New stars
Milpero wins Colorado’s only new Michelin star of 2026
· Written up · The Starred Bill
Milpero, chef Johnny Curiel’s 16-seat restaurant in Denver, won the only new MICHELIN star in Colorado’s 2026 guide, announced on September 14, 2026. No restaurant lost a star, so the state now has ten: The Wolf’s Tailor with two and nine with one. This year’s guide is the first to cover the whole state.
What a meal at Milpero costs
The tasting menu at Milpero costs $225 per person before tax and tip, with a drinks pairing at $125. Curiel’s other two Denver restaurants already hold a star each: Alma Fonda Fina, where a main costs about $45, and Mezcaleria Alma.
The rest of Colorado’s stars
Colorado’s only two-star restaurant, The Wolf’s Tailor, kept both its stars. The one-stars are Milpero, Brutø, Beckon, Alma Fonda Fina, Mezcaleria Alma, Margot and Kizaki in Denver, Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder and Bosq in Aspen. The guide lists 63 restaurants, with three new Bib Gourmands. Every starred restaurant in the city, with prices, is on our Denver Michelin star restaurants page.
Sources
- Denver Welcomes Year Four of MICHELIN Guide Colorado Awards with Seven Newly Recognized Restaurants, Visit Denver, September 14, 2026.
- MICHELIN Guide Unveils First Statewide Selection for Colorado, from Mountains to Main Streets, Michelin, September 17, 2026.
- MICHELIN reveals updated Denver guide, adding one-star restaurant, 3 Bib Gourmand, Denver7 (checked October 2026).
Prices and counts are The Starred Bill’s own data on 3,896 starred restaurants: stars from each country’s latest MICHELIN Guide, menu prices from each restaurant’s own website or, where it publishes none, a recent review, recorded October 2026. US dollar figures use exchange rates from ExchangeRate-API (October 27, 2026).