Tamayo

This is the sort of place you go to if you meet the following criteria: 1) ambience is more important to you than substance, 2) portion size is irrelevant, and 3) you don't mind lighting cigars with $100 bills. My friends and I walked in one evening and were treated to way-overpriced margaritas (small, to boot!), an abusively familiar waiter and a small bowl of rice and beans to share among 6 people (this comes with the entrees). As for myself, I had the seared halibut. Very tasty...weighed around 2-3 oz. We also had scallop appetizers that translated into almost 5$ a bite.....need I say any more? We all left hungry, moderately tipsey and at least $500 poorer.

Pros: good tasting food, clean

Cons: expensive, crowded, loud

Posted 08/11/03

Tamayo has everything a restaraunt needs to succeed yet doesn't quite pull it off. The patio seating in the summer? First rate. The guacamole? Excellent. The entrees? Well, let's just say the chicken mole was more siesta rather than fiesta. The Sangria? Do yourself a favor and stop at the local liquor store and buy a box of wine instead. The service? I was a little hurt by the stand-offish waiter. The bus-girl was far better and deserved the lion share of the tip. Come for the Happy Hour, but eat somewhere else...

Pros: Guacomole!!, Patio seating!!

Cons: Service, Entrees

Posted 08/01/03

I can not get enough of this wonderful restaurant. Everything is hand made from scratch. The integrity and ambition of the food at Tamayo is always a delightful surprise that can consistantly be relied upon, and the staff is just a delight. Always helpful with menu and drink selections. Viva Tamayo!!!!

Posted 07/06/03

Great Modern Mexican food.! The portions are smaller compared to other restaurants; hence one is able to finish everything and have dessert too!! The desserts are simply great. The ambience is very nice. Great place for a romantic dinner. Only problem: Very few vegetarian choices: Tamayo wakeup?

Posted 03/23/03

The food was good but not what I would consider to be "Mexican" and it was really overpriced. Interesting to read that other people felt the staff was snobby - we thought they were behaving that way because we were dining with our baby=+)

Pros: creative food, atmostphere

Cons: service

Posted 03/02/03

The first time I ate here, I was on a first date. While nothing came out of the date, I have become a regular at Tamayo. Love the guacamole, Ceviche and the Mole Poblano (my favorite). I also get the roasted corn puree as a side with just about any dish. Though not a great "first-date" place, Tamayo is ideal for more established relationships and large gathering of friends

Pros: Good location, Excellent food, Great portions

Cons: Pricey, busy wait-staff

Posted 01/21/03

Just wandered in off the street, never having head of the place before. I had an excelled meal starting with the excellent sweet corn sopa (soup)--and sweet it is, literaly. That was followed by the pork loin in a similar spicy, sweet corn sauce. The service was attentive and congenial. WARNING!This is not your old neighborhood Amer-Mexican style food--no tomato salsa in sight.

Pros: Adventurous Food, Friendly, Warm Atmosphere

Cons: Parking

Posted 01/08/03

The first two dining experiences my husband and I had at Tamayo were delicious! It was amazing and we urged everyone to go. We have been two more times (since the beg. of October) and with the exception of the quac., have had a terrible meal. My salmon was salty and very greasy and the pork was bland. Service was extremely slow and unorganized. We are very sad because the outstanding restaurants in Denver are fading. One more comment, we sat up stairs last time and we couldn't hear our own tables conversatin without almost yelling.

Posted 10/31/02

Tamayo has a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, and fairly tasty food. The guacamole and margaritas are good, but the entrees are not excellent and are overpriced. Your money would be better spent elsewhere, but Tamayo is much more interesting than many downtown restaurants.

Pros: handsome interior, good guacamole

Cons: too pricey, so-so entrees

Posted 10/15/02

Mourn for Tamayo, for it has come to an untimely demise. Upon opening, Tamayo was one of the hottest and most delicious new restaurants in downtown Denver. However, after losing the amazingly talented Sean Yountz, who left to open his own gig, Vega, a recent visit to Tamayo confirmed that the culintary talent of Tamayo has left with him. The once-authentic chicken poblano, succulent and aromatic, with only a hint of the cocoa bean - as it should be - has now become reminisicent of dried chicken covered with Hershey's cocoa. The salmon was so salty, one wondered what they were trying to cover up. Whatever it was, they succeeded, for the only flavor that came through the dish was salt, salt, and more salt. A sad and disappointing end to a wonderful but short-lived reign of restaurant excellence. Aah, Tamayo, may it rest in peace.

Posted 10/11/02

We made reservations then showed up and paid way too much for our drinks while we waited for our table. Once we got a look at the menu we bolted for the door and went to Lime instead.

Posted 09/27/02

I work across the street and love the food, but the service is very uneven. I ate there recently with a friend and we commented to our waitress about the hostess' "hipper-than-thou" attitude. The table next to us piped in with the same experience. Our waitress said the hostess that day was also the manager! Have also walked out at dinner because of LONG (even by European standards) delays in service -- getting a menu, water, order taken. I hope they can work out these service issues.

Pros: food, location

Cons: service, service, service

Posted 09/25/02

The service was terrible. Our uptight server graced us with his presence twice--to take the order and drop off the check. The salmon and pork entrees were average with side dishes that barely exist. My fennel and artichoke side had two strips of fennel and not an artichoke to be found. However, you get rice "compliments of management". Wow. The food is terribly overpriced. The short Margaritas were the only good part of the experience....at $8 each. Don't waste your time unless you just visit the bar.

Pros: Margaritas

Cons: Bad Service, Bad Price, Bad Attitude

Posted 08/28/02

We dine at tamayo often and last night was awsome as usual. Friendly staff great food, love
the margaritas

Posted 08/03/02

An exciting restaurant with excellent food and service. Everytime I have eaten there I learn about something new and am blown away by the food and the attentive friendly staff.

Pros: unique food, excelent service, excelent win list

Cons: parking

Posted 07/27/02

SUPERB CUISINE! UNBELIEVABLE QUALITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL STAFF WAS VERY KNOWLEDGABLE

Pros: PREPARATION, PRESENTATION, STAFF

Cons: PARKING

Posted 07/26/02

Great Guac, and that's about it. Overpriced offerings, including drinks. Server wouldn't offer suggestions, just repeated what the menu said, by the time we got our second round of drinks we were done with dinner. Rec'd another tables bill, then ours was incorrect. Too much hassle for too much money.

Pros: Location, Guacamole

Cons: Service, Value

Posted 07/26/02

We were interested in trying the upscale Mexican restaurant and were very disappointed. The margaritas lacked flavor; we tried three different kinds, just to make sure. The food was not good, with the exception of the guacamole. The meals were way overpriced. The service was quite poor as well. I would definitely not recommend this restaurant!

Posted 07/22/02

The most disappointing restaurant I've been to. We went for a nice lunch but came out 2 hours later hungry and poorer. THE ONLY good thing about Tamayo is the atmosphere. Our waiter was impatient and forgetful. The food portion was minimal and very BLAND after you got past the weeds they put on top. To top it off it was terribly expensive. I don't mind spending money on good food but this was not even that.

Cons: Expensive, Overrated, Little portions

Posted 07/17/02

I paid more than $17 for a dish who's main ingredient was half of a tomato and it was hard, flavorless, and pink. I leave winter tomatoes on my shelf for a day or two and they turn red and have more flavor. Couldn't this chef do that too? The three small slices of steak on top had very good flavor.

Cons: tables too close

Posted 07/16/02

we have eaten at tamayo several times. the food is always excellent, the waitstaff professional and attentive, and we have enjoyed eating there.

Posted 07/15/02

The margaritas were good and the chili relleno appetizer was excellent. However, my boyfried ordered the lamb chops medium-rare and one of them came back raw while the other was well-done.
I had the seared tuna which was cooked all the way through. The atmosphere was nice and service okay. All in all a dissapointment to say the least.

Pros: ambience, service

Cons: food, food, food

Posted 07/05/02

This place has a great ambiance....The service is great, the enitre staff is friendly and knowledgable.
The menu is a bit pricy with small portions, however the margarittas are delicious

Posted 06/10/02

The guacamole was first rate, as were the margaritas. However the drink and food prices were pretty steep.

Posted 06/09/02

Tamayo is our favorite restaurant in Denver. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is cool, the service is fast and professional. I always order a margarita, guacamole, and the chicken adobada -- it's consistently delicious. The prices are high but you can't beat the quality of the food. My only criticism is that the place is very loud. You really can't go wrong here.

Pros: quality of food, fast service, consistency of food

Cons: noise level is high

Posted 06/08/02

Went recently for a party. Their food definitely has a new fliar on mexican. The Guac was good and simple. However, the piece of chicken was only cooked on one side...NOT appealing. But great service by the waiters and all around not a bad time--but maybe that's because i didn't pay for it...i did slip a peak at their menu and they are rather overpriced. MIGHT go back, but not top on my list.

Pros: patio, service, inventive menu

Cons: prices, food quality, small bar

Posted 06/05/02