Please note: Restaurant hours, locations, and menus are subject change, so please visit the restaurant website or call in advance of visiting.

Thanks to everyone’s favorite candelabra in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, we have classic French food on the brain. Think coq au vin, escargot, steak frites, beef Bourguignon, onion soup, delicate pastries and more. In honor of our French maître’d, Lumiere, visit one of these French-influenced venues before or after the show.

Photo courtesy of Le French

Le French Bakery & Cafe

846 Albion St., Denver; 303-558-0875

4901 S. Newport St., Denver; 720-710-8963

Founded by Aminata and Rougui Dia, two Senegalese sisters who grew up in Paris, Le French serves classic Parisian café fare with a few African twists. On the bakery side get French-style pastries, tarts and coffee. Then stay for brunch and order salad niçoise, croque madame, and quiche paysanne with buttered leeks, bacon and Gruyère cheese. The sisters also serve lunch and dinner featuring items such as sweet and savory crêpes, coq au vin, and moules frites with blue mussels and shallots in a white wine garlic broth.

Photo courtesy of Bánh & Butter

Bánh & Butter Bakery Café

9935 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora; 720-513-9313

Chef Thoa Nguyen opened her French-Vietnamese bakery and cafe in the East Colfax Arts District in  2022, and it’s only gotten more popular since. It’s easy to see why. Nguyen studied French pastry and baking and incorporates her skills with her own heritage to create plenty of tasty treats that will leave both the tummy and wallet full. Expect sweet and savory croissants, French apple tart, baguette or croissant sandwiches, Vietnamese coffee, espresso, and the chef’s specialty, delicately layered crepe cakes. Get the goods to go or find a seat in the small café, where guests can also check out the local art and plants while they nibble on an ube cupcake.

Photo courtesy of Trompeau Bakery

Trompeau Bakery

934 16th St. Denver; 720-900-0134

2950 South Broadway, Englewood; 303-777-7222

Bâtards, baguettes, croissants, palmiers, brioche and more delicious baked goods come out of this French bakery, which was started in 2001 by Pascal Trompeau, a native of Limoges, France. While Trompeau no longer helms the venture, the team is still dedicated to churning out the same traditional French pastries and bread it always has. It also features salads, quiche, and sandwiches. Locations typically close in the late afternoon, so stop in before or after a weekend matinee.

Photo courtesy of Bon Ami

Bon Ami Bistro & Creperie

295 S Pennsylvania St., Denver; 303-862-4959

At Bon Ami, don’t be surprised if one bite of the St. Tropez Crêpe with salmon, goat cheese, sautéed spinach and a light orange citrus sauce brings you back to the Rue du Montparnasse in Paris or a sweet café in Brittany. Here the crêpes taste like they do in France, letting the delicate folds of the pancake encompass sweet and savory fillings such as béchamel sauce, mushrooms, brie, prosciutto, Nutella and juicy berries. The bistro serves other foods too, such as fresh oysters, imported French escargot, chicken croquettes, pommes purée, chicken liver mousse and more during weekend brunch and dinner.

Photo courtesy of Katherine’s Bakery & Cafe

Katherine’s French Bakery & Cafe

728 S. University Blvd., Denver; 303-282-5888

There’s nothing pretentious about this Bonnie Brae cafe, the setting proves simple and the food is inexpensive and classic. The menu caters to the breakfast and lunch crowd, with 13 different quiches on the menu, each served, in true French style, with salad or fruit. Crepes too make up a good portion of the offerings, both sweet and savory. For breakfast a croissant sandwich or crab omelet should be ordered, with a side of pastry made by baking master and the owner of the shop, Katherine Keeley Pappas.

Photo courtesy of Bistro Vendôme

Bistro Vendôme

2267 Kearney St., Denver; 303-825-3232

Now located in Park Hill, this iconic French eatery by Crafted Concepts has been recognized as a James Beard Foundation Winner. For dinner the bill can add up, but head there for brunch and not only does the cost go down, but you may find French food is the perfect cuisine for Denver’s favorite meal. Order the baguette with Rodolphe Le Meunier butter, Soupe à l’Oignon with gruyére and chives, beef tartare, and the specialty Crepe Vendôme, which comes with roast chicken, egg, olives, capers, tomato, and béarnaise sauce.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) NewsCenter is the organization’s editorial platform for stories, announcements, interviews, and coverage of theatre and cultural programming in Colorado. We are committed to producing accurate, trustworthy, clearly sourced journalism that reflects our mission and serves our community. This article originally appeared in 2023 and was updated in 2026.