Jovanina's Broken Italian - Denver, Colorado

Lo M.

Absolutely Incredible Experience – 10/10!

We celebrated my mom’s birthday at Jovanina’s with a few groups of friends, and it was truly an unforgettable night. We were lucky enough to sit at the floating table in the middle of the restaurant, which made the experience even more special.

From start to finish, everything was amazing. The service was top-notch—attentive, friendly, and efficient. They take everyone’s order at the same time, which helped keep things smooth for a larger group. And the food? Absolutely phenomenal. The sausage funnel pizza was a standout—seriously, do not skip it! Every dish was full of flavor and beautifully prepared.

The atmosphere, the service, and the incredible food all made for a perfect evening. If I could give it 10 stars, I would! Highly recommend Jovanina’s for any special occasion—or just because. We’ll definitely be back!

Larry S.

Visiting town and picked Jovanina’s from the crowd of many good places in Lodo. I can say that it is underrated, seriously this is a 4.7 or higher. Excellent appetizers (octopus), pizza is as good as NY or San Francisco (try the honey chili), and the short rib melted. Also I appreciate a semi open kitchen that is clean and clearly well run. Everything was fresh and memorable… I cannot wait for desert. We had the tiramisu and the olive oil cake and both were good choices even if you don’t need desert.

Julie G.

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Denver!! Everything about this place is so unique and so special. You can tell how much love went into every single detail there. It’s my ‘go-to’ restaurant to celebrate special occasions with friends and family - but it’s also my favorite place to go if I’m dining alone and just want a delicious cocktail and light meal at the bar.
The food is exquisite and the menu is always an awesome work in progress with updates made frequently - which keeps me coming back for more!
I’ve eaten upstairs, downstairs, in the special prohibition tunnel table-for-two, as well as at the bar. Each experience just adds to how incredible this place is.
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Charlie, the manager, always greats me with a smile and a big hug. It feels like family there - a big happy Italian family. And my favorite bartender is John L - his craft cocktails are truly something special and he makes you feel right at home. Which is always what you hope for when you’re dining alone.
I always love bringing new people here with me. And they always end up loving it such as I do! Such a special place!

Molly H.

I enjoyed my experience here so much. The food was delicious and I felt like I was back in Europe the second we walked downstairs. The decor & details were perfect. Loved the teal candle sticks too!

We shared a few items from the menu and I will definitely be back for the Elk Bolognese!

Ann S.

Every. Single. Item. Was perfection!!!! Between the next level atmosphere, impeccable service and the mind blowing food…. It was a 10000/10. My girlfriend and I had an amazing and very memorable dinner here. I’ve never had bone marrow before and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since!

Tommy P.

Pros:
One of the bar backs was very friendly and helped show my girlfriend to a separate restroom as the line for the restrooms was extremely long.
The design of the place is very nice and all of the light fixtures appeared unique and created a very nice atmosphere.
We somewhat enjoyed the burrata appetizer. There was a very nice balsamic reduction along with it and the bread was extremely tasty.

Cons:
We spent 5 minutes waiting at the host stand for a host to arrive to greet us and no one was at the desk at all. Multiple parties arrived before a host greeted us.
The table was not bussed and had what appeared to be Parmesan cheese spread out on a portion of the table
The waiter was genuinely not friendly and seemed genuinely upset that I would not be drinking that night. He only introduced himself after myself and my girlfriend ordered the two most expensive dishes on the menu. Not when he first met us. Not when she ordered drinks. Not when I ordered appetizers.
For the bone in braised short rib the sauce was far too salty for my liking.
The candle on the table while it started off as a nice aesthetic choice the free dripping candle wax onto the table and splattering into food made it grow old very quickly.

Conclusion: I would not visit again. Its strongest point for me is the aesthetic of the restaurant but that is not what I personally look for. If that interests you I would definitely visit.

Side notes: it is very dimly lit and all of the food does look better in person than in the photos I will attach. Also they add to every bill a 2% surcharge for the kitchen workers to have a livable wage and a 3% surcharge to provide benefits for their employees. My meal totaled $177 for two people.

Mark B.

I had a great meal at here this past weekend and had one of the best short ribs I’ve ever eaten. In addition the burrata was excellent as well. The lobster pasta was very filling but found have used a bit more flavor. Lots of lobster chunks at least! Our server Kelly was very knowledgeable and her and Dimree provided excellent customer service

Kent B.

What an amazing evening! Drinks, appetizers and the entree were simply delicious and perfectly balanced. Troy was an incredible server and made the already great night even better! Highly recommend Jovanina’s.