Ten starred restaurants. Sixty-three in all. One state, finally.

Ten, after the 2026 selection. The Wolf's Tailor in Denver holds two stars, the only two-star restaurant in the state, and nine restaurants hold one star. Seven of the nine are in Denver, one is in Boulder and one is in Aspen. Colorado has never had a three-star restaurant.

The Wolf's Tailor, at 4058 Tejon Street in Denver's Sunnyside neighborhood. It earned its second star in the 2025 selection, becoming the first two-star restaurant in Colorado history, and kept both stars in 2026. It serves an eclectic multicourse tasting menu built around Colorado grain and local sourcing.

Milpero in Denver, at 3455 Ringsby Court. It is chef Johnny Curiel's third starred restaurant, alongside Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma in LoHi. Every restaurant that held a star in 2025 kept it in 2026.

Yes, since the 2026 edition. Before 2026 the selection covered only Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Snowmass Village, the Town of Vail and Beaver Creek Resort. The first statewide selection, announced on 14 September 2026, added restaurants in Aurora, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs and Telluride.

Because of how the guide enters a new region. The original geographic boundaries were set according to which destination marketing organizations contributed to the cost of establishing the guide locally. Denver, Boulder, Aspen and Snowmass, Vail and Beaver Creek did. Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Durango, Steamboat Springs and the rest did not, so their restaurants could not be considered until the 2026 statewide edition.

A separate award for sustainability, not a quality tier. It recognizes restaurants that hold themselves accountable for their environmental and ethical standards, work with sustainable producers, avoid waste, and reduce plastic and other non-recyclable materials in their supply chain. In the 2025 selection four Colorado restaurants held one: The Wolf's Tailor and Brutø in Denver, and Blackbelly and Bramble & Hare in Boulder.

Neither. It measures a different thing. A star rates cooking; a Bib Gourmand rates a full meal at a reasonable price, in a style the guide describes as simpler and more recognizable rather than lower in standard. Colorado has thirteen after the 2026 selection, including first-time Bibs for Annette in Aurora and for Pig and Tiger and Rougarou in Denver.

That inspectors found the food above average, but not at star or Bib Gourmand level. It is the entry point into the guide and the largest category in Colorado, with forty restaurants in 2026. For a traveller it is often the most useful tier, because these are recognized restaurants you can realistically book on short notice.

On five criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of the flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed in the cuisine, and consistency both between visits and across the menu. Inspectors are anonymous and the selection is independent of the marketing arrangements the guide has with tourism bodies.

No. The selection is made by anonymous inspectors and MICHELIN states the process is independent, with destination marketing organizations involved in marketing and promotion only. What money influenced historically was which geographic areas inspectors visited at all, which the 2026 statewide expansion resolved.