Prelude + Post

Great place to eat right before a show. The menu is simple and also great for shared plates. Our server Presley was an excellent fine dining waiter, the timing on the food was perfect, and we were extremely happy with his refined service. Definitely check this place out on a cold night if you have tickets, since the theater entrance is only 30 feet away.

Jessica was our server! She was so great! Personable, knowledgeable and so fun! The food was great! Highly recommended the Brussels, the baked Brie and of course the pommes frites!!! Yummy! The dessert, WOW! Crème Brûlée with donut holes. Our favorite! Thank you for a wonderful experience!

The food and cocktails were excellent and reasonably priced for downtown Denver. They have gluten-free options, and the service was good.

Mr. Lloyd was amazing. We had intermission watching shen yun and his hospitality was 1st Class. He makes an amazing Buell mule, and silver coin margarita. I highly recommend going and enjoying a drink at least. Will be making reservations soon for dinner!!!

New chef, new menu! A marked improvement from the hit-or-miss past. The veal and pork meatballs are fantastic and the service is excellent. We made our reservation, and we were happy we did because it was booked Friday night. The new chef has an expanded menu and nightly specials. The off-menu salmon cakes were a hit. High recommend a visit.

My mother and I ate here the ballet, and the food was phenomenal. We had scallops and halibut, as well as drinks, which were all delightful. This was a special occasion and I hadn't eaten at this restaurant since before the pandemic, but it is better than ever. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. I highly recommend this restaurant, the items were all unique and perfectly cooked.

This restaurant deserves a better rating. I have eaten here 3 times before our shows and the food drinks and service has always been great. Myself my friends and my husband have enjoyed all our meals here and it's so convenient to eat here right before our shows. The quality of the food is very good. The presentation is beautiful as well. Definitely a nice date meal or special occasion meal. I recommend this restaurant before shows. 👍

We had a great fast dinner before Lion King. The kids Mac and cheese was actually a temperature he could eat and our drinks were great. Which we appreciate very much. Nice staff and fast service.

We only came here for drinks before a show and loved it! Our bartenders were so friendly and attentive. They were slammed but still made time to be friendly and welcoming. Also, you can order a drink there and bring it into the theater! It's awesome. The old fashioned was delicious. Definitely recommend.

Great spot for pre concert drinks or dinner. Food was very good. Staff were friendly. It’s pricey but very convenient.

I was impressed with the quality of both food and service. Tasty appetizer and dessert, nice presentation and outstanding server for the six of us. We made reservations, it was full on a Friday night. Highly recommend before the show at DCPA.

delicious salmon appetizer and tasty drinks, although the short ribs were under seasoned and bland. Great place to get dinner before you see a show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, if you don't mind spending $100 for two people. 🫨

3 stars because it was the waitresses first day and she did a great job. Took at last minute picture of what was left. The best way to describe this place is extremely basic. It looks nice with a cool atmosphere, but the charcuterie board is like a board for beginners. Definitely did NOT look anything like the awesome board in the pictures. Nuts aren’t candied and basic cheese. Salad isn’t a wedge either.

Mediocre food at best... We had to send the duck back because it was so rubbery. The waiter was kind and brought the short rib really quickly. That dish was much better. Overpriced, mediocre food, and ok wait staff. I had always wanted to go before a show because it was always packed. Made it there early enough before Stomp and it was not worth the hype. Great location but that's about it. Bummer.

Food was awful, the potatoes were definitely not fried to order. Very cold and greasy. The vibe was like a dirty airport restaurant. I couldn't stop staring at the filthy ceiling and the bathroom was half broken and not so clean either. Two stars because the mocktails were decent and it all was fast... At $88 dollars for two people with tip, I really don't recommend eating here.

Host staff and our waitress were great. Wine was good. Food and atmosphere were immensely disappointing. DCPA needs to let experienced restaurant people run this place. With this prime downtown location it should be so much better. It started with plastic cups for our water. We looked around and saw that some tables had glasses for their water. We were told they have been waiting for approval to spend the money for more. We had the salumi + fromage and pommes frites. They have fancy names and descriptions but tasted and looked like they were poured out of packages. The cheeses were just cut up slices of cheddar, swiss or Monterey Jack and pepper jack. The nuts are not candied or even lightly salted. The jam had very little taste at all. The 6 tiny crostinis were hard enough to break a tooth. For the meat there were two pieces of prosciutto and the rest was what looked like salami from a grocery store package. We could spend $17 at Safeway and put together a way better charcuterie board. The fries were basic fries. Decent but nothing special and certainly not worth $13. Again, they tasted like they came from a bag. The aioli tasted like mayo with garlic. I don’t know if they have a limited kitchen here or what but it should and could be so much better. We felt bad for the staff who have to serve these dishes. Management needs to do better by them. The atmosphere feels like a cafeteria style restaurant and doesn’t match the location or the menu prices but does match the food quality. So disappointing! We will find somewhere else to go before DCPA events.

Location is not everything. We ordered salmon and the chicken. The salmon was tiny and not tasty. It was served with lentils that were tasteless. The chicken was worse. I would have traded it with any chain restaurant chicken. I would definitely recommend going to a different restaurant.

Such a shame as this place is in a great location. Unfortunately that's the only thing it has going for it. I've never seen a restaurant run in such an amateur fashion. I prefer food to be served to the correct person at the table. This place didn't even know what table the food was going to. All 4 people at our table received their food at different times, mine was delivered after the other 3 had already finished eating. Our appetizer never arrived. We asked that it be removed from the bill, but it wasn't, so we had to ask again. The eggs arrived lukewarm for 2 of the 3 of us who ordered them. There was no acknowledgment or apology about the service, and my voicemail to their manager was not answered, so I can only assume that they feel this level of service is adequate. We will not return and I recommend that you don't subject yourself to this either. There are way too many other really good options in the area.

Not very good at all. Unfortunately. I’ve been coming here for years. When they were named the Limelight, it was pretty good food and service. Every year I’d say the food has gotten less desirable. This year was just disgusting. The place was dirty, they had just opened yet the bathroom trash cans were overflowing and the mats were full of dirt and hadn’t been vacuumed. The guy delivered our food with dirty cast on his hand. The food was old and crusty and we couldn’t even eat it. In fact, we left without eating it. The waitress just didn’t seem to care. Just gross. Won’t be retuning. Too bad.

Everytime I've been here it's very mid. Service is very slow. And food is eh. Only perk is convenience next to the dcpa. Expensive food and drinks. I would recommend going elsewhere.

We ordered the baba ganoush and it was terrible; it tasted nothing like a real baba ganoush and more like eggplant puree with an overpowering aftertaste of raw garlic. The main dish, the short rib of beef was mixed: the meat was excellent, but the side corn porridge had an weird taste. I think the restaurant profits from the location, it is convenient to go there prior to a show, and therefore gets enough people without caring much about the quality of the food (despite its fancy names and descriptions). My recommendation is to go somewhere else and get better food for your money.

Overpriced bad food. Charcuterie plate could have been from Safeway. Salmon overcooked and flavorless. Gnocchi was over-seasoned with cheap seasoning and what tasted like canned sauce, and the lamb that came with it was all gristle. So expensive too. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Waiter with blue hair was awesome.

This place is pretty terrible. Starting with the host. I made a reservation at 2pm for 4:15. In the reservation app I had the choice between communal and standard tables. I have a wiggly 5-year old...I'm never going to choose communal dining if I don't have to. We get to the restaurant, give the host the name, she takes us to our table. A communal table. I share that I specifically reserved a standard, not communal table. She lectures me that they have "reservations that were made months ago, so when you book last minute you automatically get a communal table." I told her I was going to leave and go somewhere else, and a private table magically became available. The food was dreadful. We got a kid's cheese pizza, french onion soup, caesar salad with chicken, and the pasta dish. The pasta was cold. The French onion soup had shredded cheese - not melted cheese - floating in it. The caesar salad was wilted and the chicken was completely unseasoned. The kid's pizza was only about halfway cooked. The waitress was definitely the highlight. She chatted with our kid the whole time we were there and comped the food we complained about. Avoid. It's really bad.

Food and drink quality not worth the price. I have never had the worst martini in life!!!! I first ordered one with Gin and it was very dark looking and tasted like licorice. I got a new one made with vodka which was slightly better but still was very dark and tasted horrific. The food was definitely low quality and super over priced. I'm sure they stay in business only due to the location.

Overpriced tasteless food. The waitress had a stink attitude. We were super nice and courteous to her. But to no avail, her stink, attitude never changed. This establishment has the nerve to charge a sixteen-dollar bread service fee. Don't settle for convenience because you're seeing a show. Your stomach wallet and peace of mind.Will thank me if you heed my warning. There are too many fine dining establishments. Downtown, to settle. The bathrooms were dated but clean. That is my one good comment. Even Dazzle, the jazz club around the corner has better food than this establishment. Plan and don't settle for this one-star Establishment. 👎👎👎👎

I went to Prelude + Post prior to going to a show for a day out with the girls. We were sat down at 12. Our waitress was prompt to get our orders for drinks and our food. However, after this initial service, we rarely saw her again. She did not stop to check on us or refill water. After 50 minutes, we got our food. To my surprise, the food looked like it came straight from the Dennys kitchen. The food was unpleasant to say the least. A child could cook a better omelette. For such an unsatisfactory meal, the price was absurd. I highly suggest you save your time and money and go to a restaurant that actually serves quality food in a timely manner.

Terrible. Expected much more from a Kevin Taylor establishment. Water came in plastic cups. Ordered something to start with and some drinks. Oddly, no iced tea was available. My drink came. One of my kid’s drink came a bit later. We ordered our food. Wife’s drink came. Waited a bit and one of our main courses showed up. Tasty, but nothing to brag about. Our cheese plate showed up, and it was more than just disappointing. Son’s meal was delivered. Again. Tasty, but nothing to recommend, which is sad to say about their ‘special’. Then my meal showed up. See above for how I felt about it. Finally asked the waitress about my daughter’s drink. Not sure how they missed that. Son wanted dessert, so we ordered a plate for the table. It was also tasty, but underwhelming. Asked for some plates to share. Brought them out promptly, but they were fresh out of the wash and not even dried. Going to the theater again this Friday, but sadly won’t be going to what used to be one of my favorite stops beforehand.

I ordered the puttanesca and when it arrived, it looked like something I could’ve bought at Safeway in the freezer aisle and microwaved and I think that’s basically what they did. It was partially frozen on the bottom. So if you go here before a show, you’re basically going to get a good parking spot. Don’t go for the food. It’s pretty disgusting.

The only good thing here were the taste of the cocktails and the food. The bartendress finally served me 10-15 minutes after arriving, and I wasn't even asked what I want to eat for 20 minutes. I finally got my order, omelet w/ side fruit that the chef messed up making it a scrambled egg (geesh!), half hour after arriving, so had to gulp most of it down to go across the way for the concert starting shortly. Two Thumbs Down! I will never sit at that bar in my lifetime again, though other two times at the restaurant w/ waitresses were fine. Overall Poor experience other than food and cocktail FLAVOR.

Rarely does a dining experience make me want to throw a brick through the window- and this one did. Service was negligent at best, no drink refills, no check back, and only one of our three dishes was edible. Furthermore, burnt is NOT A FLAVOR. Not to mention they were out of easily half of the items on the menu. Got served a piece of $28 salmon that was mushy enough to have been in the freezer since Cats toured last. This restaurant makes the second act of Dear Evan Hansen look really good. We had to go to Snarfs to eat before the show. Do better.

Sadly this site is now a restaurant that is REALLY BAD. First the hostess took us to the table. Literally threw the menus on the table and kept walking. We were warned not to get the meatballs, so we ordered beets, just ok, brie, just ok, salmon, fishy and horrible and brussels sprouts swimming in oil. The service was slow because it was slammed but still we waited and waited. The manager did remove the brussel sprouts and salmon from the bill, which helped but we will never go back. So sad after this being a wonderful place to eat before a show. Very, very disappointed.

Decided to try since it was raining out to avoid walking across downtown before our theater date. $78 for a tiny rolled up ball of fat (called a "sharable Beef Rib"), a basket of French Fries, Chocolate Cake and a cocktail. Service was slow and awful (took 15 minutes to get a water refill). Bad food, bad portions, bad value, bad service - pretty much just a good location and nothing else. Look everywhere if you're going to the DCPA.

Such a Disappointment. Basically it was cafeteria food masquerading as gourmet. They're charging prices of a higher end restaurant and the food quality is NOT worthy of that. We've always seen this place packed out anytime we go to a performance so we thought we'd give it a shot. Everything except for the fries you could tell had been pre-made like catering food and then reheated and served. The charcuterie was even not good. Obviously just stored in the fridge and they took the saran wrap off before they brought it to the table. All the cheese was cold, the board was cold! Some of the fruit had gone bad. Roasted Mushrooms were rubbery. Pre-cooked who knows when and then reheated. AWFUL. We'll never go back. If you're looking for a quick cocktail and fries before a show then it would be good enough for that.

This was an incredibly mediocre dining experience. The drinks were good. We received what we ordered and enjoyed them. The French onion soup was barely warm and not worth consuming. Our server noticed we didn’t eat much and finally asked if it was good and voluntarily removed it from our bill. The charcuterie metal tray had cubed cheddar (like Costco), Manchego and another non-memorable cheese. The prosciutto was mediocre quality. The vegetables were inedible. The parm fries were fried and otherwise without much flavor. Our server never smiled, not once, in the three times she approached our table. Overall, not a good experience. Conveniently located.

This was one of the most unprofessional dining experiences I’ve had. Our server, Avie, lost track of our credit card, avoided our table, and we didn’t get it back until three minutes before our show started. My mom and I stopped in for a quick drink before a performance and gave ourselves a full hour. After finishing, we had to flag down Avie just to get the check. She brought back the wrong card and bill, then disappeared. We tracked her down a second time and she insisted she had already given my mom the card back, implying my mom had lost it, which was not true. I also spoke to the manager, Dan, who said he would help, but he disappeared and then also avoided us and never followed up. We were left scrambling, stressed, and unsure where our credit card was with almost no time left before the show. For a restaurant next to a theater, this is completely unacceptable. This place has had poor service for years, and it shows. Theatergoers deserve a reliable option in this location, because this is not it.

Had been coming here every few months when my wife and I go to shows and haven’t had problems at all, but this last experience was so bad that I don’t think we’ll be returning. We went for dinner on Sunday October 19th. While ordering, we found out they had zero bread for the bread board. Zero chicken for the salads. Zero sushi for the sushi roll. Zero apple cider for the apple cider drinks. Our food came, after we finally found options that were still in stock. Two of the salads had no dressing at all. One salad had uncooked sweet potato and when we asked the waitress to check with the chef, the chef confirmed the sweet potatoes on the salad should have been cooked AND confirmed he put them on knowing he didn’t cook them. Why? Why would you allow that out of the kitchen? The only good thing about the experience was that the waitress who was new there was very nice and apologetic. But this new menu and whatever else changed to lead to this experience is bad and we’re done with this restaurant.

This establishment genuinely earned it. This was, without a doubt, the worst dining experience I have had in years. ​The Failures, Course by Course: ​Caesar Salad & Bruschetta: How is it possible to fail at making a simple Caesar salad? They somehow managed it. It was inedible. The bruschetta was equally terrible, a pathetic and uninspired starter. ​The Halibut: The halibut was severely dry and overcooked. ​The Sticky Rice: "Horrible" is the only word to describe the accompanying sticky rice. It was an offensive side dish that felt like it had been sitting out all day. ​Service: The staff was non-existent. We had to literally flag down the waiter just to place our initial order. ​The Inexcusable End ​The final transaction was the bizarre cherry on top of this disaster. We were told we couldn't pay with cash, which is an absurd policy. We left the cash on the table and walked out. A staff member actually chased us outside demanding payment via card, which we rightfully refused. ​DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. There are countless better places to eat. This restaurant is a disgrace.

I will never go here again. It was 6 o'clock and they were out of basically everything but salad and fish. The food we could get was bland. The pasta was cooked too long. The servers had no idea what the dishes or drinks were. The drink service was way too slow even for a busy night and way too expensive for how little you actually get. Not worth it. Plenty of very close establishments to DCPA that are way better.

Had dinner here tonight before a show. They ran out of French onion soup and roasted chicken, as well as a few sides. The service was slow and not very good, and the food was bland and mediocre. Drinks were significantly overpriced.. I suggest finding a restaurant a block or two away. There are plenty of others to choose from!

Sadly, this restaurant has been disappointing over the years. Tonight, they were short-handed, and they ran out of a few menu items. I had the Chicken Milan. Not very good. My husband ordered the Trout but they brought Salmon, and it was a long time before he got his meal. The Trout was full of bones. The chocolate cake was okay, but not the yummy I was hoping for after a disappointing meal. I wish this restaurant well, but I think they can do better.