this place was fantastic. ate there maybe three weeks ago. lol... we are at the age where we are more likely to open a restaurant than close it and open it we did. So service was fantastic. The food, the bread, the beer it was all very good, everyone was very helpful and worth every bit of it. next time i'm in Denver i'm there read more

What a great neighborhood place to get some really good Italian! Came for happy hour and friends stayed for dinner. Always good. Always friendly. And loved our great server, Nicole! read more

Trattoria Stella - Super server, Nicole - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Had a great family dinner at the Trattoria Stella - the food was amazingly good: delicious. The atmosphere is comfortably casual, not fancy, but nice. What truly stood-out for me was the service: our server was top-tier, he was going the extra mile on things across the board. Very impressive. It got busy toward the end of our (early ) meal. While we didn't have or need reservations, one might if coming later in the evening. read more

See all

We arrived here without a reservation and were quickly seated at a booth. The lights are very low, and the exposed brick is nice, so it definitely had a romantic/date night vibe. We ate dinner elsewhere, so we were here just for dessert. My partner is a bread pudding enthusiast, so after seeing online that Trattoria Stella offers chocolate chip bread pudding, we knew we wanted to come here to try it out. This place did not disappoint! So far, it's the best bread pudding we've had in Denver. The bread is fluffy and delicious, the sauce is sweet but not too sweet, and the chocolate chips are melted and gooey. It also comes with sliced strawberries. We will be back! read more

Trattoria Stella - Bar area - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Been here twice now and the food here is fantastic as well as the service. I love the vibe and interior and how comfy it feels to dine here. The staff are great and welcoming too! The prices are reasonable and you get a great amount of food. The creamy sausage rigate is delicious and has just the right amount of spice. This is one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in Colorado! read more

See all

Wonderful, delicious food (pasta made in house!) and a very helpful and attentive staff made our dinner experience exceptional. Loved the neighborhood and decor...an older building with clearly original floors and muted lighting. Though fairly busy with some larger parties, the volume easily allowed for conversation- mostly about how good the food is. Definitely try the Bacon Burrata starter. read more

A pleasant surprise, great service followed up by decent food, casual cool vibe, prices reasonable, value for money for sure and I don't say that often. We will visit again very soon. read more

*CELIAC / GLUTEN FREE REVIEW They do not have GF pasta, but they do have a spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles substitute. I got the creamy sausage rigate with spaghetti squash and it was DELICIOUS!!! I almost licked the sauce off the plate. The waiter was knowledgeable and said they take allergies seriously, and I did not get sick! read more

Trattoria Stella - Creamy Sausage Rigate (with spaghetti squash) - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Last stop for the restaurant week. 1st time here and it was very unorganized restaurant. Once you walk in, one side is the kitchen with several booths and few window seats. When you walk thru the open door way, leads to the bar and more tables and the restroom to the back. Strange and unorganized set up. Our server greeted us with a big smile and after checking our reservation, we chose a seat by tje window. The paper menu have seen better days with food stains, grease stains and looked very abused. Not impressed. One of us ordered from the restaurant week menu since the entire menu was limited. I got the small margherita pizza. Overall, food tasted good. Portion size for carrot salad was joke. There menu was confusing and finding out that restaurant week menu pricing was higher. Better to order separately IMO. Feels like we got ripped off but food still tasted good. Ambience: 1 Food taste: 4 Service: 4 read more

See all

This Italian joint is a great option for filling and traditional home cooking! Visited for an intimate dinner with a friend and was beyond impressed by both the food and the service. The staff was knowledgeable and answered my many (likely annoying) specific questions. The interior is chic and the windows were tinted in colorful glass, making the setting even more beautiful. We ordered the burrata and the pasta primavera to split, and I will say for two people, this was more than enough and I even took home leftovers. Will definitely be returning! read more

Trattoria Stella - Yum! The Bacon Burrata, we got the walnuts on the side. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Unexpected treasure off colfax! The plate was gorgeous, fresh, flavorful, each element cooked to perfection. Seasoned perfectly to bring out the natural flavors. Casual outdoor patio perfect to bring a pet and our server, Bennett, was such an uplifting vibe, kind, attentive, and had great recommendations. I'd absolutely brave colfax again to come back. read more

Trattoria Stella - Biscuit Benedict in front of veggie Benedict - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The food was delicious and the service was warm and attentive. But most importantly, the manager was accommodating for my mom, who has a little trouble walking. I will return to try the dishes I didn't get to taste this time. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Tucked away near City Park in Denver, Trattoria Stella is a total sleeper - wow. The food and service blew us away. We kicked things off with the bacon burrata, and it was rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced - one of the best starters I've had in a long time. Then came the pasta: the Tomato Vodka Cream was silky and bursting with flavor, and the Creamy Sausage Rigate had the perfect mix of spice and comfort. Every bite was absolutely out of sight - you know those meals where you pause between bites just to savor them? This was one of those. The indoor space is cozy and full of character. It is dim and though there was a fun small party going on while we were there in the side room, Stella is for sure ready for your romantic evening. The only downside: while the food soared, the wine (both the red and the rosé) and the bread were a lack-luster. We capped the dinner off with the Key Lime Pie - bright, tangy, refreshing, and a great finisher to an outstanding meal. If you want elevated Italian food in a laid-back, neighborhood spot without any pretension, this place is a must. The food and vibe hit all the right notes. read more

My friend and I decided to try restaurant week at Trattoria Stella. I have never done a restaurant week and was looking forward to trying a new spot. There is a lot of construction currently around the Colfax location. I was able to find street parking close by. It was very dark inside, giving romantic dinner vibes, but almost a little too dark. I ordered the Italian Margarita while I waited for my friend to show up. It was pretty strong. Orange Juice, Amaretto, Tequila and Lime Juice. It was refreshing. For the first course I did the whipped gorgonzola and my friend did the baked brie. We split the cheeses so we could try them both. They were suppose to come with fresh fruit according to the menu but neither of ours did. They were served with only Focaccia. The whipped Gorgonzola was my favorite of the two. It was creamy with mascarpone and cream cheese blended into a nice spread. Added crunch from the walnuts. It tasted delicious on top of the fluffy fresh focaccia. The baked brie was salty with roasted garlic and rosemary to add flavor depth. This happens with some brands of brie when they are bake. The salad course came on the side of the cheese platter. I ordered the cranberry house salad with Gorgonzola dressing. Sensing a theme here. The salad consisted of mixed greens, dried cranberries and gorgonzola cheese. It was an okay salad. Nothing special. For the main course I ordered the Creamy Sausage Rigate. This was pretty good. The tomato cream sauce was dreamy in its depth of flavor, a tad spicier than expected. The herbed pork sausage was perfection complimenting the sauce. The noodles were a bit too al dente for my taste erroring on the side of under cooked. We ended the meal with dessert. Tiramisu for me and Key Lime Pie for my friend. The Tiramisu was very traditional, heavy on the coffee, although I love coffee so it was a pleasant velvety conclusion. The Key Lime pie, also traditional with a perfect crust and citrus taste. The servers did a good job of timing the courses. All the food came out at expected temperatures. Overall it was not a bad experience, but I am not sure I would go back. read more

See all

Great cozy ambience, excellent food. The whipped Gorgonzola with roasted garlic and walnuts was sublime, served with crostini. I had the bolognese and my partner had the Creamy Sausage Rigate. The sausage dish was the agreed upon winner, but everything was amazing. We discovered this wonderful place last time we were in Denver, and will visit every time we come! read more

Tried this place as it's closer then the one in the Highlands. It's a dark restaurant remind me of an old bar. We came right at 5p and this place filled up pretty fast. I liked their salads 3 diff options of "side salads" $8 the cranberry one is my fav. Tried the vodka pasta but instead of sausage got chicken. I didn't love the chicken I think in my head I thought like a breast on top it was cut up Always sauced. The downside off the pasta is they top With some maybe pre shredded Parmesan that's thick and kind of hard. It takes away from the lightness of the pasta. Overall it was just an ok experience wasn't blown away by the dish or drinks. I've been to one in highlands and loved it - the staff here just felt kind of cold. I had my toddler with me and he enjoys talking to people in his toddler talk and the waitress just kept ignoring him and going on. I get it's not their job to talk to a toddler but I definitely appreciate when a host, waitress etc takes an extra second to say hi or acknowledge smile at least, read more

Trattoria Stella - Ditch the cheap pre grated parm please! - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Amazing food, amazing service, and very clean inside. One of my favorite places to dine.

Always always Trattoria Stella! Food - divine. Atmosphere intimate and romantic. Service is top notch.

Trattoria Stella exceeded our expectations! We loved the truffle asparagus spaghetti was excellent, as well as the tomato vodka cream-- the meatballs were rich and delicious! Both dishes were housemade noodles--so so good! Great service, a wonderful neighborhood restaurant --we highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed! read more

After many years since my initial visit, my hubby and I stopped in here this past week for an early dinner. The inside was different than I remember, but the service was pretty good. And the food was tasty! We both went with the special: chicken & broccoli fettuccini alfredo. I took half of mine home for lunch the following day. It was tasty, but the leftovers were not nearly as good. We didn't leave room for dessert but I'm certain that would be tasty as well. We aren't likely to return only because of the location, but you should absolutely check it out! read more

Always great food and the staff is very friendly. Their sausage rigate is my go-to, but their other pastas are also delicious!

This is such a great spot for a date night or out of town guests. I love the 17th street pasta!

Solid 4 star restaurant I'd love to revisit. One of my friends and I weren't super hungry when we came here with a group, so we just ordered baked brie and dessert... LOL. After calling several restaurants about their obscene wait lists, we were glad Trattoria Stella could seat us at two back to back booths in the middle of the restaurant. Worked out perfectly. I found this place to be sleepy and chill, which was the vibe I was feeling anyways. The baked brie was delicious and marvelously presented. Everyone in the booth behind us seemed to enjoy the actual pasta they got. The key lime pie and tiramisu were tasty, though we had to squint at the dessert board to see what was actually on there. Service was wonderful, a little slow at times because they were quite busy. We were also a little rambunctious, but they were patient with us. Kinda bizzare that I'm giving Trattoria Stella 4 stars even though I didn't try their pasta. Check out the online menus (with photos!!!) because that'll surely make your mouth water and tempt you to come here. read more

See all

Very good meal & a completely unique menu! Everything had flavors that popped in different ways than a traditional Italian menu. Service was very friendly and the space itself was extremely fitting for the vibe of the restaurant. Feels like it has been charming forever! Will be going back. Gorgonzola dip was the highlight along w the 32nd St Pasta! read more

See all

We made a reservation ahead of time over the phone and still was able to get in at a good time on a Saturday. We were seated on the bar side of the restaurant. The same person who at us also was the one that was our server. They may have been short staffed but they were all very friendly and worked urgently. We were asked if we wanted to start with bread and duh! It came with olive oil and balsamic to dip. We also ordered the crispy prosciutto salad. It came with candied walnuts and figs. It was delicious! We order pastas. I got the Tomato Vodka Cream. I couldn't decide between two so I asked the server and he suggested this. It has meatballs in it. My fiancé got the spaghetti Arribbiata. It took it but to get the pasta but it was worth the wait. You can tell it's freshly made and cooked well. We got lots of Parmesan cheese on top and it was a big serving. I really enjoyed the sauce and the meatballs were good too. My fiancé at his whole plate! We'll definitely will need to come back! read more

See all

Thank you Stella's. They were wonderful for helping us host an amazing teachers appreciation party today. They did amazing the food was outstanding and the service was wonderful. Thank you for making the time to open up during the day to help make our event successful we are so grateful. Merry Christmas we can't recommend this place enough. read more

I LOVE this place! The home made pasta is fabulous! The people Are great! There's always an available table but don't tell anyone! We used to go to Angelo's on 6th but it's always ridiculously busy and quite frankly, isn't as intimate, friendly or good! read more

Stella, is thus far, the home of my favorite bowl of Penne Arrabbiata (my favorite Italian dish). The spice is always right (they'll even turn up the heat when asked), and the pancetta is always to perfection. Everything else is solid here too. I usually get a cup of tomato soup and enjoy the bread as well. I've only heard one complaint from one date I brought to Stella's wherein she didn't enjoy the food. Specifically, she asked our teenage (or early twenties) waitress what wine she should pair her meal with. The poor young server had no idea but gave rosé as her best guess. It really wasn't the restaurants fault she got it wrong. If anything I blame myself for not saying something. In either regard that date said she didn't enjoy her food as the pairing was off. Thus I didn't bring her to Stella again, electing to bring dates with a less Karen-esque vibe. They all gave positive reviews! If I had a complaint, it would be that the bites are so delicious that I can't stop eating and the portions are so fair that I always leave overly full! Five stars, thank you for another great meal Stella!Oh and I do prefer the aesthetic of the location on 32nd, but it's the same food (maybe the portions are a little smaller at the other location). read more

Trattoria Stella - A beloved bowl of extra spicy penne arrabbiata - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Conveniently located in the City Psrk neighborhood on Colfax, I brought my mom her to celebrate her birthday. I drive by the restaurant all the time, so this was a perfect reason to finally try it. Our server was excellent, engaging and attentive. My mom lifted the lasa, and I ordered the truffle asparagus spaghetti: Asparagus, arugula, toasted pine nuts, & mushrooms, tossed with spinach spaghetti in thyme butter & finished with white truffle oil. We both enjoyed our meals. The only negative was that I recurve a very dirty glass with the drink I ordered, and the plates had chips in them, hence the four stars over five. Other than that, it was a nice experience. They even gave my mom a complimentary slice of cheesecake her birthday. read more

Trattoria Stella - a colorful window - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This place is awesome!! From the homemade pastas to the brunch on the weekend, this place has yet to disappoint me. Drinks are reasonable and the ambiance is pretty great too. There's an outside patio and a small fenced off area right next to it with grass which I can leave my dog while I eat! Not much compares, and I always love coming back! read more

Trattoria Stella - Veggie Benedict - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I gotta be honest I was pretty underwhelmed. Husband got the Vodka sauce which the waiter said was one of their most popular dishes and no joke it legit tasted like chef Boyardee. I got the asparagus truffle, again one of their popular dishes and it was bland. How anything with truffle can be bland I have no idea. Our friend also got that and we both needed to use some salt to give it some flavor. Bacon Burrata was good, but nothing to write home about. But it is cheese after all so that's pretty hard to mess up. All in all I am not in a hurry to come back here. They can't make a mocktail if you ask ( was suggested a Shirley temple when I did lmao) however they have 1 NA beer available and it's not some lame odouls or something so that was nice. read more

See all

Very impressed! The complimentary focaccia is delicious, and they refilled the bread consistently. Highly recommend the vodka pasta! The outdoor patio is a nice seating area, and the service was friendly. read more

Best bruschetta ! The service is amazing, the ambience is great, I love all the exposed brick and it has great vegetarian options, not to mention fabulous bruschetta!! read more

We recently had a large group for a celebratory brunch and Stella's on Colfax , and everything was incredible!! This cozy corner restaurant was able to seat all 16 of us as one large group, and our server, Bennett, was fantastic! He was kind, attentive and took great care of all of us. Every single person, literally every one, loved their food! We tried it all: shrimp and grits, french toast, loaded avacado toast, an omelet, the green chili and biscuits, the polenta, and every single dish was a 10/10! We had bottomless mimosas, which only added to the celebration. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making it the best brunch experience in ages. read more

Saturday, July 13: Food was fantastic but service is something to be desired. We showed up 30-minutes before they were scheduled to close and were up front with the hostess and waitress that we recognized they closed soon and we would be quick. All that said, the 4 of us never felt so rushed or neglected. We all ordered cocktails but were never once asked if we wanted another, so when we asked for another round, she said the bar was closed. I respect it was 2-minutes after their closing time but we weren't even presented with an opportunity for another cocktail or told it was last call. Having served tables before, and in these times, what a great opportunity for a bigger bill and tip. Unfortunately, the latter of the two was impacted and a mediocre tip was left. It's a shame because the food was extremely good but tough to go back after feeling like such a nuisance to our waitress. read more

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend. We do not know what to eat and on the street colfax. We pass by this restaurant. Look it up and the menu really draw our attention. Decided to give this place a try. Let me say beat decision ever. We got red wine and Caesar salad to start. Then we got pasta. For dessert the blackberry cheesecake. Omg it was breathtaking. Not too sweet or heavy. Would come back definitely. Street parking. Best to make reservation. You can walk in but might need to wait. (Forgot the dish name but look at the ingredient you will find it at the menu) read more

See all

Went out to celebrate a late Birthday Dinner with my friend and Trattoria did not disappoint. The GM was incredibly kind and waited on us. He was so enthusiastic about the restaurant itself, making sure to note that everything was made in house (which you can definitely tell by the flavor and uniqueness of the food). We ordered a bottle of wine, and of course got fantastic recommendations from the GM for pairing with their pasta dishes. I also asked for recommendations for my main and went with his suggestion. It was delicious and not something I would've normally picked, but so happy I did. While the food is amazing, the ambiance and hospitality made the entire dinner that much more phenomenal. Overall it was such an amazing meal, the entire place was welcoming and the staff extremely friendly. Very happy this is a local spot of mine. read more

We stopped here on the way home from the airport, as we didn't know what we wanted and it had been over 10 years since either of us had visited and remembered it being good in the past. A little worried because there were only 2 other patrons dining in. We were promptly greeted upon entering, the staff smiling and friendly. The restaurant is exposed brick, wood, and leather on the booth seating. Dimly lit but not obnoxiously so. Both my wife and I ordered the special of the day which was chicken Alfredo with broccoli. Super tasty ...lots of garlic and herbs and spices. The sauce was creamy and just enough so you don't feel like you're wasting a bunch at the conclusion of your meal. I was glad they bring out cheesy garlic bread to start because I did need a small piece to soak up the little bit of remaining sauce and parmesan cheese. We didn't have any alcohol but the wine list looked plentiful. It's a little out of the way for us but if it were closer I'd gladly stop in more frequently to try some other dishes read more

Really great Italian pasta! Loved the Bolognese and my friend loved the 32nd st pasta. We also ordered a tiramisu and a mead! Both great too read more

Trattoria Stella - Spaghetti bolognese - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Our favorite neighborhood Italian place for everyday celebrations--perfectly moody lighting, pasta all made from scratch, engaged staff. Feels special every time! read more