Le Colonial Denver — Restaurant in Denver

The atmosphere was amazing, the interior design and ambiance was great. But sadly, it is overpriced Vietnamese street food that is supposed to be cheap, paraded around as something that is supposed to be luxurious. I understand the intention of making it a fusion between the two cultures, but as a Vietnamese man, it was frustrating that the menu was created with Vietnamese names and yet none of the diatrics that are used in our alphabet were utilized. I do not expect the waiters to be able to speak Viet, but if they are using the traditional names of the food, why would the waiters not know any of the names on the menu? Why not just use regular English names for the food? My first language is Vietnamese, if I go to a restaurant and it's supposedly serving Vietnamese food, using Vietnamese names, why do the waiters not understand my requests when I utilize the proper pronunciation of the names? Hopefully my point is made on that. Now we can move onto the food. It was unacceptable that they could not find a way to use lemongrass, mint and basil in the food. This was Vietnamese street food paraded as something really fancy and delicious when in reality, the essence of the food itself is gone. SẮP SỬA is a place that honors the heritage of Vietnamese food and understands how to make those flavors pop and come alive in the dish, instead of just erasing large portions of what makes Vietnamese food great. This is a place where people have butchered the concept of the Vietnamese culture and how important food is as a whole to our people, how can gỏi cuốn be made without basil and mint? To charge someone $16 for a dish that is usually 2 for $8 in a Vietnamese run bánh mì and make it with the half of the flavor but charge double is a crime. The waiters continuously messed up, treated us like morons for ordering the food with the names on the menu with the correct pronunciation. They brought out the wrong plates 3 times, even when I was reverting to describing the dish by its description and not its name. Our desserts were messed up and the food took forever to come out. This felt disrespectful to my culture as a whole and though the ambiance is amazing, I would not...

Let me share a quick story.

On the evening of August 1st, my friend and I—a Black woman and a Mexican woman—walked into La Colonial for a relaxed night of drinks and maybe a few light bites. We told the hostess we were happy to sit at the bar if no tables were available. She was persistent in trying to seat us and eventually found us a table in the lounge. So far, so good.

About 45 minutes into our visit—midway through our drinks and appetizer—the same hostess returned to tell us we needed to move due to an upcoming reservation. No one mentioned a time limit when we were seated. As we considered our options, the couple with the reservation stood nearby and stared us down in an uncomfortable and aggressive way. It felt disrespectful and unnecessary. Feeling unwelcome, we decided to leave—mid-meal, mid-experience.

Not long after walking out, I decided to go back and speak with the manager. I needed to say something about how we were made to feel—dismissed, disregarded, and frankly, profiled. When I spoke with the manager, McKenna, her response lacked empathy and professionalism. Rather than acknowledging how we felt or offering any genuine apology, she offered a chance to return—but at our own expense. When I explained I wasn’t local and that I wouldn’t return even if I were, I asked if they’d be willing to refund part of our check (two drinks or the appetizer we barely touched). She declined, saying the bill had already been paid out and “there’s nothing we can do.”

As a former F&B manager at a luxury hotel, I know that’s simply not true. There’s always something you can do when you care about a guest’s experience. Choosing not to act is exactly that—a choice.

This isn’t just about a table or a couple of drinks. It’s about how we were treated, and the underlying message that treatment sends.

If you love being put in the back of the restaurant by colonizers this is the...

Big thanks to the Manager for making our night special! I know he worked hard to make some rearrangements so I sincerely appreciate his kindness when I first walked in. They accommodated our party of nine even with a last-minute seating change. The hostess told me that its against corporate policy to have a party over 9 when I first asked which startled me a bit. But once the Manager stepped in, all was at ease. He then explained to us that they typically require private dining after 8.

Chef Matthew was incredible, welcoming everyone as we arrived, explaining the menu, and letting us know we'd need to order all at once so the kitchen could pace dishes. Chef Grace was equally fantastic. When there was a mix-up with the beef salad, she fixed it immediately and even comped the beet salad, which was so generous.

The food was fun to try as a Vietnamese household because we knew it would be a unique Vietnamese-French blend. The restaurant is gorgeous with a chic velvet ambiance. Dishes leaned much more on the sweeter and citrusy side which felt at times too overpowering with some strong oyster sauce and curry notes, but overall a great experience. Service was excellent with waters constantly refilled and dishes cleared quickly.

Valet and paid parking nearby made it easy. Overall, it was a special night for us to celebrate a birthday and for my grandma's last night in town. Thank you to the manager, chef, food runners, bussers, the water attendant, kitchen staff, and valet attendant for accommodating our party of 9!

We ordered:

Soups & salad: Goi du du Goi bo

Large plates: Bo luc lac Mi xao don chay (added shrimp) Ca hoi nuong

Specials: Ca chien Saigon

Shareable sides: Com chien dac biet Dau que xao Mi tuoi xao bong he Ca Tim nuong

Total with gratuity...