A restaurant of this purported caliber should do better. Not bad, not appropriately good. The steak was a good cut of meat cooked too long, the salad was drenched in dressing. Dessert came wrong not once but twice (really, is the wait staff doing shots and spacing out?) With so many choices, this one didn't measure up to the first visit. But the staff was friendly and the space pleasant and decidedly different.
(2)
Amanda W.
Impress someone! Sweep down the massive grand staircase to this opulent restaurant and prepare to be greeted by the starry night sky. The ceiling is studded with fiber optic lights and looks remarkably like the real thing, well, minus the exit sign floating out in space. While the surroundings at this restaurant are posh, the staff will treat you like royalty and never give you any 'tude. We arrived for dinner prior to a show at the Buell, with only slightly more than an hour until curtain. Our waiter was extremely prompt and helpful, keeping us on schedule without making us feel rushed, and making sure we weren't late for our show. The wine selection was excellent and the coupon that came with our theatre tickets for a free glass of wine yielded a large glass of Coppola Shiraz. I ordered a lemon drop martini and, I have to say, I have never tasted a better Lemon Drop! Kudos to the bartender! It tasted just like a Lemon Head. We ordered the Spring Morel Risotto (Morel and Fava Bean Ragout, Porcini Creme Fraiche) and Veal Scallopini Marsala (Oven-dried Prosciutto, Potato Pure, Fried Sage), which came out of the kitchen quickly. Both were delicious! The risotto was creamy and delicate, but I would have preferred more Morels, they are spectacular. I also thought the portion of risotto was a bit small, I don't need a Cheesecake Factory size portion, but just enough so I can feel secure I won't be hungry again before the evening is over. We even had just enough time to order dessert: Strawberries n' Cream Ice Cream Sandwich (Chewy Brownie Cake, Fresh Berry Syrup). Yummy! Some real strawberries as garnish (or otherwise incorporated) would have put it over the top into perfection. Ambiance: 5 stars! Service: 5 stars! Drinks: 5 stars! Food: 4 stars! If you really want to go all out for a date, or just an incredible evening on the town with the Hubby, buy some theatre tix and have a magical evening under the Opera House at Kevin Taylor's.
(4)
Catherine B.
We ate here before a performance of the Nutcracker. Our reservation was for 6:15, and the show began at 7:30. I figured this was plenty of time since you only have to walk up one flight of stairs to get to the theater. Um, no - we were really, really tight on time. I was very surprised, because we had let them know ahead of time that we had a show at 7:30, and because they are set up for theater patrons, with a limited menu and everything. They were very slow at getting our food out to us; it took about 30 minutes from ordering to get it. It wasn't very crowded, so I'm not sure what the problem was. I ordered the scallops and thought they were delicious. My husband ordered the filet medium rare, and it came out without any pink in it. At that point, we got very stressed about the timing, since they had kept us waiting for 30 minutes already. However, to their credit, they brought another steak immediately and it tasted great. They did comp us a dessert as well to make up for it. I am knocking off the stars because it is really frustrating to spend a lot of money on a meal and not enjoy it because you are so rushed for time. I would make sure you add lots of extra time to your meal here, and don't assume they are set up for getting you out the door quickly. I did like the food though!
(3)
Dan R.
Oh Denver Restaurant Week. I wonder if places embrace the opportunity to show off and bring back some new clientele or if they want it to be over with so they can get back to making some real dough. My experience with Kevin Taylor at the Opera House was just ordinary. I knew we were in trouble when Kevin's introduction to the restaurant in the menu contained spelling and grammar errors. Dude, don't sign your name to the bottom of a plug for your place that makes you look like a moron. I had the beef loin and my wife had the salmon. (Why she keeps ordering salmon in this town, I'll never know.) The steak was cooked perfectly however it was apparent that it had been pre-made. The salmon was WAY over cooked and the portion size was tiny. The spinach accompaniment was dredged in so much sauce that it was a soggy mess. The roasted tomato soup was quite good as was the greens and Gorgonzola salad. The berry cheesecake was great but the coffee desert tasted like it came out of a box. I'm not sure if I'll be willing to take a chance on their full ticket items. I don't mind plugging down some dough for some good dining, but I'm not confident I'm going to get that experience here.
(3)
Archer D.
Food was hit or miss, but my hit was so good to make up for the misses. I got the lamb shank which was not so great, but the sauces that it came with so unbelievable good. The tuna was okay, not the great quality, it is hard to mess up tuna so it was great, but I would recommend getting your tuna fit else wear. Drinks were kind of weak, but the cherry salad was very good. Service was slight sub par, but the ambiance made up for the factory like service. I could totally see this as a hit or miss restaurant, nice to try, but I would not put this restaurant Denver's Top 10. I get the sneaking suspicion that this restaurant is sitting on Kevin Taylor's reputation.
(3)
Paul G.
This is a place for white people from Parker who come downtown to see a show. Without going into the food, which tasted nice enough, I want to point out the service...First, well...I'll point out that this is indeed a high-end restaurant - it's a place where the least expensive glass of wine is $10 and a martini is $12...it's a place where the silverware is actually silver. The host even has an "educated and rich" sort of Great Gatsby accent. Once seated though, and staring at the waitstaff...their general performance didn't seem to match the "high-end" thing that Kevin Taylor probably dreams about. I always remember, in a fancy restaurant at least, serve from the right/take from the left - this sort of thing didn't happen with K. Taylor's crew. Our waiter seemed to love saying "what do you WANT for your first and second course?" and all I could think about was saying "say 'what would you LIKE' or 'what may we offer you this evening?'" - I realize that this is a stretch...I mean, it really doesn't matter which side a person is served from, and fantastic etiquette has gone the way of the cassingle, but for the price and the general ambiance of the place, I hoped for a little more. With my pettiness aside, I did really enjoy the salmon, and I did enjoy the cheesecake. The restaurant is pleasant, though huge, and there was enough abstract art on the walls to keep me interested.
(4)
Kristen W.
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 decor. 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.
(4)
Anthony N.
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. Decor 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.
(3)
Jeff H.
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.
(1)
Erik Y.
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 decor.
(3)
Robert H.
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
(3)
Stacy P.
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?
(4)
Alisha C.
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.
(3)
Eric R.
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 16th Street Mall has to offer, Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House has been a part of several very special nights out for me.
(5)
Boulder C.
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".
(1)
Susan T.
We have been to this restaurant a few times - during the past 2 Restaurant Weeks, and times before that as well - and very muchh enjoyed our meals. This time, however, what a disappointment. The food was so mediocre, it was ridiculous. The sides were very ordinary, and the cut of meat - well, we've had better in lower priced steak places, not to mention those on the high end of the scale. Plus, they gave us butter knives to cut the meat, and it definitely wasn't a particularly tender cut of meat. All in all - boring, average, and we won't be back any time soon.
(2)
Christina P.
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 Entree - 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.
(4)
Frank C.
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.
(4)
Jonathan H.
My fiancee and I made reservations for our wedding celebration dinner at Kevin Taylors at the Opera House a full 3 months in advance of our wedding. 3 weeks before our wedding we received a call that they were canceling our reservation as they had a private party come up recently. To say we were disappointed is an extreme understatement. My recent experience with this restaurant has forever ruined my opinion of this establishment and I would strongly urge those people considering to go this restaurant for an important occasion to look elsewhere.
(1)
Xerxes N.
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 decor 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.
(4)
Samantha H.
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 opentable.com 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 entree 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.
(2)
Jonathan B.
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.
We dined here before going to the Nutcracker. The location, ambiance, service, decor was 5 star. It was very elegant. Loved the gowns the show goers were wearing. We had the lamb and fish oh and a creative calamari app. The portions are perfect for before a show. The food was ok. We enjoyed the calamari.
(3)
Matthew B.
Here's my tale of Valentine's day romance: So I wanted a place to take the mrs. for Valentines day that would knock her socks off. Unfortunately for daddy most places in town price gouge the crap out of you on Valentines day because they realize that every couple in town is going to want to go to dinner. It's not uncommon to find places charging $150 for two in DENVER of all places! This isn't New York City, and thank God for that. I thought I had beat the system by finding K.T's at the Opera house. I figured that by finding a place without a prix fixe (or fix, your pick!) that I had somehow gamed the Valentines day system and would be walking out with a bundle in my pocket. I left Kevin Taylors at the Opera House without my liver. This place is EXPENSIVE. It's one of the more expensive places in town. Dinner for 2 with a bottle of not that expensive wine was north of $200 for 2. Was it worth it? Tough call. The food was FANTASTIC. Everything I had was fantastic, like almost mind blowingly fantastic. The portions are SO small though. I felt like Alice in Wonderland with the tiny portions. Also the cab that we ordered blew my socks off so I felt a little like Alice in that respect too. We sat in a really nice corner table, with some sort of tableau in the corner, and I felt like taking off my socks and taking a nap. I didn't want to be THAT guy though, so I passed on it. But needless to say my face was flushed after half a bottle of good wine (Lightweight, I know). Anyway, the food is SO good that you don't feel THAT bad dropping $100/person (With wine, without it, it still would have been north of $150). There aren't that many non Kevin Taylor restaurants you can say that about in town.
The personification of second rate. We attended a wedding event produced at this establishment and found the service to be sparse and in a hurry to the extreme. The pre-wedding cocktail hour service was a disaster as there were about half the number of bar tenders needed to accommodate the crush. Long lines resulted. The hors d'oeuvres service was almost non -existent with barely two people circulating for 150 people. The hors d'oeuvres were simply not available as the trays were always empty and the overworked staff apparently spent most of the time re-filling the too-small serving trays. The menu for the event was a one-dish main course of Halibut and filet mignon served as a combination plate. If you don't eat beef or hate fish, you're out of luck. We had to send the plates back to be separated into one or the other. Table bread was an ordinary (and flavorless) club roll. The salad consisted of a clump of escarole with sliced tomatoes with a spoonful of reduced vinaigrette. There was no "setup" pepper and salt on the table. There were no announcements of where we could find our own coffee. No coffee service was available at the table. (In inexcuseable for a sit-down wedding dinner). One other "event" related note: The marriage service was performed with the minister's microphone not working. Again, inexcusable for such an event. There was nobody available or on-hand to address the problem. As a result, the service was unheard by half the attendees as the misister attempted to shout the vows and prayers.. This is an event "no-no" of major proportions and demonstrates a second-level (if that) management of an event venue. It was a miserable experience for these guests. Both the restaurant and event management needs to go back to school. I would think very seriously about holding any wedding event here. ---WM
(1)
Terry S.
I had high hopes for my first dining experience at a Kevin Taylor establishment. Having been to 22 of 5280's top 25 restaurants for the Denver metro area, I know the definition of great dining--regrettably, this was not it. Service was horribly slow and inattentive before Book of Mormon, despite there being only four occupied tables. Our entrees, the lamb loin and the steak, were immediately forgettable. Both were bland, and the lamb cooked far beyond the requested medium-rare. Not only that, but neither of us were given appropriate cutlery, so we had to hack away at our meals with butter knives. After that, we didn't stick around for dessert. The Opera House gets one star for ambiance and another for the salad with poached pears, which I enjoyed, but overall the meal was truly disappointing. I've long wanted to try Restaurant Kevin Taylor, but after this experience, I'm reticent to spend a meal at another Taylor venue. Good luck finding a great dinner prior to a show.
(2)
Melanie R.
I must start by saying the Host Tim is excellent. However the rest of the experience fell very short. Our main server was a biatch. She wasn't pleasant and she was extremely rude and unprofessional to the runners that actually helped with our 9 top. With it being restaurant week I thought it would be a great treat to go to KT @ the Opera house to celebrate my 40th birthday. I made a mistake picking this place... The food was all pre-cooked and tasted very mediocre. The best part of the 3 course meal was the dessert and it was great but the bottom line is that this is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Denver and it was no way close to this for our experience. I would recommend trying other venues for restaurant week. It almost seems like they put little effort into the food or service because it is $52.80 per couple.
(2)
Robin W.
Great atmosphere, you get the true fine dining experience in this restaurant. Service was good and food was good enough for Restaurant Week. Prosciutto wrapped shrimp were darn tasty, but the Arctic Char I feel should have not been on the menu. The Ahi tenderloin looked like a small portion, but the cannelini beans helped. Most fabulous of the whole meal was the Marscapone Cheesecake. Extremely yummy.
(4)
Lynn L.
Nothing to complain about at my recent trip to Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House for 5280. The ambiance is gorgeous - with a cavernous dining room that ensures plenty of space between tables. From the start, the service was spectacular. Our server doubled as sommelier and recommended a great wine for us to share with our meals. I ordered the "flight of pumpkin" (my own name) with the pumpkin soup, pumpkin gnocchi, and pumpkin cheesecake. All were outstanding (particularly the cheesecake, but I'm a sucker for cheesecake!). The salads we tried were both delicious, and the steak entree was cooked to perfection, well-seasoned, and yummy. The only slight disappointment was the blood peach creme brulee for dessert. It had neither the color nor the flavor of peach, so we thought maybe they left out the peach? Dessert wine (Moscato) and Ports were lovely, and a great end to our meal. Will keep this restaurant on the short list of places to go for a special occasion meal!
(5)
Becky R.
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 creme brulee. Cheesecake was light and whipped and tasty, but the creme brulee 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.
(3)
i n.
WHAT HAPPENED KEVIN TAYLOR, HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING CRACK? This place was amazing 10 years ago for a $75+ a person restaurant but not anymore. Close, remodel and open back up with a new menu and a single adverbial name that is fetching of an upscale left-for-feeling-hungry expensive restaurant.
(2)
Adam R.
This is a 3.5. We attended during restaurant week and were generally impressed with out experience. We ordered a very reasonably priced Malbec which was great. I had the Foie Gras and Baramundi and my girlfriend had a steak, which despite my objections, she ordered medium. The foot was generally excellent, as was dessert. However, my piece of fish was tiny! I will give kudos to the chef for the crispy Brussels sprouts and the sushi-rice sides though. We had a gift certificate from Pallettes that we used to pay. What really annoyed me, is that the server ran the full bill on my debit card, then refunded it and re-ran the total with gift card subtracted, and didn't both to mention this to me! I still have a $100 outstanding transaction on my account a week later! Any server worth their salt should have the decency to tell someone when they do that. Minus a half star for this annoyance.
(3)
Claire B.
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 14th/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 creme 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.
(5)
Danny E.
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.
(4)
Heather M.
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 entree 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 creme brulee 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.
(2)
Mary Jo S.
We glided down the marble staircase to Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House, hand properly floating above the handrail. All memories of perfect manners come back just at the sight of the elegant restaurant with elegant staff and elegant golden hued decor. (Costumes are framed in shadow boxes on the wall). We were greeted like family by the Maitre'D and from that moment on had nothing to worry about except what to select from the menu. Ms. M, my theater partner/birthday girl, and I chose: Charred Hearts of Romaine Salad Goat Chevre, Pimenton Almonds, Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Saffron Risotto Shaved Asparagus, Grana Padano, Kaffir Lime Oil Seared Atlantic Salmon Mushroom Fricassee, Wild Arugula, Sweet Fennel Broth Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cheesecake Fresh Berry Compote, Almond Tuiles, Lemon Syrup When the salad arrived, the Maitre'D came over and cut it for us as we were splitting. I have not had anyone cut my food since I was a baby. It was just so la-di-da. The highlights were the kaffir lime oil in the risotto and the fennel broth which came in the cutest pitcher. A small candle was set in the lemon syrup of our desert and a very soft happy birthday sung by me and the bus boy (thanks for doing that with me). And then our bill arrived with a reminder that it was 15 minute curtain call giving us time to check out the ladies room and get to our seats for Ave. Q.
(5)
Jonathan G.
We all know restaurant week is amazing... but there are places that inspire you to continue going there and then there are places that serve pre-warmed entrees and expect you to cut them slack because its "Restaurant Week". I feel that Kevin Taylor's falls into the latter category. I had a friend from Cali coming out to visit and thought it was the perfect time to check out one of Kevin Taylors restaurants. The restaurant is located in the basement in a large room which makes the atmosphere feel like a giant meal hall instead of an expensive restaurant. When it came to the food my cherry salad was good but nothing spectacular or unique, just some mixed greens with a balsamic vinegarette and some dried cherries. These two items alone would not have prevented a bad review but when the entrees came it was clear that they were premade and warmed before served. Now Im not sure if this is normally how the restaurant prepares their food or if this was a Restaurant Week cost saving measure but either way im not going to a college cafeteria!!! The one saving grace was the creme brulee dessert... that is why it got 3 stars instead of two.
(3)
Wayne S.
We had friends visiting from out of town for New Year's Eve. We had a friend who was a previous employee get us a reservation that was supposedly highly coveted. We showed up at 8pm to find an empty restaurant, so, therefore, I am not sure why a reservation was necessary. A lady showed up at our table and stated she and a gentleman would be taking care of us. We never saw her again. The food was acceptable, but the service and timing of the food was atrociously slow. After 2 hours and 15 minutes, we had only had 3 courses. At this point the time is 10:15 pm. We decided to not order dessert because we were afraid we would not make it to our New Year's Eve celebration. One would think with only five tables occupied we could have had faster service. Here's a tip, shut down parts of the restaurant when it it slow so it is more inviting by appearing busier. Have faster service.
(2)
Michelle S.
I don't even know where to start. I was so excited to eat here for my boyfriends birthday and the entire night fell short. Good thing he loves me. We sat for FIFTEEN minutes without anyone coming to see us at our table. No water, no bread, no I'll be right with you. Are you kidding me?! If I hadn't had to pay $12 to park I would have walked out then and there. When the server did show his face he said nothing but "what do you want?" WTF?! For real?! I knew I had to let it go so that I could at least try to be good company for the boy. He ordered the prosciutto wrapped shrimp with shaved melon which was nothing special at all. The chowder was good but it wasn't warm, let alone hot. He had the Ahi and I had the steak. The steak was the best part of the meal it melted in your mouth. However I must agree with Melanie R. who said it was all pre-cooked and mediocre. I couldn't agree more. I felt like I was at a wedding with bad catering. Dessert was meh. The creme brulee was NOT creme brulee. It was glorified chocolate pudding with a sugar topping. Cheesecake was ok. I get that it was restaurant week but isn't that the time to showcase your restaurant so that people actually want to come back? I was highly disappointed that I wasted $52.80 here. There were a number of places that I would have rather gone but alas I can't get my time or my money back.
(2)
Steve O.
To be fair, I'll start by pointing out that the manager comp'd our meals. Which implies that yes, there was a serious problem and yes, we raised it at the restaurant and yes, that's why 2 stars rather than 1. Here's the thing: if you're going to name a restaurant after yourself, as someone named Kevin Taylor must have done, make sure that everything is perfect. Don't bother using Google to find Kevin Taylor's At the Opera House (KTOH). You'll probably end up at Restaurant Kevin Taylor, one block away. Walk in the first door at KTOH and you'll be greeted by a man sitting behind a podium who asks "Do you have a reservation?" Fortunately I was able to answer in the affirmative. He responded with "Down those stairs." Ironically, once we reached the bottom of those stairs, half the place was empty. At 7:30 pm...on Friday night...on the last day of Restaurant Week in Denver. Why didn't WE turn around?? A man behind another podium acknowledged us, I stated my name to help him recover our reservation, I spelled it to make it easier, the younger man next to him helped locate the name on a screen and said "Follow me" The individual seating us, the host, placed menus at our places and walked away. Now, female hostesses often seat us...who pull the chair out for my girlfriend. But when a MAN is seating a WOMAN and DOES NOT pull the chair out for her, in what is supposed to be one of Denver's finest...not a good sign. Our waitress was very nice, once she finally approached. Didn't seem thrilled to be there, but then no one we saw did (and in that place you will see every employee, the entire time, thanks to a very open and "breezeway-like" setup). Took our drink order...took way too long to return with it. That could be entirely out of her control. Especially considering that the bar looked very much makeshift with about 8 bottles of liquor on display. Our best analogy: a small hotel bar. We quickly placed our order, in fear of losing her again. Appetizers were great. We consumed a flavorful gnocchi and carrot soup, respectively. Entrees came next. I ordered filet of beef, it looked delicious. I have this thing; I like to cut my beef with a sharp knife. I call it a steak knife. So after being served, I asked the gentleman for a steak knife. He seemed as eager as I was to have such a utensil at hand for this job. He walked to a folding table covered with a cloth, loaded with silverware and napkins and other stuff that should be hidden from sight in a fancy restaurant, consulted with a nearby waitress and learned to our combined shock that KTOH only has one knife, the butter one. My beef filet was very good. So were the sides. I was fine. But my girlfriend couldn't stop complaining about how salty her scallops (and burnt her Brussels sprouts) were. She had me try them, I did, but thankfully I had my filet to wash the salt taste away. When our waitress returned we raised the issue. And (to my amazement) she immediately acknowledged that "yes, I've heard a few people say it's salty". She offered the routine "can I get you anything else?" We said, "No thanks, he already finished his plate without interruption." She went to tell her manager. I noticed she went to the man by the hostess podium. They looked our way and appeared to be laughing. He came over and said the usual "heard our dish wasn't up to par". My girlfriend reiterated the sodium disapproval. Then he said.. "I'm sorry to hear that. We've served at least 90 of these today and this is the first I've heard of it being too salty." Now here's where I felt it was necessary to call "bullsh!t". Didn't our dear waitress just say the exact opposite? An unnecessarily hostile confrontation ensued. He said at one point, "I didn't have to come over to your table at all. I'm just trying to make things right." (Little tip to you aspiring restaurant managers..you always have to come over to the table and eat crow. It's how you make your PAYING customer feel heard.) A seemingly direction-less (and uncomfortable) conversation about "what would you like me to do to make this right?" "What would you expect if you were in our shoes?" "I'm trying to do the right thing by offering to make this right but you're being very confrontational." "I'm just saying that coming here and implying the other 90 plates weren't salty is a bit of a stretch considering what your waitress said." "Well I'd like to make things right, what can I do?" To which my girlfriend suggested that we'd pay for our drinks if he took care of the food. He proposed paying for everything and after identifying the correct amount to leave as a tip for our waitress, we settled at that. We agreed we'd never eat at another dining establishment named after Kevin Taylor. The manager made things right, but at a cost much higher than necessary. If you want to stand out from the crowd, be a gracious and intuitive host. Well, if this review wasn't useful to you, but you read this far, I hope it at least kept you entertained.
(2)
Cathy C.
This was a convenient location for a pre-opera drink and appetizer. As expected, drinks were on the pricey side -- $5 for a Coors Light poured from a bottle, $10 for a glass of wine. Since we were facing a three-act opera, K and I split a light appetizer. The ahi carpaccio looked like mini-cubed poke at first, but definitely better than the local-style shoyu and green onions for sure. The addition of the mushrooms and the soy lavender vinaigrette was a divine combination and was thoroughly enjoyable. L and J enjoyed the crab salad and corn chowder but we think the ahi was the best selection. So food definitely a four star, but experience was more like three stars. The space is a bit cavernous and cold. Also, service was just okay. L commented that it was as if the Opera House location was staffed by Kevin Taylor's catering crew - nothing objectionable but not the type of detailed service you'd expect from an esteemed restaurant. The bartender forgot L had ordered club soda and topped off her half-filled glass with water. The server did not bring out bread with the appetizers which seemed weird since we did order soup which is accompanied by bread at most restaurants. The bartender placed the wrong salad order and correct order had to be rushed out. When L asked for extra dressing for the crab salad, the bartender inferred that she was asking for blue cheese or ranch dressing to pour over the delicate crab creation. She simply wanted the dressing that came with that dish; why would he assume she wanted Hidden Valley Ranch? J also noticed that the Manhattan was made with Jack Daniels instead of the proper blended whiskey. Drink was fine, but again, it was another missed detail.
(3)
kimberly s.
I took my teenagers to this restaurant before the Nutcracker. I didn't mind splurging because it was a special night out before Christmas. They enjoyed the starry roof but I was not impressed with the large kind of bare museum like room. I didn't enjoy the exposed cement walls but the girls were intrigued by the costumes and art hanging on the walls. I was starved and our waitress quickly came for our order. I was a little disappointed with the small selection and unusual looking dishes but we all found something that looked good. We waited and waited and I sipped wine wishing at least for some bread. Finally my tomato soup came which had an odd sheet of fried parmesan floating in it. It was awkward to eat as it bobbed in my soup. I was still starved and a waiter noticed we had no bread and brought some with a hard molded butter. The bread was plain and the butter never melted into it. We waited more and thankfully I drank more wine. Our order came and I was shocked to see two of the dishes. My oldest daughter just ordered a salad which looked okay. My younger daughter got pork which was served on cinnamon grits with some kind of dark green veggie dolloped on the grits with little berries. It looked horrible and tasted wierd. My dish was a square of fish over another fried parmesan and then over pinto beans. I couldn't believe it. I choked it down and hoped dessert would be memorable. I love warm creme brulee but inquired and found out it is served chilled. I asked for a reccomendation and was told the pecan pie tartlet is great. When this came it looked and tasted like something from a package and it was not saved by the round cookie balls and icecream it came with. The only thing worse then the food was paying the bill for my special dinner. Not only was it expensive but we waited a long time to get the priveledge of paying. Never again.
(1)
Dawn M.
I had high expectations, but this was by far the worst restaurant week experience I have ever had (and we do restaurant week every year). The ambiance was ok. I really liked the openness of the space, and the fact that they had old opera dresses on the wall. We were off to the side, right next to the kitchen, which was fine, and next to a table of old dishes and plates, which was kind of icky. The appetizers were amazing - between the three of us, we had one of each: tomato soup, romaine and goat cheese salad, and gorgonzola cherry salad. We loved them all. Had the service been at all bearable, we might consider going back for the salads alone. But I can go to plenty of other restaurants, find a decent salad for less than $9, and be treated like the paying customer that I am. The service was awful. Seriously. I've had better at, well, just about anywhere. We asked about separate checks, "Oh no, we can't do that during DRW, the kitchen can't handle it". When we were ordering, my friend mentioned something about ordering everything at once. Our server was instantly "Oh, it's DRW, you HAVE to order everything, the kitchen can't handle it otherwise". She didn't even let us finish our conversation (we were totally planning to order everything at once) I get that they were busy, but they weren't serving the regular menu, just the DRW menu. I had to flag her down for wine. She forgot to bring my friend's beer. I think she could tell we were getting frustrated, b/c after our entrees came out, she didn't never acknowledged us again, she had her helper do it. And the kicker. I asked her about fish and nuts in all my food, since I'm extremely allergic. I said my main concern was in the dessert cookies. She said there were no nuts. And the cookies came out, with nuts in them! Seriously. That is not acceptable. Entrees were ok. We all got the steak with onion jus, asparagus and gruyere potatoes. Potatoes were bland, yellow, no taste of gruyere. Steak and asparagus were ok. The onion jus was amazing. I had creme brulee, which was good (since the cookies were on the side, I could still eat it). It was in a teacup, which was nice presentation, although it meant more creme and less brulee. Our salads came out quickly, as did our entrees. We had to wait a good 15-20 minutes for dessert. We saw one of the food runners, as we were walking to our car. She mentioned that they'd been working non-stop, everyone was tired, etc. And, I do have to say that we didn't have any problems with any of the other staff we interacted with. The runner mixed up our entrees (switched my medium and my friend's medium well). But she apologized, was polite and cheerful, and we were totally cool with it. Things happen. But our main server was horrible. The food was ok. It started off really well, but I'm not going to come back and pay $9 for an amazing salad with crappy service. Oh, and just to be nitpicky, there was a typo in the DRW menu (fro instead of from). In case you haven't figured it out, I wasn't too impressed with Kevin Taylor at the Opera House. We go to a lot of theater, but we'll never come here. In fact, it turned us off of all Kevin Taylor venues.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Upscale Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
JJ M.
A restaurant of this purported caliber should do better. Not bad, not appropriately good. The steak was a good cut of meat cooked too long, the salad was drenched in dressing. Dessert came wrong not once but twice (really, is the wait staff doing shots and spacing out?) With so many choices, this one didn't measure up to the first visit. But the staff was friendly and the space pleasant and decidedly different.
(2)Amanda W.
Impress someone! Sweep down the massive grand staircase to this opulent restaurant and prepare to be greeted by the starry night sky. The ceiling is studded with fiber optic lights and looks remarkably like the real thing, well, minus the exit sign floating out in space. While the surroundings at this restaurant are posh, the staff will treat you like royalty and never give you any 'tude. We arrived for dinner prior to a show at the Buell, with only slightly more than an hour until curtain. Our waiter was extremely prompt and helpful, keeping us on schedule without making us feel rushed, and making sure we weren't late for our show. The wine selection was excellent and the coupon that came with our theatre tickets for a free glass of wine yielded a large glass of Coppola Shiraz. I ordered a lemon drop martini and, I have to say, I have never tasted a better Lemon Drop! Kudos to the bartender! It tasted just like a Lemon Head. We ordered the Spring Morel Risotto (Morel and Fava Bean Ragout, Porcini Creme Fraiche) and Veal Scallopini Marsala (Oven-dried Prosciutto, Potato Pure, Fried Sage), which came out of the kitchen quickly. Both were delicious! The risotto was creamy and delicate, but I would have preferred more Morels, they are spectacular. I also thought the portion of risotto was a bit small, I don't need a Cheesecake Factory size portion, but just enough so I can feel secure I won't be hungry again before the evening is over. We even had just enough time to order dessert: Strawberries n' Cream Ice Cream Sandwich (Chewy Brownie Cake, Fresh Berry Syrup). Yummy! Some real strawberries as garnish (or otherwise incorporated) would have put it over the top into perfection. Ambiance: 5 stars! Service: 5 stars! Drinks: 5 stars! Food: 4 stars! If you really want to go all out for a date, or just an incredible evening on the town with the Hubby, buy some theatre tix and have a magical evening under the Opera House at Kevin Taylor's.
(4)Catherine B.
We ate here before a performance of the Nutcracker. Our reservation was for 6:15, and the show began at 7:30. I figured this was plenty of time since you only have to walk up one flight of stairs to get to the theater. Um, no - we were really, really tight on time. I was very surprised, because we had let them know ahead of time that we had a show at 7:30, and because they are set up for theater patrons, with a limited menu and everything. They were very slow at getting our food out to us; it took about 30 minutes from ordering to get it. It wasn't very crowded, so I'm not sure what the problem was. I ordered the scallops and thought they were delicious. My husband ordered the filet medium rare, and it came out without any pink in it. At that point, we got very stressed about the timing, since they had kept us waiting for 30 minutes already. However, to their credit, they brought another steak immediately and it tasted great. They did comp us a dessert as well to make up for it. I am knocking off the stars because it is really frustrating to spend a lot of money on a meal and not enjoy it because you are so rushed for time. I would make sure you add lots of extra time to your meal here, and don't assume they are set up for getting you out the door quickly. I did like the food though!
(3)Dan R.
Oh Denver Restaurant Week. I wonder if places embrace the opportunity to show off and bring back some new clientele or if they want it to be over with so they can get back to making some real dough. My experience with Kevin Taylor at the Opera House was just ordinary. I knew we were in trouble when Kevin's introduction to the restaurant in the menu contained spelling and grammar errors. Dude, don't sign your name to the bottom of a plug for your place that makes you look like a moron. I had the beef loin and my wife had the salmon. (Why she keeps ordering salmon in this town, I'll never know.) The steak was cooked perfectly however it was apparent that it had been pre-made. The salmon was WAY over cooked and the portion size was tiny. The spinach accompaniment was dredged in so much sauce that it was a soggy mess. The roasted tomato soup was quite good as was the greens and Gorgonzola salad. The berry cheesecake was great but the coffee desert tasted like it came out of a box. I'm not sure if I'll be willing to take a chance on their full ticket items. I don't mind plugging down some dough for some good dining, but I'm not confident I'm going to get that experience here.
(3)Archer D.
Food was hit or miss, but my hit was so good to make up for the misses. I got the lamb shank which was not so great, but the sauces that it came with so unbelievable good. The tuna was okay, not the great quality, it is hard to mess up tuna so it was great, but I would recommend getting your tuna fit else wear. Drinks were kind of weak, but the cherry salad was very good. Service was slight sub par, but the ambiance made up for the factory like service. I could totally see this as a hit or miss restaurant, nice to try, but I would not put this restaurant Denver's Top 10. I get the sneaking suspicion that this restaurant is sitting on Kevin Taylor's reputation.
(3)Paul G.
This is a place for white people from Parker who come downtown to see a show. Without going into the food, which tasted nice enough, I want to point out the service...First, well...I'll point out that this is indeed a high-end restaurant - it's a place where the least expensive glass of wine is $10 and a martini is $12...it's a place where the silverware is actually silver. The host even has an "educated and rich" sort of Great Gatsby accent. Once seated though, and staring at the waitstaff...their general performance didn't seem to match the "high-end" thing that Kevin Taylor probably dreams about. I always remember, in a fancy restaurant at least, serve from the right/take from the left - this sort of thing didn't happen with K. Taylor's crew. Our waiter seemed to love saying "what do you WANT for your first and second course?" and all I could think about was saying "say 'what would you LIKE' or 'what may we offer you this evening?'" - I realize that this is a stretch...I mean, it really doesn't matter which side a person is served from, and fantastic etiquette has gone the way of the cassingle, but for the price and the general ambiance of the place, I hoped for a little more. With my pettiness aside, I did really enjoy the salmon, and I did enjoy the cheesecake. The restaurant is pleasant, though huge, and there was enough abstract art on the walls to keep me interested.
(4)Kristen W.
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 decor. 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.
(4)Anthony N.
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. Decor 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.
(3)Jeff H.
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.
(1)Erik Y.
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 decor.
(3)Robert H.
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
(3)Stacy P.
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?
(4)Alisha C.
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.
(3)Eric R.
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 16th Street Mall has to offer, Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House has been a part of several very special nights out for me.
(5)Boulder C.
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".
(1)Susan T.
We have been to this restaurant a few times - during the past 2 Restaurant Weeks, and times before that as well - and very muchh enjoyed our meals. This time, however, what a disappointment. The food was so mediocre, it was ridiculous. The sides were very ordinary, and the cut of meat - well, we've had better in lower priced steak places, not to mention those on the high end of the scale. Plus, they gave us butter knives to cut the meat, and it definitely wasn't a particularly tender cut of meat. All in all - boring, average, and we won't be back any time soon.
(2)Christina P.
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 Entree - 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.
(4)Frank C.
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.
(4)Jonathan H.
My fiancee and I made reservations for our wedding celebration dinner at Kevin Taylors at the Opera House a full 3 months in advance of our wedding. 3 weeks before our wedding we received a call that they were canceling our reservation as they had a private party come up recently. To say we were disappointed is an extreme understatement. My recent experience with this restaurant has forever ruined my opinion of this establishment and I would strongly urge those people considering to go this restaurant for an important occasion to look elsewhere.
(1)Xerxes N.
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 decor 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.
(4)Samantha H.
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 opentable.com 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 entree 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.
(2)Jonathan B.
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.
(5)Jake L.
I know, I was so nice two years ago, but I was younger and more immature. While I do love the ambiance of this place, they certainly answered the question for me as to why they're not open the entire year (yes, I know the "other" reason). It was an extremely bland meal. I started with the prosciutto wrapped shrimp with shaved melon. The shrimp threw me with it being cold, which had the feel of a cocktail shrimp. However, the worst part of this dish was that it had no flavor. I expected the salty prosciutto to contrast with the sweet melon all while the shrimp would add some savory flavors, but no. The prosciutto wasn't at all salty and tasted like grocery store, prepackaged meat. The melon wasn't ripe and thus lacking flavor, and the shrimp just sat there, as a spectator. It was as if it was concentrating too hard on how it could help the plate and forgot to show up. Next was an Arctic Char in a lobster broth. Unfortunately I have never eaten Arctic Char before, and I don't believe I still have. The shocking thing about this dish is that the fish was swimming in the lobster broth yet it was too dry. The Char had been charred. The fish was not highlighted, and it felt as though the flavors were being masked. I'm not sure what was doing the masking because it too was a bland dish. For dessert I had the Chocolate Malted Crème Brûlée. I am a huge Crème Brûlée snob. While, I believe Restaurant Kevin Taylor does an excellent job with their basic Crème Brûlée, they have not taught this little brother how to handle a torch. The flavors were pretty good but execution was poor. It was clear that this had been made and refrigerated until ready to serve. Traditionally, the sugar should be added last and torched or broiled immediately before serving. I understand that they were most likely trying to save time but at what cost? The service was as I've experienced before. It seems to lack a sense of direction, and one can tell the servers are not all that comfortable. If I have an empty wine glass before you take my plate and bring out the next plate all while ignoring the opportunity to sell me an additional glass of wine?? That is weak service, not poor, but weak. Sad to say I will not be back to judge them again.
(2)Nirai H.
We dined here before going to the Nutcracker. The location, ambiance, service, decor was 5 star. It was very elegant. Loved the gowns the show goers were wearing. We had the lamb and fish oh and a creative calamari app. The portions are perfect for before a show. The food was ok. We enjoyed the calamari.
(3)Matthew B.
Here's my tale of Valentine's day romance: So I wanted a place to take the mrs. for Valentines day that would knock her socks off. Unfortunately for daddy most places in town price gouge the crap out of you on Valentines day because they realize that every couple in town is going to want to go to dinner. It's not uncommon to find places charging $150 for two in DENVER of all places! This isn't New York City, and thank God for that. I thought I had beat the system by finding K.T's at the Opera house. I figured that by finding a place without a prix fixe (or fix, your pick!) that I had somehow gamed the Valentines day system and would be walking out with a bundle in my pocket. I left Kevin Taylors at the Opera House without my liver. This place is EXPENSIVE. It's one of the more expensive places in town. Dinner for 2 with a bottle of not that expensive wine was north of $200 for 2. Was it worth it? Tough call. The food was FANTASTIC. Everything I had was fantastic, like almost mind blowingly fantastic. The portions are SO small though. I felt like Alice in Wonderland with the tiny portions. Also the cab that we ordered blew my socks off so I felt a little like Alice in that respect too. We sat in a really nice corner table, with some sort of tableau in the corner, and I felt like taking off my socks and taking a nap. I didn't want to be THAT guy though, so I passed on it. But needless to say my face was flushed after half a bottle of good wine (Lightweight, I know). Anyway, the food is SO good that you don't feel THAT bad dropping $100/person (With wine, without it, it still would have been north of $150). There aren't that many non Kevin Taylor restaurants you can say that about in town.
(5)Hans O.
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, Gruyere 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 gruyere 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 puree. 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.
(5)Wally M.
The personification of second rate. We attended a wedding event produced at this establishment and found the service to be sparse and in a hurry to the extreme. The pre-wedding cocktail hour service was a disaster as there were about half the number of bar tenders needed to accommodate the crush. Long lines resulted. The hors d'oeuvres service was almost non -existent with barely two people circulating for 150 people. The hors d'oeuvres were simply not available as the trays were always empty and the overworked staff apparently spent most of the time re-filling the too-small serving trays. The menu for the event was a one-dish main course of Halibut and filet mignon served as a combination plate. If you don't eat beef or hate fish, you're out of luck. We had to send the plates back to be separated into one or the other. Table bread was an ordinary (and flavorless) club roll. The salad consisted of a clump of escarole with sliced tomatoes with a spoonful of reduced vinaigrette. There was no "setup" pepper and salt on the table. There were no announcements of where we could find our own coffee. No coffee service was available at the table. (In inexcuseable for a sit-down wedding dinner). One other "event" related note: The marriage service was performed with the minister's microphone not working. Again, inexcusable for such an event. There was nobody available or on-hand to address the problem. As a result, the service was unheard by half the attendees as the misister attempted to shout the vows and prayers.. This is an event "no-no" of major proportions and demonstrates a second-level (if that) management of an event venue. It was a miserable experience for these guests. Both the restaurant and event management needs to go back to school. I would think very seriously about holding any wedding event here. ---WM
(1)Terry S.
I had high hopes for my first dining experience at a Kevin Taylor establishment. Having been to 22 of 5280's top 25 restaurants for the Denver metro area, I know the definition of great dining--regrettably, this was not it. Service was horribly slow and inattentive before Book of Mormon, despite there being only four occupied tables. Our entrees, the lamb loin and the steak, were immediately forgettable. Both were bland, and the lamb cooked far beyond the requested medium-rare. Not only that, but neither of us were given appropriate cutlery, so we had to hack away at our meals with butter knives. After that, we didn't stick around for dessert. The Opera House gets one star for ambiance and another for the salad with poached pears, which I enjoyed, but overall the meal was truly disappointing. I've long wanted to try Restaurant Kevin Taylor, but after this experience, I'm reticent to spend a meal at another Taylor venue. Good luck finding a great dinner prior to a show.
(2)Melanie R.
I must start by saying the Host Tim is excellent. However the rest of the experience fell very short. Our main server was a biatch. She wasn't pleasant and she was extremely rude and unprofessional to the runners that actually helped with our 9 top. With it being restaurant week I thought it would be a great treat to go to KT @ the Opera house to celebrate my 40th birthday. I made a mistake picking this place... The food was all pre-cooked and tasted very mediocre. The best part of the 3 course meal was the dessert and it was great but the bottom line is that this is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Denver and it was no way close to this for our experience. I would recommend trying other venues for restaurant week. It almost seems like they put little effort into the food or service because it is $52.80 per couple.
(2)Robin W.
Great atmosphere, you get the true fine dining experience in this restaurant. Service was good and food was good enough for Restaurant Week. Prosciutto wrapped shrimp were darn tasty, but the Arctic Char I feel should have not been on the menu. The Ahi tenderloin looked like a small portion, but the cannelini beans helped. Most fabulous of the whole meal was the Marscapone Cheesecake. Extremely yummy.
(4)Lynn L.
Nothing to complain about at my recent trip to Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House for 5280. The ambiance is gorgeous - with a cavernous dining room that ensures plenty of space between tables. From the start, the service was spectacular. Our server doubled as sommelier and recommended a great wine for us to share with our meals. I ordered the "flight of pumpkin" (my own name) with the pumpkin soup, pumpkin gnocchi, and pumpkin cheesecake. All were outstanding (particularly the cheesecake, but I'm a sucker for cheesecake!). The salads we tried were both delicious, and the steak entree was cooked to perfection, well-seasoned, and yummy. The only slight disappointment was the blood peach creme brulee for dessert. It had neither the color nor the flavor of peach, so we thought maybe they left out the peach? Dessert wine (Moscato) and Ports were lovely, and a great end to our meal. Will keep this restaurant on the short list of places to go for a special occasion meal!
(5)Becky R.
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 creme brulee. Cheesecake was light and whipped and tasty, but the creme brulee 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.
(3)i n.
WHAT HAPPENED KEVIN TAYLOR, HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING CRACK? This place was amazing 10 years ago for a $75+ a person restaurant but not anymore. Close, remodel and open back up with a new menu and a single adverbial name that is fetching of an upscale left-for-feeling-hungry expensive restaurant.
(2)Adam R.
This is a 3.5. We attended during restaurant week and were generally impressed with out experience. We ordered a very reasonably priced Malbec which was great. I had the Foie Gras and Baramundi and my girlfriend had a steak, which despite my objections, she ordered medium. The foot was generally excellent, as was dessert. However, my piece of fish was tiny! I will give kudos to the chef for the crispy Brussels sprouts and the sushi-rice sides though. We had a gift certificate from Pallettes that we used to pay. What really annoyed me, is that the server ran the full bill on my debit card, then refunded it and re-ran the total with gift card subtracted, and didn't both to mention this to me! I still have a $100 outstanding transaction on my account a week later! Any server worth their salt should have the decency to tell someone when they do that. Minus a half star for this annoyance.
(3)Claire B.
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 14th/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 creme 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.
(5)Danny E.
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.
(4)Heather M.
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 entree 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 creme brulee 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.
(2)Mary Jo S.
We glided down the marble staircase to Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House, hand properly floating above the handrail. All memories of perfect manners come back just at the sight of the elegant restaurant with elegant staff and elegant golden hued decor. (Costumes are framed in shadow boxes on the wall). We were greeted like family by the Maitre'D and from that moment on had nothing to worry about except what to select from the menu. Ms. M, my theater partner/birthday girl, and I chose: Charred Hearts of Romaine Salad Goat Chevre, Pimenton Almonds, Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Saffron Risotto Shaved Asparagus, Grana Padano, Kaffir Lime Oil Seared Atlantic Salmon Mushroom Fricassee, Wild Arugula, Sweet Fennel Broth Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cheesecake Fresh Berry Compote, Almond Tuiles, Lemon Syrup When the salad arrived, the Maitre'D came over and cut it for us as we were splitting. I have not had anyone cut my food since I was a baby. It was just so la-di-da. The highlights were the kaffir lime oil in the risotto and the fennel broth which came in the cutest pitcher. A small candle was set in the lemon syrup of our desert and a very soft happy birthday sung by me and the bus boy (thanks for doing that with me). And then our bill arrived with a reminder that it was 15 minute curtain call giving us time to check out the ladies room and get to our seats for Ave. Q.
(5)Jonathan G.
We all know restaurant week is amazing... but there are places that inspire you to continue going there and then there are places that serve pre-warmed entrees and expect you to cut them slack because its "Restaurant Week". I feel that Kevin Taylor's falls into the latter category. I had a friend from Cali coming out to visit and thought it was the perfect time to check out one of Kevin Taylors restaurants. The restaurant is located in the basement in a large room which makes the atmosphere feel like a giant meal hall instead of an expensive restaurant. When it came to the food my cherry salad was good but nothing spectacular or unique, just some mixed greens with a balsamic vinegarette and some dried cherries. These two items alone would not have prevented a bad review but when the entrees came it was clear that they were premade and warmed before served. Now Im not sure if this is normally how the restaurant prepares their food or if this was a Restaurant Week cost saving measure but either way im not going to a college cafeteria!!! The one saving grace was the creme brulee dessert... that is why it got 3 stars instead of two.
(3)Wayne S.
We had friends visiting from out of town for New Year's Eve. We had a friend who was a previous employee get us a reservation that was supposedly highly coveted. We showed up at 8pm to find an empty restaurant, so, therefore, I am not sure why a reservation was necessary. A lady showed up at our table and stated she and a gentleman would be taking care of us. We never saw her again. The food was acceptable, but the service and timing of the food was atrociously slow. After 2 hours and 15 minutes, we had only had 3 courses. At this point the time is 10:15 pm. We decided to not order dessert because we were afraid we would not make it to our New Year's Eve celebration. One would think with only five tables occupied we could have had faster service. Here's a tip, shut down parts of the restaurant when it it slow so it is more inviting by appearing busier. Have faster service.
(2)Michelle S.
I don't even know where to start. I was so excited to eat here for my boyfriends birthday and the entire night fell short. Good thing he loves me. We sat for FIFTEEN minutes without anyone coming to see us at our table. No water, no bread, no I'll be right with you. Are you kidding me?! If I hadn't had to pay $12 to park I would have walked out then and there. When the server did show his face he said nothing but "what do you want?" WTF?! For real?! I knew I had to let it go so that I could at least try to be good company for the boy. He ordered the prosciutto wrapped shrimp with shaved melon which was nothing special at all. The chowder was good but it wasn't warm, let alone hot. He had the Ahi and I had the steak. The steak was the best part of the meal it melted in your mouth. However I must agree with Melanie R. who said it was all pre-cooked and mediocre. I couldn't agree more. I felt like I was at a wedding with bad catering. Dessert was meh. The creme brulee was NOT creme brulee. It was glorified chocolate pudding with a sugar topping. Cheesecake was ok. I get that it was restaurant week but isn't that the time to showcase your restaurant so that people actually want to come back? I was highly disappointed that I wasted $52.80 here. There were a number of places that I would have rather gone but alas I can't get my time or my money back.
(2)Steve O.
To be fair, I'll start by pointing out that the manager comp'd our meals. Which implies that yes, there was a serious problem and yes, we raised it at the restaurant and yes, that's why 2 stars rather than 1. Here's the thing: if you're going to name a restaurant after yourself, as someone named Kevin Taylor must have done, make sure that everything is perfect. Don't bother using Google to find Kevin Taylor's At the Opera House (KTOH). You'll probably end up at Restaurant Kevin Taylor, one block away. Walk in the first door at KTOH and you'll be greeted by a man sitting behind a podium who asks "Do you have a reservation?" Fortunately I was able to answer in the affirmative. He responded with "Down those stairs." Ironically, once we reached the bottom of those stairs, half the place was empty. At 7:30 pm...on Friday night...on the last day of Restaurant Week in Denver. Why didn't WE turn around?? A man behind another podium acknowledged us, I stated my name to help him recover our reservation, I spelled it to make it easier, the younger man next to him helped locate the name on a screen and said "Follow me" The individual seating us, the host, placed menus at our places and walked away. Now, female hostesses often seat us...who pull the chair out for my girlfriend. But when a MAN is seating a WOMAN and DOES NOT pull the chair out for her, in what is supposed to be one of Denver's finest...not a good sign. Our waitress was very nice, once she finally approached. Didn't seem thrilled to be there, but then no one we saw did (and in that place you will see every employee, the entire time, thanks to a very open and "breezeway-like" setup). Took our drink order...took way too long to return with it. That could be entirely out of her control. Especially considering that the bar looked very much makeshift with about 8 bottles of liquor on display. Our best analogy: a small hotel bar. We quickly placed our order, in fear of losing her again. Appetizers were great. We consumed a flavorful gnocchi and carrot soup, respectively. Entrees came next. I ordered filet of beef, it looked delicious. I have this thing; I like to cut my beef with a sharp knife. I call it a steak knife. So after being served, I asked the gentleman for a steak knife. He seemed as eager as I was to have such a utensil at hand for this job. He walked to a folding table covered with a cloth, loaded with silverware and napkins and other stuff that should be hidden from sight in a fancy restaurant, consulted with a nearby waitress and learned to our combined shock that KTOH only has one knife, the butter one. My beef filet was very good. So were the sides. I was fine. But my girlfriend couldn't stop complaining about how salty her scallops (and burnt her Brussels sprouts) were. She had me try them, I did, but thankfully I had my filet to wash the salt taste away. When our waitress returned we raised the issue. And (to my amazement) she immediately acknowledged that "yes, I've heard a few people say it's salty". She offered the routine "can I get you anything else?" We said, "No thanks, he already finished his plate without interruption." She went to tell her manager. I noticed she went to the man by the hostess podium. They looked our way and appeared to be laughing. He came over and said the usual "heard our dish wasn't up to par". My girlfriend reiterated the sodium disapproval. Then he said.. "I'm sorry to hear that. We've served at least 90 of these today and this is the first I've heard of it being too salty." Now here's where I felt it was necessary to call "bullsh!t". Didn't our dear waitress just say the exact opposite? An unnecessarily hostile confrontation ensued. He said at one point, "I didn't have to come over to your table at all. I'm just trying to make things right." (Little tip to you aspiring restaurant managers..you always have to come over to the table and eat crow. It's how you make your PAYING customer feel heard.) A seemingly direction-less (and uncomfortable) conversation about "what would you like me to do to make this right?" "What would you expect if you were in our shoes?" "I'm trying to do the right thing by offering to make this right but you're being very confrontational." "I'm just saying that coming here and implying the other 90 plates weren't salty is a bit of a stretch considering what your waitress said." "Well I'd like to make things right, what can I do?" To which my girlfriend suggested that we'd pay for our drinks if he took care of the food. He proposed paying for everything and after identifying the correct amount to leave as a tip for our waitress, we settled at that. We agreed we'd never eat at another dining establishment named after Kevin Taylor. The manager made things right, but at a cost much higher than necessary. If you want to stand out from the crowd, be a gracious and intuitive host. Well, if this review wasn't useful to you, but you read this far, I hope it at least kept you entertained.
(2)Cathy C.
This was a convenient location for a pre-opera drink and appetizer. As expected, drinks were on the pricey side -- $5 for a Coors Light poured from a bottle, $10 for a glass of wine. Since we were facing a three-act opera, K and I split a light appetizer. The ahi carpaccio looked like mini-cubed poke at first, but definitely better than the local-style shoyu and green onions for sure. The addition of the mushrooms and the soy lavender vinaigrette was a divine combination and was thoroughly enjoyable. L and J enjoyed the crab salad and corn chowder but we think the ahi was the best selection. So food definitely a four star, but experience was more like three stars. The space is a bit cavernous and cold. Also, service was just okay. L commented that it was as if the Opera House location was staffed by Kevin Taylor's catering crew - nothing objectionable but not the type of detailed service you'd expect from an esteemed restaurant. The bartender forgot L had ordered club soda and topped off her half-filled glass with water. The server did not bring out bread with the appetizers which seemed weird since we did order soup which is accompanied by bread at most restaurants. The bartender placed the wrong salad order and correct order had to be rushed out. When L asked for extra dressing for the crab salad, the bartender inferred that she was asking for blue cheese or ranch dressing to pour over the delicate crab creation. She simply wanted the dressing that came with that dish; why would he assume she wanted Hidden Valley Ranch? J also noticed that the Manhattan was made with Jack Daniels instead of the proper blended whiskey. Drink was fine, but again, it was another missed detail.
(3)kimberly s.
I took my teenagers to this restaurant before the Nutcracker. I didn't mind splurging because it was a special night out before Christmas. They enjoyed the starry roof but I was not impressed with the large kind of bare museum like room. I didn't enjoy the exposed cement walls but the girls were intrigued by the costumes and art hanging on the walls. I was starved and our waitress quickly came for our order. I was a little disappointed with the small selection and unusual looking dishes but we all found something that looked good. We waited and waited and I sipped wine wishing at least for some bread. Finally my tomato soup came which had an odd sheet of fried parmesan floating in it. It was awkward to eat as it bobbed in my soup. I was still starved and a waiter noticed we had no bread and brought some with a hard molded butter. The bread was plain and the butter never melted into it. We waited more and thankfully I drank more wine. Our order came and I was shocked to see two of the dishes. My oldest daughter just ordered a salad which looked okay. My younger daughter got pork which was served on cinnamon grits with some kind of dark green veggie dolloped on the grits with little berries. It looked horrible and tasted wierd. My dish was a square of fish over another fried parmesan and then over pinto beans. I couldn't believe it. I choked it down and hoped dessert would be memorable. I love warm creme brulee but inquired and found out it is served chilled. I asked for a reccomendation and was told the pecan pie tartlet is great. When this came it looked and tasted like something from a package and it was not saved by the round cookie balls and icecream it came with. The only thing worse then the food was paying the bill for my special dinner. Not only was it expensive but we waited a long time to get the priveledge of paying. Never again.
(1)Dawn M.
I had high expectations, but this was by far the worst restaurant week experience I have ever had (and we do restaurant week every year). The ambiance was ok. I really liked the openness of the space, and the fact that they had old opera dresses on the wall. We were off to the side, right next to the kitchen, which was fine, and next to a table of old dishes and plates, which was kind of icky. The appetizers were amazing - between the three of us, we had one of each: tomato soup, romaine and goat cheese salad, and gorgonzola cherry salad. We loved them all. Had the service been at all bearable, we might consider going back for the salads alone. But I can go to plenty of other restaurants, find a decent salad for less than $9, and be treated like the paying customer that I am. The service was awful. Seriously. I've had better at, well, just about anywhere. We asked about separate checks, "Oh no, we can't do that during DRW, the kitchen can't handle it". When we were ordering, my friend mentioned something about ordering everything at once. Our server was instantly "Oh, it's DRW, you HAVE to order everything, the kitchen can't handle it otherwise". She didn't even let us finish our conversation (we were totally planning to order everything at once) I get that they were busy, but they weren't serving the regular menu, just the DRW menu. I had to flag her down for wine. She forgot to bring my friend's beer. I think she could tell we were getting frustrated, b/c after our entrees came out, she didn't never acknowledged us again, she had her helper do it. And the kicker. I asked her about fish and nuts in all my food, since I'm extremely allergic. I said my main concern was in the dessert cookies. She said there were no nuts. And the cookies came out, with nuts in them! Seriously. That is not acceptable. Entrees were ok. We all got the steak with onion jus, asparagus and gruyere potatoes. Potatoes were bland, yellow, no taste of gruyere. Steak and asparagus were ok. The onion jus was amazing. I had creme brulee, which was good (since the cookies were on the side, I could still eat it). It was in a teacup, which was nice presentation, although it meant more creme and less brulee. Our salads came out quickly, as did our entrees. We had to wait a good 15-20 minutes for dessert. We saw one of the food runners, as we were walking to our car. She mentioned that they'd been working non-stop, everyone was tired, etc. And, I do have to say that we didn't have any problems with any of the other staff we interacted with. The runner mixed up our entrees (switched my medium and my friend's medium well). But she apologized, was polite and cheerful, and we were totally cool with it. Things happen. But our main server was horrible. The food was ok. It started off really well, but I'm not going to come back and pay $9 for an amazing salad with crappy service. Oh, and just to be nitpicky, there was a typo in the DRW menu (fro instead of from). In case you haven't figured it out, I wasn't too impressed with Kevin Taylor at the Opera House. We go to a lot of theater, but we'll never come here. In fact, it turned us off of all Kevin Taylor venues.
(1)