Kevin Taylor’s At the Opera House

very disappointed. We enjoyed Kevin Taylor so much when it was located in Hotel Teatro. So much so that we wanted to host my son’s wedding rehearsal dinner at the new location at the opera house. I contacted the restaurant via email, received an email back with an invitation to come and see the available locations, possible menu, etc. The young lady who met us was very nice, but unprepared. We saw the gorgeous facilities and were quite enthusiastic, as the wedding party and out of town guests will be across the street at the Curtis. We conveyed this to the young lady and that we wanted to sign contracts, make deposit payments and so forth in the next two days. We also commented that we have tried numerous times to make reservations at this location through Open Table, but that they are always shown as booked and not taking reservations. She shrugged this off by saying no one ever knew when the restaurant was going to be open. (?). She promised to make a reservation for us and let us know when and to email menu options and pricing for the various areas available for booking that afternoon. (This was information we expected to be provided at the meeting.). To our dismay, she never contacted us with any more information at all about anything. I waited a week and decided that with the customer service as it was, we would be better off with a different venue and chef. Very disheartening.

Beautiful location… as with a restaurant of this level I would have expected better service. The food is what you would expect from KT restaurants… but with so many great places in this area I would skip the hype of this place and support some of the other modern choices around. You might also save a few bucks that you can spend at the Opera House.

Not only is KT one of the finest chefs in Denver, so you know the cuisine is outstanding, you get a fantastic ambience of the Ellie Caulkin’s Opera House right there next to you. Literally, next to you. For select events, you can even enter through the restaurant right to your seat! Service was outstanding, the bar is worth showing up early, and you can valet a block away at Hotel Teatro and save the headache of the parking garage after the show.
Prices are what you expect for a high-​quality experience… do not let discount shopper reviews deter you from this culinary gem.

I ate here for the first time last night for restaurant week. It was me in a party of 5. When we came down the stairs, there was a woman who immediately came up to us and offered to check our coats. I waited longer than I should have for a host/​hostess to come and greet me and ask about my reservation. Little did I know, the woman that checked our coats was also the hostess seating people. I think perhaps the restaurant should’ve had multiple people doing this job, or maybe she should’ve been clear about her role. I awkwardly watched waiters and waitresses walk by hoping one of them would seat me at a table.
The menu for restaurant week was great. There were several options, it even made it a little difficult for me to make a decision on what I wanted. Our waiter was very knowledgable about the menu and helped us make our decisions.
Here’s the breakdown of my meal:
Starter — Fois Grois — it was a supplemental menu item (added $ 8 to my fixed $ 30 price), but it was pretty good, very rich (as I expected it to be), super creamy (like eating butter), almost too sweet with the gingerbread and fruit added to it
Entrée — Duck confit with smoked duck bacon — I didn’t really like the bacon much (but I don’t like bacon in general, so I can’t really dock them for that one), the duck leg confit was AMAZING the skin was so crispy and the meat was super tender. It came with a sweet potato risotto (not a real risotto, but made to impersonate risotto), which was delicious
Dessert — Goat cheesecake — hands down the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten in my life. It was so soft and airy, and I it had a very subtle hint of the goat’s milk. The graham cracker crust was light and went very well with the cheesecake. I could’ve had this for every course and would’ve been happy.
One of the best things about this restaurant during restaurant week is that their menu consists of items that are on their normal menu and the servings aren’t shrunk down to reflect the cost of the meal. The service here was impeccable, the food was delicious and the company was great. It was overall one of the best meals I’ve had during restaurant week.

Great place for a wedding reception but the food was not very good. Ambiance is perfect for a reception with enough seating for at least 350 plus dance floor. The grand staircase entrance was amazing and the starry sky and sense of space and 3D architecture was very cool. Some seriously smart designers made this place amazing. 5 stars for event space and service. We attended a wedding reception there tonight that had about 140 people and it was amazing. The food however was lackluster. 2 stars for food. Some examples: seared A hi tuna. Normally one of my favorite dishes but all of us felt it was way under seasoned. Salt and pepper is your friend in the kitchen people! Or perhaps a flavorful sauce to compliment the tuna. Same problem with the pork tenderloin. Pork is versatile and can shift flavors with what you season or marinate it with. This one was a bit dry and flavorless. And the poor kids had awful processed and frozen chicken fingers that looked like they sat in a freezer for about 3 years. they were about as bad as fast food and tasted worse and yes I tried a bit. Is it to much to ask for fresh prepared food for our kids at a nice restaurant? Service was good and bar staff were excellent. They need a new head chef and menu and perhaps the food can one day match the décor.

Very disappointing, from the stale bagged rolls they served with dinner, to the 4 poor choices for dessert, and everything in between… honestly, I was excited to try this restaurant out, I booked a table for my employee Christmas dinner and was embarrassed. I’m shocked they can stay in business!
The only reason it was given 1 star was because 2 of the 4 people that assisted us during the evening were very, very nice ~ unfortunately, that just can’t make up for a poor dining experience and mediocre food.
$ 153.00 dinner for 3 with no cocktails or dessert… there are about 20 exceptional restaurants within a few blocks of Kevin Taylors, and I highly recommend you choose one of them.

Great ambiance
Art
50s deco
Kirkland grand pieces on the walls
Killer looking bar
Fair wine list for a medium level restaurant
Food to my taste was really salty
Had all the proper form, good duck et al but not terribly complex and really salty
Decent place to eat before a show, bit many other, better choices close by

Who would’ve thought you could turn a floor in the Opera House into such a trendy spot? If only the food and service were able to match such a beautiful venue.
Décor and ambiance = aces. The food = pretty tasty, but pricey for what you pay for.
We got the scallops (quite delicious) and a pork chop (on special). I think we were both impressed by scallops, but it’s seriously hard to screw up scallops. Pork chop on the other hand was a tad dry, bland, and neared on inedible. Plus, the combination of flavors just didn’t really work out with the other flavors on the plate.
All in all, it was a lovely experience with the interiors, but will likely need an incentive to come back again.

Underwhelmed and disappointing.
I give Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House three stars but if it was for the food alone it would border the single star. This is a review from my experience during DRW.
I have had a chance to try two of the other Kevin Taylor’s and had great experiences there. I was excited to try this one and happy we got a reservation during restaurant week. On to the experience:
Service: I felt the service was nice if you are into having servers just there to get their job done. I felt they were pretty aloof.
Food: Unimpressed. We picked this restaurant during DRW because the menu items stood out to us. My dining partners enjoyed their app. We all thought «meh» for our entrees and dessert was just okay. We all decided it was nothing we would come back for.
Space: It was really beautiful inside. There was a ton of space so we did not feel crowded. It was a tad bit cold, so bring a cardigan.
The main reason that the two extra stars came in on this review was when the manager of the restaurant came to check on how we were enjoying our entrees. My boyfriend ordered a Med-​rare steak. I was not med-​rare when it was served, and he let me take the second bite. It was tough and chewy. He had just taken a bite of his steak and could not lie to the manager. The manager was so accommodating and insisted to bring my boyfriend a new steak. We are never the type of people to ever send anything back, but the manager cared about our experience and it made a difference. That was gesture that I noticed and appreciated.

I came here for 5280 week. The atmosphere is really neat. I like that it is spread out and that the ceiling looks like it is a starry night. For an app, I had the pork belly, which tasted pretty fatty. The entrée I had was the sea salt steak, which wasn’t great. The only taste I got really was that of chargrill. I also tried my friend’s pork chop, which also didn’t amaze me. I feel like the meats I do at home are better and I am no chef by any means. The crème brûlée though was delicious!!! It was the only thing that I wish I had more of. I doubt I would ever come back here again. While service was good, there are far better places to grab a meal that aren’t as pricey and taste better.

Wow. Awful. Atmosphere, ambience, and service were excellent. Food was inexplicably bad. This is the first 1-​star review I’ve left for a restaurant.
Ate here before a performance of The Nutcracker at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Seems like one of those restaurants that is entirely reliant on its location to draw business. We chose it solely because it’s in the same building as the theater. No hassle, won’t be late for the show, won’t need to park twice. Mistake.
Worst beef tartare ever. Thankfully it was a tiny portion. The potent garlicky taste was with me through the entire performance that night. Not sure if they were over-​seasoning it to mask the quality of the beef, or if it was just a poor decision.
Also the worst ahi tuna dish I’ve ever ordered. The tuna was flavorless, the potatoes were undercooked (potatoes and cheese paired with tuna?), the greens were mushy, and the whole mess was swimming in a vinegary «red wine shallot jus».

Well, lets start with the positives. Number one for me is the amazing ambiance. I love descending down the Lucite staircase into the twinkling starry lights and dramatic décor. It feels like you have entered a secret but elegant hideaway complete with old Hollywood style glamor. (It would make a big impression on a date night!)
The hostess greeted us at the base of the stairs and seated us at a romantic little table for two. While we had reservations, the restaurant was rather empty, granted it is a big place. There were maybe 4 to 5 other tables dining along with us.
We ordered a bottle of wine which took a while to arrive but that was not a big deal. My primary reason for leaving my review at three stars is the food itself. I love Restaurant Kevin Taylor at the Teatro and have enjoyed some of the finest meals ever at both Prima and Restaurant Kevin Taylor. My experience at the Opera House was not as wonderful.
Our salads were probably the highlight of the dinner. Very fresh and full of flavor! My biggest disappointment came when my lamb came to the table well done, not rare/​medium rare as ordered. It arrived cooked through to a gray color with zero pink. Sad as it lost a great deal of flavor and tasted a bit like chewing cotton. :-0.
*** In fairness, I did not bring it to our waitress’ attention and allow her to correct the situation as I am certain she would have. I really did not want my dinner to be sent away while my husband was left to allow his dinner to get cold waiting for me. Additionally, we had plans for a show and I was unsure how long correcting the mishap would take.
To sum things up, the small mistake made my experience disappointing but my husband’s steak was cooked to order and he said it was nice. Nothing was really outstanding or memorable just ho hum «fine». The vegetables were in a flavorful glaze but otherwise uninspired. We skipped dessert so I cannot comment on that portion of the menu.
Overall, we enjoyed the lovely surroundings but the dining was hit and miss. With this uniquely spectacular setting, steep prices and restaurateur’s reputation for excellence, I think KT at the Opera House can do much better than our dinner that evening. I will try it again, maybe for just cocktails and dessert at the gorgeous bar. I want to come back and love the food as well as the ambiance in this beautiful spot.

What an awesome place in Downtown Denver. I was there for a special event last night so my experience may be a bit different from just coming here for dinner.
First, you walk downstairs so if my bearings are correct the place was sort of underground. Walking in I felt like I was back at ODU’s planetarium for my college astronomy class. They had ceilings with shining and moving lights that looked like stars. The décor was absolutely gorgeous and picturesque. Behind the bar area was this beautiful red design that looked like one of those puzzles you stare at and over time an image reveals.
The night started off with the staff providing us with endless amounts of wine and beer. I think I was three glasses deep before we even got to dinner! Appetizers were served for about 30 minutes while we mingled. Small bites such as stuffed mushrooms, dumplings, melon with prosciutto and even a delicious roast beef sandwich warmed us up for dinner.
For dinner I had the Roasted Harris Ranch Beef Tenderloin cooked medium rare. I will say that it was one of the most tender steaks I’ve ever bitten into though. No one had a steak knife so I paused for a moment and when I realized I was on my own I found that my butter knife did the trick! It wasn’t the best steak I’ve had but overall was pretty good.
I would love to go back there when there is some sort of performance taking place. The place is designed just as its named, an opera, but will also work great for things like formal dances, celebrations or company events.
For my first night in Denver this place gave me a great impression of what this city has to offer.

If you’re planning to splurge at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House, go all out and get a steak. The crew at KT’s can cook a steak and they know it — it comes served with not a steak knife, but a butter knife. And that isn’t unwarranted arrogance, it really is all you need to cut into their amazing cuts of meat. Some of the other dishes are hit and miss, though — one at our table ordered the fettucini, which was incredibly disappointing, and the lemon curd napoleon was… bizarre. It tasted good, but it was a little difficult to get past the random squirts of filling. To be honest, we actually laughed when it was set in front of us. But, the cheesecake was fantastic, and like I said… those steaks! It was possibly the best steak I’ve ever had (five stars for the steak by itself).
The service here is pretty good, but can get a bit confused. We’ve had servers bring the wrong dessert multiple times, and it’s not uncommon for glasses to sit empty. But, I’ve never encountered a rude employee, and mistakes are quick to be corrected.
Finally, the space itself is impressive. It’s dimly lit, but that helps to set off the ceiling which is intended to look like a night sky filled with stars. It’s romantic and elegant — but you definitely pay for it. Still, if you’ve already dropped the big bucks for tickets to the opera, why stop now?

Caveat: we dined there during restaurant week, so only ordered off of the prix fixe menu…
My 2 stars are based on the service and response we got to our concerns, not the food. Food only would have been a 4 star review.
My family was attending a 6:30pm performance of the ballet, and picked Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House for a pre-​theater restaurant week treat. Our reservation was for 5:15pm, but we were seated when we arrived a bit early at 5. At that point, we were one of a very few parties seated. Other folks continued to arrive after us. I point this out because it will become relevant.
We ordered quickly, all 3 courses at once. I think we ordered by 5:15 pm. Our appetizers came, we enjoyed them, and then nothing. Our request for more bread had to be repeated, and we had to remind the waitress that the folks at the table who were not having alcohol would also like to order beverages.
Finally, at 5:50pm, we grabbed a waitress (not ours) to find out when we could expect our entrees to arrive. the response was, «Oh, are you going to a show?» (I had written this info down when I made the
reservation, and reiterated it when the restaurant called to confirm our reservation the day before.)
Our food was then rushed to our table, where we gulped it down. As it was a prix fixe menu and we would be paying for dessert regardless, we had them rush that out so we could gulp it down as well. The bill, requested while we were gulping the food down, arrived and was incorrect– with at $ 40 overcharge! It was quickly taken care of, but on top of everything else, quite annoying.
A ?manager? came over to ask how our meal had been. I commented that it would have been much more pleasant had we not had to rush. And his response was what cemented my negative opinion. «Well, you know, everyone comes in at once and it’s hard.» Um, excuse me, but doesn’t an establishment in the basement of the opera house kind of specialize in well-​timed pre-​theater meals??? Especially when 90% of the folks in the place are ordering off of the prix fixe menu, with only 4 entrée options? Not to mention the fact that we arrived at 5, and ordered well before most of the other diners had even arrived or been seated? A simple apology (that did not contain lame excuses) for our less than stellar experience would have gone miles to changing my opinion. Even at the extreme cost savings of restaurant week, I feel like we quite overpayed for our experience.

I swear I felt like Cinderella coming down the twirling staircase entry, loved that moment!!! Oh Kevin Taylor Opera House, you definitely made an impression on me! I’ve never dined in such elegance as this! Extremely expensive but so worth the experience.
The location of the restaurant is below the Performing Arts Center in Downtown, beneath the Buell Theater off 14^th/​Curtis. Your entrance is a Grand Staircase to your Hostess. From coming down the entry, it’s open to a huge 2 story theater room filled with dining patrons, long bar, hidden intimate dining areas, holistic art, showcased shadow boxed costumes and a miniature theater stage. Easily this restaurant can fit 300. The restaurant is also used for events, which I highly recommend a wedding reception here!!! Imagine the bride and grooms entrance from the staircase??? Awesome!!!
The entrees were just right, not over filling. The seafood entrees were spectacular! Seasoned with a touch of crème texture. Everything melted in my mouth. The appetizers were so-​so. The desserts were pleasant and not over filling.
Coming here on a romantic date sets happiness in your future. I don’t recommend children coming here, nor anyone under the age of 21.

Between the faux star filled skys and one of most beautiful live production theater I have ever seen, the ambience is super gorgeous and quite spectacular. And I am a huge sucker for large open spaces. The bar runs 20 feet long along the back wall, very nice design.
The main weakness with place is definitely the food. Had the ahi tuna, beef capriccio and crab cake starters which is were quite good. Oh the mixed greens salad with goat cheese and candied almonds was quite divine. Then the filet minion came and left a lot to be desired. I don’t usually order the filet anywhere so I kind of didn’t know what to expect but it really just did not do it for me. The flavors were a little bland and it came out lukewarm. Mind you we did have a party of 40 but that’s no excuse for them. And I am a little bitter that someone talked me out of getting the scallops. As God is my witness I shall never let anyone talk me out of what I want to order again! I’m not a big dessert person so I’m probably not the best person to take this from but I didn’t care for their bread pudding.
The staff here is super friendly and great. Even though I’m almost positive one tried to pawn me off to another. But after 3 doubles of Macallan’s and a glass of red I could hardly care less.
One of the locals told me that the altitude here affects how much you can drink and the effects of alcohol. I don’t know if there is any truth to it, but I have gotten this drunk in a long time. I don’t even remember how I got back to my hotel.

Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House is a high quality dining experience. I have been to the restaurant three times, and each time I left extremely happy with the service and experience.
This is not a cheap night out by any means, but its takes you into a world of relaxation and incredibly high quality and creative meals. Just steps from the best theaters in Denver and only blocks from everything the 16^th Street Mall has to offer, Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House has been a part of several very special nights out for me.

The dining experience that Kevin Taylor at the Opera house takes you is very different from any other restaurant you had dined. It all starts when you step in and walk inside Denver Performing Arts Complex, it’s like stepping in another world, totally separated from the chaotic Denver… The restaurant door doesn’t surprise you at the beginning but when you step down their giant stairwell you’ll get surprised by their décor, and very minimalistic yet elegant atmosphere.
I had made a reservation on Open Table and called them to check if they were able to accommodate my party of 14, which they were, and were gracious to sit us by the piano, that was probably the best seating area in the whole restaurant. Service was extremely knowledgeable about the opera house, food, and ingredients, besides that, they were very polite and spotless service.
Food wise:
First Course: Gorgonzola and Sun Dried Cherry Salad, Baby Field Greens, Sun Dried Cherry Vinaigrette
Very fresh greens paired with gorgonzola nuggets, their vinaigrette dressing was very light, but combining sun dried cherries along with gorgonzola nuggets was an explosion of flavors!
Second Course: Colorado Beef Strip Loin, Gruyère Mash, Butter Poached Asparagus, Smoked Onion Jus
They will bring your beef the way you order! On this case, my beef was perfectly rare with a nice crusty exterior; mashed potatoes were very bold in flavor yet a very clean, sharp taste of gruyère cheese, asparagus were perfectly cooked, crunchy, sweet, and huge!
Third Course (I had the chance of sharing with my friends, so I’ve tried all their desert options):
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with Brown Butter Madeleines
Probably one of the best Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée’s I’ve ever tasted. Very silky crème, bold vanilla bean taste, clean taste, and melted sugar topping was really complementing to its crème’s texture.
Wild Berry Cheesecake, Macerated Berries, Toasted Graham Struesel
This cheesecake was so soft that reminded me of a panacotta texture instead of a cream cheese, all flavors were very well paired, it looked like a marbled cheesecake without any crust; along served with toasted grahams (crumbled) and berry purée.
Bittersweet Chocolate Opera, Kahlua, Coffee Buttercream, Malted Anglaise
This one was my favorite; eight layers of chocolate derivates paired with coffee tastes, malted anglaise, and coffee latte foam; with a special touch, a thin layer of caramel dusted with ground coffee.
This was the best 5280 participant restaurant I’ve ever been.

The boyfriend and I went here on the first Sunday of Restaurant Week, expecting a fantastic meal. Overall, I’m sorry to say that I was a bit disappointed.
The restaurant was pristine, but all the tables were just in the one giant room. It felt like dining in a museum, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing. It felt a bit like a fancy cafeteria. We were seated at a little 2-​top table by the wall. I sat on the «booth» side while my boyfriend sat across from me in a chair… the entire meal, he couldn’t look at me longer than a minute or two at a time. The fact of the matter is that the stripes on the back of the booth were so close together than both of us went cross-​eyed after looking just for a moment. Extremely distracting.
The food was… average, with a few highlights. I had a grilled romaine heart salad with yogurt dressing, and it was average. He had a cucumber salad, and that was average too. I ordered the salmon, and each of the elements on the plate was slightly over-​seasoned and over-​salted, which made for a slightly-​too salty meal. I was disappointed. He ordered the steak, which was absolutely delicious and he loved it. For dessert, he got the vanilla bean cheesecake and I got the coconut lime crème brûlée. Cheesecake was light and whipped and tasty, but the crème brûlée was truly amazing. It was the highlight of my meal.
The service was nice, but our server seemed a bit casual for such an «elegant» restaurant.
My boyfriend ordered a gin martini and said it was probably the best martini he has ever had. Which is saying a lot. That said, it better have been amazing, because it was about $ 20.
All in all, I was a little disappointed with the overall experience. The portions were pretty small, and I left hungry and much poorer. If Restaurant Week is supposed to give people a taste of what a real dining experience there would be like and to attract new customers, they certainly have not made a believer out of me. I have no desire to go back.