Brian Nagele
Located just thirty minutes from Denver, Aurora is the perfect mix of rural and urban, with the large Metropolis of Denver to the west and miles of pristine farmland to the east.
Nature lovers will love Aurora’s natural bounty, with stunning views of the almighty Rockies and Aurora’s own Cherry Creek Reservoir, where visitors can explore miles of trails.
Aurora’s urban offerings include great retail and pop-up farmer’s markets at the giant Southlands Lifestyle Center.
Whether you’re in town to catch a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, hit the trails, or shop, you’ll want to break up your activities with dining.
Aurora’s restaurant scene has a myriad of different cuisines and dining experiences to suit any preference or craving.
I ate my way through my most recent trip to Aurora, compiling an eclectic list of restaurants, delis, diners, and bistros for you to explore below.
Best Restaurants in Aurora
- Rosie’s Diner Aurora
- Pearl of Siam
- Cafe Paprika
- Monsoon Cuisine Of India
- Helga’s German Restaurant & Deli
- The French Press
- Golden Saigon
- Sam’s No 3
- Annette
- Denver Biscuit Company- Stanley Marketplace
- Athenian Restaurant
National chain restaurants and fast food abound, but the best restaurants in Aurora are unique and local favorites.
Rosie’s Diner Aurora
14061 E Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: 303-752-3663
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Rosie’s Diner is inside a perfectly preserved metal train car, just like you’d see in the 1950s, with the characteristic leather booths, checkered floors, and long soda counter.
Located in Aurora’s Southeast Crossing neighborhood, Rosie’s Diner is a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that will transport you back to simpler times.
In true diner fashion, you can get breakfast all day, and in true Colorado fashion, you can get beer on tap at a diner!
Rosie’s also makes delicious milkshakes and malts that go great with hamburgers and hot dogs.
I went the breakfast all-day route and ordered a tasty plate of steak and eggs with golden hashbrowns and a short stack of buttermilk pancakes.
Pearl of Siam
18660 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80013
Phone: 303-617-7408
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Located a few blocks from the Plains Conservation Center in Calico, Pearl of Siam is an authentic Thai food restaurant family-owned and operated by Thai natives who share their passion for cooking the food they grew up eating with the Aurora community.
The friendly and casual atmosphere is great for dine-in, and they have quick service for take-out with great lunch specials.
While Thai food is notoriously spicy, Pearl of Siam gives customers to option to specify their spice level, accommodating sensitive palates.
I loved their roast duck curry with red curry paste, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, green and red peppers, pineapple, tomato, and basil leaves.
The sweetness of the pineapple and creamy coconut milk complimented the spice of the red curry paste.
Cafe Paprika
13160 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80012
Phone: 303-755-4150
Café Paprika is a colorful and cozy Moroccan food restaurant and teahouse in Utah Park, serving the most authentic Moroccan dishes.
The cut restaurant has murals of Moroccan desert scenes of deep orange sands contrasted with blue skies that go perfectly with the blue and orange Persian-style patterned booths.
Moroccan food features Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-style mezze like hummus, falafel, and baba ganoush, along with kebab and shwarma dishes of lamb, chicken, and fish.
Moroccan-specific dishes are rich stews over couscous served in colorfully domed bowls to seal in the flavors.
I recommend the Lamb Tajine with preserved lemons, peas, carrots, and olives with steamy couscous.
Monsoon Cuisine Of India
24107 E Commons Ave, Aurora, CO 80016
Phone: 303-627-5444
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Locate done block from Aurora’s famous Southlands Shopping Center south of Sorrel Ranch, Monsoon Cuisine of India is a traditional Indian-food restaurant in a contemporary, bustling dining space with a full bar.
Chefs at Monsoon uphold centuries-old Indian cooking traditions, using a mesquite charcoal-powered Tandoor oven to deliver perfectly roasted entrees, bread, and stewed vegetables.
I recommend starting with delicious samosa minis, bite-sized samosas filled with potatoes and peas, fried, and served with creamy masala sauce. Indian bread is some of my favorite kinds, with Tandoor char on buttery Naan and Roti.
If you like spicy food, I highly recommend the Vindaloo, a traditional curry with potatoes, lime, garlic, and dozens of spices stewed in a creamy, spicy sauce with your choice of shrimp, lamb, or chicken.
Helga’s German Restaurant & Deli
14197 E Exposition Ave, Aurora, CO 80012
Phone: 303-344-5488
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Helga’s is a traditional German eatery, deli, and beer garden in an authentically old-world dining room that looks like a cabin in the Alps.
Helga’s is in the heart of Aurora City Center and has been an Aurora staple for 31 years, owned and operated by German transplants Herbert and his mother Berta Huber, who named the restaurant after their Berta’s mother, whose recipes comprise Helga’s authentic German menu.
Helga’s menu is home-cooked German fare at its best, with dishes like Schnitzel, Bavarian soft-baked pretzels, bratwurst, spaetzle, and sauerkraut.
After your meal, you can head to the deli to explore all the meats, bread, cheeses, strudels, and cheesecakes for sale.
The French Press
15290 E Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: 303-369-3111
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Teetering between Southeast Crossing and Horseshoe Park, The French Press is a friendly and cozy coffee house and breakfast and lunch eatery.
Its contemporary, country-chic décor is a great place to enjoy an artisanal coffee drink while savoring a gourmet breakfast and lunch with friends.
Their extensive breakfast and lunch menu spans the American comfort food spectrum with Southern-style dishes like shrimp and grits and biscuits and gravy, Northeastern specialties like lox and bagels and corned beef hash, and southwestern favorites like Huevos Rancheros.
I loved their selection of sandwiches, especially the fancy Reuben with grilled corned beef brisket, gruyere cheese, sauerkraut, 100-island dressing, and toasted rye with a side of French fries.
Golden Saigon
2648 S Parker Rd #2, Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: 303-671-7100
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Golden Saigon is a family-friendly Vietnamese restaurant in a warm and cozy dining room with leather booths, wood walls, old-school light fixtures, and tons of hanging green plants.
Located in the East Ridge Ptarmigan Park neighborhood, Golden Saigon serves the freshest and most authentic Vietnamese dishes and drinks with gracious and helpful service.
If you haven’t tried a Vietnamese Iced Coffee, a rich dark roast combined with sweetened condensed milk, you’ll soon become its biggest proponent after trying one at Golden Saigon.
The presentation at Golden Saigon is impressive and colorful. My favorite dishes were the authentic beef-broth pho soup, and locally sourced lamb shanks simmered in coconut curry.
Sam’s No 3
2580 S Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: 303-751-0347
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Located in East Ridge Ptarmigan Park, Sam’s No 3 has been a Denver-area staple for classic American food in a festive roadhouse-like environment since 1927.
Founded by Greek immigrant Sam Armatas whose grandsons still run the business, Sam’s No 3 is a beloved diner with national acclaim and cameos in movies, USA Today articles, and NBC Football announcers.
The menu at Sam’s No 3 is a massive American diner menu with over 100 dishes. They also have cocktails, beer, wine, and seasonal drinks.
With everything from giant breakfast burritos to potato stackers to melts, ordering can be overwhelming. You’ll just have to become a repeat customer to find which meal is your favorite.
Annette
2501 Dallas St STE 108, Aurora, CO 80010
Phone: 720-710-9975
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Annette is a high-end New American restaurant from James Beard Foundation Semi-finalist Chef Caroline Glover.
Chef Glover utilizes her years of experience in famed restaurants around the U.S. and working on rural farms to inform her scratch-made, locally sourced, and wood-fired dishes.
Located in Central Park, Annette is a beautifully designed space to enjoy an award-winning meal.
Along with an impressive wine list, Annette has a stellar selection of craft cocktails, local beer, and sake.
I recommend starting with the chicken liver pate with blueberry mostarda and grilled bread, followed by the roasted whole fish with mayocuba beans, cilantro, and adobo.
Denver Biscuit Company- Stanley Marketplace
2501 Dallas St, Aurora, CO 80010
Phone: 303-377-7900
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Denver Biscuit Company is a favorite brunch spot to enjoy southern-comfort food in a hip, bustling atmosphere with a full cocktail bar.
Located in Central Park’s Stanley Marketplace, the Denver Biscuit Company’s industrial-chic interior inside an old aviation factory is a fun place to enjoy fluffy biscuits in every possible iteration.
Whether you want a buttermilk biscuit sandwich, biscuits, and gravy, or a biscuit strawberry shortcake, biscuits are the main attraction.
My favorite biscuit dish was the Ellsworth biscuit sandwich with buttermilk fried chicken, honey, stone-ground mustard, and house-made pickles with a side of decadent waffle fries smothered in sausage gravy.
Athenian Restaurant
15350 Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80013
Phone: 720-449-0224
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Located in Horseshoe Park, Athenian Restaurant is a neighborhood favorite for authentic Greek cuisine in a rustic-chic dining space replete with Greek statue replicas.
Owned and operated by the native Greek Stathopoulos family, Athenian Restaurant has been serving hand-made Greek specialties and imported wine to faithful Aurora customers for 22 years.
You can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Athenian. They have all your favorite Greek dishes, from mezze like dolmades and Spanakopita to tzatziki and fresh pita.
I loved the Gyro sandwich, a mixture of lamb and beef sliced and grilled then wrapped in pita with diced tomatoes and onions and served with tzatziki sauce.
Final Thoughts
Aurora’s restaurants are as diverse as any giant metropolis, an especially impressive feat considering it’s a small, family-friendly rural suburb.
Whether you’re looking for a classic American diner, authentic Thai food, or a German smorgasbord, you’ll find a delicious representation of world cuisines on my list of the best restaurants in Aurora.
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment, and we’ll check it out!
