The story
Rioja occupies a historic spot on Larimer Street in Denver’s Larimer Square, a perennial top-five tourist attraction in the city. The dining room is simple and direct, with a copper-topped bar and an exhibition kitchen that lets the food take center stage. The restaurant’s cuisine is inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and influenced by local and seasonal products, weaving Spanish and Mediterranean flavors into a menu that changes with the seasons. This commitment to quality earned Rioja a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025.
Executive Chef and Owner Jennifer Jasinski leads the kitchen. She is a James Beard Foundation Award winner for Best Chef Southwest in 2013 and was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2016. Jasinski’s cooking began out of necessity in a single-parent household, and she developed a knack for creating her own recipes. She is joined by General Manager and Owner Beth Gruitch, whose family has been in the restaurant business for three generations. Chef Gabe Wyman, a Colorado native, sources and prepares obscure ingredients, bringing a local touch to the kitchen.
Dinner at Rioja begins with starters like the Rioja house salad with arugula, dates, gorgonzola, and almond vinaigrette, or the artichoke soup with green olive tapenade and orange gremolata. Chef Jen’s hand-made pastas include artichoke tortelloni with white truffle brodo and aged Manchego, and goat cheese gnudi with lamb ragù and fennel pollen. Entrées range from a grilled vegetable skewer with marrow beans and tahini to seafood fideuà with octopus, shrimp, mussels, and saffron dashi. The wine list features a broad selection of Spanish wines by the glass and bottle, complemented by selections from around the world. Dessert is served whenever the restaurant is open.
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