Red Octave

Went here for a friend’s birthday and sat in the back room on the west side of the building. There were two large tables with a run of cocktail tables in between, and it comfortably accommodated our group of around 20 people. Service was awesome. We were a large group and didn’t all order at the same time, but our server kept coming back and taking everyone’s orders and was right there again when we were ready. She also ran separate checks and made it a point to go over ours with me before she gave it to me.
It seems like more of a wine-​focused place, and their wine and champagne list seemed comprehensive, but the beer list was pretty pedestrian. It was also not included on the printed drink list, which I always find kind of snobby and annoying because you have to ask the server, keep a mental list of everything they say, then make a decision on the spot and hope their beers don’t cost $ 10. But our server listed everything by brewery and type, and I did get a draught Lagunitas IPA (OK, two). But come on, it’s Denver. Upgrade your beer offerings.
We weren’t really there to do a major dinner so we ordered from the small plates menu. They had a number of items that all sounded good but we settled on the burrata and scallops, which were both great. The scallops were huge and perfectly seared and served on a bed of risotto. The burrata was mozzarella around goat cheese, which was an interesting twist, and the grilled sausage made it a perfect bite on a crostini. Everyone else in our party seemed pleased with what they got and plates were cleaned, although I think a few people regretted not ordering the scallops!
The atmosphere was comfortable, great food, and they took really good care of our group. I would eat here again if in the neighborhood.

Was at the bar w some friends on Friday night, service was good, food was good, ordered onion rings and butternut squash ravioli. Music was why we came and we were not disappointed. Love that there is a good neighborhood bar/​restaurant w live music. Music was a little loud. Hope this place makes it.

Very disappointed overall. Food was marginal, service ok but since it had so few customers, overbearing. I would say one of the 4 entrees was good. The others Not horrible but ok.
No ambience in the dining room just sterile
Best part was the band in the bar but we had to beg for service to order a drink and ended up with the same waiter which was awkward. They need to figure out what they are. Because the space and the area could use a good casual but fun place and this could work if they can figure it out.

Been to this rest/​sports bar/​karaōke establishment a few times dating back to opening. Food is good and always above average. Staff is friendly but not as experienced as this menu and wine list should have. After opening sat in bar area for dinner and drinks, the bar mngr., a bigger blond lady didn’t know how to make a perfect martini, know what truffles were, she said chocolate, or know how to make a manhattan. Just little things like this you expect staff to be up to par, not even close. Staff in dining area was very prompt and friendly, tried hard but not able to pair wines with menu items, expect more for med.-high prices.
I will say that food is tasty, hopefully red octave is able to attract some above average service professionals before it’s too late

I finally had the chance to go to the Red Octave for dinner a couple of weeks ago and I was not let down. The atmosphere was great, good music, and delish food! OMG the bread and Conchigli was divine. Rich and creamy. We also had the lamb shank and it melted in your mouth. We ended up going to the bar area after dinner and had drinks and listened to the band which was fun. I can’t wait to go back! So happy this is in my hood.

I had a mixed experience trying out Red Octave for the first time, but the food was wonderful, so I’m giving it four stars.
I couldn’t tell what this place was trying to be – the food and prices in the dining area showed intention toward fine dining, but there was cheesy holiday music playing, and the rowdy adjacent bar area gave it a different feel altogether.
The staff was very friendly and attentive, and we didn’t have to wait much for anything.
The food was delicious, albeit a bit pricey. My girlfriend and I got a few small plates to share — the burrata, the ravioli, the artichoke dip, and the strawberry salad. It was a bit too much food for us, but we enjoyed everything a lot, though I would have like more green in the salad instead of yellowish romaine lettuce.
We had a rather ridiculous experience with the burrata — a pair of fresh cheeses served with fennel sausage and crisps. When it first came out, we discovered that they had failed to actually remove the cheesecloth from one of the cheeses before preparing it, a pretty glaring mistake. We sent it back and had them bring out a new one, and to our disbelief they did the exact same thing again — one of the cheese balls was still in the cheesecloth. I don’t know how they could make that same mistake twice, and I’m sure most people would give a bad review for it, but in the end we found it laughable, and it didn’t really affect our dining experience. They were very apologetic and took it off our bill, along with comping another one of our dishes (and not just the cheapest one either).

Cute place, would probably be even better when live music is there. I like the bar seating area better than the restaurant area though, which seemed a little separated.
We started with the meat and cheese plate, which was actually pretty impressive with some delicious sweet & tangy peppers and toast. Then I got the torchietti pasta with pesto and olives – tangy, salty, and delicious. I was very happy with it! My only regret is not trying more of the appetizers!

We wanted to try this new restaurant in our neighborhood and were in the mood for Italian so we’re looking forward to it. Unfortunately we left unsatisfied. The service kept me from giving just one star – the staff was nice and attentive, but the food left a lot to be desired. The olive oil served with the bread was good – but then things went downhill. We started with the calamari. The breading was like a tempura breading gone bad. It was soggy rather than crispy and fell off the calamari as we picked it up. And the calamari want wasn’t what we expected – it was more like cut from a calamari steak, like an attempt at calamari chicken fingers gone bad.
We also started with the pumpkin ravioli. The presentation and flavor were good – it was a single giant stuffed to the brim ravioli, but it was lukewarm. Out waitress apologized for the wait on the starters (which didn’t seem long enough to apologize for) and said she had just put our food in so we had time to eat our apps. But shortly thereafter came the pasta course – penne with bolognese sauce and torchietti with olives and chicken. The penne seemed like it had been sitting under the heat lamp for a while and was bland. The torchietti pasta was good, but the sauce just didn’t hit the spot.
The ambience in the dining room was very different than the bar. It was a cold night, but the dining room was too cold to enjoy. We would consider coming back for the music. The bar seemed a lot more fun. I wouldn’t recommend coming for a dinner meal. The focus of this establishment may thrive on the music so I won’t write it off just yet.
Our bill was also pretty steep. 80 bucks for 2 apps and 2 pastas and one glass of wine.

It’s a matter of expectations. If you are expecting a high-​end experience it’s not Red Octave. If you are expecting a quiet romantic night out; not the Red Octave. If you are expecting a typical Denver experience; ditto. I agree that RO is having an existential crisis – spots bar, live music, house music spanning Sinatra to Hall and Oats, high-​end cuisine v. modern Italian? I’m not sure because the Red Octave is not sure.
BUT the food is terrific. It’s really good! The service is improving (2^nd visit including during opening week). I suspect they’ll work through the existential crisis thing or, alternatively, go out of business. That’s the choice they face. In the meantime, if you are looking for a great meal the Red Octave delivers.
Phil-​solve the odd vibe. And take your name off the sign. Few know who you are, fewer care. Ego plays in Vail. In Denver it’s off-​putting. And weird. Again, your call. I just want to have a great Italian restaurant in Park Hill and you’re stacking the deck against me fulfilling that goal. The reviewers are your customers and the message is pretty clear.
Give it a try.

We had a huge birthday party and it was a hit. Phil Long was the crowd pleaser. We’ve seen him at Wash Park Grill and the Red Lion in Vail for several years. The food was surprisingly super delicious. We had the lamb shank (not gamey, juicy, melts in your mouth), scallops (fresh and well seasoned), short rib (perfect). The food was so good we were tempted to share mouthfuls with several people to try. Would eat there again very soon.

Second visit. The waiter and bartender were very attentive… we were the only people there for happy hour.
The artichoke appetizer was alright, flavors were good but it was really (temperature) hot and the consistency seemed like it was microwaved. Then the butternut squash ravioli which was swimming in butter/​oil and not nearly as flavorful or delicate as the first time I tried it (we couldn’t finish it, too oily). The spaghetti was good but basic. A side of asparagus was the best thing we were served. Disappointing for the price

My uncle suggested this new restaurant for our lunch date today. It has a great patio and I like the inside too, with two dining areas: an area with just tables and a separate large dining area with a stage and bar. In the bar/​stage area they have a lot of tv’s tuned to sports. I had hopes this would be a great place to come watch a game.
However, I won’t be back because the food wasn’t good. The tomato basil soup was too salty and the Cobb salad had cheese squares that looked as if they had cut pre-​made cheese slices. The favors were not special. This was especially true based on the cost. After a 20% tip we paid $ 40 for two cups of soup, a split Cobb salad and tap water. Way to much for mediocre food.

Dinning disaster
Ordered drinks from a very polite and courteous server, Eric. Got our drinks about 25 minutes later.
Had a very good appetizer of Calamari Fritto and ordered our dinner
Approximately 45 minutes later Eric told us that due to s computer glitch our order didn’t go thru, plus the lamb chops I ordered where out of stock
My wife had Johns Lamb shank which I thought was very bland and dry and I had the nights special Raviolli which I thought was undercooked
I know this is a new restaurant and perhaps we will give it another try
$$$

This was our first time here. The Resturant is very clean, up beat and friendly. The food was absolutely AMAZING, service was also AMAZING!!! The band played great music. We will definitely be back!!! Thank you so much!

Curious to try out this new place in our neighborhood occupying the Cork house spot we decided to do lunch. Usually a good way to check out a joint without too much pressure. Initial impressions were good, a really nice patio shielded from the Colfax noise by a fence looked inviting. The lunch menu was not huge which to me is a plus meaning the can focus and do things right. I had the Bird and Brie sandwich which was outstanding, my wife had the fish tacos, also really good. A nicely focused wine and beer list rounded things out. Our waiter Eric was superb and made us feel welcome, a nice touch was asking us for feedback to the chef. We are curious to try dinner as the place seems to be split equally in two between nightclub and romantic pricey Italian, stay tuned!

I will preface this with a note that I am giving one star, solely because our bartender noticed how displeased we were, without me bitching about it to her, and have us 20% off each item on the menu. Again, I made no mention of my displeasure, and this alone earned one star.
So my colleague and I decided to try this restaurant after a terrible day at work. When we walked in, a live musician was BLARING MUSIC SO LOUDLY WERE COULD NOT HEAR EACH OTHER EVEN THOUGH I WAS SCREAMING INTO HER EAR!!! yes. It was THAT loud. But we were committed to trying something new. And so we stayed.
Bad. Idea.
After the musician finished his set, the drink people at the table in front of the stage were allowed to control the stage and the sounds system. Again, super LOUD. Who lets random drunk people control the sound system in any establishment? (Besides karaōke, I suppose.)
Anyway, we were willing to overlook pure misery in an effort to try the food. Huge. Mistake.
We ordered an artichoke and cheese dip, served with crostinis. Which is funny, because it was actually served with rawhides meant for canines. No joke. I was positive I was going to break a tooth on the inedible «toast».
We ordered the chips and salsa. Unfortunate, because the salsa looked fresh and colorful, but lacked any flavor at all, besides water. Thankfully we did get the chips, because we used them to eat the artichoke dip, which itself was tasty, but lukewarm at best.
We will not be back.

Not super impressed thus far, in part because Red Octave is confusing!!!
This place is having an identity crisis and needs to choose a direction. Is it expensive fine dining and ambiance, or moderately-​priced bar food and music? What’s the concept?
I went to dinner here tonight. I used to love going to the Cork House and was disappointed when it closed. Imagine my excitement when I saw a new sign for the Red Octave on the old Cork House restaurant! Couldn’t wait to try out the newly renovated venue in my neighborhood.
Red Octave touts their cuisine as «modern Italian», and they offer a variety of wine. They also offer a huge (and loud) bar where you can watch live music, often provided by the owner himself, Phil Long (Vail legend?) I love all these things, but not necessarily in the same space.
I found myself looking at $ 50+ entrees and $ 100+ bottles of wine, while at the same time listening to the raucous roars of the Broncos game from the bar… similar to the atmosphere in a college bar… or a Chili’s.
I would think that with the noise level and expense, they would at least serve bread or salad as part of the meal, or give me a mint as I depart. They did not.
While the food was good and the wine was okay, it is not the place to have a high-​end dinner given the design of the space. You can either hear the noise from the kitchen, or the noise from the bar. I won’t be eating dinner here again despite how much I enjoyed the Torchietti. It was yummy.
The good news? They do have an after-​hours/​bar menu that fits their concept much better than their dining menu.
I will try this place again because it’s within walking distance of the #Mayfair neighborhood, but this time I’ll be sitting in the newly-​expanded bar. Red Octave is new and maybe they are still testing their concept. But they have to figure things out and go one direction or the other: If you are keeping the bar and live music (my preference), than change or lower the prices on your dining menu and for goodness sake, serve bread and butter. And buy a bag of cheap mints to hand out at the door. Otherwise, you’ll end up just like the Cork House… an empty restaurant, a full bar and patio.
I don’t want to see your doors closed, we need more places like this in Mayfair. But you still have to work out the kinks, Phil. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your music.

I had dinner here while visiting friends. It was excellent! We split the butternut squash ravioli appetizer, perfect for Fall. We couldn’t make up our minds on the salads, but went for Jessica’s salad, which was a divine combination of candied pecans, strawberries and avocados with a balsamic dressing. I chose the Colorado Trout for my entre, and it was wonderful! My friend went a pasta dish that had pancetta, bacon and peas. Sorry, no room for desert!
Prices reasonable for the area and the dining experience. Can’t wait to go back on my next visit to Colorado!

Stopped by and sat on the patio having appetizers and drinks.
Great service, great food.
Would come back for dinner, I’m sure it wouldn’t disappoint.

Had a wonderful lunch on the opening day! Truly delicious! The remodel of the space is beautiful and sleek. I’m so happy to have this gem in our neighborhood. Highly recommend!