Coral Room

An important part of a restaurant is the host/ess. This person has the tremendous job of juggling people. They have to have the patience of a saint, the planning ability of the director of FEMA, and be friendly in the midst of all this chaos too. Unfortunately, they also have to be honest. This was my problem with the hostess the day we went to the Coral Room. We had put ourselves early on the wait list. When we asked how much longer it would be, were told 20 minutes. An hour later, it was "20 minutes". After 2 and a half hours of this, I was so angry that we went over to Trattoria Stella across the street, where we were told, "about 40-45 minutes...we think...but it's hard to estimate, could be longer." It was longer, but I didn't have a problem with that, because I had been warned, and I chose to stay. I have no special expectations of swift seating, but I do expect reasonable estimates, and an honest answer if an estimation isn't possible. It keeps me from wasting my time, and ensures that I will return to try another time. I never got to try the food, and probably never will. Coral Room needs to take a hosting lesson from Trattoria Stella across the street.

Pros: don't know

Cons: poor hostess

Posted 11/08/09

Coral Room is a great place to go for happy hour, drinks or just a nice night out. I have been here at least a dozen times, and it has always been delicious and fun. The service is attentive and low key. No pressure, no hassles. The food is creative and tastey. I always have a great time here.

Pros: food, service, fun

Cons: parking

Posted 09/15/09

Excellent hospitality. Made a bridal shower special.

Pros: Staff, Food, Ambiance

Posted 07/26/09

Made the mistake of ordering a "smll plate". It was indeed small, but it mattered not. The parmesan tofu was ok, just ok. But the accompanying polenta was so oversalted it was inebible. Would've complained to the waiter but didn't see him again until it was time for the bill. He just shrugged and walked away when I mentioned the problem. He thinks he's at the Four Seasons instead of a run-down strip mall in Denver.

Cons: Snooty waiter

Posted 06/09/09

The worst "girls night out birthday celebration ever"! Your not going to believe this experience!
Our dinner immediately went from bad to the worst dining experience we had encountered. Here is our list of how it went wrong.
~Mojito removed before finished, and reluctantly replaced with a dishwater like substitute
~Cheese tray was the delicious highlight of our meal!
~Harticot verte salads missing the main ingredient(green beans), but the wait staff rudely told us we must have eaten them.
~Filet was inedibly over salted.
~Scallops were undercooked
We were completely disgusted and in shock by the food and the service we received at the popular spot. The manager had complete disregard for our disaster of an evening and dismissed our every complaint! I would not waste my money on the bad food served at this restaurant.

Pros: Located in the Highlands

Cons: Disgusting food and service

Posted 02/14/09

I love this place. Everyone is friendly, the food is always excellent, and what a generous pour on the wine! Happy hour is a steal with 5 dollar wines that are good quality selections. The bartender is quick and always friendly. Love Love Love it!!!

Pros: great food great wine and the best service in town

Posted 12/02/08

The Coral Room has been a longtime favorite of mine. I have had many fabulous experiences there and will continue to return over and over again.
The innovative and scrumptious menu always seems to satisfy whatever I may be in the mood for, and the bartenders and servers are attentive and friendly. The Coral Room is the kind of place where you can feel at home and welcome whether you are a regular customer or a first timer. I have recently participated in some of their new happy hour specials which top the neighborhood for sure.
Keep it up Coral! I will see you soon!

Posted 08/25/08

Coral Room (in Stapleton) was one of my favorite restaurants. The food was always perfect and the service was prompt, professional, and very friendly. I was extremely disappointed when the Stapleton location closed so I decided to give the HIghlands location a try.

It was very disappointing. The bar was packed with loud, drunk people which made the ambiance very trashy. Slimy lettuce was used on my salad and my steak came out well done when I ordered it medium. The service wasn't any better - our server neglected us. She didn't even ask how everything was. We had to ask the hostess for water as well as we had to ask for our check twice! Overall, it was a horrible dining experience. The owners should have closed this location and not the Stapleton one.

Posted 08/23/08

We were greeted promptly by a gentleman who took my coat. The decor was very modern and warm but the table needed a bit more room. We opted for the "house dressing" which had no flavor and very few toppings. I specifically asked my server for medium cooked salmon opaque in the center. The server brought me another plate with salmon cooked perfectly after the first "very dry" portion arrived with a different vegetable than stated on the menu. My date had a very nice lamb dish which we would recommend. We would also recommend the messy but yummy chocolate layer cake:) Our water glasses were neglected and instead our sodas were topped off twice with water. It took a long time to get our check and even longer to retrieve my coat (a good ten minutes). For the price point I expect better service, communication amongst the staff, and more generous portion sizes.

Posted 08/07/08

The Coral Room is snuggled into a strip mall in the Highlands, but don't let that fact stop you from experiencing this little gem. The food is terrific. I had the flank steak with a spicy little sauce and a chocolate cake to die for for dessert. The place was packed on a Friday night and the tiny bar was overflowing with people. The one drawback is the Coral Room's size - small, very small and thus it is very loud. So, if you want a nice place to go to chat with a first date - skip it - otherwise give it a go, you won't be disappointed!

Posted 03/01/08

This is a casual yet chic-looking place. Menu has a good selection. I came here on a Friday night. We had reservations. If you come later in the evening, like after 8pm, you probably don't need reservations. The bar area, however, was full the entire night. I tried the spring roll appetizers, which were okay but a little on the bland side. However, the tuna appetizer was DELICIOUS; it was actually raw tuna like sushi, combined with avocado and mango and other good stuff, piled up on a plate like a layered cake. For my entree, I tried the duck, which was delicious but nothing extraordinary. For dessert, we tried the truffle candies which were delicious. For beverage, I had a couple of their mojitos, which were good. Our waitress was very attentive and gave us good service. Prices were about average.

Pros: good service

Cons: parking is always horrendous in this area

Posted 08/05/07

Coral Room has got my attention. I would say hands down, Coral Room has got the best food in the highlands area. I have eaten there a few times now over the past couple of months, and the food, service and fun has been outstanding each time. They have a happy hour that is perfect. The bar is in a horseshoe shape and it makes for great conversation. The dining room (although the restaurant is in a strip mall) has a warm inviting feel to it. There is a great approachable wine list to add to the mix. So far the favorite entrees are the halibut, the filet, and the salmon, but there is a bunch I haven't tried. If you are in the highlands, you need to visit Coral Room.

Pros: food, wine and atmosphere

Cons: parking can be tough on weekends

Posted 07/12/07

I have been going to the coral room since they opened almost five years ago. While the staff and the menu have undergone many changes, I am always delighted with welcoming, friendly service and delightful entree choices. I am already looking forward to the spring menu which I believe should be coming anytime now....and I can't wait to sit on the patio and drink some of Eric's fun summer drinks. This place is my "Cheers" and I love it. Thank you Coral Room.

Pros: neighborhood, happy hour

Posted 04/06/07

The food at this restaurant is unoriginal and lacks flavor. This coupled with the attitude of our waiter was enough to ruin the experience. The decor of the restaurant is fun, but it is overpriced for a low quality experience. When I mentioned this to friends the response was that if they new I was going to the Coral Room they would have warned me.

Pros: AMbience and Parking

Cons: Food and Service

Posted 04/05/07

The cuisine at the Coral Room is top notch compared to anything else in Denver. I would defininately recommend it as a must try for anyone in Denver. I recommend the Sirlion, but the people I ate with tried the filet minon and they said it was amazing. I also had the shrimp skewers for appetizers and theat by far was some of the best coconut shrimp I have ever had!

Pros: Great Food, Great bar, entertaining bartender

Posted 03/22/07

i went to the coral room on a monday night to partake in 1/2 price wine bottles. 4 of my friends and myself drank 4 bottles of Erath pinot noir, a delicious organic wine from Oregon regularly priced at 48 bucks. We sat in a comfy little booth in the corner where we could see the whole restaurant and talked for hours. We nibbled a bit on some appetizers, the duck egg rolls were my fave. The bartender looked after us after the servers were done, and our server Nick, sat down with us for a bit after his shift and really made us feel special. We were the last ones in the place and never felt unwelcome. i'm a big fan. great neighborhood, classic jazz and nice people. i'll be back soon.

Pros: everything

Cons: none

Posted 02/12/07

I have considered the Coral Room in the Highlands to be one of the best restaurants in Denver since I discovered it almost two yeears ago and my scpierence last Friday confirmed why. I noticed a few changes to the menu since my last visit, both the apple and cheddar and duck roll appetizers were delicious and with the coral rooms fantastic happy hour, quite affordable (2 for 1!). I went with my go to for dinner, the Filet Mingnon, still the best tenderlion I have had in this city, my date tried a new entree, the seafood ravioli, which was also phenomonal. The smooth Jazz and dimly lit, small comfy dining area was perfect. We felt very much at home with out knowledgeable, bubbly, and diligent waitress named Kris, and were plesantly suprised when the manager, Susan, not only ensured that our dinner was a great one, but made us feel like old friends with her conversation. Another great expierence at the coral room.

Pros: Food, service, atmosphere, music, energy

Cons: .....

Posted 02/12/07

I have been to Coral Room on many occasions since I moved into the Highlands area and I can not say enough about it. For starters the servers and bartenders are knowledgable and friendly. They make you feel as if you are not just welcome, but part of a family. Of all the meals I have had at Coral Room, only one was just ok. The server recognized my apathy for the dish and bought me a dessert to make up for it. My favorite dishes so far are lamb, salmon, and filet mignon. The food is consistantly delicious and appealing to the eye. Even if you just want to meet your friends for some drinks and appetizers there is no better place in the highlands.
Coral Room is the perfect neighborhood choice for any occasion. Go there.

Pros: great food and service

Cons: sometimes a bit loud

Posted 01/29/07

This place seemed promising, but the music was so loud our server could not hear us, the service was slow and there were only a couple highlights foodwise. The sweet potato fries were the best we've ever had, but the sirloin was tough and raw, not medium. The brick chicken had a nice flavor but the plate was swimming in grease, the green beans were not cooked which might have been good in the summer, but was too raw tasting for the season and were tossed with large chunks of raw garlic (also floating in oil). The scalloped sweet potatoes were bland and uninteresting. The calamari was very good- probably the best thing we had that night. This place might be good for drinks and apps, but was pretty disappointing for dinner.

Pros: calamari, size, location

Cons: too loud, service

Posted 01/27/07

on mondays, you can get two for one appetizers, or 1/2 price bottles of wine. a delicious way to end your "case of the mondays". they have the most delicious salad: spinach, gouda cheese, strawberries and pistachios. the carrot ginger soup is delicious as well. brunch is awful. go for dinner of happy hour.

Posted 11/20/06

I really enjoy myself at this place EVERY time! I have had a few "bad" meals there, but it was taken care of by either being replaced or comp'd.
I really LOVE the all the Shrimp App.

Pros: Evertything

Cons: NOTHING

Posted 11/19/06

After reading the reviews of this restaurant I thought I'd be blown away. I wasn't.

On the PLUS side: loved the funky feel, busy but not overly noisy, cozy - very urban.
Starters of calamari and tiger praws were excellent.
About $100/couple with drinks and tip. (no dessert or coffee)...made it a nice night out without being extremely expensive.

DISAPPOINTMENTS: their signature carrot ginger soup seemed to be missing something - it was bland and only lukewarm.
There were 4 of us and none of our entres was "to die for" - again all of us felt they were "OK" - - same with soup). One entree had risotto - it was quite mushy.

The wait staff seemed spread a bit thin - water wasn't replenished, wine not repoured and when we asked for something it took a long time to get it. The waitress was cutsey but not very helpful.

The whole Highland area has a great vibe and we drove a distance to come to this restuarant but it felt like they might be resting on their laurels and not paying attention to keeping the food awesome. I hope they get re-energized because it was a cool atmosphere.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: All entrees seemed "one spice off" - not special

Posted 11/04/06

This place rocks!! They have great food & awesome service. I've never had a bad experience here. Best service in all of the Highland area.

Pros: Amazing food & outstanding service

Cons: Can't think of any.....

Posted 10/16/06

I went to the new Stapleton location after reading about it in the Denver Post and boy was I impressed. Fantastic food and great service. I had gone to their first location in the Highlands and loved it, but since I have a son now I thought I'd never go to a good restaurant again. Thank you Coral Room for building the play area, it's a stroke of genuis. Two thumbs up and five stars, I highly recommend it.

Pros: Free Parking, Inexpensive, Outdoor seating

Posted 10/19/05

This was my third evening at Coral Room, and I must say I'm more impressed with every visit. First of all, the bar is cool. Great drinks, friendly service, and they don't offer Fat Tire. ;) The appetizers that we've had have all been awesome - the Coconut Prawns and Baked Brie melt in your mouth! Do yourself a favor and get the House Salad - the Miso Vinaigrette alone is worth it. And everyone was happy with the entrees - the Filet Mignon, Salmon, and Pork Tenderloin were particularly delicious. This place kicks ass... rumor has it they've got a great happy hour, which I can't wait to get back for. And the patio is calling my name as we speak... "Jess, the weather is warm, the drinks are cold - come hang out..." :)

Pros: Friendly Service, Great Food, Nice Patio

Posted 06/05/05

Sorry guys, the food was very average and the place was downright loud. Had the Tuna Poke appetizer (tuna was mush...), and the Bamboo Beef dish (generally tasteless and stringy beef).

Pros: Friendly, Upbeat

Cons: Loud, Bland

Posted 05/26/05

having just moved here from new york, i can be a bit of a restaurant snob, but still... not many restaurants out here get it right. to me, there are 4 key ingredients to a successful restaurant: good value, quality food, attentive service and great ambiance. coral room gets it right across the board. i have been there twice so far and it keeps getting better. i just wish more denver area restaurants would follow this basic formula...

Posted 04/17/05

Stopped in to the Coral Room for drinks and appetizers last Saturday night. We were a group of five and tried almost every appetizer on the menu. The Eggrolls were very good, the Spring Rolls were not bad but needed a little more substance. The Coconut Tiger Prawns with Peanut Dipping Sauce were excellent, and the Beef Satay were very good. The service was very efficient and the drinks were cold and tasty. Although we did not try any of the entrees, I noticed some being brought to other tables and they looked quite tasty. We shared a couple of desserts at the end and the bananas foster was our favorite. Decore was contemporary and the place was not too crowded. Not sure I can explain why there are comic books on the restroom walls, but I will certainly be going back to try the entrees.

Pros: Service, Reasonble Prices

Posted 06/15/04

This is the best food in the world! The workers treat you like they have known you forever. They are so nice and make you feel like you are at home. Besides the service the food is fantastic! IF you need great food this is the place to go!!!

Pros: great workers, fantastic food

Posted 04/18/04

The Coral Room is Exceptional! We went here for Valentine's Day. The Special: choice of 2 appetizers, soup or salad, Filet or Sea Bass, Dessert, plus House Red (Red Truck Syrah - Excellent) - was one of the best meals we have ever had in Denver. We have been to several LoDo "hotspots" and The Coral Room blows them all away. The portions are proportionate without being too filling, the filet is ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWING (and I was raised on a beef-producing ranch) and the service was prompt and helpful. We recommend 120% for any night, and especially for a great, impressive date night. Well Done!!!

Posted 02/13/04

It's a great little place to have in the neighborhood. Friendly bar staff and well cooked meals. The menu could use a little re-tooling but great specials are usually available.

I wish they would try lunch hours again. The neighborhood crowds keep growing and the place has a better name now.

Posted 05/24/03

I took the chance of ordering filet mignon at a non-steak house. The Coral Room's filet is the best I've had anywhere in the country! Perfectly cooked with unique flavor.

Posted 02/19/03

What a great new restaurant. The atmosphere is really relaxed, the people are wonderful. The Coral Room has been added to my favorite restaurants in Denver!!! DELICIOUS!

Pros: great food, good music, great atmosphere

Posted 01/09/03

Friendly bar & wait staff. Cozy yet hip. Salad awesome! Ahi Tuna pretty good. NY Strip steak delicious. Elk tips (special) melted in your mouth. Smaller portions, but enough to fill you up. About $80 for 2 including a couple glasses of wine - so I'd say $$$ not $$.

Pros: good food, hip atmosphere, friendly

Cons: small portions, a la carte everything, a bit pricey

Posted 11/23/02

Waited 1.5 hours for table when told it would be 30 minutes. Both bartenders failed to correctly serve what I ordered. The dinner wait staff was aloof during our meal. Food was okay at best. Management needs a clue on how to properly operate a restaurant.

Posted 11/22/02

I go to a lot of restaurants around town. I was very impressed with the hip ambience. I was also very delighted by the attentive nature of the staff.
What a fun way to spend a night in Highland out and ABOUT!

Posted 11/07/02

Friendly staff, really good and reasonably priced food after having eaten two meals and a mroe cosmopolitan dining alternative to Highland. The only thing they should do is put in a barrier between the front door and the dining area...yikes, it was cold!

Posted 11/07/02

My husband and I went there one evening on a hunch ONLY because it was close and because we didn't have reservations anywhere. We decided that we could wait 30 minutes. Unfortunately it was longer because it is a small restaurant and people get too comfy and end up staying their seat too long. Despite the chatters, it was well worth it. The staff was VERY friendly; the atmosphere was cozy, romantic and fun. Our food was excellent! My steak was tasty with a hint of ginger and was oh so tender. The bartender matched a wine perfectly to my entree. I'll have to admit at first the side dishes didn't sound appealing on paper but were WOW on the taste buds. I highly recommend this out of the blue eatery. You can eat at the bar if you don't want to wait for a table.

Pros: Friendly staff, Tasty fare

Cons: Small

Posted 11/06/02

The Coral Room has it all! A sweet and very hip Retro Asian feel, an afforable menu with something for everyone and great late night crowd. The Coral Room has brought dining in the Highlands to a whole new level.

Pros: ambance, great food

Cons: parking

Posted 10/22/02