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    Benzina

    4.4 (176 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Benzina Photos

    BENZINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise

    Recommended Reviews - Benzina

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    Reviews With Photos

    Burrata ($17) - 3.5 stars. Fri night 2026-03-06
    Ziyan C.

    Last minute reservations easily nabbed at 5:30pm on a Friday (for 5:45pm for three)! Granted this was a rare snowy evening in Denver. Parking easily found within a half block. Cute spot that has the layout of a 50s diner. Service was great, kid friendly, they have booster seats but I'm not sure if they have any sort of kid menus/crayons, but we came prepared. STARTERS * Arancini ($4.50 each) - 4 stars. Quite gooey inside. Nice honey dip. * Homemade Bread ($9) - 3.5 stars. A big puffy piece of bread - good but we just ended up with too much carbs between this, the burrata, and pizza! The cheese dip came in a cup and was quite acidic. * Burrata ($17) - 3.5 stars. Very tasty cheese, super fresh, but this was basically a pizza with a piece of burrata on top and some oil and olives. Impressive but I wish we were warned it was just a lot of bread. * Caesar Salad ($9 half, $16 full) - 3.5 stars. Nice sharp dressing. ENTREES * Chicken Parmigiana ($24) - 3.5 stars. Fairly moist chicken. PIZZA * Crushed Meatball ($20) - 4 stars. Lovely thin crust. A bit of spice. Right amount of tomato, oil, arugula. We also got a Manhattan and an Aperol Spritz which were good!

    Mozzarella sticks
    Robyn L.

    I have seen a few TikTok's about Benzina & decided to go try it out. Their outdoor patio seating is wonderful when the weather is nice out. Indoor dining looked to be limited, if you want indoor seating make a reservation. Stopped by during happy hour & on burger night. My partner had the burger & smashed potatoes & said the flavor was great. I had pasta & enjoyed it. Will be back to try other menu items. Definitely a great date night place!

    Arancini
    Lianna B.

    Celebrated Father's Day here and we had such a wonderful meal. Their arancini was so unique filled with Gorgonzola and topped with black pepper poppyseed honey (also $1 off each during happy hour). Their meatball pizza was perfect and we also enjoyed their chicken Parmesan. The spaghetti on the side was served in a lemon olive oil garlic sauce rather than in tomato sauce which was a nice change (but their tomato sauce is also stellar). Our pizza (also $3 off during happy hour) arrived within minutes of ordering and the booster seat for our toddler was ready when we got there. The pizza oven makes for a great activity for the kids to watch and the staff were so friendly while we watched. Yes it's right off colfax but you'd never know it from the chic and modern interior and fun patio! Their parking lot is only 4 cars but lots of street parking available on the neighbouring street

    Blu M.

    I'd always driven by Benzina and thought it looked interesting, so I was excited to finally try it with a friend. I ordered the Lasagna Bolognese it was flavorful, though the meat wasn't as tender as I would have liked. I also tried the burrata, which was decent, and the focaccia didn't have much flavor beyond the olives. Overall, the food was solid. Service was okay, slightly slow but the food itself came out quickly. A good spot, definitely worth a visit!

    Arancini
    Ed D.

    Parking can be hard to find for this restaurant since they only have a small lot and the street parking is hard with all the Colfax construction. But the food and the service is definitely worth it. The place looks small from the outside, but it's actually pretty big with a lot of seating. In the summer, it looks like they have a lot of outdoor seating. I don't usually comment on the looks of the staff, but the young lady waitresses and bartender are very good looking and friendly. They all pitched in to serve our meals whenever they were ready but our main waitress Ashland? was very attentive. The food came out relatively fast and it was all delicious. We got the arancini, it came in a little cup. Make sure to get some of the sauce on the bottom as it really adds to the flavor. Then we got the roasted cauliflower and that sauce was amazing! Then we also got the chicken parmigiana and lasagna. They gave a very healthy portion of chicken and it was breaded very nicely. It came with spaghetti noodles and the sauce was light but tasty. The lasagna was also very good and it didn't feel heavy in my stomach. All the 4+ star reviews for this place are warranted...you have to try Benzina!

    Menu
    Gina K.

    Benzina's is a lively Italian restaurant on Colfax. With the construction on Colfax and the neighborhood streets having permit parking it can be difficult to find parking. They do have about 5 parking spots in their lot. The rest of the lot is an outdoor dining and games. This is a great place for a quick weekday meal especially if your a family in the neighborhood. We went on a a Wednesday night and made a reservation. We arrived a 10 minutes early but they seated us at the counter which was perfect for two people. We had waited a while for our waitress to come over so, we decided on a spicy soppresata pizza and the ravioli to eat. I got a spritz and my husband got a glass of wine (it was on their specials). We ended up getting our drinks and food at the same time which was a bit odd but, was very fast. By that time the restaurant started to fill up. We noticed that not only did our waitress check on us a few times but, so did other staff. It was nice to see how well the staff worked together to ensure all customers were being taken care of. Since we were at the counter we were able to enjoy seeing the kitchen staff churn out dishes. We have our eye on a few for next time just from being seated at the counter. When we got our bill, my husband noticed they forgot to charge us for the second glass of wine he had. So naturally we said something. The women was grateful that we mentioned it was gave it to us on the house anyway. Overall, great food, superb staff, and lovely atmosphere.

    David G.

    Just my luck...I find a great restaurant and they are closing.....silent scream!!! My friends picked Benzina for our annual dinner and it was fantastic. The owner is such a sweet hard working guy you just have to love him. Amazing food! The pizzas were stellar especially the mushroom. Perfect crust and bake....just super yummy. Great Arancini....crispy not greasy. Light and fluffy with tons of flavor. I am not a huge fish fan but their Smoked Trout Cesar turned me into a huge fan. Lovely chunks of light smoked trout in a crisp salad..yes please Lovely burrata with focaccia ...great combo with fresh baked focaccia topped with olives. Top it off with 1/2 bottles of great Italian wine (the 4 of us drank 3 bottles...yikes) Please Please Please stay open we love you guys

    Chicken parmigiana done right!
    Brian S.

    "There's a great restaurant on Colfax" is a phrase rarely, if ever, said in Denver. I'm happy to say Benzina is that place. Food: We ordered the Arancini, the Mozzarella sticks (really Mozzarella logs), Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Ceaser Salad, and Pizza Spicy Sporessata. This is how Italian food should be made. Simple, not multiple liters of sauce, but flavorful. BUT... The pizza showed up when those not eating pizza were done with their meals. Which leads me to... Service. Started a bit slow, but, to her credit, realized the pizza was ready way too late. So dessert was on the house. And delish! Hopefully this place will survive the BRT Colfax construction, which won't be done in 2027 as planned since, we'll, this is Denver. This place could be the best Italian restaurant in Denver. We'll be back. Just fix the pizza timing, and you'll earn 5 stars.

    Baked cauliflower
    S A.

    Like it says in the description it is a refurbished auto shop but with a very hip vibe. The staff was very friendly; the menu was limited but still plentiful. There was plentiful of outdoor seating - even though the views are that of a major thoroughfare they still managed to make it pleasant. We had tagliatelle - was good and mushroom pizza -was great. For starters we had a half cauliflower- it was just ok (a little bland- but a reasonable substitute for a salad). Tiramisu was also good and was a generous portion. The one problem with the place is parking (they have only 4 parking spot) so one has to settle for street parking which can be tight.

    Street sign on Colfax Ave

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    4 months ago

    *Very* good food. We ordered an Arancini, a Chicken Parm and a Casareccia. We'll be back!

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    3 months ago

    Denver's best kept secret. 10/10 for food, ambience and service. We ordered 2 apps and 2 mains and everything was great.

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    5 months ago

    Tasty food, nice outdoor seating, and the kindest service! Will definitely be returning.

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    2 months ago

    Delicious food that reminds me of Napoli, awesome and fun staff, and great vibes. Highly recommend.

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    2 months ago

    Best Italian in Denver. Great service. Try the lasagna! The Italian margarita and house made bread are great.

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    4 months ago

    B.A. and team do a fantastic job. Food is excellent! Fun environment, keep up the great work.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Benzina

    Are there specials?

    Kirsten- We have a very small kitchen so we are unable to do nightly specials. We do change about 50% of our menu every three months so we always have something new to discover. Thanks for posting.

    Most of the food photos are of pizzas. I do see where they make their own pasta though, and I'm interested in the rest of their fare. Has anyone ordered some of the items other than pizza? How was it?

    I have eaten here many times. Their food is amazing. Arancini is amazing Smoked Trout Caesar is… Read more

    Is this really a $$$ place?

    I would suggest you look at the menu with the prices. Their salads range from $16-$19 and entrees $33-$47 and pizzas $18-$22. Prices range from $$-$$$

    Is there a menu and pricing posted anywhere?

    Not that we could find- we went twice this week, and the menu changed slightly between the two days, so I think it is likely because they have a rotating menu with very fresh ingredients. As of 7/19/21 pricing was ~12 for cocktail, ~$18-21 for a… Read more

    View All 5 Questions

    Work & Class

    Work & Class

    4.5
    (1.9k reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Came here with my sister and brother in law and absolutely loved everything. We ordered the chicken…read morepot pie, lamb mixote and salmon and all were amazing. Additionally, our server, Ryan C. went above and beyond and sat down with us to accomodate dietary restrictions for my brother in law and was very thorough with what he could offer for alternative food options. His quality of service was exceptional and was greatly appreciated. Sitting on the patio was a vibe as well and is an excellent place to grab drinks. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great spot in Five Points.

    Had an excellent experience at Work & Class. The shared-plates concept works really well here, and…read morehonestly everything we ordered was very good. After reading other reviews and checking out photos beforehand, I knew the Colorado lamb was a must-order. It's not something I usually go for, but it ended up being my favorite dish of the night. Absolutely worth the hype. We also ordered the birria short rib and hickory smoked picanha, and both were solid choices. The shrimp and corn grits were amazing, and I really loved the aged cheddar mac and cheese. Other dishes like the chickpea croquettes and the chili relleno were also pretty good and rounded out the meal nicely. The wait staff was fantastic. Super friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. The restaurant itself has a cool, lively vibe. The only minor downside was that the outdoor heaters were a bit too hot, but that's a very small nitpick. Overall, an easy 5 out of 5 stars. Great food, great service, and a place I'd happily come back to.

    Photos
    Restaurant
    Restaurant
    The Massive Attack Salad
    The Massive Attack Salad
    Front door

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    Front door
    Four Friends Kitchen

    Four Friends Kitchen

    4.3
    (2.2k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    A Lovely little restaurant. Excellent prices. The service was quick and extremely helpful and…read morepolite. I got 2 Biscuits, which came with homemade jam ;~} and butter. A 3 Egg Omelette with cheese and spinach and there is potato's as well. The Food was Phenomenally Delicious I will Definitely be recommending them and I will return.

    So glad that I picked this spot for brunch while visiting Denver…read more Vibe: Family friendly, open breakfast/brunch/lunch place with bar and sit down service. 9am on a Sunday was moderately busy and moderately loud. Service: 10/10. Bar staff was excellent, very friendly and fast. Food came out of the kitchen very quickly as well. Food: The menu had a lot of really interesting options, I got the Bluegrass Benedict. It was amazing. Literally one of my favorite benedict dishes I've had. It had layers and layers of flavors between the greens, sauce, and toppings. The home fries were crispy on the outside + soft on the inside perfection. The only part that wasn't stellar was the pork belly itself, have definitely had better, but everything else blew me away. The portion size was large. Value: I paid $22 after tip, it was a big portion and I had to eat some later (although not as good as fresh), overall great quality and service so would say value on point. Accessibility: There was street parking in front. There is a ramp to the door. I had a great meal and would recommend highly and would go again if back in the area.

    Photos
    Four Friends Kitchen
    Classic Beignets
    Classic Beignets
    Lively vibes here, hope the food's just as good!

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    Lively vibes here, hope the food's just as good!
    Esters Oneida Park

    Esters Oneida Park

    4.4
    (347 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    I love Esters. I've tried a ton of dishes there and honestly nothing has been a disappointment…read more Some of my favorites are Esters nachos, the of the earth pizza, and the chicken Caesar wrap with bbq chicken. Their salads are also always so good. The produce is super fresh and their combos are usually surprising. For example, I just recently had their seasonal green goddess salad and it had farfalle pasta noodles which was so fun. Some of their menu is seasonal, so get what you like before it rotates out! The Oneida park spot is really cute. I love the interior and they have a great covered patio for more all-weather seating. Parking is always fairly easy as you can park in the nearby neighborhoods if needed.

    We stopped by Esters Oneida Park on a Friday evening around 6 p.m., and the place was pretty busy…read more There was about a 20-minute wait, but it went by quickly since we were able to grab drinks at the bar and hang out outside while waiting for our table. The whole atmosphere here is very family-friendly. There's a large open outdoor area where kids were running around and playing, and being right next to a soft serve spot makes it even better for families. Inside, it had a great sports bar vibe without feeling overwhelming. They had all the NBA and NHL playoff games on, and I could easily see myself coming back here to catch a game and grab food with friends. The beer selection was also solid, with a nice variety of local breweries and ciders. For food, we started with the roni rolls, which were really good. The portion isn't huge, but it's perfect for sharing between 2-4 people. The menu mentions allowing extra time for them to come out, but ours arrived surprisingly quickly. We also split a half Caesar salad, which was pretty standard but worked well as a lighter course between appetizers and pizza. The highlight was definitely the Catapult pizza -- really flavorful and absolutely worth ordering. Would definitely recommend the pizzas here overall. For dessert, we went with the brownie skillet sundae based on our waiter's recommendation. It's basically like a smaller brownie version of a pizookie. The edges were a little overdone from the hot skillet, but overall it was still really good. If you're a brownie fan or just have a sweet tooth, it's definitely worth trying. Great energy, great setup for families and sports fans alike, and a place I'd happily come back to.

    Photos
    Seated in the outside courtyard area; has cover and heaters to keep you warm while you eat.
    Seated in the outside courtyard area; has cover and heaters to keep you warm while you eat.
    Esters Oneida Park
    Beer and Moscow mule

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    Beer and Moscow mule
    Point Easy

    Point Easy

    4.7
    (89 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    My husband took me there to try a new place and OMG... we LOVED it. The food was so fresh, and full…read moreof flavor. We had the caviar with the potato chips and it was SO good... we're already talking about going back just for that. The pasta and drinks were delicious, my husband asked for a second drink (it was that good), and the kitchen surprised us with an asparagus dish that was super refreshing, tender but crunchy! Writing this is honestly making me crave the pâté again. The only thing I'd change is the bread was a little less toasted and not burnt. Overall, highly recommend. So delicious it is a definitely a spot we'll be back to soon.

    Perfect fine-dine spot for a lovely date night. We were initially expecting a lot more vegetarian…read moreoptions but they were only doing their 3-course meals that day. We got the Cure farm spicy green salad - the vinaigrette was absolutely delicious. The dates added a nice sweet touch to the whole dish. Perfect start to the meal Rigatoni alla vodka - the sauce was terrific and the rigatoni was well-made The grilled bison (but vegetarian - with the trumpet mushrooms) - the sauce and spice rub on the mushrooms were good but the mushroom hadn't absorbed the flavors very well. Our drinks were the '23 Tyler pinot noir (recommended pairing with the third course) and the FIG-gure-it-out cocktail. Both were smooth and the cocktail was well-made. I was expecting it to be less sweet but it was delicious nevertheless. Our server was wonderful and was very accommodating of our dietary restrictions.

    Photos
    Bar and seating inside
    Bar and seating inside
    Charred Cabbage
    Charred Cabbage
    Current ly present cocktail

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    Current ly present cocktail
    Olivia

    Olivia

    4.6
    (301 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    My friend and I decided to celebrate our birthdays this year at Restaurant Olivia, and it truly was…read morea special evening. We received complimentary sparkling wine. We started with our favorite Aperol Spritz, warm baked bread and butter, and a light chopped salad with pistachios, then we split an order of French onion ravioli, followed by an intermezzo. The main event was the eggplant parmigiana! Every sip and every bite were perfection. The service was the best I have ever experienced, with at least 6 staff members attending to your every need. The seating is comfortable, and there are nice booths for groups. The noise level started at moderate but ended up noisy, with everyone having such a wonderful time! The parking is parallel street parking and can be challenging. Expensive but worth it! ($120 each, including the 20% service charge/tip) I think everyone should experience Restaurant Olivia at least once in their life. Extraordinary!

    Great service, nice wine list. Menu left something to be desired. Very pricey pastas with limited…read moreprotein. I really wanted to be impressed by the preparation, but it all felt very generic. I got the truffle pasta and French onion ravioli. Truffle pasta was conflicting with the sausage. French onion ravioli left a lot to be desired. Not caramelized onion pieces, limited gruyere. Desserts were tiny and lack luster. Great gluten free options were a highlight for our group. Ambiance leaves a lot to be desired. Busy street corner. I wouldn't go back. Friends I was with said would not return and 3.5/5. Gluten free friend thinks it is the absolute best and 5/5, goes as much as she can.

    Photos
    One of the truffle ready to be served
    One of the truffle ready to be served
    Focaccia
    Focaccia
    Wine bar

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    Wine bar

    Benzina - italian - Updated July 2026

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