Two iconic dining destinations in Colorado Springs earned coveted Michelin recognition on Monday as part of the globally prestigious restaurant and hotel guide’s fourth annual selection for Colorado, expanded this year.
The Penrose Room, located at The Broadmoor hotel, and downtown’s Four by Brother Luck, owned by the namesake celebrity chef and restaurateur, joined a list of 11 new recommended restaurants throughout the state.
Recommended Stories
▶
The posh Colorado Springs eateries, too, were further recognized with special awards: Kyle McNerney, bar manager at Four by Brother Luck, won the 2026 Michelin Guide Colorado Exceptional Cocktails Award. Joseph Freyre, general manager of The Penrose Room, was named the winner of the Michelin Guide Colorado Outstanding Service Award.
Four by Brother Luck, located at 321 N. Tejon St. in downtown Colorado Springs, has earned MICHELIN Guide recognition in 2026. (The Gazette file)
The Michelin Guide expanded its coverage this year to the entire state of Colorado.
Previously, anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors assessed and selected restaurants in hubs including Denver, Boulder, and the ski destinations of Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek Resort and Snowmass Village, with the financial support of the Colorado Tourism Office and the tourism agencies in these areas.
Cities like Colorado Springs and Aurora, which had not previously paid into the Michelin Guide, were eligible this year for inspection.
The guide’s 2026 statewide expansion evaluated a broad range of dining experiences that highlight Colorado’s unique ingredients, cultural influences and culinary innovation, Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Tourism Office, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said in a news release Monday morning.
The 2026 selections include 63 restaurants spanning 22 cuisine types. New recognitions were highlighted in Colorado Springs, Aurora, Boulder, Breckenridge, Denver and Telluride, with others recognized in Aspen, Avon, Beaver Creek and Vail.
The Michelin Guide first came into Colorado in 2023. This year’s statewide expansion of the esteemed recognition will encourage more tourism and support businesses across the state, Colorado economic development leaders said in the Monday release.
“Obviously we’re very proud of it,” David Patterson, vice president of food and beverage at The Broadmoor, said of The Penrose Room’s addition in the 2026 Michelin Guide.
The ninth-floor South Tower dining room first opened in 1961 and closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Blending its charming Old World elements with fresh, New World style, the reimagined restaurant reopened in late 2025 after an extensive years-long renovation — dress code still enforced and beloved tableside services returned, such as beef Wellington carving and baked Alaska flambe.
“Michelin is respected around the world, so to have The Penrose Room recognized our first year back is wonderful for the team. A tremendous amount of work went into opening this restaurant and figuring out what The Penrose Room should be today, so to have that recognized by Michelin is something we’re very proud of,” Patterson said.
He hopes the Michelin accolades will introduce new diners to The Penrose Room, with culinary leadership and staff continuing to provide guests an exceptional experience.
“… At the end of the day, it doesn’t change what we do every night. We have an obligation to serve exceptional food and take care of our guests. That’s where our attention lives and stays,” he said.
Patterson congratulated the restaurant’s General Manager Freyre for his recognition.
“Service is personal and that’s what we do here at The Broadmoor. That’s our calling card. It’s paying attention, it’s reading the table, it’s understanding what the guest wants. Joseph, in all his years of service, understands that, and he’s been able to get the team to understand that as well,” Patterson said.
Four by Brother Luck opened in downtown Colorado Springs in the spring of 2017, led by American chef Brother Luck. He’s appeared in various food TV shows like “Chopped” and “Top Chef” and won Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2016.
The “four” in the restaurant’s name refers to the number of courses and cuisines it offers: American Western, Mexican, Spanish and Native American, as well as the hunters, fishermen, farmers and gatherers who are essential to the food scene.
“It’s great to have our restaurant and team among the first in the region to be recognized by the Michelin Guide, especially as an independent restaurant. For us, this was never about chasing an accolade. It’s about what it means for the future of our city and our dining scene. Recognition like this pushes more investment into culinary education and shows our next generation of talent they can build something real right here in the Pikes Peak Region,” Luck said in a Monday news release from the city of Colorado Springs.
Bar manager McNerney has been working in cocktails for more than 10 years. In an interview with the Michelin Guide, he said his focus is on seasonality and which ingredients and flavors he can incorporate into a cocktail to encapsulate a season.
“In the fall and winter, I tend to gravitate toward more savory, vegetal flavors and warming baking spices. In the spring and summer, I shift toward brighter, lighter, citrus-forward cocktails that are refreshing and easy to drink,” he told the guide. “Ultimately, I want the cocktails to create a connection between our guests and the time of year, to embody the season, highlight what it has to offer and make the experience feel rooted in that particular moment.”
The Michelin Guide’s picks in Colorado Springs bring “another level of attention” to its dining community, Patterson said.
“It’s nice to see the hard work and dedication, passion and commitment that (food and beverage) professionals exhibit. It’s nice to see that being acknowledged,” he said.
Other 2026 Michelin Guide selections are:
• Milpero in Denver earned a Michelin star, recognized for offering top-quality ingredients and prepared dishes with distinct flavors that are prepared to a consistently high standard.
• Three new Bib Gourmand restaurants: Annette in Aurora; Pig and Tiger in Denver; and Rougarou in Denver. Bib Gourmand is a special distinction that recognizes restaurants serving high-quality food at great value.
• Nine additional restaurants have been recommended alongside the two Colorado Springs picks: Casa Juani in Boulder; Dân Dã in Aurora; Dear Emilia in Denver; Florence Supper Club in Denver; Heretík in Denver; Madeline in Denver; Radicato in Breckenridge; Rootstalk in Breckenridge; and The National in Telluride.
• Two other special awards: Theo Adley and Jenessa Reiman at Heretík earned the Michelin Sommelier Award, and Cameron Baker at Radicato won the Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award.
A full list of this year’s Colorado Michelin Guide honorees is available at the Michelin Guide website, guide.michelin.com/us/en/colorado/restaurants.
The Broadmoor is owned by The Anschutz Corp., whose Denver-based Clarity Media Group owns The Gazette.
Dining and Cooking