Trillium

Sad to see them close.
This was one of the most exciting restaurants in Denver. I went a few times — Clearly not enough…
With a Scandinavian influenced menu, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first ate here, but quickly fell in love with nearly everything on the menu. From the charcuterie menu, to the bone in meats (fish sausages!)served with weird condiments (I will always miss you, berry horseradish) and fish smoked in a jar with quail egg (Skagen, I think?) and a Norwegian version of shrimp toast…
This place was awesome. So sad to see it go…

My boyfriend and I decided to go on a date here and the atmosphere was perfect for this! Dinner by candlelight and our waiter was really polite. Although he did mess up our wine, the mistake was quickly corrected.
Highly recommend the oysters, both fried and not. And the salmon is so fresh, melt in your mouth, almost buttery delicious!

The first thing that struck me upon entering Trillium is how super cute the place is decorated. It’s all exposed brick, rustic woods, and crisp whites with pops of color and pattern. So homey and cozy, I wish they’d come re-​decorate my living room. The second thing I noticed was that we were the only customers at 5:00 on a mid-​Summer Saturday. The baseball game was winding down and I guess this isn’t the kind of place you come to after eating hot dogs and drinking beer all day at the ballpark. So, hot tip — try coming during a Rockies game.
We sat at the bar and obviously had our server’s undivided attention. She kindly explained some of the Happy Hour menu items and we began with our usual wine (for me) and whiskey (for Mr. P.). We shared the super yummy truffle tater tots (they come with Hollandaise sauce!). I can definitely see myself eating more of those in the future. I also ordered the Summer salad with bright, fresh greens, English peas, large radish, cucumber and sunflower seeds, perfectly dressed in a light vinaigrette. It most definitely hit the spot. Mr. P. had the pork belly sliders, which came with an abbreviated version of the Summer salad (just the greens and radish, I believe). We were contemplating something further when our server suggested a very unique dish, at least in presentation. The trout raaka is served in a lidded jar and is prepared in a super special flash cold smoker which creates smoke inside the jar. Once the lid is opened, the smoke wafts up and the fun begins. Fresh steelhead trout is partnered with cucumber, fennel, shallot, whitefish roe, a quail egg, and horseradish cream, served with marble rye toast points. Our server was quick to point out that the dish contains raw fish and a raw quail egg. Isn’t that adorable — she was concerned about me eating raw fish and egg while my only concern was raw onion and horseradish. The components of the dish are separated in the jar but Mr. P. wasted no time mixing it all together. He really is wise. Did we want any more toast? No thanks, we can eat this up with a spoon.
Looking over the dinner menu, I think I would order any of the entrees but would have a hard time narrowing it down to one choice. I’m most intrigued by the «Let Chef Cook» offer, 3 courses for $ 45 (optional wine pairings +$ 20) or 4 courses for $ 55 (optional wine pairings +$ 25). It seems a bit spendy but I feel certain it would be worth it for such excellent cuisine. Hopefully I won’t have to wait very long to go back and see for myself.

Came in to grab a drink and possibly dinner with my parents and the staff was so rude that we left after our drink (pretty much before we were done). Went back a year later and same thing, the staff was so rude. Can’t make it past a drink here. The drinks are really good and the ambiance is so cute, cozy, and perfect, so it’s a shame that I can’t make it past drinks for their dinner, just get turned off by the uppity staff. Won’t ever go back.

Trillium bills itself as Scandinavian fare, which is odd, since I’m half-​Swedish, and memories of my grandmother’s culinary offerings are sweet pancakes, reindeer meat, and the occasional glass of milk with ice cubes. There’s none of that here — in fact, aside from labeling their small plates menu as a «smorgasborg,» I didn’t see anything truly Scandinavian here — it’s mostly seafood fusion. But it’s all divine. My fiancée and I had crab cakes with goat cheese, rockfish, and prawn ravioli. All were delicious and service is impeccable. They also have a halfway decent wine selection (a good balance of California and international wines) — it’s probably a very good selection for Denver, but keep in mind I live in Northern California where even the dive bars have incredible wines. In any event, I chose a Torrontes from Argentina and it went well with my plates.
Trillium is in a cool downtown location (though street parking is tricky) and is an absolute gem for «foodies.» It’s a bit pricey (bill came to $ 133 for two people, not including tip) but definitely a go-​to location for a date, special occasion, or just a desire to treat yourself!

One of I think the best Happy Hours in town for interesting yummy food and drinks. Where else can you get some of the best Roasted Petite Bone Marrow or Tender Belly Pork, Bacon & Cheery Terrine, or Shaved Air Cured Beef Tenderloin all for $ 8 or less! I’ve had all of the happy hour options and each is different and delicious. I love sitting at the bar, chatting with staff and enjoying my meal. Whether you’re coming for dinner or just happy hour the food is consistently awesome and the staff are spot on.
Cant speak more highly of this place other than this… Get the Truffled Tatar Tots with hollandaise sauce ($ 6). INSANELY good… That is all.

My girlfriend had to physically restrain me from licking the plate. This place is spectacular. The foi gras, and different pâté styles were so rich that I was lost in a state of food bliss with every melt in my mouth bite
The small plates were slightly small poritions for 3, but the prices werent totally out of control. The waitress was helpful and knowledgable.
Makes me proud to be Norweigion.

The bread is amazing, it’s like floating in a light buttery cloud.
The cauliflower soup is really next to Devine. It’s light, creamy, and mellow.
Their cheese plate is ok. It’s very gourmet, but bathing amazing.
The main entrees are abysmal. The prawns ravioli in lobster sauce, I had to spit in my napkin and the scallops were not great and again I spit them out. Both dishes made me long for crap like Red Lobster.
Honestly the entrees feel like the chef is really stuck in Portlandia and trying way too hard to do something very different.
The chocolate trio is decent and the blueberry pano cotta is, «um yea.»
Honestly if you are going to spend $ 150 without alcohol, everything must be outstanding.
My recommendation if you like amazing and edgy food where everything is «bang on,» hit Guard and Grace.

This was my second time at Trillium. Besides the service being rushed the food was very good.
We went on a cold winter evening. Every time the door opened an arctic blast of cold air engulfed our table. I felt like we were in Northern Europe! Adding an entryway would solve this problem.
The bread that is delivered upon arrival is to die for! I find it funny to have to pay for seconds but that is how it works here. Our appetizers and entrees were very good. Our server recommended a blondie cookie for dessert that we actually didn’t care for. I’ll be back in the summer when it’s warmer in Scandinavia!

Magnificently prepared food. Flavorful and beautiful!!! It was mind blowing and most impressive for our guests. The acoustics were perfect. Although the place was packed, it was still easy to talk. Wait person had perfect timing. The soup is to die for! Scallops too! Every single item ordered was excellent to fabulous. Not a single complaint. One of the guests through a curve ball and ordered a crazy drink. Bartender was like… shoot yea! I know that one!
Reasonable prices for this category. They really do care. We will be returning with friends and clients. It was a lovely evening.

We’ve been wanting to try Trillium for a while and a great day at work provided for the perfect occasion. We had reservations on a Friday night but they weren’t really necessary. We got their early and grabbed a glass a wine and a small bite during their happy hour (which goes until 7p!) and then had dinner with some friends.
We really liked the food. We got 2 small plates, 2 appetizers, 4 entrees and 7 glasses of alcohol and the bill came to about $ 65/​person including tax. For a celebratory meal I didn’t think that was a bad deal. The service was good as was the food. We thought it was fun to eat such creative food and a lot of it was food we either hadn’t had before or hadn’t had prepared like that before.
We had some 2 kinds of fish small plates (both good, but nothing to write home about), the pork belly (quite good, especially at the happy hour price) and the beat salad (the cheese was crazy but the dish was kind of average). The guys both got steak which they said was good. I got the chicken which was really good and another friend got the scallops which she really liked. I guess if I was going to make a recommendation I’d say to get something other than steak. The steak isn’t bad but it’s also not the best or most creative dish.
Overall it was a fun meal and the price felt reasonable for what you got.

A fun experience — highly recommended if you’re looking for a more adventurous dining experience. A small plate sort of place. If you can spend a lot of time and just eat + analyze each plate with your partner (s), I would recommend that experience.
My date and I were there before a show. Even though we were in a little hurry, it was a great time. The staff was nice and gave advice when we asked ‘How _​should_​we be eating this?’.

Came here with a friend that really wanted to knock this off her Denver list of places to try. First off Parking could be a little tough. My friend has a tough time parallel parking, so she wanted to park in a special place. I offered to park for her.
So finally we got a good spot. Hehee
The place is a little cold looking inside I thought. Almost unfinished looking.
But, that is the style.
Food was quite good I must say. My fish was divine. I got a Squash Soup that was the best I ever had. Food was very fresh. 3 of us ate there and each sampled others meal. I loved my white fish the best.
We had very good service, i must say. At first they did not want to seat us since it was a Saturday night and we did not have reservations. But, then they gave us a nice seat for 3. Good place, worth a try.

Fabulous Scandinavian cuisine that will delight and surprise the pallet! We had a wonderful, unique experience at Trillium when we visited. We made a reservation (it was a Friday night), but it would not have been required.
When ordering, we took the waitress’ advice on the smörgåsbord selection, and ordered the akvavit cured salmon, the smoked whitefish, and oysters. For our entrees, I ordered the trout, which they were happy to prepare GF. It was wonderful. The portion was on the small size, but considering we’d just enjoyed the smörgåsbord, it was perfect!
Trillium also has an interesting selection of libations to accompany your meal, including house-​infused akvavit in a variety of flavors. I stuck with red wine, but the cocktail list definitely piqued my interest! Maybe next time…
If you’re adventurous, I’d definitely recommend giving this place a try.

Food was great but service was so slow… so slow that the SOMM brought us each out another glass of wine… amazing goat cheese ice cream with beet salad… great scallops and goat cheese crab terrine… just needed a bit more salt.

Trillium is a special treat kind of place. It’s flavors are fresh & bright & expertly matched. We went in with the idea to share everything we ordered & stuck with the smörgåsbord & small plates. A few of our favorites:
Cauliflower pudding– AMAZING! Savory, well balanced, satin «pudding» paired with goat cheese & I believe a pistachio accompaniment. Be sure to get a little of each facet in your bite. It comes together beautifully.
Butternut squash soup– smooth, delicious, & again well balanced flavor. The croûton in the center could have been bigger, but the soup was magnificent without it.
Raw oysters with akvavit: fresh, delicious, wonderful. A whole table next time around, please.
Lemon smoked trout rakka: comes in a jar and we just mixed everything together before spreading it on the rye toast. Next time I may just have to order my own. I loved this dish. Bright, clean flavor with delicately smooth fish. I’m drooling remembering it
Dessert was delicious, though we again probably should have only ordered one instead of two. The Apple strudel was good but took a back seat to the pumpkin spice cake. French press coffee polished off our experience nicely.
Service was good, though as others have noted, a bit mechanical. Everything we ordered seemed to be our waitress’s «favorite». Not unpleasant, just an observation.

I just think Trillium is my new favorite restaurant in Denver.
Literally EVERYTHING here is so good. Our last excursion was during restaurant week a while back and it couldn’t have been better.
We got an order of tots for the table and everyone loved those little things. I started with the Colorado sweet corn pudding and was blown away. Who knew you could make corn so flippin’ awesome?
For an entrée I had the trout — perfectly cooked and super flavorful.
And for dessert, I got something bread-​pudding-​y — it was good, but… thankfully my boss got Boompa’s Swedish Pancakes and we switched. The Swedish pancakes are my fav.
Service is always good and I’m consistently impressed with the quality of food here.

I wasn’t blown away, but I did like Trillium. We were there on Friday for Denver Restaurant Week and the first thing we noticed when walked in was the décor. It’s bright, warm and modern and we loved it! They seemed to only be serving their DRW menu so I felt like they were taking the whole thing seriously.
As for the menu, it was interesting — we weren’t too familiar with Scandinavian cuisine, so it was really fun to try some out of the ordinary stuff. The courses got progressively better — I thought the chicken was delicious but the pasta wasn’t my favorite — and the peach shortbread dessert was AMAZING! Seriously, it was the best thing ever.
We felt the service left something to be desired, otherwise we really enjoyed Trillium!

It was a dark and stormy night…
when I showed up at Trillium to meet a friend for dinner. The place was dead and I think there were a total of 8 people in the restaurant while we were there.
The Great:
+ The beet salad (3 ways) was amazing. I love beets and this salad showed off their versatility. The frozen ball of goat cheese sealed the deal. Top notch.
+ House made ice creams were amazing (well, all but the vanilla malt, meh). The Basil scoop and the Cinnamon Cherry scoop were creative and delicious.
The Average:
o Sweet Crab and Goat Cheese Tartine. It was a busy dish that never came together for me. When I asked what kind of crab it was and where it came from, the server was unsure and said «The Pacific? Madagascar?» That covers a lot of territory and it’d be nice to know the source, especially if it’s not from the US.
o Service was OK, but it felt like a doctor performing rounds. I didn’t get a level of warmth that I would have expected from a place like this. Also, please don’t check on me every 5 minutes. Seriously.
Overall I’d say it was a 3.5 star experience and I’d be willing to give it another shot on my next visit to Denver.

I can see why many of those gave this place 4 or 5 stars. It’s a great place to hang out and have an elegant dinner. To catch up with people and just enjoy the mood lighting. The place itself is quite sophisticated and has a warm ambiance but pretty dead for a weekend night.
Personally, Trillium was okay. The service was exceptionally slow though. Not that it was our waiters fault, but the food took forever to come out and many of us ordered the smörgåsbord. I understand that people usually like to talk during dinner but we were probably there for a good hour and a half.
My oysters were a little disappointing and the salmon seemed too fishy. The pickled fish and the tartare was interesting too. Wasn’t up to par for me unfortunately. For me, this will probably be the last time I come here, but don’t let it stop you from going there.
As far as parking goes… I’m not quite sure if it’s still free. When we showed up at the parking lot it was gated off from the public. Perhaps it’s because there was a Rockies game earlier that day, but who knows.
Lina Chen