Open in October of 2025 at The Source, Cimera (pronounced si-MEH-rah) offers plenty to diners, only part of which is the food and drink. Already popular for dinner, weekday lunch and weekend brunch offer something extra special.
Best Denver Views: Cimera by Day
I didn’t know where to look first! I had just walked down the long, narrow hallway to the host stand at Cimera, which opens up to the big reveal of the restaurant and the expansive city views surrounding it.
The restaurant itself is a visual treat with massive murals, clusters of big, straw and wicker light fixtures, tilework and tables with colorful dinnerware, bubbled glass lanterns and patterned upholstery. But then there’s that view. Or rather, THOSE views! Left, right and center, Denver and the front range, show themselves off.
“Look, there’s Long’s Peak, and the dome of the Capital, and those high-rise apartments we see while at City Park Jazz,” I said to my husband, who had his own set of sites to point out to me. The views are absolutely amazing and a feast for the eyes. But we were there for a feast for our appetites, so we stopped gawking and settled into our seats.
Our server must be used to people pausing to take in the views before sitting down because he joined us in pointing out key buildings and mountain peaks. We were so glad we were there during the day to be able to see so much. Sure, nighttime is pretty and twinkly (we remember from having visited The Woods, the prior occupant of the primo location). But daytime viewing is spectacular. Would the meal be as good?
We visited Cimera for weekend brunch. They are also open for lunch and dinner during the week. The menu, created by the prominent Chef Geoff Cox (formerly of Hop Alley), is concise – just the right size for brunch with not too many choices (which always makes us wonder how they can possibly do everything well), nor too few (making the diner feel limited).
Cimera for brunch – dining with a view
Options included Chilaquiles, Breakfast Tacos and House Granola with yogurt, fruit and agave syrup. But we were told that the Tacu Tacu ($17) and Papa Rellena ($18) were the most unique, and something we likely wouldn’t find anywhere else. Papa Rellena, in particular, takes a lot of preparation, with its stuffed potato croquette, braised beef, rocoto (chile pepper) emulsion and fried egg. The potato croquettes are being made almost continuously to be ready for the frequency of people ordering that dish both at brunch and dinner.
Before settling on our food orders, my husband chose the Maria Rojo cocktail on the brunch menu, with tequila, tomatoes, jalapeno and oregano. It was light, not overly intense but had that addictive umami that makes tomato juice so craveable. Other cocktails include the Maria Verdi with tequila, tomatillo, jalapeno, cilantro, pineapple and lime; red or white Sangria; and a Horchata Flip with reposado tequila, horchata, Averna and lemon. All cocktails are $15.
Coming off of Dry January, I was hoping to see mocktails offered on the brunch menu along with the cocktails. They weren’t there but there are two on the main drink menu – an Agave Sour (a twist on Peru’s famous Pisco Sour) and Mango Punch, both $14. The punch called to me with Giffard aperitivo, mango, mint, lime and soda water. It was a great choice – pretty and sunny, perfect for brunch. And, it turned out, the slight acidity from the lime and “buzz” from the club soda were a good foil to the richness of the Taku Taku I ordered.
Although our food orders didn’t take long to arrive, and despite not being big bread eaters, we kind of wished there’d been some small bread offered. Peru has several delicious breads, some of which often accompany meals like Pan Chapla, a puffed flat bread or Pan de Choclo, a corn bread. Something like that would have been good for a tiny nibble while we waited but also to swoop across our plates to get every last bit of the rich, delicious egg yolk in both of our dishes. But, yes, that means extra labor and costs. Still…
For our entrees, my husband ordered the Papa Rellena, the dish our server said is one of the most popular at dinner at Cimera, which is what prompted them to also offer it for brunch, topped with a fried egg that had a gorgeous, golden orange orb of yolk. The combination of flavors and texture (crispy potatoes and gooey creaminess) was tasty. The dish, however, arrived only warm, not hot (my dish, described below, did arrive hot). Perhaps an issue of timing the egg-cooking to allow runny yolks, and warming the croquettes which are made in advance? My husband wished for more of the beef ragu – although it is meant as more of an accent than the “star” of the dish. An abundant but simple side salad of spring greens were under-dressed. A little more dressing would have been welcome while still being categorized as “lightly dressed.”
The Taku Taku plate was impressive and pretty with a curve of half a plantain, glossy from caramelization, on one side of the plate. A pile of lightly pickled, thinly-sliced onions was set to the side. And the soft rice patty was topped with two of those beautiful golden, sunny-side up eggs, just waiting to be pierced, setting the yolks free to run where they wanted. I had to remind myself that the fried patty was made of rice because it had the texture of grits or potatoes. The flavor was subtle and benefitted from me pulling in some pickled onion strands for punch. The dish included two rustically-formed patties of Cimera’s housemade chorizo. I shared one patty with my chorizo-loving husband because I’m nice like that. He found them robustly flavored and (thankfully) far less greasy than the typical chorizo served around town.
Except for the granola with yogurt, fruit and agave on the brunch menu, there isn’t anything for those who like sweeter brunch items like pancakes or French toast. And desserts aren’t available for brunch at all. That’s a shame because the website’s dessert menu shows a Sopapilla with Peruvian chile chocolate dip which would be perfect at brunch. Also, coffee lovers will have to settle for drip because espresso drinks are not offered.
We noticed a couple of families with kids there at brunch and asked if there was a separate children’s menu. There isn’t one but there are some dishes, like buttered noodles, that they earmark for kiddos. So, before ordering an item from the brunch menu for Junior, ask what else they might be able to offer.
Prices at Cimera for brunch are reasonable ($16-$19) and match what you get in the meal – in other words, you are getting what you pay for – not overpaying or underpaying. There’s clearly a lot of intention that goes into each menu offering, drinks included. Our brunch had some hits and some misses but, overall, we were impressed and full and reveled in the lovely atmosphere both inside and out.
Cimera for Lunch – same great views, weekdays
Lunch at Cimera, served Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm, includes Taco al Pastor, Empanadas, Tacos de Hongos (with oyster, mushrooms, caramelized corn, tahini and herbs) and a selection of Anticuchos like Peruvian coal-fired skewers and Chicken Teriyaki with spicy cabbage (harkening to the historic Japanese influence in Peru). They also serve their Crushed Avocado at lunch, which we were told is hugely popular at dinner. It is presented with plethora of ingredients topping it, waiting to be mixed in, like pomegranate, quinoa, pinto beans, corn, bacon and more. It’s an Instagramer’s dream.
Dinner at Cimera may be the big draw but we encourage visiting for weekday lunch or weekend brunch because both the décor and the city and mountain views should be taken in while the sun shines.
Visit Cimera’s website for more information, although it appears the menus listed there are slightly different than the menus given out. The restaurant is located at The Source, at 3330 Brighton Blvd. in Denver.
Parking is available in the covered lot, free for the first hour but $8/hour after that. You pre-pay but can add time through the text sent to your phone. Limited parking may be available on the street. It’s a walk of a few blocks from the Light Rail 38th and Blake station, so that’s an option too. Parking is not validated at Cimera or any other tenants we checked with because it’s run by The Source.
Please note, we were hosted for our visit but, as is our policy, that does not influence our opinions or reporting to our readers.
-By Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, InGoodTasteDenver.com. Photos by InGoodTasteDenver.com.
Note: To make a weekend of it, consider staying at The Source Hotel and use our affiliate link to book. We may receive a small commission on bookings but this doesn’t change your pricing experience at all.
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