Coohills Restaurant

Weird no energy vibe. Service is spotty. I’m not sure if it’s trying to be a neighborhood bar, a hotel bar, or an airport bar, but it lacks identity.

Called in here before a nuggets game as the Pepsi Center (Shock Top Lodge) option was unavailable. Well, weren’t we the lucky ones! This place is literally across the street and a much better option than anything at Pepsi. It is supposed to be French (it had snails — good too) but plenty of other options also. It has a bar area (with booths) as well as a restaurant. We sampled many things on their happy hour menu but without going into detail, the crab cake is simply the best. It beats anything I’ve had on the East Coast and is simply delicious. The drinks menu is good and left totally satisfied with our choice. My only negative comment — I prefer snails in the shell rather than out. The visual is not as good and leaves the taste slightly lacking.

I want to say nice «little» place, but it’s a good size. Just feels very cozy. How can a place that serves great affordable French wine be bad? Great food and wine selection. Desert was amazing. We will defiantly be back for some wine and great eats.

Called to get take out and the manager took my call. She was very friendly and explained each dish I inquired about. Their menu is seasonal and made fresh daily, therefore some items listed on line have changed or are no longer available. My order was picked up shortly after. They were very nice and the food is OUT OF THIS WORLD! The onion tart is incredible. I’ve had their flatbreads before and they don’t disappoint!

Came here during the Taste of Iceland week. Some of the best food we had while visiting Denver.

Was here for the 4 course Icelandic tasting menu. It did not disappoint. The standouts of this menu were the Icelandic cod, langoustine risotto and the raspberry white chocolate sorbet. The 3^rd course was lamb, which was good but a little chewy. Overall, the meal was fantastic.

I am such a fan and every time I have visited the food is perfect and delicious.
The Crab Cake is giant and so luscious and the best in town.
Flat bread pizzas never disappoint and change with seasons.
The Chicken Pâté is so utterly perfect in its frenchy preparation — and a big serving to be shared.
Chocolate Mousse and decadent desserts that change — so good.
Solid wine list that offers something for all, good beer list and and a small list of crafted cocktails.
The private event space is super flexible with a gorgeous view of sunsets over the bridge.
And the dining room offers one atmosphere while the bar and patio offer others.
Park here, eat and drink and walk to events at the Pepsi Center!

Say that name out loud: Coohills. Don’t you immediately feel like you should be sitting on some large old plantation in the south sipping mint juleps in the powerful heat saying, «Bless her heart» right before you start gossiping about her?
Well, I do. Oddly enough, it’s not a southern style restaurant. It’s fancy pants.
I went here for a rehearsal dinner, so take what you will away from this and know that it’s not exactly your standard experience.
The staff was absolutely wonderful and my wine glass was, unfortunately, never empty. The cheese and hummus plate was delish. The hummus had too much lemon in my opinion, but who cares, because there was a ton of cheese. Sadly, the crackers and bread to accompany the cheese took about 10 – 15 minutes to make it out after the cheese and hummus and the pickings were slim. I would have expected more carbs for dipping/​cheese-​holding. Whatever, I just ate the cheese with my hands. Don’t judge.
The steak was perfect. We waited a while for dinner to be served, but when you’re cooking up 30 steaks, I guess that takes a while. But like I said. The steak was perfectly medium rare bordering on rare. They must have read my mind.
All in all, I really enjoyed the food, but I didn’t really feel like it’s a stand out place among the many steakhouses in Denver.
But I still like saying Coohills.

We got married at Coohills in February. The special memories and amazing staff keep us coming back. The food from the yummy bread and butter to the entrees to the delicious desserts are always unforgettable.
Thanks to Tom, Diane, Sam, Katie, Taylor and company for always welcoming us and taking such great care!
_​katie and nick

I have been here three times in the past two weeks — two private gatherings and once for Beats on the Creek for an Allman Brothers cover band.
I love the atmosphere. It is a beautiful setting and they take advantage of the location nicely.
Service is very friendly. Service for food is well paced, drinks/​bar service a bit slow.
I have had a steak all three times and was very pleased each time. Tender and tasty. In observing the fish portions, they appear small, but everyone assures me delicious.

The first time we came was for restaurant week when it first opened. Cool atmosphere, but the food was not good. It was really bad.
Fast forward a few years to last month. Decided to give it another shot due to location — we were going to a concert at the Pepsi Center. Service was SLOW. Finally ordered– then the server came back 20 min later to say they were out of the squash gratin that I ordered but offered to cut up some squash and sprinkle cheese on it instead. Ummm, not exactly the same thing. My friends placed their orders while I perused the menu again. The server came back ten minutes later to say they were out of the ratatouille my friend ordered. She’s gluten free and has many allergies so she just ordered fries instead. I decide to just order the potatoes. The server asked if we were ok on drinks. I joked that we were fine unless he was going to tell me they ran out of vodka. Guess what? They ran out of vodka. Keep in mind, this is happy hour, not the end of the night. My friends get their food, but still no potatoes for me. Every time the server comes back we remind about the potatoes, and he says they are on their way. My friends finish their food, and still no potatoes. I’ll leave out the details on the other little mess ups along the way and skip to the end. At this point, with the other things I’m not even detailing, we are laughing because we think for sure we are on a hidden camera show. Then finally the manager walks out with.. . Ratatouille. Which I hate. We explain that I ordered potatoes. My friend ordered the ratatouille but was told it was out so just ordered fries instead, which she already ate. The manager apologized and said.. .they were out of potatoes.
They reduced the bill and gave $ 30 in gift cards for next time. Sorry Coohills. No next time. I can’t rate the food because although I spent two hours there and ordered twice, I was never actually served any food.

(Note: just reviewing the bar) Great cocktails, great service, cool location, excellent happy hour deals and appetizers.
The location right on the Cherry Creek isn’t well known but that’s ok, it gives it more coolness cache. They make the best Manhattan’s, barrel aged bourbon, home made cherries, and giant hand cut ice cubes. The appetizers in the bar (full menu available at bar) are tasty, healthy and visually appealing. The drinks are pricey (my only problem with them) but at happy hour a good deal. A great place for dates, pre-​game (Pepsi Center nearby), or patio hangout. Also, some live music in the summer.
Highly recommended.

I honestly had never even heard of this place until I was invited here for a work lunch, but what a nice surprise!
It was a larger group of people, so they had the side of the restaurant reserved by the windows, but I thought the staff did a great job of making sure no one had any dietary needs since we had a preset menu, they served the group in a timely manner, and were attentive to the little things like empty water glasses, dropped napkins, etc. I feel like those are little things you take for granted when it’s just a table for two or four, but it was nice to see that they still paid attention to detail with the big group.
And the lunch — yum! We had a chicken/​salmon duo plate with some asparagus and scalloped potatoes. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t be impressed, but it was tasty all around! The chicken was seasoned and cooked to perfection! I enjoyed the salmon a little less, but it was still really good.
Oh my, and the desserts — these were also delightful! I had a berry tart, but there were also some chocolate offerings that looked really good.
One of the things I really liked about this place — while it all sounds like a lot of food (bread, salad, entrée, dessert) for lunch, the portion sizes were spot on for that many courses. You really felt like you could sample each course (or eat the whole course) without feeling like you needed to be wheeled out of there!

Took a small group here to have kind of a networking dinner with people from the non-​profit sector.
It was amazing! My partner and I had the chicken, yum. We got the scalloped potatoes, incredible. I was too full at the end to try the chocolate dessert cake but I’m going back for that.
This was my 2^nd time here and I’m really glad we went in. Book the private room if you have a group, that was really worth it.

French restaurant in downtown Denver that has five star potential but I just can’t get past three stars.
When I lived in Paris we always joked about how you could tell if the duck confit had been freshly made or just simply been reheated. The deciding factor was whether or not the skin was crispy (fresh!) or rubbery (reheated).
So at Coohills, guess what, the duck confit had the most rubbery blubbery skin ever. That was a big disappointment especially since I could make my own better than that in my home! Yucky.
I will give Coohills props for sitting our party of 14 during restaurant week together and efficiently. However, our table service was ridiculously slow serving courses and when we tried to settle the bill. We were at the table for three hours. And it was freezing: half of our party kept their winter coats on to eat dinner.
Some of the other bites: the smoked salmon entrée was delicious & I was lucky that a friend gave me a bite. The snail appetizer was prepared ragout style and it was okay. I have to say I miss the garlic and butter of the traditional preparation. My dessert included in restaurant week was some sort of milk chocolate Panna Cotta with cherry sauce. It was pretty awful.
Dinner and one drink set me back about $ 75 during restaurant week.
I’m so glad I went and checked it out — it is a pretty venue with cool light fixtures, but I would not go back.

Had a wonderful dinner. Staff was great. Cool vibe.
I rarely find anything to be 4 stars, but I was surprised by this place. Cocktails, dinner and dessert came to about $ 205 w/​tip. (for 2 people)
It is kind of a bummer that I have to spend that much to get a really good meal in Denver

Wow just wow! Coohills last night was probably the best dining experience we’ve ever had. We sat at the Chef’s Counter and ordered the 5-​course tasting menu. Chef Coohill checked on us several times during our 2 hour 45 minute meal, making sure we were well taken care of and personally explaining every single course. We have eaten at Eleven Madison, Sushi Nakazawa, and Noma (all of which are great), but never have we interfaced with such a nice chef until Coohills. Overall, every member of the staff was nice and down to earth. We also had the pleasure of meeting Diane Coohill.
We started with two amuse-​buche: shrimp ravioli and one crab cake (Chef pointed out that he did not use breading). We proceeded with large scallops, seared foie gras, a salty egg dish, and veal with lobster. The dessert was the praline hazelnut mousse with coffee sorbet. Every dish was amazing!
You will be remiss if you live in or are visiting Denver without coming here!

HAPPY HOUR:
I’ve only been here for HH a few times – not for dinner, so I can’t comment on the full menu. The cocktails I’ve tasted have all been excellent but I was totally unimpressed with the one small plate I tried. We had planned to order several, just not all at once, but after tasting the first decided to change plans and wait until dinner. The fromage blanc (served with carrots, broccolini, and radishes) is incredibly bland – granted, I know it’s a very low-​fat, if not fat-​free, cheese, but still, it usually tastes like something. Also, the veggies it was served with were quite «rustic.» I like rustic, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t love dusting dirt off my carrots. However, the broccolini, which was cooked a bit, was pretty tasty.
I want to come back and try dinner (and eventually, I will), but I’m pretty hesitant re: the food so I keep finding other locations to go to, instead. I know, I need to suck it up – it’s just one meal, right? Plus, I only had one dish that I wasn’t fond of… that doesn’t mean I won’t like the rest of the menu! Anyway, until I work up the desire to go back to Coohills for dinner, I’ll continue to go and enjoy their wonderful cocktails when I already have a full tummy or am just looking for an after-​work pit stop.

My first impression of Coohills was a great one. I was attending a work event in the private room. The service was impeccable and all courses were more than enjoyable. Prior to dinner we had various cheeses and bread with a hint of orange juice (just try it), also their amazing salted butter. I am not usually a bread person, but this was impossible to pass up. Yum!
My steak was good, though not cooked to order because I was in a large group which preordered. Someone else at my table had the sea bass and raved about it.
For dessert I had both a fruit filled tart and a chocolate cake bite. Both were fantastic.
I can’t wait to go back and try this spot as a date experience. Coohills is only a block from Larimer Square, so there is plenty to do in walking distance. The garage was $ 20 for a few hours, so if you park there… Get your money’s worth. They may validate… I didn’t ask.
There is also a stream and bridge outside the front doors and it is a beautiful atmosphere to walk around in before or after dinner. I look forward to visit #2.

I am not sure how this place has only three stars, well maybe I do… as I read through the reviews, the ratings seem without merit.
As far as my experience, I will be recommending this restaurant to family, friends, and fellow Unilocalers. Yes, this is a higher end restaurant and the prices reflect that, so many would only go here for special occasions. If you are looking for a memorable evening with flawless service, perfectly executed food, and a chic yet warm atmosphere, Coohills is the place.
We went with the chef tasting menu so that we could try as many items as possible. As far as the portion sizes go for the tasting menu, it was spot on. The service was also immpecable. Everything was timed absolutely perfectly: the busser would have the table preset without delay, wine pairing would arrive precisely on time with each course, and plates were cleared promptly. The server was friendly and available, but not too present, allowing us to enjoy each other’s company. The timing of each course was also impressive; just enough time in between each course to sit and enjoy, but not too much time passed where we wondered when our next plate would be there. Again, impressive. The food runner also gave superb descriptions of each dish as courses were dropped. Best service I have experienced in all of Denver, reminding of my experiences at Michael Mina.
Here is a breakdown of the courses we tried:
Amuse — Escargot with gnocchi: the first, but easily my favorite dish of the night, and this was my first time trying snails. Snails were perfect on their own, but paired brilliantly with the soft yet crispy gnocchi and delicate crunch of the peas shoots.
Watermelon with Serrano ham & burrata: my husband’s favorite dish of the evening. Simple yet elegant flavors with the saltyness of the ham and the juicy sweetness of the watermelon paired with the creaminess of the burrata. Beautifully plated.
Foie Torchon with brioche and apricot emulsion: foie is a «once every few years» treat for me and this dish was gorgeous. Plate came dressed with delicate slices of apricot, halved grapes, and sliced strawberries to go along with the delicious brioche and apricot emulsion. My favorite pairing on the dish was the fresh strawberries, but the apricot was the perfect emulsion pairing for the foie.
American red snapper with sausage, romesco and vegetables: I was craving fish and this hit the spot. The fish was cooked beautifully. It seems to have been very lightly floured which gave the outside a slight crisp. It was fantastic. The pairing with the sausage and the spicy romesco sauce was excellent and the vegetables (diced eggplant, etc.) gave it a great balance.
Intermezzo — sorbet, lime I believe. Only negative thing to say was the sorbet was a little icy (crunchy)
Lamb Sous Vide: I don’t usually eat lamb for two reasons, one being that I don’t enjoy the gamey flavor. Well, let me tell you, this dish will convert anyone to a lamb lover. But you may be spoiled and will only eat it sous vide the rest of your life. Wow, was this dish amazing. Texture was that of a rare plus steak and the flavor was rich but certainly not gamey. It was served with the most delicious homemade mint yogurt and saffron cous cous. To die for.
Dry rubbed strip steak: having worked at a 5-​star steakhouse in Las Vegas, I am somewhat of a steak snob, but I was impressed with this steak. The dry rub was excellent and the steak was cooked perfectly to a medium rare. Aside from a little gristle, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish. It was served atop a delicate creamed spinach and some chanterelle mushrooms.
Dessert — layered chocolate, praline, and hazelnut mousse served also with a coffee sorbet. I am not huge on chocolate desserts but I enjoyed this. Mousse was not too thick nor too sweet. The coffee sorbet was unique and delicious. A great finish to the meal.