Must Try International Cuisine in Fort Collins

Waltzing Kangaroo: For tried-and-true Australian fare — including from-scratch meat pies, vegetable pies and dessert pies — head to the Waltzing Kangaroo. Steve and Mae Phillips moved their family from Australia in 2015 just to open Waltzing Kangaroo and share their passion for the meat pie, a fresh-baked, hand-held delicacy that is authentic (and iconic!) Australian comfort food. From the classic steak and gravy to the more unique Thai green curry chicken, each pie is rife with slow-cooked, tender meat served in a handmade shortcrust and puff pastry shell. Don’t forget to try the ever-popular Australian side dish, mushy peas, and snag an egg custard tart for dessert. 

Lu Lu Asian Bistro: This locally-owned, authentic Asian eatery serves up a variety of Japanese, Chinese and Thai options for dine-in or take-out. Try the Coconut Prawns or any of the Authentic Signature Dishes, which highlight true Chinese cuisine. We also love the Bento Box options for dinner. Don’t miss the saki bomb challenge! 

Beijing Noodle: Husband-wife team Tianxi “Dennis” Zhang and Yirong Sun opened this hidden gem in October 2018 and it has become a local go-to for rou jia mo, or Chinese hamburgers. A meal common in northwest China, the staple consists of homemade handheld yeast buns stuffed with soy sauce-braised pork belly and diced green peppers. Tucked into an unassuming West Stuart Street strip mall, Beijing Noodle favorites also include oil spill noodles, served with spicy garlic and housemade Sichuan sauces, and Henan gravy noodles, a steamed and stir-fried noodle dish common in Sun’s home of Henan Province. Chef’s specials feature steamed and pan-fried dumplings, five-spice pig ears and thinly-sliced cold pork belly smothered in a house sauce and chili oil. 

Babalu’s Cuban Café: After operating a successful food truck, Rosa and Frank Jimenez, opened a brick-and-mortar offshoot in downtown Fort Collins. Babalu’s is currently the only Cuban restaurant in Fort Collins. The café is open to the public from 8 am to 3 pm, Tuesday through Saturday serving pastries (you must try the pastelito guava), burritos and Cuban coffee for breakfast and savory Cuban sandwiches, empanadas and arroz con pollo for lunch.  

Colorado Kolache Company: Nancy Agnew, along with her husband, Odie, and their two teenage grandchildren, opened Fort Collins’ first dedicated kolache bakery in January 2022.  Kolaches, pillowy yeast dough filled with sweet and savory fillings, have Czech roots. Using a more than century-old Czech kolache recipe, the family-run business has created more than 70 varieties of the treat, which are offered on a rotating basis. Savory options include breakfast staples like bacon, egg and cheese to kraut burgers and even sloppy joes, while sweet kolaches include fruits like apricot, blueberry or cherry, or the popular strawberry cheesecake. 

Konjo: From its humble beginnings as a home-grown (literally) business to a new brick-and-mortar location that opened May 2022, Konjo Ethiopian Coffee embraces - and shares - the tradition that accompanies a good cup of java. The coffee shop is owned and operated by Hirut Crusan, a native of Ethiopia who grew up on her family’s coffee farm and performs ceremonial coffee roasting on Fridays. Konjo is Amharic and means “beautiful, tasty and good.” Here, coffee is served with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Ethiopia is recognized as the birthplace of coffee and the ceremony is still an important part of the tradition today. Crusan moved to Colorado in 2013 and started Konjo out of her Windsor home two years later, building a following at area farmer’s markets. Konjo now operates out of The Vibe apartment complex Wednesday through Sunday. 

Philippe, an authentic French bakery and bistro in Old Town Fort Collins, serves decadent pastries, desserts and authentic regional French dishes in an unfussy, cheerful atmosphere, Chef/owner Philippe Boutinet’s love of food and hospitality was solidified early. He grew up on his family’s vineyard in France, and became an apprentice chef in his hometown of Cognac, France at age 13. He moved to the U.S. and spent his formative years working with several renowned chefs: Thomas Keller of French Laundry, Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington and others. At Philippe, Boutinet serves up French specialties for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including Parisian omelets, pain perdu (sourdough French toast), quiche Lorraine, mussels with homemade fries, steak frites and more. Friday specials change weekly and sell out quickly. 

Le Creperie & French Bakery: Jean Claude grew up living and breathing French pastries at his father’s bakery in Brittany, France. After taking over the bakery and running it for a few years, Jean Claude moved to Florida. There he opened Croissants de France, cherished by local residents and visitors alike, before moving to Fort Collins. Now at his bakery, Le Creperie & French Bakery, Jean Claude prides himself on baking everything from scratch the artisan way: without pre-mixed powders, chemicals or preservatives. Nine types of croissants, and a gorgeous case of beignets, crepes, pear almond tarts, cinnamon nut rolls, gluten-free macarons and more greet you at this friendly bakery, along with French specialties like croque madame and French onion soup. 

Nimo’s Sushi: Nimo’s is the only authentic Japanese restaurant in Fort Collins, owned and operated by Japanese. Nimo’s sushi is the real deal: Japanese-sized sushi and rolls; high quality fresh fish; and friendly, attentive service. Fans say Nimo’s is as good as many of the best restaurants in Japan. The chef posts specials daily so consider ordering from the board. The “Nimo Style Sashimi” also gets rave reviews. Don’t expect big, Americanized sushi rolls or crazy fish combinations with sugary sauces; this is a true Japanese sushi experience. Nimo’s has been serving the Fort Collins community since 1992. 

Momos: After feeding his own family momos – traditional Nepalese steamed dumplings – for years, Chef Sulav Magar is now serving them from his mobile food trailer in Fort Collins. Aptly called Momos, the new dining option opened in January 2023. Magar learned the art of dumplings from his Nepalese grandmother and mother, though he didn’t start making them on his own until he joined the U.S. Marines. The menu at Momos is simple: Choose from three types of momos — chicken, pork or veggie — and then choose sesame tomato or peanut sauce for dipping. 

Himalayan Bistro is owned by husband-wife team Dawa and Tashi Sherpa. Dawa grew up in Nepal and at age 15 began working as a porter on Mt. Everest and Annapurna. He moved to Boulder in 1998 and eventually opened Mt. Everest Café in Fort Collins in 2004 with his sister and brother. Tashi was also raised in Nepal where her family owned a popular teahouse that served trekkers hiking Mt. Everest. In 2016, the couple opened Himalayan Bistro where they serve authentic Nepalese food that is heavily influenced by Indian and Tibetan cuisine. Start with the dal soup, a healthy homemade lentil soup with imported Himalayan spices, before tucking into coconut curry, saag paneer (spinach cooked with homemade cheese) or chicken tikka masala, chunks of tandoori chicken cooked in a mild onion tomato sauce and served over basmati rice. 

Los Muertos Urban Kitchen & Cantina: Los Muertos arrived on the Fort Collins food scene – fittingly – on Cinco de Mayo in 2022. With an intention to honor ‘loved ones lost,’ including co-owner Johana Naranjo’s father who died of COVID-19, Los Muertos serves favorites from Mexico City, the former home of Naranjo and her husband and restaurant co-owner Rodrigo Maya. The space is decorated with ofrendas in celebration of the annual Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. The menu features authentic Mexican dishes highlighting flavor and tradition. Don’t miss the Pozole (only served on weekends), the Moles, or the Molcajetes. Kids eat free every Wednesday. 

Juli y Juan’s Kitchen: Alfajores, dainty sandwich cookies featuring dulce de leche cradled between two buttery cookies, are considered one of the top emerging food trends by the National Restaurant Association. Thankfully you can find them in Fort Collins. Raised in Columbia, Juliana Trujillo, who owns Fort Collins catering business Juli y Juan’s Kitchen with husband Juan Andrews Rodriguez, has enjoyed snacking on the cookies for most of her life and started baking them two years ago. The culinary couple initially started selling the cookies to the public between busy catering seasons. Recently, Persimmon owner Raffi Jergerian asked them to make the cookies for his cafe and cocktail lounge, where they’re now available every two weeks (while they last). Juli y Juan’s Kitchen also hopes to offer their alfajores when they reopen to the public with grab-and-go meals and treats. 

Khon Thai: Family-owned, Khon Thai serves traditional Thai cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients and intense flavors. Favorites include Chicken Kao-Soi, Pad Prik-Khing and Thai Fried Rice. 

The Cooking Studio: After evacuating her home and cooking studio in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tetiana Stratilat is now teaching classes at The Cooking Studio in Old Town Fort Collins. During monthly classes like “Celebrate Ukraine,” the smiling chef teaches students how to make traditional Ukrainian dishes like pampuska, vareniki and borscht, dishes that symbolize Ukrainian culture and are often served at family celebrations. Stratilat came to Colorado with her 16-year-old son, Dmytro, around a year ago as part of the Uniting for Ukraine U.S. Department of Homeland Security program.