on the pricey side, with some impressive Italian finds coming in at $30 and up into triple digits.
While these prices do give me pause, Il Posto has some great values as well. The Appetizer menu has numerous dishes around $11 and the helpings are generous enough for two people to share. Further, the tasting menu has three courses plus wine for $82 per person, which is a pretty good find. When you consider that each dish is crafted from local, fresh ingredients that change daily, you understand that there will be a bit of a premium since the chef cannot develop long term pricing and bulk purchases. So with all those things considered, I feel Il Posto shows a pretty good price to value ratio.
Our dining party of four showed up with reservations on a busy Friday night. We were seated promptly and walked through the menu and wine list with very knowledgeable staff. We split two appetizers, the first being an absolutely fresh and delicious soft-shelled crab fried whole. The second was a buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto and strawberries. It was fine, though the mozzarella seemed a bit lost between the strong saltiness of ham and tart berry flavors.
The star of the evening was the Gnocchi, which came with a smoked tomato sauce. It was amazing. Other highlights included a monk fish with Foie Gras and a filet mignon with tartar on top. Â All were executed very well. I had the muscovy duck, which was fine if a little bit cold (it was served with all the pieces cut up, and they cooled down too quickly). All entrees were gorgeously arranged, with an almost impressionist twist to them.
All in all, I heartily recommend Il Posto. It is on the pricey side, so it may have to wait for special occasions. But the atmosphere, staff and inventive menu are the perfect match to just such a special occasion.
I grew up in North Jersey which is the land of delicious Italian restaurants, had many Italian friends and neighbors and consequently, my fair share of Sunday pasta dinners. As such, Italian is probably my least favorite food to go out for - I would rather just eat at my loved ones homes. In Denver, I do not have the pleasure of having an Italian family in my circle of friends but I do have a friend that wanted to go out for Italian and Il Posto is in walking distance from home.
Sorry gang, but besides the soft, chewy italian bread the rest of this food was less than stellar and quite pricey. The app, which i forgot what it was, was so-so, and the entree, monkfsh of some sort, was downright bad. WAY too fishy tasting. Sure, the space is cute (borderline cramped) and the staff is friendly, but this meal reinforces why I do not go out for Italian.
I went to Il Posto over the weekend with my husband and four friends for Restaurant Week.
The atmosphere at Il Posto is great--intimate without being too cramped. Â When we got there, the restaurant was pretty full but we were seated right away. Â The first of several waiters came to the table and took our drink orders, then brought bread and olive oil, which we really enjoyed. Â
I had a hard time deciding on my meal, even though the menu was small, but I ended up splitting a $14 meat plate with my husband (it had prosciutto, guanciale, and another meat, along with grissini), then going for the cockles/clams appetizer, the oxtail pappardelle, and the scallops entree. Â I thought the food was very good; however, the servings are pretty small, so if you're looking for a hearty meal, you'll have to order a lot or go somewhere else. Â (The food comes out in these huge plates with a tiny cutout in the center, so when you first see the waiter bringing it over, you're like, "Wow, that's going to be a HUGE portion," but when it actually gets to the table you see how small it is.) Â My friends seemed to enjoy their food too.
The issue we had was that the service was slow. Â We were seated just before 7:00 p.m. and didn't end up leaving until after 9:30 p.m. (and that's without having dessert). Â There was literally a half hour between courses. Â I'm not sure if that's the way it's supposed to be but it really felt like a long time to us because we were pretty hungry.
To sum it up, Il Posto's food is pretty terrific, but the portions are small and the service seems to be very slow. Â I'd probably go back again to try something different, but maybe not on a Saturday.
I went here for 5280 week under the suggestion of my good friend. Â I was prepared to be mildly disappointed in it due to some of the Yelp reviews but I was happily pleased with the entire experience!
Great service--didn't know who really was our waiter but it's clear the entire restaurant, including the manager, work together to provide quality service. Â The environment was a bit cramped but besides that I really dug the space. Â The food...well, I have to say the 5280 menu was a terrific balance of variety, thoughtfulness, and creativity. Â Yeah, the plates are small but you get to try so much! Â 5280 + a bottle of wine was delightful. Â Personally, I enjoyed the scallops mixed with the citrus sauce on my entree--what a pairing.
We will definitely be going back there.
My in-laws were in town last week and we wanted to take them to an italian restaurant that they would love and we trusted that Il Posto would be a successful dining experience due to all of the glowing reviews we've seen online. Â
There are a few things that I love about this place. Â The atmosphere is quite lovely and romantic. Â Dim and candlelit. Â I also love when the kitchen is open. Â It gives it a bit of a more casual feel. Â This place does not feel pretentious but I personally think they can put out plates that taste much better than what we experienced. Â The food/plates felt overworked and some of the components seemed misplaced in some of the dishes. Â I also love that they have a seasonal menu that they change daily. Â
I will start by saying they do have a nice wine selection but bottles start at 38.00 which is outrageous in my opinion. Â I wished they had a few great selections for under 30.00. Â We ended up settling on a bottle that our server suggested that was $38 and we appreciated his help in choosing. Â
We wanted to share everything that we ordered and it wasn't a good idea because the portions ended up being very small. Â
I ordered the duck and foie gras appetizer and while I thought the duck and foie gras were cooked perfectly, there was a lack of seasoning from the start. Â If you like VERY simple, you may have appreciated this dish but it was lacking any sort of decadence or memorable sauce on the plate to bring all of the components together. Â There were a few slices of citrus, a few sprigs of undressed greens and very little sauce (if any) scattered scarcely on the plate. Â We passed the plate around the table and within mere seconds we were sitting there waiting for our pasta course.
I would say about 10-15 minutes passed and our pasta course arrived. Â My mother in law ordered the farfalle pasta tossed with ham, broccolini (or broccoli rabe, perhaps?) and a pretty pungent vinegar-y sauce. Â We ordered the homemade gnocchi tossed in pesto. Â The gnocchi were beautifully made. Â Pillowy and light as gnocchi should be and the pesto had a lovely brightness to it but lacked basic seasoning. Â If they would have added a bit more salt to the pesto, it would have hit the nail on the head but the lack of salt left the pesto a bit boring. Â The other pasta dish was just ok. Â I wanted more complexity and it just was not there. Â I will say that the homemade pasta's were refreshing to eat. Â It's not often that you come across a restaurant that makes all of their pastas in-house. Â
Once again, the portions were small, it took us seconds to consume both pasta dishes and were eagerly waiting for our main courses to come in hopes that perhaps they wouldn't fall short.
The kitchen and restaurant were very very busy that evening and there was about a 20-30 minute lag between our pasta course and our main course. Â I tend to not get upset about things like this though because when a restaurant is busy, I understand that the kitchen is weeded and getting pissed about it isn't in good taste. Â
I could not help but wonder though if the kitchen was putting too much time and focus into the 'artistry' of each plate rather than the flavor profiles and it was perhaps distracting from the ability to get both delicious AND eye appealing food out to the hungry diners? Â
Our entrees eventually arrived and unfortunately I lost faith in the possibility of leaving satisfied at that point. Â My husband and I ordered the steak (I think it was a ribeye but I can't remember 100%) and it was not exciting. Â It was served mid-rare and under seasoned with no delicious sauce accompaniment, a few turnips (no salt pepper) scattered and a very small side of some sort of spicy cold clam ceviche that felt strange and misplaced. Â My father in law ordered the scallops and they were cooked perfectly and seasoned well but the plate, once again was a mess of hearts of palm (under seasoned) and citrus fruit and some greens. Â No sauce to speak of (even if it was there...) and too much emphases on making the plate look like an abstract piece of art. Â My mother in law ordered the chicken and it was fine. Â Cooked well and swimming in broth which tasted delicious. Â
Lastly we ordered deserts and I'm not even going to get into that too much. Â The desert menu is misleading and none of the deserts we ordered were worth a second try ever. Â For instance, I ordered the Limone desert which was described as three different citrus based deserts. Â The actual desert was a microscopic square of lemon mouse, literally 3 crumbs of some kind of stale cake and a 'smear' of some kind of goat cheese lemon pudding tasting nonsense. Â My husband ordered the 'chocolate' desert and out came a very large plate with what looked like a minuscule spoonful of cozy shack chocolate pudding, a 'SMEAR' of white chocolate nonsense and a few raspberries that had been tossed in balsamic vinegar. Â
long story longer...290.00 later...we just didn't love the food here. Â At all.
Why hello. How have we not met before? I am quite smitten.
I love that your atmosphere is romantic and quaint without being pretentious-brick walls, chalkboard menu and open kitchen. Perfect.
I love that you provide and endless supply of fresh, warm bread and the perfect olive oil for dipping.
I love everything I ate-cauliflower soup, gnocchi, risotto and a bite of the husband's tender beef shoulder.
I love how knowledgable Eric is; he recommended perfect pairings for our meal and gave great background on everything we sampled.
I did not love the expense-$240 during 5280 week seems a bit counterintuitive, but there were 4 of us and we did have desserts and wine, in all fairness.
Will be back for a special occasion, or regularly when I hit the lotto.
I am disappointed to have to write such a review since my previous Il Posto experience was so enjoyable. Â Unfortunately, this evenings affair was a dining travesty. Â
Made reservations on open table for 7:30. Â Arrived 15 minutes early and we were seated 20 minutes late. Â They actually seated a group of 3 with no reservation before us! Â Waitresses were way to busy, and the restaurant was way to crowded.
We sat at 7:50, didn't get our entree until 9:15. Â The bread was cold, the portions were small and for 5280 week they had an extremely reduced menu. Â 3 Entrees on the menu to choose from and they were out of 1 of them when they sat us at 7:50. Â My wife ordered the Risotto and it came out luke warm and sloppy.
5280 is supposed to be an opportunity for restaurants to showcase their culinary talent and offerings and Il Posto failed miserably.
I will say that our waitress did as best a job as she could, bring out water and attempting to keep us apprised. Â Management definitely set the wait staff up fro fail. Â Would discourage any 5280'ers from going to Il Posto until they are back to their full menu.
I've been wanting to try this upscale Italian place since they opened. This is part of the 17th Ave row of new restaurants and they seem to come and go; I really, really, hope this place sticks around! It is my new favorite Italian in town.
The menu is relatively small and changes day to day. The influence is eclectic, but with strong Northern Italy influence. I had an early reservation because we were going to the Vintage Theater down the block. The owner/chef seated me and my server was right there. My friends were tied up in traffic and the server came back to check on me, talk about the menu, and just chat. She was great!
When my friends arrived they brought complimentary Aperitif of some sort of cranberry liqueur for my friends, since I don't drink alcohol, a shot of cranberry juice for me.
I had the duck breast with Foie Gras, citrus, and yogurt. My friends had chicken breast and a California Halibut. For dessert we had Zeppole (Italian donuts) in vanilla pudding and lemon curd. One of my friends and I split a pasta dish and the other had a wonderful smoked mozzarella with a sliced salami.
We all agreed it was about as good as it gets. Very inventive, served beautifully, service was superb throughout. The owner/chef came over to check on us and opened the door for us when we left.
I have one comment about people who leave poor reviews because they go into a small upscale restaurant and cannot get seated or find they are out of some of the specials. I have to wonder what they are thinking of? If they don't want to wait there are a lot of restaurants where the food is average and there is no wait. The reason specials sell out is because they are special.
This place is way above average and I strongly recommend it.
I am actually amazed that anyone would have anything bad to say about Il Posto! I highly enjoyed my experience here. It is a very small, elegant interior, with a setup that flows really well.
And the food? Oh the food.
The gnocchi was life changing - absolutely wonderful! We had four courses and a delicious bottle of wine. Everything was fabulous, so flavorful. We sat at the bar and it was so fun to watch our delicious meal being prepared. Service was fantastic!
Prosecco snow, mustard foam, Opa bacon, and long pepper gel? To me, those were once things that only existed on the television cooking shows I obsessively watch. That's until I attended Christmas Eve dinner at Il Posto. We had no choice of what we were to be served as they had a six course "traditional" Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner set per Italian tradition.
Dish after dish, me and my family were awed by the presentation. From the creamy Alaskan king crab bisque to the Muscovy duck confit that was my favorite, I was really in awe of the chef's work. There was not one plate that did not satisfy me and the entire experience goes down as one of the best meals I have ever had.
When we first arrived, the owner sent us next door to wait until our table opened up. That was ok seeing as he personally came to fetch us when it was ready and also made sure to check up on us later on. The space itself is tiny but intimate and really makes for a overall comfortable experience. After getting a tasting of a variety of dishes from the kitchen, I'm eager to go back for more.
After an evening of lights at the Denver Zoo, a small group of us stopped in to Il Posto about 30 minutes early for our 8:15 reservation. Even before we made it past the front door, Owner/Chef Andrea scolded us, telling us we were late for dinner. Unfortunately, he had us confused with another party, who had missed their 7:30 reservation time. He apologized and sent us to the bar next door until our table cleared. (Strange way to greet clients).
I had high expectations of this place, especially as I learned more about the ever changing menu. Our group ordered the cheese and meat plate as an appetizer, which was quite good, but a bit pricey. For our entree we ordered the bistecca (steak) and the skate fin (fish). Our dishes arrived about 20 minutes after the appetizer was cleared, which was somewhat understandable considering the restaurant was at full capacity. Unfortunately, my steak was almost cold. I tried to enjoy my dish, but felt like it needed salt or better seasoning. I had to flag down my server and request salt and pepper, as they don't have any on the table. This took another 5 minutes.
I was disappointed in the service and the overall attitude of the staff. I had the displeasure of hearing the owner yell "What the F*@k happened?" after a server accidentally dropped and broke a glass item. Additionally, our server managed to spill drippings from a steak into my wife's purse. As the night wound down, our server spent more time attending to her boyfriend/spouse at the corner of the bar than attending to clients.
I want to give this place three stars, but "A-Okay" seems a bit high for a rating. Maybe two and one-half for "Okay" would be more appropriate.
I don't pretend to know much about authentic Italian cooking, but my husband does. (Not sure that living in Italy for six months makes him an expert.) Â He made date night reservations for us at Il Posto about a month ago. It won us over right from the start.
We were a few minutes early, so they said we could go get a drink at the Thin Man while we waited. Of course, we took them up on the offer. It's such a neighborly gesture to share their customers like that. Â They came to get us, and we were greeted by our bubbly server in a minute or two.
I ordered a chicken dish with pancetta. I forgot how much chicken bones creep me out, but other than that, it was delicious: Â flavorful, juicy, and a good size for me. I was out-ordered by my husband, though. Â He ordered walleye that I was skeptical of (why order seafood where there is no sea?) but it was definitely fresh. Â
We saw people get the sampler menu- I am probably butchering the name- and I think I'd get that the next time. It's definitely a special occasion place, but I want to go back!
I've been to Il Posto several times over the last couple of years and each time has been a great experience. Â Top notch food and service in a fun atmosphere is hard to beat. Â I took a date there last Friday for dinner and it was probably my best time there yet.
We were greated by chef/owner Andrea, a super nice guy that's amazing in the kitchen. Â He led us to a table outside, it was postcard weather and we were glad we got a chance to enjoy it. Â Our waiter went over the wine list and helped us make a good selection. Â We actually got something that wasn't on the list and had just come in, a pinot nero that was great.
We decided to split items in each of the sections of the menu - apps, pasta, risotto, and main courses. Â If you're in not a hurry I suggest doing this too - especially if you're on a date, as it's fun and is a way to try a few things. Â Â The menu changes every day depending on season and availability of ingredients. Â I LOVE that setup, keeps things fresh all the way around.
We jumped in with both feet and started with an order of veal sweetbreads with foie gras. Â It was easily the best preparation of each I've had, especially the sweetbreads, they were tender and full of flavor. Â We went for the tagliatelle with a sausage ragu on the next course. Â There's nothing quite like fresh made pasta that's paired with a good meat sauce, it was absolutely divine! Â Next up was the pork osso bucco risotto and it also bordered on perfection. Â Chunks of pork with risotto that had been masterfully prepared, sooooo good! Â Finally we ended with the burrata stuffed chicken breast that was pan roasted with organic oyster mushrooms, house cured pancetta and Peroni beer. Â Crispy skin, moist meat, and more than we could finish, half went home with us. Â
Il Posto is probably not for those that are looking for "traditional" spaghetti and meatballs, or similarly Americanized Italian food. Â This is real deal Northern Italian style food. Â The ingredients are the freshest available, often with a Colorado angle, and the chefs have some seriously mad skills. Â Street parking is pretty easy to find nearby, and there a couple of bars right there that offer good places to start and/or end a night out. Â
We are pretty lucky to have a place like Il Posto in Denver, and I strongly recommend it. Â You (and your taste buds) will not be disappointed!
The place is simple and tasty. I was most impressed by a salad - it came with sheep's milk cheese and a pepper vinaigrette, such a surprising kick to it! The pappardelle was tasty with no frills. The chicken dish with oyster mushrooms and pancetta was really neat - a perfectly cooked bone-in quarter of chicken sitting in a plate of broth, with mushrooms and perfectly cooked pacetta surrounding it. It looks like they change their menu daily, which is always great.
The atmosphere was nice and relaxed - when we first came in, the waitress brought a couple tasters of sparkling rose wine. She was really sweet and recommended some dishes to us. The service was quick and professional while remaining warm.
Overall, I think it's 4 stars. The reason for 4 and not 5 is because the prices were a bit on the high side for the level of food. Overall a great experience though!
Conflicted. Want to give 4 stars, but cannot. Our party of 4 has a great time, but I am not sure that I will return.
+ Food quality. Excellent. Andrea and his crew know how to cook.
* Fantastic calamari appetizer. Tender squid and a very tasty anchovy sauce. Loved it.
* Gnocchi. Little airy pillows with a pungent arugula pesto.
* Chicken. Moist. Great rich reduction sauce with mushrooms.
+ Atmosphere. We sat outside on a perfect spring evening. Just the right noise level. People talking and enjoying themselves. No noticable traffic noise.
+ Wine quality. Very good. We enjoyed bottles of:
* Prosecco Veneto $25
* Bardalino Chiaretto Classico (rosato) 35
* Cannonau di Sardegna (rosse) $35
* (glass) Grappa di Rue $10
- Service. Very erratic.
* Both the prosecco and rose arrived at too warm a temperature.
* No flutes for the prosecco.
* Took forever to get bread.
* Took way too long to take our order.
* Ordered butter and had to ask 3 times for it.
* Not offered wine in a timely manner.
- Food quantity. Portions are too small.
* I don't go for the giant portions of food that are served at Macaroni Grill, but I expect more than 1 ounce of cheese in a $16 appetizer.
* The chicken was great, but again the amount of chicken was absurdly small.
- Wine prices. Only 1 wine (I don't count Lambrusco) for $25. All the others were $30 and up. Actually, only two wines at $30. Then comes $35. We love wine, but the limited selection of reasonably priced wines is abysmal. Having just spent 5 days in NYC and had plenty of wines for $18-$25, I don't understand why Il Posto is so over priced.
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