Food is AMAZING. Cocktails are AMAZING. Even the coffee - yes the coffee - is AMAZING. Most esoteric food I've had in Des Moines and is on par with cutting edge craft restaurants I frequent in NYC. GO - and you'll find yourself looking for others to introduce to this "experience". read more

All my tastebuds were tickled, even receptors I don't fully enjoy. We ordered the prix fixe chefs menu with wine pairs for our anniversary dinner this year. We were greeted with complementary champagne, a lovely thoughtful touch to set the mood. Over the course of the night I tasted dishes with umami, bitterness, tart, sweet, and salty. The combinations were exciting and dining here was an experience. The star dish of the night was dessert: a strawberry rhubarb meringue dish. I don't even like rhubarb but I would sell my soul for a lifetime supply of that dish. The only dish I didn't love was the short rib. The meat was perfect but it was served with a horseradish parsnip purée that was far too bitter for me. I couldn't eat it. My husband on the other hand thought the sharp parsnip cut through the fatty beef beautifully. Full disclosure: I'm a super taster. I can't handle anything even remotely bitter, not even coffee. The restaurant itself is gorgeous with intimate but not stuffy ambiance. You'll want to dress up but no one will look at you funny if you wear nice jeans either. Would recommend for a special meal or if you just want to be surprised and delighted by food. read more

Unbelievable food, service, ambiance! Just perfect! Moved from Boulder to Johnston and looked up this gem. Will be frequent flyers. Topped it off with pressed coffee and their house Irish cream. Phenomenal read more

Went to Harbinger for my birthday and it was also during restaurant week. The pre-fix menu was delicious! We had started with the corn with crab and it was so amazing. The salmon was also to die for, the sauces are so good that you want to lick the plate clean. The portions are small since it is more of a fine dining experience but after all of the courses we were pleasantly full. The cocktail was a little disappointing in my opinion, I wish I hadn't ordered the Tokyo Florist Shop, it was equivalent to a shot with 90% ice and I wouldn't have ordered it for the price if I knew. I went to the Republic for drinks afterwards to get my fix. The food was great and I was really happy with all of the courses. The Yuzu custard dessert was so delicious I wish it was endless, my boyfriend had the peach dessert with sticky rice and he kept grabbing bites from mine. The restaurant itself is very tiny and you feel as if you are somewhere in New York with how busy and loud it can get on a Friday night. read more

Basic bird take out is perfection! It's been a go to for us during quarantine. Everything on the menu is so delicious. They know flavor and how to pair each dish so it's an experience. You can't go wrong! read more

Excellent in every way. The food is exquisite and interesting and creative. The buns blew my buns away (I tried the chicken and the sweet potato). I expected to love the chicken more, but the sweet potato with cranberry blew me away. Spaghetti squash was my favorite bite of the night- decadent because it was fried, plus a bit of sauce. Only thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the beets, but my dining partners said it was their favorite. Something about the strong smoky taste was off putting to me. Finished with the pork cheek- delicious! Will be back again to try all the things. Don't miss the buns. Come to hang out- servers and chefs alike are amazing and worth getting to know. read more

This place was such an unexpected gem. We were driving from New England out west and needed a place for dinner on that particular leg of the trip. I wanted something good that didn't require dressier clothes, as we'd been in the car all day. This place blew our socks off. Innovative, well-executed concepts in a really great atmosphere with wonderful staff. The ribs in particular were amazing, but there wasn't a bad dish in the place, and we are picky. 10/10 would recommend, but get a reservation if you can because it's a bit small inside. read more

What a unique dining experience! Two of my friends and I went here for happy hour. They have a separate menu for happy hour and dinner but we ended up ordering several small plates from both menus. The waitress explained to us that the menu changes weekly and sometimes daily. The owner (chef?) someone goes to local farmers markets and gets fresh ingredients. What they have on the menu is dependent on what they were able to find and how much they received. It sounds like they have some sort of standard dishes, though I couldn't tell you which ones you can always expect to be around. On the day I went, the menu online didn't match the menu when I arrived (that's how much they change it!) but so many things looked tasty. Our table ended up getting steamed buns (3 different kinds), cheesy onion pancakes, avocado toast, some sort of polenta thing, and a couple more dishes that I can't even remember. The wait staff was attentive and friendly and kept out waters and bellies full. The only reason I'm taking a star away is because I don't eat pork, and was told that one of the steamed buns was not pork, but beef. Well, it was very clearly pork (in mine and my fellow diners opinion). I understand that the menu changes a lot and they don't always know exactly what is on the menu at the moment, but it'd be nice to know exactly what I'm getting for allergies and food preferences sake. Since that was the only hitch, and everything else was amazing, I would definitely recommend going to this place. If you have a food allergy, just make it known and I bet they'll take extra steps to accomodate. read more

The overall experience is nicely curated - from the handmade dishware, to the terrarium-esque decor, to the well-informed staff -- all worth your time and money. The menu is seasonal and ideal for adventurous eaters with an eye for beauty. Each of our six dishes was visually stunning and plated delicately, but nut none of them dishes blew me away. Each was good, but nothing stood out tremendously. I should note: I'm not a huge fan of shared plates because you end up spending upwards of $30 per person and nobody leaves feeling full. Your eyes are nourished by the beauty of it all, but your stomach is neglected. The one tapas-style place I did enjoy was Lurra Cocina, but it closed long ago. read more

Genuinely best food I've ever eaten. If you love food, come here, order the tasting menu. Be happy!

I went to Harbinger last night for a prefix Valentine 8 course dinner. It cost $155 plus $55 for wine. $210 per person, and the tip WAS NOT included, bill ended up at $518 for 2 people. The first "snack" course had three small bites, two of which were great. The oyster with coconut, however, tasted like it had been sitting on their counter for 3 days in the sun. Later that night both my wife and I spent HOURS on the toilet. This restaurant made us sick and it was the oysters, we know it. The sweet potato was undercooked, the squash was bland and boring, the Mahi Mahi was OK. Then the grand finale: the Wagu beef. I am no meat expert but I have serious doubts about that being anything more than regular grade A beef with a Wagu name on the menu. It tasted like someone served me a 4 inch cube of beef bullion on a plate. I had two small bites, both me and my wife felt the same about it. The desert was fine, the chocolate was smooth and tasteful. 4 of the wines were honestly bad, and we drink wine religiously. To end the meal our server, who was honestly great and I tipped 20%, asked me how I felt about the experience and I said the food was mostly bad, the wine was bland and boring, and gratuity should have been included at that price. Her reply was basically "that's too bad sorry." So I paid, tipped, left, then got violently Ill from that oyster all night. Worst date night of my adult life for $518 for two. I should have gone elsewhere. We were so excited to try Harbinger too. What a shame. read more

Harbinger is an unexpected gem in DSM and hopefully a sign of the direction of food culture here. The food was varied and excellent, service was great and price was what we expected or maybe slightly below. My wife and I had reservations for our anniversary and arrived right on time. We were seated immediately and our server walked us through the menu and took our drink order. Their cocktail menu was limited but excellent. The restaurant serves mostly small plates and we tried almost everything on the menu. The squash blossom rangoons were fantastic as was the melon and octopus, duck egg, carrots with lime marshmallow and the steam buns (they had three varieties and we tried one of each.) Overall this is our new favorite restaurant in the DSM area. If you find yourself in the area, make sure you check it out. read more

Harbinger is a bonanza of the most unique food in Des Moines If you want surprise and mystery this is the place Every dish is bursting with flavor and creativity. One of our favorites in central Iowa read more

Place is cozy. Excellent service from Kelly. Will definitely come back to try more of their interesting food selections.

Second time here. Did the Chef pick dinner tonight. Cannot say enough GREAT about this food ... the flavors, the choices of food, the portions, the sauces, TOTALLY a unique dining adventure. Unlike ANY dining experience EVER. See you next month. read more

The small plates concept here works well and the happy hour is something to behold. Chefs tasting menu had my group wanting to come back for more. A top destination in Des Moines for foodies seeking high end dining. read more

Hurry up and get there to try the French onion pancake.... I've never eaten anything more heavenly. Great place for when you want to eat something that's guaranteed delicious. Go! read more

Harbinger is officially on my list of epic foodie experiences. Why you ask? Because DSM finally has a restaurant that falls in the caliber of fun, big city dining experiences. While DSM is not a vacation destination, Harbinger will roll off the tip of my tongue as soon as anybody from out of town asks me, "Where should we go eat?" Fruition is a fabulous restaurant that I've had the pleasure of enjoying in Denver, CO so when I heard the chef/owner of a Harbinger used to work there, I was curious. Harbinger delivers on fun, unique and deliciousness and DSM should be proud we have a standout that we can brag about. The ambiance embraces what nature has to offer; beautiful wood work and natural sunlight. The ambiance complements the menu; fresh and natural with exotic flavors to embrace the beauty of the world we live in. What started off as a casual, girls dinner that turned into a 3 plus hours of dining, wining and girl talk. The impeccable artistry and fresh flavors kept us glued to our seats (and wine glasses). We ordered: Tapioca and pecorino fritters; shrimp and garlic dumplings; Burrata cheese; squash blossom, carrots, Trumpet mushroom, steamed buns and the Iowa ribeye. Out of all of these dishes, the tapioca fritters were my favorites; we ended up ordering more. They came out in perfect rectangles, served with a spicy tomato sauce. The fritters were super crispy on the outside and it melted away with each bite. My 2nd favorite were the Carrots with Laotian sausage. Make sure to ask for a spoon to enjoy the carrot broth. Please be mindful these dishes are meant to be shared and the portions are not ginormous. Yes, Harbinger may be a bit pricey, however, not only are you paying for delicious food, you're paying for the beautiful artistry behind each plate. read more

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Amazing dinner - one of the best I have had in many years. During dinner, I forgot I was in Iowa! Can't wait to get back for another meal next time I'm in Des Moines. read more

Another terrific dining experience at Harbinger. Each time here feels like a new experience because the menu is unique each time. Started with a Strawberry Shrub- strawberry purée,Mezcal and something else(I forget) made for a light, refreshing drink that wasn't over-sweet. We shared the fried green tomatoes- SO good. Lightly battered, very fresh and mild tomatoes and some great sauces. Next the Sesame dumplings- 3 dumplings formed around a perfect, fresh fava bean and rolled in white sesame seeds- delectable! My cousin had the sashimi and loved it. I ended up with another Strawberry Shrub and the chicken steamed dumpling- the perfect bite of fried chicken in a pillowy bun with a homemade bread and butter pickle. I love this place. So unique and so interesting -and such great use of fresh, local products. Great experience! read more

Food was delicious and the presentation was amazing. Service was fantastic. I will say that the $$ rating is a bit off. Dinner was a lot more than $30 per person. It was also quite noisy, even for a Friday night. It is fantastic dining for Des Moines but I was surprised at the price and noise compared to what was on Yelp. Dinner for two was $155 (with drinks) and it was tight seating. Not at all displeased, just surprised by the information not matching the experience. read more

Out of six dishes, I liked the kimchee, pork belly and the homemade killer hot sauce. The Spring garlic pancake appetizer was mediocre at best...bland bland bland. If this was an attempt at an altered Korean seafood pancake "pajeon" they failed miserably. It is, quite literally, Aunt Jemima's with onions...not tasty and I had to add some kimchee and hot sauce just to get a few more bites in; very bland. The asparagus was lovely but...for $10 and three sprigs of asparagus with two "fritters" (a long tater tot, let's not kid around here) it was rather disappointing. Skip the "broccoli charred to hell"...it is, quite literally, like eating an ashtray in the shape of broccoli. The striploin was fantastic but for $23 and the size of a very small appetizer, it was not worth it. Pork belly was great, great sauce, lima beans were cooked perfectly and it was overall my favorite dish. Didn't taste any fish sauce, just tasted like melted butter over pork belly but no complaints here! I would go back but probably not willingly and not anytime soon. I need to let the disappointment settle for awhile. read more

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It's our favorite restaurant in Des Moines. The service is exceptional. Great Happy Hour! We can't wait to come back

Incredible service with staff passionate about the menu and always willing to offer advice on good picks for the night. The chefs tasting is one of my favorite restaurant experiences anywhere! Highly highly recommend. read more

Amazing! Everything tasted great and such a unique menu. I love and hate small plate restaurants because you only get a small bite when things are amazing. Which many of the dishes here are. The steamed buns are really good, the eggplant a surprisingly delicious bite. I could eat these all night. But everything else we would eat again. Between the two of us we had 6 dishes and two desserts. Staff were great and super attentive. Make a reservation online ahead of time. read more

Love the chef's creativity! I went here expecting a good meal, and got an experience worthy of a standing ovation. My group did the prix fix menu. Each course was unique and something I probably wouldn't have ordered, but each more amazing than the last. Honestly, I loved it and would have given this place 5 stars if it was just about the food and the kitchen. Unfortunately, the wait staff wasn't as amazing as the food. They weren't very knowledgeable about the food. They weren't accommodating to questions or requests. Lastly, the bathroom in this building is in a terrible location. You have to go through the kitchen area and back to a storage area. I know this was the same in the previous restaurant in this location, but it was incredibly uncomfortable to use the bathroom then and is only slightly better now. read more

Everything we ordered was delicious. I don't think you could order a bad dish. I loved that the server asked us about dietary restrictions right away and guided us through our options. Highly recommend! read more

The single best dining experience I've had in the Des Moines area. Excellent service, cocktails, and the food was to die for.

We are part of an ABC lunch club that I started which means we started at a restaurant that started with A. We are on "H" and picked "H" to be Harbinger restaurant. Even though some of us looked online, we were confused with some of the menu. Our waitress Sherri was very helpful to all of our questions and helped is out. The food was AMAZING and we got alot of happy hour pricing (4pm-6 pm). Thanks to all of the amazing Chefs who made our food! read more

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The Des Moines foodie playing field now has a new player. Welcome to the game, Harbinger! Food was over-the-top delicious, creative, and unexpected at times. Magic melons? A drink with curry in it?????.....and then there was this pork belly dish (aka "bacon"). Service was outstanding as well. Highly recommend. read more

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Located on Ingersoll, Harbinger occupies a 15 table nostalgic location with old style lighting. The menu is upscale tapas (small plates) with Asian influences. While every one of the 6 plates my companion and I tried all were very good bordering on excellent they aren't plentiful. 6 plates and 3 alcoholic drinks ran the bill to an even $100 plus tip. Service was very good but be prepared to wait on a weekend to the tune of about 2 hours. Food is high quality so a 5 star. Pricing is a 4 so I gave it 4. read more

I'm from the great foodie city of Milwaukee, and while I don't claim to be an expert, this is the best restaurant I've been able to try on my tour of Des Moines fine dining via work trips. I tried Alba, Proof, Americana - so far this place is the only truly mind blowing food I've had on my per diem. I had 3 plates here as a solo diner at the bar. The squash blossom Rangoon was the star - I wasn't even entirely sure what squash blossoms were, but they were fried and served with that creamy crab Rangoon sauce, with pickled veggies on the side. The presentation of my heirloom tomato and burrata was the highlight - presented like beef tartare, only tomato. The taste was a little different than what I was expecting, but still good. Finally I finished with a fried oyster steam bun - the highlight taste wise. The crunch of the cucumbers was so good against the soft bun and fried oyster. I also had an excellent dirty martini that the bartender mixed up. I really liked this place and will return if my business travels find me in Des Moines again. read more

My absolute favorite Go for the tasting menu, it is always an amazing meal and changes daily.

I love this place. The service was excellent, and food was even better. Things to try if you eat at Harbinger. Lemongrass shrimp, the fried tapioca, the shitake mushrooms, the steamed bun, and the spare ribs. The menu is also very accommodating to a guest who is vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. read more

This review is in reference to the Basic Bird to-go. The review has nothing to do with service or flavor, but there was pink, undercooked chicken in several of the larger pieces of our 18 piece meal. Lastly, ventilation is key to texture with take-out. The plastic take out containers and run of the mill plastic bags aren't $25 chicken containers. Fortunately, i saw them put it in the bag and I kept the lids off until we were home. I had 2-3 small pieces before the larger, undercooked piece and it was awesome. The flavor was great. The texture was great. After the chicken was baked for a few more minutes, it tasted fine, but I hate being weirded out by meat. Historically, I get undercooked chicken when the size of the meat cuts aren't the same, when there are several smaller pieces and several big pieces in the same batch. There was a huge disparity in the sizes of meat within the 18 piece meal. I would honestly prefer smaller pieces. I really don't need to know how many there are; I didn't buy them because there were 18, I bought them because that was the most I could buy in an order and it sounded bomb. The sign from your front door drew me in. You guys were really nice!! read more

Harbinger's Basic Bird is knocking it out of the park for pandemic takeout. The chicken is phenomenal. I've enjoyed trying the various sides, especially the ramen coleslaw which I'm not very good at sharing with my family but instead horde all to myself! Not all takeout fares well as leftovers but I think I might enjoy Basic Bird even more the next day. We always order enough to last us for two meals. read more

very nice and cozy place. we had the noodle bowls which were amazing and full of flavor. read more

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Yum yum yum! A few friends and I visited for Happy Hour last Friday and had a wonderful experience! All of the food was delicious and it was a great atmosphere. Definitely headed back for my birthday dinner and trying the chef's tasting menu! read more

We just finished an exquisite meal at Harbinger's. The flavors, textures and presentations are excellent. The service was very responsive to our whole food plant based style of eating. This restaurant rivals many that we have discovered on our travels. Once again we will return!! read more

Wonderful tapas that has a vegetarian skew. Although there are meat options, this place is a vegetarian's dream and carnivore's compromise. However, no one will leave unhappy because the food is so flavorful and quite filling for small portions. Dessert is regretfully small, but again delicious. Happy hour gives you a great opportunity to sample the many options on the menu at a cheaper price. All of the produce and meat are bought daily, and the freshness shows well. I don't even know how to describe the food, because it is so unique--but you will have a hard time finding something that's ordinary. read more