Various Mediterranean restaurants in Denver add to the city’s bustling cuisine culture, providing a flavor of the sun-soaked shores of Greece, Italy, Spain, and other countries.
These restaurants showcase the Mediterranean region’s rich culinary heritage, with charming eateries providing traditional meals and modern enterprises putting a distinct touch on classic flavors. Whether you want savory gyros, fresh fish, or delectable mezze dishes, Denver has something for everyone’s taste.
Join us as we tour nine of the top Mediterranean restaurants in Denver and the surrounding areas, where you can eat delicious food, relax in appealing settings, and enjoy the warmth of Mediterranean hospitality—all without leaving the Mile High City.
1. Golden falafel
The cuisine of this strip-mall Mediterranean restaurant are influenced by the Moroccan families of owners Zakaria and Halima Chamseddine, but they have been upscaled slightly. Portions are large and reasonably priced, which is perhaps why it has become a local takeout favorite.
Everything we’ve had here, from the kabobs to the beef shawarma to the many vegetarian options, has been amazing. Whatever you choose, make sure to include a side of house spinach, an ultra-creamy dish of greens topped with Kalamata olives, cumin, and garlic. 6460 E. Yale Avenue.
2. Sonny’s Mediterranean
This funky counter-service restaurant makes ordering simple. Simply select whether you want your falafel or rotisserie chicken in pita, salad, or large platter shape. Then you bite in to savor the plate or sandwich, which is super-fresh, spicy (if you top it with zhoug), and vibrant (if you choose basil chimichurri).
The environment is similarly straightforward: a narrow, sleek dining room with fantastic Highland people-watching from the patio. 2622 W. 32nd Avenue.
3. Baghdad Restaurant
For years, this family-run restaurant has been a Middle Eastern hotspot, serving tangy, lemony fattoush, creamy hummus, and chicken shawarma sandwiches slathered with garlic sauce. The lunch special is a wonderful value that won’t weigh you down like fatty tacos and burgers, and the generous amounts might even last you till supper.
Even better: Reem’s Bakery, a Syrian sweets business next door, offers a variation on the popular Dubai pistachio chocolate bar. Do we need to say anything else? 2410 S. Colorado Boulevard.
4. Safta
Yes, Safta is on the pricey side ($20 for hummus?!), and yes, it’s inconvenient to have to pay for parking in the attached Source Hotel garage, and yes, it’s been lauded by fans and food writers perhaps a little excessively. But one bite of the puffy, cloud-like pitas will make you pleased you splurged on the lamb ragu hummus.
We like to make a dinner out of it with a few of small plates, but the $50 all-you-can-eat weekend brunch is also a good value. 3330 Brighton Boulevard.
5. Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill and Pastry
Olive oil-drizzled hummus in intricate designs and honey-soaked baklava are just two examples of the Turkish delights that await at Yahya’s.
While the cheerful Colfax restaurant is sometimes overlooked, true Mediterranean food enthusiasts know that this is the place to go for lamb kabsa, dolmas, and kabobs. In the winter, a cup of steaming Turkish coffee or tea is the perfect way to warm your belly. 2207 East Colfax Avenue.
6. Jerusalem Restaurant
Jerusalem Restaurant has been winning honors since the Clinton administration, so it has a bit of a following. Aside from the chicken kabobs, beef and lamb gyro platters, and sambusa (fried pockets of potatoes, lentils, and onions), it’s arguably most known for serving University of Denver students (and other late-night diners) late into the night.
While it is no longer open 24 hours a day, the restaurant continues to serve lamb from the rotisserie until 3 a.m. at 1890 E. Evans Avenue.
7. Chef Zorba’s
Sometimes all you need is a side of huevos rancheros to go with your hummus, which means you should visit Chef Zorba’s, the convivial Greek diner that has been satisfying our simultaneous appetites for diner food and vertically skewered meat since 1979.
The atmosphere is a cut above the average greasy spoon diner—just don’t get too comfortable and forget to get something from the pastry case on your way out. 2626 East 12th Avenue.
Final Words
Finally, Denver’s Mediterranean restaurants provide a lovely getaway to the aromas of the Mediterranean, with different meals and friendly service. From Golden Falafel’s enormous portions to Safta’s sophisticated environment, these restaurants provide something for everyone’s taste, inviting you to appreciate their culinary offerings.