Entry No. 23 — the Denver file — filed under: food

The Cherry Tomato

An old-school, friends-run Italian room that's barely changed since 1997, hidden in a little retail pocket among the houses and parkways of Park Hill. The building was a church and then a drug store before it was filled with exposed brick, high vaulted ceilings, and the smell of homemade minestrone and lasagna. The signature Pasta Felese and the lasagna are the reasons regulars have been coming for 25-plus years. Dinner only, closed Mondays — it's the kind of place you only find because someone who lives nearby tells you.

The move: Book a quiet weeknight dinner, share the minestrone and a lasagna under the old vaulted church ceilings, and lean into the unchanged-since-1997 throwback charm.

📍 Before you go Find it on a residential corner in a small retail pocket tucked among the houses and tree-lined parkways of Park Hill, just off Dahlia Street — there's no flashy frontage, so watch for the sign rather than expecting a strip of restaurants. Parking is on the surrounding neighborhood streets, so arrive a few minutes early and be respectful of the residents. The room is small and runs on regulars: weeknights feel calmer than weekends, larger groups should call ahead to reserve, and smaller parties join a call-ahead waitlist. It's dinner-only and hours shift seasonally, so confirm before you go. Pair it with a stroll through nearby City Park.

• 📍 Park Hill / Mayfair
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 4645 E 23rd Ave, Denver, CO 80207 (in a former church/drug store on a residential corner)

Hours: Dinner only; closed Mondays. Confirm hours on cherrytomatodenver.com or OpenTable before going.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · ingoodtastedenver.com · Westword

last checked: 2026-06-07