Bella Colibri

My friend I just had dinner at Bella Colibri. From the homemade pasta and sourdough to the outstanding waitstaff, we couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience. I highly recommend Bella Colibri for an authentic Italian meal in the beautiful, scenic town of Golden, CO.

Golden is seriously lacking in high quality options for a date night but this is one of the few that I’d recommend. Food was all top notch, with great cocktails, fresh made pasta, and seasonal ingredients. Everything we had was great. Our waitress recommended the potato gnocchi with beef cheek which was very comforting on a cold winter day. My wife had a lighter vegetarian pasta dish with homemade pesto. The cocktail that I ordered was balanced and well made. We also had the homemade sourdough, served with 4 different topping options! My only wish was that the chocolate cake we had for dessert be served warm. It came with a citrus sauce and candy orange peel, both of which accompanied the cake perfectly! We will be back!

Had a fantastic meal here! The orcchiette was delicious, and the dessert special (peach upside cake with raspberry mascarpone, made with local ingredients) was truly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. If you see a dessert made by Amira on the menu, do yourself a favor and order it — she’s incredibly talented and makes amazing desserts!

Bella Colibri is a hidden gem — truly the best Italian restaurant in the greater Denver area. We hosted our private wedding rehearsal dinner here for about 50 guests. It started with cocktails and appetizers on the back patio, and then we had our beautiful dinner indoors. Everything was perfect! The event organizer was proactive and thorough, guiding us seamlessly through food and drink selections in advance of the event. Every staff member was professional, kind, and incredibly attentive — the hospitality exceeded our expectations. The food was out of this world: beautifully plated, perfectly timed, and full of fresh, vibrant flavors. Many guests said it was the best meal they had all year!

Service was excellent and cocktails were fantastic. The food had a great presentation but not much flavor couldn’t even taste the listed ingredient.

This hidden gem welcomes you with an intimate atmosphere, exceptional service, and memorable plates. I highly recommend the house sourdough and spiedini for appetizers and the bucatini for the main course. Extraordinary experience!

Fantastic service and knowledgeable. Best Italian food we have had in the Denver area . Everything is homemade and absolutely delicious will be back frequently.

This was our first time dining in Bella Colibri. Our experience was fabulous. 3 of us sat at the Chef's table and we had a great time talking with one of the chef's while she worked. The food was delicious! I highly recommend this restaurant!

They have a few Gf/vegetarian friendly options but the up charge is quite a lot. The ambiance is beautiful and it has an upscale feel. The food was good I enjoyed their olives, pasta, and crème brûlée. I also got quite a fun key lime flavored cocktail. I don't think the food was worth the price level though.

We went for a friend's birthday/girls dinner and the patio was so lovely! Our server was awesome, knowledgeable and attentive (but not overall) and all of the food was good.

We have lived in golden for 20 years and never eaten at this great find. We had the spaghetti and meatballs which was more like meatballs and spaghetti. The meatballs (4) were huge and delicious. Food was great and fresh. Take a seat in the dining room or at the Chefs table. Just make sure to make reservations!!!!

Amazing food!!! We sat at the chefs table and he was so helpful and informative on recommendations. Great ambiance and one of the best restaurants in Golden for sure (from a local).

Great food. Great service. Lovely atmosphere. I would call it Golden's only true "fancy" restaurant. Wine list is also very good with many bottles in a very affordable range and almost all less than $100.

I wasn't aware of Bella Colibri until recently. It's def a date night spot. Their dishes are awesome! Beautifully plated and they taste amazing! The staff was amazing as well. The most memorable was this Watermelon on ricotta bread. Get this! It's so wonderfully good and different. In the appetizer section. The lasagna was described as homemade. Fruit di Mare was loaded. We had the following: Entree: 1.Fruti Di Mare *maltagliatti pasta, halibut, clams, mussels, prawns vodka red sauce 2.Lasagna Bella beef lasagna, whipped ricotta & mascarpone, parmesan, and buffalo mozzarella. Cocktails: 1.Toronto - Four Roses Bourbon / Fernet / Demerara Simple / Bittermen's Transatlantic 2.Violoncello - Los Vicenos Mezcal / Caravella Limoncello / Lemon / Agave / Bittermen's Orange Bitters 3.Bounce Back - Four Roses Bourbon / Fernet / Lemon / Pineapple / Simple / Bittermen's Transatlantic Dessert: Tiramisu-Rich & creamy layered Italian classic, espresso-dipped lady fingers, mascarpone, brandy, and amaretto. What a find! Make time for this wonderful spot in Golden! You won't be disappointed!

Amazing food and good service. The amuse bouche they started us off on was cheese, honeycomb, and hazelnuts. It was very good and a cute bite. We tried the grilled bread plate. The bread was an olive ciabatta bread that was so delicious and some of the best ciabatta and olive bread I've ever had. The olive oil and balsamic was also very good. We also had the burrata and that was very good as well. There was arugula, butternut squash, kumquat jam, and apples on top and the combination was amazing and the perfect amount of saltiness. The cheese was soft and fresh and was great. We tried the lamb pasta and it was so good! The noodles were fresh and were clearly made well in house. The lamb had great flavor and was very tender. I would've preferred more cheese as someone who loves cheese but overall the dish was amazing and the chunks of meat were perfectly sized. The ribeye steak we got was cooked perfectly! The chilis cooked with it were amazing and complimented the steak super well. They cooked it to a perfect medium rare. Some parts of the meat felt more fatty and a bit chewy but was great overall. The polenta was also so creamy and good. I felt that overall the food could've come out hotter but not a big complaint. For desserts we had the cannolis and the rosemary citrus crème brûlée. The cannolis had a perfect shell and the cream inside was chocolate. The garnish was chocolate pearls. Everything went perfectly together and wasn't too sweet. Never had a cannoli that didn't have a mascarpone cheese filling and I really liked it. The crème brûlée had great rosemary and citrus flavor. The sugar on top was perfectly torched. Interesting presentation of it since the dish was shallow, but was amazing. Super thick and rich. We had the mezcal cocktail which was smoky and sweet and we had the gin cocktail which was super booze forward and strong but was so good. I loved the cherry at the bottom. We also got a glass in limoncello which was so good and I love that limoncello flavor. We tried the barbera and the chianti. Both went well with the steak and pasta and were decent wines. Nothing too much to say here as I don't drink wine often. The service was good and the food came out at a good pace. They were out of the lasagna, we had a reservation on a Saturday at 8 pm. Highly recommend this restaurant! Definitely probably the most high end restaurant in Golden, but worth visiting at least once!

Absolutely love Bella Colibri. The ambiance is so nice and the food delicious. They always bring you a little treat to start of the dining experience. Love the location being snugly tucked into a historic brick bldg in downtown Golden. This is our absolute favorite place!

We didn't have a reservation but they sat us at their chef's table/counter which I thought was a perfect place to be seated on a date night. Zach was our food server. He was prepping food all night and you get to watch him do his wonderful work while you wait for and eat your dinner. He was very engaging. In fact, the whole staff were. From the hostess to our table, everyone was amazing. The food was delicious. From the arancini, the salad and our bolognese and bucatini and the tiramisu... so so good. We will definitely be back and will request for the chefs table again.

Picked for its high reviews, we had a very sub-par experience. The food was expensive and definitely not worth the cost, my pasta was undercooked, the selection of what to order was limited, and there was no lamb in my lamb suga. The hostess and the waiter both acknowledged we had TWO birthdays (of the 4 of us), yet they weren't even offered so much as a birthday mint. It was loud and echoey in the dining area and we could barely hear each other. All in all, we could have done better at the Olive Garden.

I'm so happy that there's a really good restaurant in Golden. I love the food and the service is exceptional. There's enough variety to satisfy anything you are craving and the atmosphere is really romantic. My husband swears by the lasagna and the pesto seriously changed my life. Eat here! You will not regret it.

They called and cancelled my reservation 15 minutes beforehand, no compensation offered. Would not recommend.

We were a group of about 10 for a 6:30 pm weeknight reservation, the big table was ready and we were seated and offered water immediately. Granted it was a bit slow that night but still, a good start. And then it became spectacular. A beautiful, elegant and comfortable setting as I'd heard about. And up front I'll say, I see reviews here of bad service and other complaints, and I know even the best businesses screw up on occasion, and more often these days. They can't get, or keep, good staff - same with my company so I can really relate to that challenge. But our evening was perfect. We were recommended a very nice Chianti which we ended up polishing about 3 (???) bottles of, very happily. And a bottle of white and, well, some other drinks. Things got a little fuzzy at some point in the evening and I lost count. The food - the FOOD - amazing. An appetizer that was tomatoes and squash and, other stuff, I just know that the table gobbled up two big plates of it in no time and were all raving about it. Then, the entrees - everyone loved their food, I got the lasagna and that is a great choice! You see photos of the lasagna here from others, it was the envy of the table, a huge serving and it came with it's own special silver spatula, which for some reason I fell in love with, it was just a really fun cool touch. The cheese and pasta and sauce and meat in this dish were just amazing, but I was forced, begrudgingly, to share some bites of it with my table mates as they could see how much I was enjoying it. Next time I'll eat alone! And then two huge dessert trays, too varied to describe but all just sumptious. Especially the CANOLI, I mean seriously, just spectacular. Not overly sweet, just the right balance and a chocolate/cocoa flavor that was mouth watering, in the perfect shell. Really, really dangerously great dessert that could become habitual so, be forewarned. Anyway, yes we'll be back, I want to do the Chef's table seating, I would love to watch them prepare their amazing food and try some of their other dishes. Highly recommend.

Great service - a little loud so hard to talk. Amazing food and very generous portions

Great meal, good atmosphere, excellent service! What else could anyone ask for. We got in early without a reservation, but I'd recommend making one especially on a weekend. The pasta was perfectly prepared cooked al dente and burrata was fresh and creamy with sweet beets and spicy jam.

We made a reservation over a MONTH ago. Received a voicemail two hours prior to our reservation. The employee claimed there was a water main and the restaurant was closed. Lo and behold, we walked by and the restaurant was indeed open and they were hosting a private event. When we walked in to ask about it, the hostess said there was no water main break (and then quickly disappeared). The manager also had a ton of difficulty coming up with a reason of what happened. TERRIBLE customer service and they didn't even seem to care. We love to support local but with all the other wonderful Italian options, we will not be back. TERRIBLE.

The ambiance is nice, cute, well decorated. However, I cannot recommend this place and won't go back. They are just shoveling out the same bland, tired, mediocre food that capital grill always has. At a premium price. My risotto tasted like it came straight out of a box.

We've been many times and they consistently plate excellent Italian. Even my husband loves it and doesn't typically care for Italian. Probably because they know how to bring the flavor, perfectly cook homemade pasta while keeping texture and flavor. Honestly the quaint atmosphere is our favorite. Away from the hustle and bustle of denver and feels great to have such a quality cute restaurant escape in Golden.

The Italian hidden gem of Golden. All good things here, staff, atmosphere and architectural features, and excellently prepared cocktails and dishes made the experience really quaint and elegant. My husband and I just discovered this spot today. It's been open for several months, but without the sign, we totally missed it. I ordered an Italian Sour, and we shared the gnocchi, carbonara, and cannoli. We were asked if we were sharing, and entrees were brought out promptly as soon as we were ready for the next dish. I absolutely loved the gnocchi, and my husband said the pork belly carbonara was "the best food he's eaten in Golden". One thing you'll notice about this place is that they DON'T SKIMP ON THE MEAT. You'll pay similar prices at other Italian restaurants and have 95% pasta on your plate. You can expect like 70% meat. The pasta is more of a compliment to the meat. I would honestly go back just to kick it at the bar and try a couple more of those amazing cocktails, but the food, from presentation to what it really comes down to, how it tastes.. so good -- we will be back! Shout out to Ryan for being a kickass bartender

This place was phenomenal! Literally from A-Z perfect! We will be scheduling regular dinners here. It's a quaint place so reservations are likely needed. We got lucky and got a table at 6 just had to be done before a reservation at 7:30. We had Burrata and Culurgiones as appetizers - the Burrata was out of this world - the peaches were an excellent touch! The Culurgiones were really good, but not as warm as they should have been - we didn't complain and ate every last bite si they were still excellent! We had the lasagna and Bucatini for entrees . Exceptional lasagna - not traditional, but very hearty and flavorful. Bucatini was really delicious as well. Both great options. We finished off with tiramisu - I'm not a huge coffee fan, and this was not overly coffee flavored, it was very good! Glad we found this place! Fantastic ambiance and food!

Exceptional service from start to finish and the everything we tried was phenomenal from the amuse bouche, appetizer, meal, and dessert.

I love the food here the bolognese is my favorite. Great wine list and service. Atmosphere is intimate.

The skin-on roasted chicken and elderflower drink were AMAZING! Crazy that a little restaurant in a small town could have such high caliber food. Have been in NYC and SF this past year and it was as delicious as anything I had there. Service was also top notch. Highly recommend!

Food was amazing, a bit pricey. Our waiter Sam was fantastic. We sat outside and the evening was perfect. We had a fantastic time with our friends and would return again.

Such a charming, delicious spot! First, the atmosphere is just lovely. Super cozy and welcoming. The food is absolutely incredible. Fresh, flavorful, with a great assortment of options that will delight so many different tastes. I have taken friends here for birthdays and special occasions; we are always treated really well by the staff, and have thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the things we've eaten!

Mediocre at best. The service was very European meaning slow and unhelpful. Asked about a drink and was told the exact ingredients (which I had read in the menu) rather than a description. I also asked about a dish and was told " it's like the description in the menu. " No complimentary bread. In fact, you'll be charged almost $10 for mediocre bread and olive oil which takes 20 minutes to receive. The actual food was blah. My partner got the fish and it had pools of oil underneath it, making it soggy. My vegetarian pasta was ok, but could make better at home. The chairs at our table were also super uncomfortable. The couple at the table behind us asked for the a/c to be turned down as it was a chilly night and they were told that was impossible due to freeze concerns? Made no sense just like everything else here. I really don't get the reviews for this place. Happy to pay $100 for a good meal but this was not it. Will drive back to Coperta in Den for decent Italian.

Amazing food and a fun environment not too classy and just the right amount of casual.

All we had was an appetizer- Risotto balls but they were excellent. The entrees we saw looked substantial and yummy.

What a gem! We found this place through yelp in a pinch when we were looking for a nice Thursday evening dinner. We couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised! It's new, and apparently they're still waiting on their sign so it's a bit hard to find. Their menu is small but well rounded. Wine list was pretty solid for CO... good showcase of Italian wines. We got the meatballs and Italian salad to start - loved both of them. Best meatballs we've had in Colorado. For dinner we got the Papa's clams and the Potato Gnocchi. The gnocchi was by far the star here - the short rib it comes with was cooked perfectly... very rich dish but very nice. The clams were also great (no complaints) just overshadowed by the short rib gnocchi. Last but not least, hats off to our server Ryan. He was not only gracious and hospitable, he also gave us enough time and space to really enjoy our meal and experience. Definitely ask for him if you stop in. Honestly he's a big reason this place gets 5 stars.

Elegant, beautiful addition to the Golden restaurant scene. As a former longtime Golden resident, I do miss some of the old shops that made Golden a charming mountain town with its own flavor. Bella Colibri, though new, honors that history in its preservation of decor. Service was polite, warm and seamless. Our dishes were delicious, the pasta homemade and perfectly cooked. Perhaps it is just my tastebuds but I do prefer a porcini pasta to really taste like mushrooms. It did, mostly, but the addition of currants made it sweeter than I'd have liked. The tira misu was wonderful. Dishes do get up in price, but it is a special occasion spot for sure. Altogether a nice experience.

we had a reservation for a special dinner-got there and they put us in what they said was a 'private room' which was just awful and ugly nothing like the main dining room. we had to sit by the door at 16 degrees outside-as people came in and out they left the door wide open and the host did not have the brains to walk over and shut it-we ate dinner in winter coats and our food got cold. the lighting in that room does not work either you have blinding bright light or it flickered as it is broken-no candles or flowers on the table just a bare bones ugly room cold and austere. we have been there many times but this is the last - $35 for a small piece of lasagna sitting in a winter coat - nope - done

**Food Poisoning** Friday, Nov 04, 2022. My husband and I both had the Branzino. I'm not sure if it was my piece of fish or unsanitary food handling procedures (which is too disgusting to contemplate). After 15 hours is severe symptoms I phoned the restaurant to advise my condition. Left my name and number, no one deemed it necessary to call. I'm not surprised as service has been going down over the last year. Yes, we are locals and visited often enough that our waiter recognizes us. Golden is small and we like supporting small businesses. No longer true for Bella colibri. The hostess acted as if she would rather be anywhere else, the wait staff don't seem happy- no smiles. Even our waiter seemed to get lost in the kitchen and forget we were there. Actually we felt like begging to get a dessert menu. Needless to say, I advise going anywhere else. Even if not because of food poisoning, but poor service. The food is nothing special, the restaurant is cute but small. I hope I save someone from food poisoning or a mediocre experience.

Made an 800 reservation. First night out with the wife after the birth of our son. Babysitter at home. We show up at 758. After a few minutes the host shows up. He says it'll be a few minutes and he'll be right back. Not too bad - a little behind on a Saturday night. He returns and now it's a half hour, at least. We're a little displeased. He says "we can offer takeouts." I apparently can show anger through a mask. So the restaurant closes at 9, which means the kitchen closes at 845. Would we like to wait 30 minutes at least, have our food order rushed and thrown in front of us, or we we like to a to go order. No offer of a drink, an app, or even an apology. I know the service industry is hurting. I know we're supposed to support local. But you can't really support someplace who staffs front of house with someone who doesn't have the common sense of a phone pole. So we left - and won't go back. Ho hum.

My wife and I had a date night here recently and wanted to like it but were both unimpressed. We made a reservation but were unaware that apparently we needed to REQUEST indoor seating. When we arrived, we we're taken outside by the host - which would've been fine as it was a great weather - except the outdoor seating is in the alley... in a pergola wrapped in black tarps... with no windows or ventilation... with only one small floor fan to circulate the air... with only the sounds of the main building's hvac as ambiance. The setting was terrible for any kind of restaurant experience much less one claiming to be high-end. The service was decent and the food was good but not great. We definitely won't be back and would steer people away until ownership solves this problem.

Really pretty setting. Looks like a repurposed 19th century building with exposed brick walls and tall windows. Not many tables which adds to the intimate feel. Appetizers were incredible. We went with the bread and tuna apps, and were both wondering if we had any room left over for the main course. Mickey our waiter was stellar.

Bella Colibri was an amazing experience and we sat at the chefs table! Highly recommend sitting at the chefs table for an unforgettable experience and of course watching the chef cook and plate the food! The service and food were incredible from start to finish!! Can't wait to come back again!! Standouts from the group: the winter pear, polenta, potato gnocchi, lamb shank, buccatini al'-amatriciana, lava cake, tiramisu, and cannolis! The tiramisu was a special and I wish it was available all of the time!!

Made the reservation 16 days before the dinner date. Checked in with the host on time at 7:00 PM. He told us to wait while he set up a table. The table was in the back dining room. There were available tables in the cozy main dining room. We asked if we could sit at one of those tables, a table for four as there were four in our party. The host told us that those tables were going to be used for larger parties. He set up a table in the back dining room. Zero ambience. He seated us. Our server was fantastic. The food was excellent. The entire experience was ruined by where the host seated us. When we left the restaurant the table we requested was occupied by two people. We have eaten in this restaurant several times. We were never made to sit in the annex dining room which has noise from the adjoining restaurant and wait staff shuttling back and forth. We will never come back to your restaurant again, which is unfortunate because we love the food, the ambience in the main dining room, and the exceptional wait staff service. Awful experience with the host who lied to us. This was a terrible experience for us because of your host. He was rude, condescending, and he seated us at an unacceptable table. Made the reservation more than two weeks in advance. We brought guests with us that had never been to the restaurant. BTW, we spent $500 for the four of us. Our server was fantastic. We won't be back, and we will not recommend your restaurant ever again. We have sent several friends to your restaurant in the past, Never again.

Very authentic Italian and a intimate setting. Food is fresh and tasty. Great spot in downtown Golden!

Went there Sunday night with some friends- excited to try a new restaurant in Golden. We always try to support the "Local" restaurants. Sadly this place did not live up to the hype. I ordered the lamb- medium- when it came out it was so rare that it looked like it had hardly been cooked--- and it was cold- so I sent it back. One of my friends had the clam spaghetti--- it was also cold - and had the smallest clams you have ever seen. We sent that back. When my lamb came back from being cooked- the white beans on the plate were cold-- like they had just come out of the fridge. I was told the beans were to be served room temp-- there is a difference between room temp -and cold. I handed one of the beans to the waitress to show how cold they were- and she was very surprised. They did not charge me for my meal. We felt the restaurant was over priced for what you got. Next time we will be going somewhere else.

Lovely little spot, great staff, so 3 stars. Food is ok...nothing thrilling. Portions are ridiculously small. WAY overpriced for mediocre Italian fare. Salad was tiny and bland. Bread dry and nothing special. Pasta good, not great and could have eaten double or triple the skimpy portion. Will not return to waste $$ here.

Absolutely delicious! We've been waiting for downtown Golden to get a quality Italian restaurant and here it is! The staff was super friendly and made our dining experience that much better. We can't wait to come back and get our pasta fix! Highly recommend.

Very good Italian food! The garlic bread on the table was so good. We split a large Caesar salad, and an order of Brushetta. (Hard to leave the garlic bread behind) For the entree we split the angel hair pasta with clams. It all was delicious - brushetta was a large portion with heaping with fresh tomatoes. Pasta was done to perfection with plenty of clams in our split bowls. Good service & great ambiance.

Incredible spot. Close your eyes and you're in Italy. Great spot for a first date and they do takeout so make sure you use them during this time.

Bella Colibri is that little local spot that you absolutely MUST try. I hesitate to give it a great review, only because I don't want to try to make a reservation and find it booked! Each & every dish has alway been outstanding. The lasagna is a must.

A wonderful (gem attached to/behind Old Capitol Grill) on 12th St. We arrived just before opening and managed to secure three seats at the chef's table/bar-- GREAT place to sit as you get to see the prep of all the cold dishes, and the finishing touches placed on all hot menu items! The chefs were SO friendly, informative, and the food was GREAT!! We had appetizers of burrata with persimmon and the olives. For dinner, we had gnocchi with short ribs, lasagna, pappardelle bolognese, and scallops with chard-- ALL were delicious shares with lots to take home! We shared their tiramisu and the Golden apple-- a three layered "apple" --I can't do the description of how this is made justice, you've just got to try it!

We were blown away, and it's only opening night. You couldn't expect better if you were in Florence. The gnocchi with braised short ribs and the scallops were just amazing. Great wine list and craft cocktails too. Lovely atmosphere and friendly, professional service rounds out this amazing experience. Can't believe another awesome restaurant just opened in Golden!

Our overall experience was good. The service was very good, food was underwhelming but not bad, overall price was too high. I don't think we will probably go back.

The atmosphere is nice. Way overpriced for what you get. The salad was $17 and was good but overpriced. My pasta was "Meh" at best. No soups on the menu, two choices of salad and you had to pay for bread. Will not return.

The food was excellent for the most part. The Tiramisu was dry and very disappointing. The Lamb was done to perfection but served in a bowl? That made it really hard to eat!. Finally the prices seemed to be a bit high. Especially the wine. Our $56 bottle of Montepulciano retails for $15. I understand mark up but that is bordering on ridiculous.