RiNo was already making headlines as one of the nation’s hottest food and drink neighborhoods in 2018 when it scored not one, not two, but three coups in the form of James Beard Award–winning arrivals: Texas’ Tyson Cole (see: Uchi), New York–based partners David Kaplan and Alex Day (see: Death & Co.), and New Orleans mega-star Alon Shaya. Famed for his modern take on the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, the Israeli-born Shaya opened Safta at The Source Hotel to instant acclaim, and its following has only grown larger and more fervent since. Rightly so: Safta, which means “grandmother” in Hebrew, turns out Shaya's famous wood-fired pita bread and impossibly creamy hummus topped with your choice of options like spring asparagus and black truffles or lamb ragu as a prelude to a whole menu evocative of the land of milk and honey.

A melange of Israeli flavors and textures spread across the interactive, shareable dips, spreads, and breads makes dining at this Michelin-noted River North (RiNo) darling an entertaining event from start to finish. Why we love it: Safta is somehow at once a place to celebrate a major milestone and to roll in for family dinner for no reason at all; the airy second-story digs are both elevated and approachable, the cuisine both worldly and comforting. Time Out tip: Portions can be confusing in these formats; ask your server for a recommended number of dishes to order from each menu section.

RiNoThere are plenty of tasty bites to be had at five-year-old Safta—we certainly wouldn’t kick the pomegranate braised lamb or harissa chicken out of bed—but tops on the stellar menu might be the pita and hummus. The wood-fired pitas are so freaking fluffy they could double as pillows, and the hummuses you dip them in are all lick the bowl worthy. Whether you opt for the savory lamb ragu with crispy chickpeas, the buttery mushroom topped with chives, or the straight tahini sprinkled with Aleppo pepper, you’ll swear it’s the best hummus you’ve ever had.

While Denver has plenty of homegrown culinary talent, James Beard Award-winning, Israeli-born chef Alon Shaya added something new to the city when he opened Safta in 2018. Shaya takes a fine-dining approach to Israeli cuisine, borrowing flavors and techniques from the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa—filling a pita-sized hole in Denver’s dining scene. While it’s known for those pillowy, wood-fired pitas, you’ll want to save room to sample every nook and cranny of the expansive menu.

Opened in The Source in 2018, this RiNo eatery, created by James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya, is an ode to his grandmother’s cooking. Safta is the Hebrew word for grandmother, and this Israeli-rooted restaurant has been a wild success since its opening. Of course, there is incredible hummus, pita, and falafel, but the restaurant offers even more showcasing influence from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Hotel restaurants typically make us want to check out, but not The Source Hotel’s Safta, with all its creamy hummuses, honey cheese borekas, and harissa-spiked chicken. Not to mention the pitas, which are so big and pillowy they could pass as some sort of bread-based balloon. While the Israeli restaurant serves one of the best dinners in town, don’t overlook their weekend brunch.

Safta is proof that Middle Eastern restaurants can rise above their strip-mall homes and draw tourists and locals alike looking to spend big money in swanky, modern surroundings. Chef/owner Alon Shaya, coming off a James Beard Award for his work in New Orleans, interprets the Israeli cuisine of his youth for a Denver audience hungry for superlatives in Mediterranean cooking: the fluffiest pita (baked in a wood-fired oven), the creamiest hummus and the crunchiest falafel. "Safta" means grandmother, so the fact that you're smothered in comfort food at this restaurant in the Source Hotel is no surprise — but Shaya also has a way with chef-ier creations built on sea bass, short ribs and lamb shanks, to name a few.

Restaurateur Alon Shaya's childhood visits to grandma's house clearly made an impression—Safta (the Hebrew pronunciation for "grandmother") is an ode to her warmth and delicious cooking—he even took a rose she painted and imprinted it onto the glassware. Shaya's menu brings modern Israeli flavors to the Mile High City: pomegranate-braised lamb shank, harissa chicken with charred lemon, falafel and lamb kebabs all appear on the menu, but the salatim may be the star. These small, shareable plates like hummus, baba ganoush and labneh are served with airy pita bread, and can easily make a meal in themselves.

RiNo When you ask foodie Front Rangers about their favorite dishes at Safta, the answers might be the cloudlike pita with velvety, soft-boiled-egg-topped hummus or the fluffy, emerald-tinted falafel. Or they might wax poetic about the modern Israeli restaurant’s crispy Persian rice bejeweled with cherries and sunflower seeds or the tender salmon with garlicky toum (Lebanon’s answer to aïoli). The consistent praise is a testament to chef-owner Alon Shaya’s knack for churning out reliably crave-worthy plates at the five-year-old mainstay inside the Source Hotel & Market Hall.

With decorative influences that stem from the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, plus a menu that offers a taste of these ever-evolving cuisines, Safta provides a perfect combination of food and culture. The appeal couldn’t be simpler, with a jovial atmosphere and food nothing short of sublime, a business lunch in Denver may struggle to surpass Safta. This restaurant hosts a culinary journey, whereby James Beard Award-winner Alon Shaya draws on the recipes of his ancestors to provide a fresh take on a spread of specialities.

A former James Beard Award winner, Safta Restaurant is an Israeli eatery in The Source Hotel. Paying homage to the culinary scene in Israel, Safta means “grandmother” in Hebrew but also sends slight nods to the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa in its delightful dishes. Drenched in flavors from Bulgaria, Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Palestine, and Greece, handmade pita bread made in a wood-fired oven and served with tahini-rich hummuses is one of the highlights when dining at Safta.

Helmed by James Beard’s “Best Chef: South” of 2015, Alon Shaya, Safta (which means “grandma” in Hebrew) is an homage to the comfort food of Israel… Exactly what you’d expect your grandmother to make. Rooted in the cuisine of Shaya’s birthplace, every dish bursts with flavours of Israel and the Middle East. It’s rare for me to be excited about chicken but theirs, lathered with a tangy but not spicy harissa, is a staple and quite possibly one of the best I’ve ever had.

Alon Shaya’s dazzling Denver restaurant, situated inside The Source Hotel's culinary marketplace in the River North Art District (RiNo), has racked up an avalanche of accolades, all of them hard-earned and well deserved. His modern ode to Israeli cooking is composed, confident and pure, his flavors precise and pronounced. Pita bread, for instance, sounds deceptively simple, but the charred pillows of puffed dough that emerge from the wood-fired oven are remarkable.

6:00 PM – Beautiful Israeli small plates – Safta is another Denver staple. A restaurant from Alon Shaya, Safta actual means “grandmother” in Hebrew, alluding to the home cooked food you’ll find into this gorgeous restaurant tucked into one of the spaces in Denver’s The Source, a vibrant collective of food artisans and retailers. Broken up into several sections including “Hummus”, “Salatim”, and “Plates,” the menu offers an array of Middle-Eastern-inspired dishes.

The Lowdown: Safta — located in the Source Hotel + Market Hall — is a restaurant that’s based around Middle Eastern flavors from countries like Israel, Bulgaria, Morroco and more. The dishes are minimalistic — meaning not a lot of filler, just straight fresh ingredients that go together well. The dinner menu consists of an array of salatim which is a term for Israeli side dishes — for example, roasted beets with sumac onions, tahini and coriander.

Like many Denverites, Alon Shaya is a transplant, who came here by way of Israel, Philadelphia and New Orleans. So his influences at Safta are many, but the restaurant’s flavors are largely modern Israeli — from labneh (a spiced yogurt) and lutenitsa (pepper and tomato spread) to shakshouka with eggs, artichokes and cilantro-based zhoug. Of course, there’s the fresh-baked pita and hummus in five varieties, which are reasons enough to come.

Safta is an Israeli-inspired restaurant in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, offering a menu that blends traditional Middle Eastern flavors with modern techniques. Chef Alon Shaya has created an innovative and authentic menu with dishes that showcase Middle Eastern cuisine’s bold and vibrant flavors. The ambiance at Safta is warm and inviting, focusing on creating a comfortable and relaxed dining experience.

Safta brings a taste of the Mediterranean to the Mile-High City. With flavors inspired by Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East, Safta's menu offers classic dishes like matza ball soup, tabouleh, kebabs, and lamb. Safta also gives back to the community with their monthly Hummus for a Cause fundraiser, where proceeds from orders of hummus benefit a charity.

If you’re looking for a great casual restaurant in Denver, Safta should definitely be on your list. This Mediterranean restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere that’s perfect for a night out with friends or a date. The menu is filled with delicious dishes like the lamb shoulder and the hummus, and they also have an incredible cocktail menu that you won’t be able to resist.

For a brunch experience that’s elegant, unique, and deeply flavorful, head to Safta. This modern Israeli restaurant from James Beard Award–winning chef Alon Shaya serves a stunning weekend brunch with dishes like whipped feta, shakshuka, wood-fired pita, and lamb-stuffed hummus. The space is gorgeous, the cocktails are thoughtful, and the flavors are unforgettable.

Safta brings Middle Eastern food to the Rocky Mountains and is a stand-out special occasion restaurant in Denver. Specializing in Israeli food with influences from Turkey, Morroco, Palestine and Greece, Safta is one of the best restaurants in Denver. The interior is light and airy with an upscale atmosphere perfection for a birthday dinner in Denver.

Paying homage to the food and drink of Israel, this new spot inside The Source Hotel + Market is the spot for wood fired pita bread baked steps from the table, delicious toubeleh or baba ganoush. Run by the famed chef Alon Shaya, originally from New Orleans, this is the best new spot for Middle Eastern fare in Denver.

We are forever grateful that chef Alon Shaya has gifted Denver with Safta, located in the Source Hotel in RiNo. Safta is a Middle Eastern restaurant that brings guests on a journey through the culinary landscape of Israel. Their menu features a variety of hummuses, salatim (Israeli salads), and larger plates.

Rating: 4.5/5Location: 3330 Brighton Blvd, Denver, Colorado, Denver, CO 80216-5021Timings: 10:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pmPrice: $$ - $$$. Safta is famous for its Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Israeli food. It is yet another Michelin-star restaurant in the race of famous restaurants in Denver.

Inside the Source Hotel awaits a modern Middle Eastern dining room that pulls out no stops. The food and beverage menu will take you on a journey across the Middle East, Europe and a bit of North Africa. This is probably the cheapest way to eat your way around the world without a plane ticket.

Leave it to the home of one of Denver’s sleekest interiors to also have a charming, warm weather-ready patio. Graze on crudité dipped in creamy housemade hummus, then tuck into the fan-favorite pomegranate-braised lamb shank (which now comes with Colorado-grown Palisade peaches).

For a delicious journey through Israel’s expansive cuisine, Safta is the right choice. The menu draws inspiration from traditional dishes through a modern lens. The cheese bourekas, duck matzo ball soup, and pomegranate braised lamb shank are a few of the fan favorites.

3330 Brighton Boulevard #201Denver, CO 80216(720) 408-2444 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. Safta is a spacious and chic restaurant in The Source Hotel, serving modern Israeli cuisine inspired by Middle Eastern, European, and North African flavors.

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (94 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 3330 Brighton Blvd, Denver, Colorado, Denver, CO 80216-5021- Read more on Tripadvisor

3330 Brighton Blvd #201, Denver, CO 80216720-408-2444 Visit Website. Curious about where you can find Middle Eastern fare?. Then, consider booking a reservation at Safta, located in The Source Hotel on Brighton Boulevard, near the South Platte River.

If you want to experience Israel’s culinary landscape, look no further than Safta!. Located at the Source Hotel, Safta offers soft and beautiful décor with impressive food presentations. You’ll keep coming back for their hummus and pita bread.

Safta offers a brunch experience like no other in Rino Denver. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in for something special. The atmosphere was elegant yet inviting, with a touch of Middle Eastern charm that added warmth to the space.

While Safta may be known for fantastic Israeli dinners from Chef Alon Shaya, the weekend brunch is worth trying for a tasty breakfast in Denver. Since brunch is only served on Saturdays and Sundays, reservations are recommended.

Visit Spuntino for Colorado lamb shoulder, Tavernetta for gnocchi with lamb ragu or Safta for hummus with lamb ragu. No matter what style of cuisine you choose, you’re sure to get tender and delicious Colorado lamb.

Located at 3330 Brighton Blvd., Suite 201, in Five Points, the Mediterranean spot is the highest rated Middle Eastern restaurant in Denver, boasting 4.5 stars out of 146 reviews on Yelp.

Safta is a delightful array of Israeli and Mediterranean food in an upscale yet relaxed environment. Start with the best hummus and wood fired pita, but don’t stop there!