Restaurant Kevin Taylor

On January 22^nd, 2014 I made reservations. One at Kevin Taylor fine dining restaurant and the other at Prima their more casual restaurant, both located in Teatro Hotel in Denver, Colorado where we were staying. The reservations were for April 26^th & 27^th respectively. About 6 weeks later I got a call from them canceling my ⁴⁄₂₆ reservation because they were closing Kevin Taylor restaurant and leaving the hotel. The Prima reservation remained intact as it was leaving the hotel at a later date and could still accommodate us. They did not offer to accommodate us at one of their other restaurants in town.
We live 340 miles north and on the way down on ⁴⁄₂₅ two days before our remaining reservation at Prima they called my cell phone to cancel that reservation because they took a «private party» for that night and were closing the restaurant to the prior made reservations, hotel guests and the public. Again even after asking, they did not offer to accommodate us in one of their other restaurants or help us with a reservation at another restaurant. They suggested I talk to the hotel concierge and get them to make other arrangements for us. No apology, no help just a greedy policy to dump a reservation for a larger group 2 days before my wife’s birthday dinner. Honestly I would not have gone to another one of their places if they had offered after the nightmare I experienced already. We were fortunate the 2^nd reservation cancelled was not on a Friday or Saturday or we may not have secured a nice place to eat at the time we needed. As it was we went to Osteria Marco on Larimer and it was excellent.
The lack of customer relation skills from Kevin Taylor Restaurant was very surprising. It gave me the impression that the «leadership» at this restaurant group thinks they are so great they don’t have to be in the hospitality business. I guess more power to them if they can get away with it. It was stressful and rude in my opinion. Probably a blessing they cancelled both our reservations.

My wife and I wanted to ‘do’ Denver’s finest and Kevin Taylor’s menu and unique wine list did not let us down! We had a wonderful tasting menu meal and the service was perfect. We look forward to our next stay in the four seasons and dining across the street at Kevin Taylor’s Restaurant.

I had really high expectations of Restaurant Kevin Taylor for Denver Restaurant Week and honestly, I was a little disappointed. I should’ve known right away when I had to call 5 times to make a reservation before anyone answered. Actually, I finally gave up and called back the next day. I found that weird…
Anyways, our server was very polite but lacked a little in the personality department, which maybe is how they’re supposed to act but for me, it was a little awkward. Onto the food! Their breads are great and my fiancé and I genuinely appreciate soft butter, but my salad left a little to be desired. I felt the dressing needed a bit more of a punch. The entrees were great, though! I had the salmon and my fiancé had the tenderloin and short rib and everything on both plates were phenomenal! We were mostly happy with the desserts, but I don’t think we’re fancy enough for beet garnishes…
Overall, I think it was one of those «it’s me, not you» situations. The tone and atmosphere just weren’t what we prefer. It’s still a very nice restaurant with nice service and good food, but it just wasn’t our thing. I guess you never know until you try, right?

My friend took me here to celebrate my b-​day. Cameron, our server, acknowledged my b-​day right away. We were in good hands. I did the 6-​course tasting menu. These were some of the prettiest, most interesting dishes I’ve ever had. The flavors were all very layered. Cameron shared info about each wine that was paired with each course. I think of the 6 courses the scallop was my favorite. I love an expertly prepared scallop.

So my girlfriend made me take out all the profanity, so this is Take Two.
Showed up early for reservation. Were seated 20 minutes AFTER our reservation time.
No one arrived to take our order for more than ½ an hour. It took another ½ hour for the amuse bouchée to arrive.
Our appetizer didn’t arrive for almost an hour after that. Soup took an additional hour. And it was wrong. And our wine pairing was missed.
Our waiter disappeared for 30 – 45 minutes at a time and the hostess was clueless … and not in the cute 90s Paul Rudd movie way.
Ill just stop here because I feel another angry wave of profanity coming on.
One positive: bread guy was on top of his shit all night long. We did not suffer for lack of carbohydrates.
Food was meh. Service was awful. Just awful.
******
UPDATE
They acknowledged their screw up (s) and gave us a sizeable credit on the bill and apologized
The apology alone warrants points. Sometimes shit happens. They get back a star.

Fancy!
My in-​laws took us here for dinner before we saw «The Messiah» at the DCPA. If you want a fancy dinner before any event, Kevin Taylor is probably a good place to go. Attentive service, great menu, classy ambiance, and they understand you’re on your way somewhere else.
We had:
–I had the lobster salad, and was confused because it was very much not a salad– essentially no greens. The candied pomegranate was interesting, I enjoyed the avocado buttermilk dressing, and you can’t go too wrong with giant lobster pieces.
–The rest of the group had the cappuccino lobster bisque and said it was great, although the «bacon espuma» was generally considered odd and to be trying too hard. Why make foam out of perfectly good bacon?
–Two of us ordered the crispy Scottish salmon, and it was fantastic– perfectly cooked (crispy outside, juicy inside, not overdone) and the sides were great as well, especially the chard ravioli.
–My husband had the sirloin and brisket. He said the sirloin was great, but the brisket was only okay. He’s a huge fan of horseradish so he loved the horseradish potatoes, and said the onion sauce was very good as well.
–My father-​in-​law had the striped bass and enjoyed it. I traded my brocolini for his asparagus, and can vouch for it too.
Why only four stars? Because even though the food is very good and the ambiance is great, the price is a little bit ridiculous– I’m sorry, but a small cup of soup just isn’t worth $ 17, and it wouldn’t kill them to offer a glass of wine or two under $ 14. (Although to be fair, when my father-​in-​law decided he wanted the same wine I’d ordered, they gave us a deal on what was left of the bottle, so that was nice).
I’d recommend Kevin Taylor if you want a classy night out and you seriously want to splurge, but I’ve had better meals in Denver for less money elsewhere.

We went here a few weeks back when the better half’s family flew in from S. America. Service was impeccable; never an empty glass and it seemed as if there were at least 2 waiters per table, at the least. After we were seated and ordered apéritif drinks, they brought a complimentary amuse bouche, which was a nice touch, given the fact that I was expecting to pay for every breath of air I drew here. The place is super spendy if you’re going to do it right, but you really do get what you pay for. Everyone loved their entrees and the deserts were decadent in the way you know you love (admit it). It’s a lot of classic French technique with modern American, and even Colorado, twists. Unless you’re über-​rich, this isn’t the place to plan on for the weekly dinner out, but it’s a fantastic place for an occasion.

Butter poached lobster… bison sirloin… super fork tender braised beef short rib…& snickers dessert!!! Heaven great food & exquisite service!!!

My wife and I went there for an early dinner on a Friday night — arrived at 6, departed a bit after 8.
The most noteworthy negative (more of a head-​scratcher than anything else) was that the place was deserted. My wife and I were the only customers until close to 7:30, when a four-​top arrived, and then just before we left another two-​top came in. On a Friday night. While we didn’t experience anything to justify that, we certainly had to wonder what was up. We never did figure it out.
The food was highly professional, flavorful, well prepared, good ingredients. A bit too fiddly /​«creative» for my taste, but I enjoyed found something (the lamb loin) I enjoyed.
The service was very good — professional, just a scosh impersonal, but helpful. Given the lack of others in the dining room, we could have been swamped with servers, but they struck a good balance between attentive and leaving us alone.
The ambiance was nice — an elegant dining space with good vocal/​jazz in the background and (at our table) nice people-​watching of folks and traffic on 14^th Street. No idea how it would be if completely full.
The wine list was broad, and pricy. They offered sommelier help, which I declined.
Overall price was high, but a fair value. It’s definitely a «special occasion» restaurant.
I expect to go back again, though it won’t be an imperative.

I had a stellar experience at this restaurant.
1. Food was excellent
2. Service was exceptional
3. They went above and beyond
We mentioned it was a birthday dinner and they brought us complimentary champagne. We showed interest in scallops and the chef sent us a gift tasting. They were slightly late on a dessert and they comped us both desserts.
Foie Gras: Amazing
Entrees: Exceptional and not teeny tiny
Dessert: Original
I would come back in a heartbeat.

Our company needed to host a private dinner during a conference in Denver. After scouring Unilocal and confirming with Zagat, I suggested Restaurant Kevin Taylor to the Partners. The private wine cellar room and variety of menu options were key to getting agreement, but it was the wine list and location that sealed the deal. The events manager was a pleasure to work with and it was easy to prepare for the dinner (menu selections, etc.). I especially liked the local flavors that the menu featured, from Colorado bass and lamb to fresh local veggies. Service was great — our own server plus additional helpers as needed. Wine was plentiful and tasty, and dessert was to die for. Here’s our menu, in case you wondered:
Three Course Menu @ $ 55.00
Appetizer/​Soup/​Salad:
— Pimenton Seared Hawaiian Tuna — simple, low carb and YUM.
— Maine Lobster and Lemongrass Bisque — Partner A was practically licking his bowl.
— Organic Greens & Humbolt Fog Ash Goat Cheese — my seatmate raved about the cheese.
Entrée:
— Dry Aged Angus NY Sirloin & Slow Braised Short Rib — all of the carnivores opted for the lamb, so no review!
— Colorado Striped Bass & Frito Misto — soft, tender, and flavorful
— Roast Colorado Lamb Rack & Shoulder en Croute — very good but some complained that it was a bit too well done.
— Braised White Bean Cassoulet (vegetarian) — a lone vegetarian had this and enjoyed every.single.bite.
Dessert:
— Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee — the sighs of ecstasy lead me to believe it was good.
— Bittersweet Liquid Center Chocolate Cake — to die for.
— Panna Cotta — tasty.
Wines
— Champagne: Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin «Yellow Lable» Brut 375 mL
— Sauvignon Blanc: Cakebread Cellars 2009
— Cabernet Sauvignon: Jordan, Alexander Valley 2005
All of the beverages were fabulous. Absolutely no complaints. A little singing towards the end of the night, but that’s the mark of a good business dinner. :)
The 20 attendees raved about the food and service. They gave me way too much credit when all I did was rely on you, dear Unilocalsters, to steer me in the right direction.

Okay well I went here while my friend was visiting me in town from Vegas, April 28^th, 2012 and we were very pleasantly surprised. We were dressed for a night out on town as where this place seemed more of an upscale classy almost black/​white place. Our hotel concierge made our reservations for this place since my friend likes posh high ended places. So well for what we got and a decent bottle of french wine it came out to basically $ 100 per person and SOOOO worth it! My husbands client Loves this place so, I’m tagging along the next time.
I posted pics and was sneaking to take them because it didn’t look like I should’ve been taking pictures. lol so we were on the alert and guard when quickly snapping them.
We had the tasting menu on the left side and Everything on there was delicious. From the Duck Confit, chicken wings, Smoked Brisket My favorite and the rest was delicious, I just figured you could see the pics for yourself.
We also got on the a la carte 4 choices on the right side of the menu. I loved the potato crusted Halibut. The portions were a perfect size, especially if you’re watching what you eat, but the Entrée’s were actually pretty huge. I’m used to intimate classy places having small portions, like in Vegas at Fleur de Lys las Vegas in the Mandalay Casino. This place was a treat, but I think the night before was more of our style at ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro.
This place is more of a nice romantic date or to take clients too, though I’d prefer to just go w/​me and the hubs, since my appetite is much bigger than the average person.
We actually spent the same amount here that we did at ChoLon, but we did try almost everything on the menu and had tons of left overs at ChoLon. We did however finish our meal at Kevin Taylor and Loved their food to the MAX!

I am going to have to be another Unilocaler to wish I could give this restaurant more than five stars. I had a vendor dinner here in December and I was totally blown away! We had dinner in their wine cellar which is always best for our group to have a private room. The wine was amazing, service unlike anything I have ever experienced, and they were so accommodating. We had a set menu for the event and none of it was vegan friendly — I didn’t expect it to be but you never know. The host politely asked if they could make me my own menu and they were more than happy. I didn’t feel let out actually I felt very special and they were great enough not to make a big deal out of it or act as if I was an inconvenience (which is a feeling servers easily give their ‘special’ diners when we make their jobs just a little trickier)
Such a wonderful night — order the Cake Bread wine it is superb!

A sublime experience from the apertif & amuse bouche to the cheese course & coffee.
REALLY.
By the end of the meal I was wishing for a second stomach and a sugar-​daddy so I could do it all over again.

Another stop during restaurant week.
The evening started with a bottle of wine and they gave us a slice french baguette and a slice of their olive bread. The waitstaff was very attentive and very nice. Our waiter even threw in the third dessert option so we could taste all three. I started with the tuna spring roll, a rare ahi tuna steak wrapped in a eggroll wrapper. My husband had the pork belly which was very tasty. I picked the seared sea scallops with the ravioli. The scallops were cooked perfectly, melt in your mouth, not chewy, and so delightful. Three small lobster raviolis, baby carrots and edamame were on the side. You could tell that the raviolis were made in house. He had the lamb loin with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were smooth, buttery and slightly salty. The lamb loin, cooked med rare was very good, but the mushrooms stole the show on this one.
We originally ordered the chocolate flourless cake and tres leches, and the waiter threw in the crème brûlée. And I am so glad he did. The crème brûlée was the best EVER! So creamy, rich, full of vanilla beans, nice crispy top and made me sing with every bite! The tres leches was really good, I’m not too much of a flourless cake fan, but it was very chocolaty. If you don’t order the brulee, you’re missing out on flying on a cloud in heaven until you leave your seat. Oh, Restaurant Kevin Taylor you now have my #1 spot for favorite restaurants, sorry Mizuna, back to second.

Turns out to be restaurant week, but I was just hoping to get a last minute reservation to match our last minute theater tickets.
Expectations don’t get much higher than Kevin Taylor’s in Denver. Our previous trip was a wonderful evening in the wine cellar and a long tasting menu.
The service met those expectations full stop. They were attentive, completely on top of my wife’s food allergies, and generally helpful and friendly. Top marks for the folks that work there.
The food was executed nearly flawlessly and we enjoyed it all immensely. However, at a fine dining restaurant I want ‘WOWS’ — the best piece of _​fill in the blank_​I’ve ever had, combinations I’ve never experienced, etc. There were only a couple of these.
With the Poached Lobster app we were headed in the right directly. It was delicately rich and wonderful. The Pork Belly was also good, though less of a standout. It was appropriately fatty, but I was hoping for some bolder flavors to cut it. I could barely taste the peppercorn element, which I think would have been right on. The Bass entrée was well done, but I enjoyed the Bison more. It paired some of the tenderest Bison (or meat, to be honest) I have ever had with short rib ravioli.
Finally the Chocolate Torte was dense, I really enjoyed the Sauternes underneath. My wife couldn’t indulge in the desserts, so they brought her an embarrassingly large plate of fresh fruit. I stole some for the torte, and she still didn’t finish it.
Incidentally they recently change tea providers, and I enjoyed their Oolong.
This was a solid, enjoyable, comfortable experienced with excellent service. It was a bit of a steal for $ 90, even with some ‘supplements’. On some level I hope they would consider a four ( Unilocal) star rating a bit of a letdown, but I’m happy to let them try again.

I have mixed feelings about this place. I have always felt that I would only give a 4 or 5 star rating to a place that I would go out if my way to visit again. I expected to be overwhelmingly impressed with the food here. While I can’t say that I feel that way here I still think this place still deserves this 4 star rating, here’s why:
— Service: very cordial, attentive, inquisitive. Filled glasses when needed, knew when to switch out courses etc. Served traditionally taking women’s orders first and serving women first (love that!)
If I cared solely about service I would come here again and again to be treated like the Queen that I am!!!
— Food: as first course I had the lobster salad with arugula, jerusalem artichokes and blood oranges $ 15. The blood oranges were excellent almost tasted like strawberries. Each ingredient was expressed in this dish with it’s natural ripe and fresh flavors. No seasonings on this dish.
Second course: seared jumbo scallops with potato cakes and spinach. Seared scallops were excellent, very sweet and cooked perfectly. Not rubbery at all! The accompanying potato cakes in my opinion were a bit bland. $ 35
Dessert was fabulous! I loved the Coconut dome (a type of cream) with phyllo dough, lava cake and crème brule topped with berries. We ended the meal with complimentary petit four dish which I was too full to sample.
Overall, While the meal was good and presentation was great, I just was not blown away by the flavors of the meal which is why I am torn about the rating. While service, company and ambiance was fabulous, I was not completely enamored with the food to bring me back again.

Restaurant Kevin Taylor was fairly run of mill fancy. I actually like the space it was in. There was this big dramatic staircase that entered onto the dining room. I joked that all of us girls, in our heels, would make a really dramatic entrance if any of us took a spill. I can’t even imagine. I’m sure someone has done it before. The ceiling was really cool too. Like a starry night. Awesome! Though the singer that night… Ugh, so unecessary & annoying. Reminded me of when Scuttle was squaking in ‘The Little Mermaid’.
I ordered the roasted tomato soup, the Colorado beef strip loin, & the vanilla crème brûlée off of the 5280 menu.
The soup was AMAZING. And I’m not even a huge fan of tomato soup but this was the best ever. It had crème fraîche, thyme, & a parmesan crisp in it. Ugh, I’m still thinking about it…
The entrée honestly was crap. A blob of supposed gruyère cheese mashed potatoes (that tasted like those instant potatoes) with 3 flavorless asparagus spears (steamed, no big deal), & the little teeny 4 oz. steak with some steak sauce stuff on the side. The steak was shitty. I’ve had better beef at Outback! And I ordered medium rare & it was medium well at best. Everything on the entrée plate was fairly blah. We had to ask for salt.
The crème brûlée was DELISH! The taste of the crème was beautiful. Silky, smooth, heavenly. I enjoyed that. But of course the portions were all so damn small. Ugh. Thanks 5280.
I didn’t leave hungry, but I left feeling a bit short changed. If the entrée had been up to par with the soup & dessert, I would have given 5 stars, but the crappiness of the entrée only deserves 3 stars for the overall experience.
Boo, Kevin Taylor. 5280 should have been your time to shine, but leaving plates under heat lamps for too long is obvious. The next time I order medium rare, I expect medium rare.
Oh well.

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 is $ 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 entrée 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 entrée, 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.

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 entrée, 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.