Stopping by Sherpa's on a snowy evening, we were immediately swept up by the charm, warmth and welcoming smiles at this year-old diners' haven.

Diners here relax in the former living area of a restored Victorian-era home modestly decorated with Himalayan objets d'art and photos, and Tibetan music plays softly in the background. Locals will recognize the site as the former home of Nancy's Restaurant.

Sherpa's comes by its name legitimately. Nepali-born owner Pemba Sherpa spends half his time leading treks to his homeland that sometimes include dinner at his mom's house. A bookcase in the lounge/waiting room is packed with books on Nepal and other destinations. A Santa/Buddha shrine adorns the front entry.

While it shines as a winter destination, Sherpa's comes into its own from spring through fall. The restaurant's al fresco areas range from a second-floor porch with a view of the Flatirons to sunny patio and garden areas.

With its white tablecloths, nice silverware and dishware and gracious service, Sherpa's has elevated the bar for cafes dishing food from the sub-continent.

Many of the dishes on Sherpa's Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian menu are familiar but well-executed. Dinners commence with super-thin, fennel-seeded pappadum and three dips including sweet and sour tamarind.

A must-sample starter is the pretty momo ($4 appetizer, $9 entree), the Tibetan dumplings with a signature twist on top of the dough. They are filled with mild ginger- and garlic-accented shredded vegetables, chicken or beef.

One guest said she would have preferred the momo fried but I could have downed a dozen of the doughy pillows and their juicy fillings after dipping them in the wonderful house chutney composed of tomatoes, garlic, ginger and peppers.

Sherpa's soups are soul-satisfying as well as a bit mysterious when it comes to spicing. The not-too-thick, not-too-thin dahl ($3) — the classic yellow lentil soup — is close to perfect. The craveable bright crimson tomato soup ($3) with shredded carrots is complexly seasoned and unlike any I've ever slurped.

Other appetizers include hearty potato-stuffed samosa ($3.50) and the unusual panir pokara ($3.50), string-like white cheese fried in a barely spiced chickpea batter. Kids will love it. Sherpa's offers burgers and fries ($6.50), but parents should insist that their offspring eat the real thing.

Everyone at the table will love the tandoor oven-baked flatbreads, served warm and soft. Our favorites included naan ($1.50-$3.50) brushed with ghee (butter) and garlic, and aloo paratha stuffed with mashed potato. The one we'd skip is the fried whole wheat puri ($1.50) which come out too oily.

Most entrees can be individualized as vegetarian or with cheese, tofu, chicken, lamb, shrimp or salmon, and come with chutney, pearl white basmati and dahl.

My son and I eagerly dug into a platter of warming Tibetan noodles ($9-$14). The stir-fried, thick-cut pasta was studded with broccoli and carrots; we ordered it with a scattering of well-cooked shrimp.

Another quintessential winter warmer is Tibetan thupka ($9-$13), a large bowl of broth swarming with thick chewy noodles, crunchy veggies and, in this case, chunks of chicken breast which we dug out and wrapped in pieces of tortilla-like naan.

While we like the little chunks of spicy, doughy dumpling-ettes in the large bowl of Sherpa stew ($9-$13), the broth was a little too bland and the inevitable cauliflower and carrots were definitely underdone.

The flat-tasting curry ($9-$14) with vegetables had a mainly sweet taste to the tomato-heavy sauce thickened with cooked-down potatoes. However, any dish can be ordered mild, medium or hot.

Saag is one of my all-time favorite foods and I happily recommend Sherpa's saag ($8-$14) which melds chopped spinach with hints of garlic, ginger and cumin. We loved it with big cubes of house-made panir cheese.

Other guaranteed crowd pleasers include chicken korma ($11) with big pieces of breast meat and cashews draped in a mild, cashew-thickened cream sauce; tikka masala ($12-$13) with chewy tandoor-roasted lamb in a spice- and tomato-kissed cream sauce. We ordered our chicken vindaloo ($11-$14) ''hot'' and enjoyed its well-defined though not painful edge; it made the cauliflower more exciting.

The portions of nearly every dish were truly abundant. The shrimp biryani ($9-$14) was a heaping platter of basmati lightly flavored with broth and ghee and topped with good-sized shrimp, whole cashews, sultanas and the usual vegetable suspects.

Traditionalists might like to sip a cool sweet mango lashi ($3)or a bottomless cup of spiced hot, milky chai ($2). For me the perfect quaff is a malty Kingfisher beer. Sherpa's also shakes a mean martini.

Indian desserts are usually fairly boring but you must try Sherpa's captivating housemade pistachio kulfi ($3), a dense Indian-style ice cream jammed with toasted nut puree. The kir ($3), a coconut milk rice pudding, was dotted with raisins, nuts and enough clove and cardamom to put a zip on your tongue.

Some adventures require arduous travel across many time zones. All it takes to experience a Sherpa's trek is a short drive and a little imagination.

Sherpa's Adventurers Restaurant

• Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily lunch; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

• Food: Nepalese, Tibetan, Indian

• How much: $5-$10 lunch; $2.50-$5 starters; $9-$20 entrees

• How loud: Quiet

• Reservations: yes

• Information: 303-440-7151; www.sherpaascent.com/restaurant.htm

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