Restaurants in Boulder

Inside India Tavern, a large bay window casts a natural glow on grape and lime-green walls and plates of homestyle Indian fare. Named 5280 Magazine's Editors' Choice of their Top of the Town feature, diners can cozy up to a table beside the stone fireplace as they partake of clay-oven tandoori dishes made with chicken, lamb, or goa fish. After sopping up a ginger or saffron curry entree with fresh-baked naan bread, they can also question a knowledgeable server on the difference between mild, medium, and hot spice or why humans drive on parkways and park on driveways.

Since its inception as a single Fort Collins eatery almost 20 years ago, Big City Burrito has spread its wings across Colorado and Nebraska, presenting a menu of create-your-own burritos, tacos, and the like composed of fresh fillings and made-from-scratch tortillas. Just as all buildings start with a steady foundation of flour and water, all burritos begin with a good tortilla. And Big City offers half a dozen options, such as tomato-chili and jalapeño-cheddar. After picking a tortilla, customers can start relaying their order to the kitchen crew, be it for a burrito packed with chicken mole and topped with mild pico de gallo or a carne asada taco with a dollop of salsa de lupe—the restaurant’s special blended hot salsa. Customers also can choose to have the decadent fillings and salsas served simply atop a plate of rice and beans or stuffed inside a fresh-made quesadilla. Besides crafting meals day and night, Big City also serves breakfast burritos for both adults and kids and offers catering services, which include burrito bars and boxed lunches for large groups or corporate events.

Under the supervision of an experienced chef at Woody’s Wood Fired Tavern, crackling logs not only give pizza dough a crispy crunch, but also create complex, smoky flavors. Chefs top pizzas with specialty combinations, such as the California Dream's basil pesto and artichoke hearts or the Pep Pep Pepperoni's roasted poblanos and jalapeños, and use gluten-free crusts and big, round carrots for those with dietary restrictions. Customers can enjoy the slices by the pie or sample a variety at the shop’s featured all-you-can-eat salad, soup, and pizza bar. Chefs also make space in their wood ovens to slow cook racks of ribs and large shrimp doused with barbecue sauce. These dishes and their hearty half-pound burgers pair well with the 16 drafts on tap, which diners can enjoy during both the happy hour during the week and the reverse happy hour that composes the last hour the restaurant is open.

Chef Aaron Bennett and his culinary team combine the philosophies behind farm-to-table cooking with gourmet Italian dining at Bácaro Venetian Taverna. The menu features classic Venetian dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from local and organic farms, including Talbott Farms, Isabel Farms, and Haystack Mountain, among others. Panzanella salads season tomatoes and garlic croutons with basil-infused olive oil and wild boar shoulder gets braised in chianti before being served with creamy, truffle-infused polenta. The kitchen makes all of their pastas in-house, and gluten-free spaghetti or penne can be substituted for wheat-free diets.

Bácaro takes its name from the lively taverns around Venice, which are noted for their laid-back atmosphere, simple furniture, and affable ghosts. Bartenders fuel lively gatherings with pitchers of sangria, housemade Italian liqueurs, and selections from their extensive wine list during daily happy hours. The eatery also hosts guests on its spacious rooftop patio, where chandeliers and the fact that it is on a rooftop heighten views of downtown Boulder.

Baristas at Cafe de Paris brew Novo coffee fresh for each cup and steep more than 50 different kinds of organic loose-leaf tea from International Tea Importers, filling the café with rich aromas transported inside a soft haze of steam idly spiraling through the air. Sipping microbrewed masala chai tea with pressed ginger between bites of sweet and savory crepes, panini sandwiches, and regular or gluten-free bagels, patrons may browse the Internet inside the café or listen to live jazz music and indie rock performances during weekly events. Outside on the terrace, lined with umbrella-topped tables, diners clink glasses of French wine or craft beers during nightly happy hours while strains of music linger in the background.

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