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.

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.

Bright canvases hang over the counter at Boulder Creek Market, behind which the crew crafts a menu of signature sandwiches. You can order traditional cuts of ham, turkey, and roast beef, but it's worth trying some of the specialty game meats, such as ostrich, buffalo, and wild boar. Fresh, locally baked bread is included whether you're having salad or a gourmet sandwich. And the dressings are all made in-house, from basil pesto to spicy chipotle mayonnaise and balsamic vinaigrette. Sandwiches and salads can be prepared vegan or vegetarian upon request.

South Mouth Wings' proclaimed origin story of their wings involves a cave, a perilous quest, and a monstrous Memphis chicken graced with healing powers and the ability to produce untold herds of delicious chickens. Whether sourced from a mythic cave or a farm, however, once the chicken wings are back in Boulder they get doused in one of eight sauces or two dry rubs. Boulder Weekly's correspondent particularly enjoyed the mango habanero, but more sensitive taste buds can gravitate towards a golden honey or a sweet barbecue sauce. The kitchen team prepares four heat levels of classic wings, culminating in the blazing "You Better Not" that just dares diners to consume it, right after they get their tongue off that frozen pole.

Much like its siblings Thai Kitchens 1 and 2, Thai Kitchen 3 can be identified by the distinctive aroma of sizzling garlic and fresh basil that wafts out through its door. In the kitchen, chefs fold fresh seafood, meats, and vegetables into savory curries, nutty noodle dishes, and fiery stir-fries. All meals are made by adhering to time-honored traditional Thai recipes, which favor spicy chili peppers, creamy coconut milk, and tangy ginger root. Servers bring plates of noodles and bowls of soup into the dining room, where guests await their meals as they sip on Thai iced coffee in cushy booths amid warm red and yellow walls. Other diners sit perched on tall red bar stools as they order a cocktail or demonstrate how many times they can twirl around in a circle without even getting dizzy.

1950s ephemera decorate Gunther Toody's eight Colorado locations, lending an extra boost of Americana to plates of classic diner food such as burgers and meatloaf. The menu even draws its inspiration from American pop culture of yore, with Elvis fries, burgers named for Howdy Doody, and Big Bopper breakfasts served on platters of chantilly lace. Classic ice-cream treats including shakes, malteds, and black cows help lead each meal to a suitably sweet conclusion.