My husband and I have lived in the Denver/Boulder area for 37 years, and over the years have eaten many times at Bonanno Concepts restaurants--favorites include Luca, Mizuna, Osteria Marco. Frank Bonanno often crafts a themed menu/wine pairing night at these restaurants, which are always a treat, and we have become regulars at these events. On August 22nd, 2026, Frank Bonanno's flagship restaurant, Mizuna, turned 25. The celebration "progressive" concept was oh, so fun! You may know that Bonanno Concepts basically owns the corner of 7th and Grant St., sharing the area with another of his longstanding successes, Luca, as well as his neighborhood bar called Vesper. Well, the 25th anniversary celebration was a progressive dinner. One could choose to start at Luca or Mizuna (we chose Luca--no real reason why). Part of the way through the meal, the lucky diners were released into the beautiful evening onto the patio behind Luca and Mizuna to enjoy live music and popsicles, and chatter with the staff, customers, and Frank Bonanno himself. Then, on to the other restaurant (in our case, we took a seat at Mizuna) to complete the evening. The menu and other details were not released prior to the evening, but were to be experienced as the evening played out. My expectation was that we had our meal and Luca, and would eat dessert at Mizuna. I also wondered if the menu would be different depending on the restaurant at which you started the evening. After "progressing" to Mizuna, we had a new menu revealing more information. This two-sided menu celebrated Mizuna's 25th birthday, and told a little about the history of the space. It also had double-numbered courses, and two sides. Indeed, everyone at both restaurants were eventually served the same courses, in a different order depending on the restaurant at which you started. At popsicle time, we were only 1/2 finished with our experience! As usual, the service and food were impeccable. The wine pairings were fun, and served by a knowledgable wine steward. We always have questions to ask about their often unique alcohol offerings (they usually also have non-alcoholic choices, if you prefer). Their classic lobster Mac, and Gerry's rolls (Gerry is their baker, and these iconic rolls are always on the table at Mizuna) and flavored butters are as good as it gets. My favorites of the nigh were the heirloom tomato, the ravioletta, the green tea poached Chilean sea bass, and the cookies and bread pudding (note--Frank Bonanno has introduced me to "Pre Dessert", a fabulous concept to add to life!). I don't have a picture of the ravioletta, but the first bite was like nothing else--rich, cheesy, ooey-gooey. I had to save mine to take home, as it would have been the last thing I ate that night! As a special treat this evening, Jacqueline, Frank's wife, with all her positive energy, stopped at our table to chat and say "Hi". Congratulations on 25 years, and here's to 50 more! read more

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My husband took me here for my birthday and we had an astonishingly wonderful experience! We had just gone to see the new movie "Tony," and this was a fantastic follow-up to that experience as we were reminiscing about both of our past work around restaurants/the culinary field. We didn't realize the setup ahead of time: it's primarily a tasting menu with 7-plus (!) courses, served at a perfectly timed, leisurely pace, in such a warm and welcoming environment that it feels like you are having a spa day at the home of the most wonderful family friend. We especially enjoyed the arancini (divine - the best I've ever had) and the chawanmushi (egg custard with pork belly) -- I *love* chawanmushi and so seldom encounter it in the wild!! The duck was delicious, but I was too full by that time to appreciate it, so my husband ate both of ours and gave it its due. The bread, the Austrian (?!) sauvignon blanc by the glass, the chocolates and pre-dessert (which I honestly preferred to the dessert) were all so wonderfully delicious, but the service elevated the entire evening to a truly special night that was worth every penny. The team here is extraordinary. We haven't been to Mizuna in many years, but we will remedy that situation soon. This would be an incredible choice for a birthday, anniversary, or proposal (swoon). read more

Both 7-Course meal options were amazing. I would recommend going that route for your dinner. It was a very tasty and wonderful food journey. read more

Mizuna - Dessert - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

A friend invited me to a multi course dinner tasting at last minute, so I jumped in. I had no idea what to expect- but it was kinda a mixed bag evening. Food started off kinda mediocre- the Herb Brie tart was far too crumbly and fell apart when I picked it up, the egg custard was interesting texture, and the bread was a bit dense. But the entire and desserts were the stars. The salmon was very moist and good. The truffle mac and cheese was great. And the desserts were delicious. The bathrooms are loaded with thoughtful amenities- which is very nice. read more

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Mizuna celebrated its 25th Birthday by participating in Restaurant Week for the first time in over ten years, and what a treat it was! A 4.5-course meal (we actually got another 1/2 treat, so it turned out to be 5) left us full and satisfied. Our server was a delight and brought us a celebratory glass of bubbles to welcome us. We immediately felt at ease as we settled into our table, set with crisp white linens, surrounded by the jeweled tones of the emerald-green walls. The herbed brie tartlet with apple butter was a perfect bite, an excellent balance of sweet & savory. The Chawanmushi was something I could eat every day. Fluffy like a cloud, full of miso flavor, with just enough pork belly at the bottom of the dish as a reward. The bread service came out before the garganelli pasta dish, and it was needed to soak up all the delicious extra truffle cream sauce. I selected the Chilean Salmon in the citrusy Meyer Lemon Buerre Blanc. Paired with Aligot potatoes (a velvety French mashed potato dish blended with cheese and butter or cream to create a fondue texture--sinful!) We had a small slice of birthday cake for dessert and an extra treat: an almond cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with crumbles --a version of something similar to Fruity Pebbles--a very memorable experience. read more

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We dined at Mizuna during Denver Restaurant week which celebrated the restaurant's 25th anniversary. Chef Michael curated a creative menu, and came to greet the diners at the end of the meal. The star was the truffle creamed pasta. The home made fennel bread was a nice surprise, with a tint of the aromatic fennel. The salmon and steak were cooked perfectly. I would not be surprised if they obtain a James beard or Michelin mention soon. It's an intimate setting, and servers were very attentive. They generously offered champagne toast for my birthday. It was a great experience! We'll be back for its elevated dining experience. read more

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I've been to quite a few fine dining restaurants, and this one easily tops them. The food was excellent, but what really stood out was the attention to detail how perfectly things were executed. From the complimentary wine when we arrived, to the muffins they sent us home with, to the "happy anniversary" on our dessert, everything was so thoughtful. Our waiter was excellent at explaining each dish. The chef and manager stopped by to thank us, and even waved goodbye as we left. It felt warm and personal from start to finish. It was an amazing anniversary dinner with my wife, and I can't recommend this place enough. Sidenote - I read a few reviews of people who didn't like the rolls or chawanmushi (egg custard). The roll was dense but delicious and the egg custard was my favorite! read more

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Had a really elevated experience last night at Mizuna. We stopped in thinking we could just grab drinks and appetizers but we learned that they really only do tasting menu for a minimum of $120 per person. No worries, we were just going to grab drinks then but our awesome server Shane was able to negotiate with the kitchen to allow us to order a few appetizers if we wanted. We got the lobster Mac n Cheese and it was split into two portions that were literally perfect. Like seriously insane pasta, cheese sauce and the lobster was great. Insane flavor. They hooked it up with some bread to soak up the extra sauce, a bite of something delicious that I can't remember the name of, sparkling white wine and these really tasteful lavender hand towels. It felt super classy and we felt high end. We also got two absolutely delicious cocktails, my espresso martini was perfect and my partner got an equally awesome drink called the no apologies. The entire experience made wish we had planned to do the tasting menu, but gives us a great reason to come back. The cocktails were $15 and $20, the mac n cheese was $35 and auto gratuity was about $15 for $93 after tax. Highly recommend and can't wait to try all these amazing plates that they have! Just be aware that it's not al a Carte it's a tasting menu only. read more

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Mizuna brings traditional French dishes to the Mile High City. A little Old World meets New! The food, ambiance, service- all was fantastic. I tried Mizuna out during Denver's Restaurant Week for 2026. Very impressed with this French infused cuisine. Going during restaurant week was the best way to sample the variety of their foods. Mizuna was celebrating their 25th birthday as well, so a taste of birthday cake wrapped up their evening. During Restaurant Week, Mizuna had a preset menu for $55 that truly was delicious. On this menu, they offered three small tastes and an entree. Best small taste out of the three was the chawanmushi- pork belly and miso cauliflower. This was absolutely divine. The garganelli was also to die for! I selected the ratatouille as my entree. The flavors were very good, but found it had too much mozzarella to the squash and eggplant ratio. Don't get me wrong, I love me some cheese. But, it was just a little too much for me in this dish so it was not my favorite, sadly. A great evening was had however. Our server was so kind and even offered a little champagne toast to get the evening started. Mizuna is well worth a visit. I will happily visit again! read more

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Mizuna Outstanding experience from start to finish We went to Mizuna on Saturday night, and the experience was exceptional across the board. The hostess was warm and welcoming, immediately setting the tone for the evening. Our party was running late, and the staff couldn't have been more gracious and understanding--no stress, no pressure, just genuine hospitality. The bartender was phenomenal--thoughtful recommendations, perfectly balanced cocktails, and great energy. We were seated at the Chef's Table and the seafood counter, which made the night even more special. Watching the team work while enjoying course after course was a treat in itself. Every dish was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious--refined flavors, impeccable technique, and a clear respect for ingredients. From seafood to the final bites, everything hit the mark. Mizuna delivers not just incredible food, but a level of service that makes you feel truly taken care of. Can't recommend it enough--we'll absolutely be back. read more

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What a disappointment. Whatever this place had going for it over the last 25 years has been lost. After Anthony Bourdain did 2 TV shows there, I was expecting something a bit more exciting food wise. I went to a 5-course Chef's tasting menu. The first course was a tiny tartlet with brie that was tasteless, except for the saltiness. Next came an egg custard with pork belly that was interesting with two completely different textures, but not particularly noteworthy otherwise. The pasta course of fusilli was nothing more than really mushy and overcooked mac and cheese. The chef even admitted he did not like cheese -- so why would he put it on a special menu? Perplexing. The entre was King Salmon and I must admit that it was perfectly cooked, tender and absolutely delicious. The sides of Robuchon potato tasted just like mashed creamed potatoes. ...and the broccolini was so salty it was inedible by everyone at my table. A key lime bar followed and a complimentary fudge as well. Inside the decor is dated, dark and drab. Did not appear to have been touched up in a long time. The dining room is Very Loud, averaging 85 decibels going to 93 dB on occasion. I could hardly wait to get out of there once the meal was complete -- just so I could think -- it was just too loud with a dining room full of rowdy diners, the kitchen work and music blaring. Service was exceptional, helpful, and friendly. Good wine list. Difficult parking. I would not go back here. read more

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What a great place for a special occasion. Last night my wife and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary here. We had the chef's tasting menu and the sommelier's wine pairings. The food was as delicious as it was beautiful and the wine pairings were amazing. Natalie took very good care of us, as did all of the staff. read more

Mizuna - Yum - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Can't believe it took me so long to go to this restaurant! It's a Denver staple for a reason, and is truly a special place. The attention to detail is astounding, and the service is incredible. Cozy and intimate ambiance with an open kitchen. The seafood is amazing, along with everything else. Highly recommend the tasting menus! read more

This is Michelin star quality! I was walking by and diver scallop caught my eye....it turned into a 7 course tasting and every bite was worthy of James Beard or Michelin recognition. First, was dining alone so decided to sit at the bar. Adam was amazing, informative, and offered a glass of cava with hints of strawberry. A perfect pallet cleanser for the barrage of food that was to follow. By course 5 of amazing nibbles, I was finally at the scallop and like everything before-it was cooked to perfection complimented (not overwhelmed) by the sauce. What was over the top (as if everything else wasn't) was when I had finished desert thinking I was done and was sent out the door with a box of treats to go. This is more than a meal, it is a tasting experience of the highest caliber. Bravo!!! read more

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I have been on Mizuna's email list for years. My previous visit was in 2018. The most recent email announced a Sunday Supper Club. It was all inclusive with food, drinks, tax and their 22% Creating Happy People svc chrg. One of their chefs was creating a family style Chicken dinner with champagne. I sat at the bar with 2 other parties + Frank & Jacqueline Bonanno of Bonanno Concepts. Mizuna was their first restaurant and just celebrated their 25th anniversary. I was provided with 3 champagne's including a zero proof version. The appetizer was cold fried chicken with a least 1 oz or caviar on top. The entree was a large platter of boneless fried chicken (for 2) with ricotta whipped mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, charred broccolini, a sweet dinner roll and more champagne. Dessert was a chocolate brownie with graham cracker gelato and still more champagne. Great food and conversation. Frank & Jacqueline Bonanno are headed to Japan soon to collect recipes for their upcoming Italian-Japanese fusion, Romyo restaurant opening in Larimer Square this year. read more

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We were visiting some friends from out of town and celebrated seeing each other. Chose this spot for the tasting menu. The meal was tremendous. We did both tasting menus between my fiance and I and every dish was delicious. The service was 5 stars, a very cool spot. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fine dining like experience in a welcoming environment. Worth every penny. I wish it was in Minnesota so I could more easily visit again. read more

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Beautiful dining experience from the initial greeting to the last thank you as we departed! If you haven't dined there, they offer different levels of "dinner experiences" at different price points that includes an appetizer, main course and dessert. We chose the "Classic' at $130 per person which sounds like a lot, but well worth the price. I enjoyed the Beef Wellington as my main course and my wife the Black Cod, delicious! The restaurant includes a 22% happiness tip that covers the entire staff; additional tips are appreciated. All I can say is you have to dine at Mizuno to experience the wonderful food, the little extras brought to your table and the superior staff service! read more

On the election night of November 5th where almost 95% of the people in the city were glued to their TV screens or mobile phones or tablets (or whatever devices they used to follow how the election was going) we were able to stay away from all the craziness by dining at none other than Mizuna. Well, I made a reservation for this specific day, not to avoid being home, but to celebrate my daughter's birthday. And it turned out to be a magical night of a quaint celebration so I, hence, must write about it. First off, Mizuna is a very upscale/high-end restaurant with French and American twists mixed together. This place (I didn't know this until we got there) only offers course menus where ordering ala cart is not an option so be prepared to spend more than $100 per person. But I assure you; everything you get at this restaurant are professional service by the waitstaff and culinary mastery by the trained chefs. Meticulousness, eloquence, elegance, allure, artistry, you can go on and on to line up words to describe its upsaleness of it. When we arrived for our 6:45pm reservation, the place was empty. As I mentioned in the reservation I made that it was a birthday occasion, Addison (he was our waiter as well) took us to this prime spot in the whole dining room: a 4-peron couched booth. Upon seating, he immediately placed a birthday card signed by all the staff members of the restaurant right at the little table lamp. Small and yet noticeable kind gesture, each time a plate arrived at our table for the rest of the dinner, I had to take a picture of them right by this card. The ambience is so nicely done; the entire place is lit by dimmed lights. The music being played in the background (Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, some old-time jazz music so familiar to many) was imply soothing to our ears and souls. Addison, our waiter, eloquently explained everything to us as to what Mizuna is/was all about (he walked us through the menu, offered us complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic sparkling wines etc.) "This is a VIP treatment" is what I said to my daughter. After asking Addison some questions, we decided to go with the Signature Menu Course ($125 per person); this was the recommendation Addison made (we told him we weren't big eaters so we would have to go with something smaller than other course menus; Addison said this would be the best option for us.) On the right size of the menu booklet, all the options for the Signature Menu course are listed. For the appetizers, we chose Crudo (Hamachi and Tuna with Hibiscus Kombucha based sauce underneath) and Lobster Macaroni & Cheese (Mizuna's famous.) For the main, we chose Chilean Sea Bass and Centennial Beef Wellington. For the dessert, we went with the Chocolate Cake and Pumpkin Semifreddo. We simply sat at our table and waited for everything to be brought to us in order. Here and there, Addison brought us something that was not part of the menu; it was either complimentary and/or they do it to refresh our palettes, the magical moments continued to enchant us during our dining experience. What stood out the most to us: The wagyu meat (six small fillets) was a complimentary dish by the chefs/restaurant. This made us speechless. The pallets cleanser drinks (in tiny sake cups) served right before our main dishes appeared truly cleansed our mouths. The tiny salted caramel desserts served right before the main desserts were simply out of this world. This is not to say that other dishes were meaningless; they were important elements of the whole dinner. On our tab, there were only two items it: Two Signature Course Menu (Chilean Sea Bass was $15 more than the beef). That is it. As Addison explained to us, nothing was additional to it. Even with the smaller portion of the menu, Signature Course was simply way more than we had anticipated. After our dinner, we walked around to see the restaurant. Addison wasted no time to come to us and explained all the artwork hung on each wall panel. The artwork was done by a Vietnamese immigrant man who spends half year in Denver and the other half in somewhere in Pennsylvania. The amazing artworks' models depicted are none other than the Mizuna's chefs. Intriguing to say the least. Did you sense the magical night you can experience at Mizuna by reading my review. I hope you did. If so, for a special dining experience where spending $$$ is not an issue, try Mizuna. And let's not forget; it was snowing outside so by watching the falling snow while dining, we thought we were on a movie set. read more

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Upon walking in I thought we would have a great foodie experience. The place looked elegant without being formal and service was great. We sat at the bar and figured it would be fun. One thing I noticed here is that bartenders are often expected to make all the drinks and service the people at the bar, a lot of the times this fails but our bartender was on point. The food was unfortunately a complete disaster. The carrot and pea salad was meh. The carrots were undercooked, and the butter knife we had could not cut them. The peas weren't really standing out. With a dish like this if you don't start with amazing ingredients and prepare them flawlessly it falls short and it did. The crudo was fishy and we sent it back. The fish was clearly frozen before by the way it looked and it was not plated well. The pieces of fish were thick, uneven and looked very amateurish. I would think a restaurant like this can get amazing, fresh fish. The crab cake the the same issue, it smelled fishy and unappetizing. It was also very mushy and undercooked. It should have had lump crab meat and been fresh. They serving with with a cream based sauce that we said we could not eat, the waiter should have suggested a different dish instead of telling the kitchen not to serve the sauce, which they did anyway. You can't remove a key ingredient without telling the customer first. The beef wellington came out room temperature, the meat was overcooked and it was incredibly salty, for some reason they just put salt on top of it. I was a bit hungry and gave me a smoked salmon and caviar app or maybe it was an amuse bouche. All and all we were very disappointed, we thought this could be a fun place for a date night and given they have been around for a while, it feels like the issues should not happen. read more

Great experience at Mizuna, lived up to expectations I heard all about. Tasting menu was excellent, I didn't have to make any decisions and all the courses were delicious. read more

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OMG!!! What an amazing place! We've been to all of the Bonnano restaurants and this one was simply amazing! From the minute we were seated and served champagne to cool hibiscus hand towels. Amazing service and the beef Wellington was so tender! And to finish they send you home with muffins, cookies and chocolates for tomorrow. Truly a special experience!!! read more

Mizuna - To go treats! - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food at best was a 6/10. Service was hit and miss. Definitely better spots in Denver for this type of food. They also charge you a 22% service fee. Every check gets the fee, party size does not matter. read more

mediocre food, small portions and high prices. also charged 22% mandatory fee that is not a tip. will not return

A well-established local fixture with a lot of class. The concept for Mizuna lends itself well to being a date night, celebration, or main event of the night kind of dinner. The service was impeccable. Friendly, helpful, kind, and accommodating. Started with a cold towel service to wipe our hands with lemon zest-scented moist cloth towels. Dirty plates and utensils were replaced between courses. The additional bites of food peppered throughout the meal added a feeling of generosity and hospitality to the overall service. Each dish was described as they were being presented. And finally, there is a 22% "chp" fee tacked on to the bill, which I was more than happy to pay. The atmosphere is elegant, but in a more classic, old school, boutique kind of way. Even the bathrooms had unique fixtures and cloth towels instead of paper towels. The food had good things going on here and there, but overall left much to be desired for me. Your table had two options: chef tasting or 3-course meal. With 3-course meal, people can choose their own app, entree, and dessert. For chef tasting, each person can choose 1 of 2 tiers. My table went for the 3-course meal. Started with siberian caviar. Very good start to the meal, highly recommend. Wonderfully salty and clean without a fishy funk. Next was an amuse bouche that was a foie gras mousse with a smokey bacon sauce. The sauce was delicious. The foie gras mousse was nice, but I still prefer foie gras simply seared. After that, we were presented with tuna tartare with wonton chip. Delicious once again. Fresh, light, and nice textural contrast from the wonton chip. Bread and butter followed. Nice flavor on the roll, and it's dense. The butter was of good quality with large salt crystals sprinkled on top. First course, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster cooked perfectly and strong lobster flavor comes through. Unfortunately the dish was entirely too salty. It wasn't inedible, but it was close to that. Other than outrageous salt level, the flavors of the dish were really good. I also sampled crab cake that someone else at the table got. Crab cake was all around good, not too salty, and not too much filler. A much needed palate cleanser was next. Sparkling fruit juices in a shot. Time for the main course. We shared lamb and beef wellington. The lamb was insanely salty, except for the very center of the chop. That one bite was perfectly cooked and seasoned lamb. The rest of the lamb outside of that morsel was very difficult to eat. A chimichurri-like paste was served with it, and it was nice because it wasn't so salty compared to the meat. The root veggies were charred, but left with a flavor that reminded me of unburned gas. The beef wellington had okay flavor, but was so full of connective tissue that did not break down. I chewed a bunch and spit out most of it out into my table napkin. I would not recommend the beef wellington nor the lamb. Before the dessert course, we were served a mini eclair snack. Very tasty dessert. I opted for espresso, which came along with a rock candy stirring stick. Everyone at the table was pleased with the mini eclair. Lastly, the dessert course. The chocolate cake was very good. Not too sweet, well-balanced for a chocolate cake, and excellent garnishes. The panna cotta was not terrible, but not that good. Way too sugary and the sauce was way too sour. The garnishes were awesome, and my favorite component of that dish. All in all, the extra small plates served throughout the meal were probably the highlight of the meal. The actual 3 courses were mostly disappointing, with the primary problem being too much salt. The meat dishes were extremely disappointing, so it's probably best to stick with seafood at Mizuna. read more

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Beware! 22% "Creating Happy People" surcharge added to the bill, plus it was taxed! Will never return here. The surcharge wasn't even mentioned anywhere on their website. read more

Lived in Governor's Park for 22 years and hadn't had the opportunity to try Mizuna. What a mistake! 2025 was the year and I can't say enough about what a wonderful experience my friend and I had. The food was amazing! We did the May 2025 coastal tasting menu with no regrets but to be fully transparent switched out one entrée for their well known lobster mac and cheese which was incredible. Our server Freddie V. went above and beyond to make our experience special! All the staff were truly wonderful and I can't say enough about how well you will be taken care of by this wonderful group of people! Thank you for an unforgettable experience! Highly recommend and the experience Freddie and the rest of the team provided us was nothing short of exceptional and add in the chef's personality and passion within every dish equaled a 10/10! read more

Mizuna - Menu - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

OUTRAGEOUS. NOTE: I RARELY WRITE BAD REVIEWS. We were three. Each Signature Meal cost $125. I tell the waiter we won't finish three meals so let's order two Signature Meals. Waiter: The price is per person but lemme go check. He comes back and says: we can do three appetisers and three mains but no deserts (total $250). Me: Ok. Let's order this. MY BILL IS $444.60 Me: Why have you charge us so much? $70 for a f***ng sea bass???????????? Waiter: Well, since you didn't agree to three Signature Meals so I charged 'A La Carte'. 1. That's NOT what we agreed. 2. WHAT THE F**K IS 'A LA CARTE'. IS THIS MONTREAL OR DENVER??????? 3. Even 'A La Carte', $70 a seabass???? $35 a Crudo (it had three spoons in it and I'm generous!) 4. The portions were small and all three of us left hungry. read more

Tyler the manager on duty in the evening is very condescending. I was asking for more veggies instead of lobster Mac and Cheese from the Thanksgiving Togo menu due to dietary restrictions. He proceeded to tell me how prefixed meals were made in a big bowl, they were not made to order and he would not do that. even though they were two different things. Additionally the website said they would be happy to accommodate dietary restrictions for the Thanksgiving to go and I simply asked to replace the lobster Mac with extra Brussels (Which both are on the Thanksgiving menu).. I asked for a refund and said he would process it then hung up on me as I was asking when I would see it. I ordered from here last year and would have recommended others to do the same if I did not have this experience. I travel a lot and have many out of town guest or folks traveling through asking for recommendations. I do not ever leave reviews unless it is really bad and this was POOR customer service. It could have been a simple answer or a solution to this so we were not causing unnecessary food waste. I will happily take my business elsewhere and recommend others to go to another spot if they come to town. read more

Have I ever listened to AC/DC, Rush and Rage Again the Machine in one setting? As a Gen X male you know that I have! Have I done that while dining on an incredible tasting menu with amazing staff being overseen by an icon of Denver dining who was working the line that night? Uh, no. It's been 13 years since my last trip to Mizuna, and adjusted for inflation the price is the same. If anything the service and food are even better. read more

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First, food was good. Overall dining experience, service, food, ambiance, etc.. were all very nice. I didn't love everything on the tasting menu but that is subjective so I do not hold that against them. The steam entry was "warm" so I guess I could have said something there but I did not since it was cooked perfectly i think it just sat in the window too long, but that is not my issue. The issue is with the ridiculous fine print around the 22% "Creating Happy People (CHP)" service charge. I don't care how cute you try to make the name of the service charge it is the highest service fee I have ever been charged at any restaurant, and I have eaten at Michelin restaurants around the globe. The fine print states that the money is split between the front & back of the house and it is NOT gratuity, it's to help with wage gap and support the employees. Well on my bill for 4 of us that fee was almost $70, then a tip is still "optional". My wife said it best, "just raise the f'ing prices" and do not penalize the employees by having me stiff them on the tip more. Or just charge the service fee and REMOVE the tip line from the bill. What this ultimately does is take a very nice dining experience and then when the bill comes it then becomes a conversation around money. Mind you this has nothing to do about affordability, if I could not afford the meal I would not be here. This is principal. We were on a double date, the bill comes and we spend some time discussing what we are going to do. The waiter when dropping the bill tells us about the charge (before we even ask, likely it's a consistent point of contention) and we ask about gratuity. He states that he is "taken care of but of course tip is optional". Well if you have a conscience and eat out enough you know that wait staff live on tips so I then feel compelled to leave more of a tip on top of the egregious 22% already tacked onto the bill. So now i have paid 3x on the wine which tipping full on wine is not typical, then the $70 22% fee, then an additional tip. So this meal cost me almost $100 more just in fees! So is this a meal or Ticketmaster? Just raise your prices, you will get more in the long run with higher food margins or just tack on a fee and be VERY clear that it is there so you don't have to tip the servers on top of it. When I left the restaurant i should be talking about the food, atmosphere and the overall pleasure of the experience. Instead we spent our 30 min in the car talking about the fees and how we were not happy about the overall service fee experience. So as the owner of the restaurant what do YOU want your customers talking about? Food or Fees? read more

We went all out with the caviar and wagyu additions to our Coastal tasting. The interior of the establishment is more on the casual side than we expected in comparison to the meal. That is not a criticism. We actually ended up enjoyed the feel and atmosphere. The host and all the wait staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. As with many multi-course menus, you get some misses with the hits and you need to take them all as part of the experience. This was heavy on the hits and very enjoyable. We were also STUFFED by the end of it all and it took about 3-hours. read more

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Love mizuna. We spent our anniversary there and had the tasting menu, we did two different ones and shared. Perfect way to spend time together enjoying amazing food and service! read more

I recently dined at Mizuna and unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. The food was just OK overly salty in most dishes, though a few items had unique concepts that didn't quite come together. The price per person felt overpriced and on a sidenote, there is a 22% mandatory tip added to the drinks were similarly overpriced, though the bartender was an exception - extremely skilled in creating a mastering specialty cocktails, which was a definite highlight. Service was good overall, but we did sit for about 20 minutes before anything was brought to our table, which was frustrating given the price in the weight. The chef came out to visit tables, but I noticed he selectively engaged with gas - flirting with a woman at the bar throughout the night and completely ignoring any tables that were same-sex couples. He actually would snub them when he walked by. To make matters worse for my vantage point, I saw him pick his nose and wipe it on the towel. He was using to handle food - utterly unacceptable and a professional kitchen. As for the atmosphere, it was a very warm room however it was telling when we arrived at 6:30 on a Friday and while the restaurant was busy at 1st by 745 it was almost empty. It's clear why, with over priced food, drinks, and questionable service I won't be returning. read more

Wow!!! The experience was amazing here. We were looking for somewhere to celebrate our anniversary and we stumbled upon Mizuna. My boyfriend ended up proposing right before dinner. So we had a lot to celebrate. We were greeted with a glass of bubbles. We got the chef's tasting with the wine pairing. And wow!! The presentation with each dish. I wish I could remember what we ate with each dish but honestly, I can't remember much. I was on cloud 9 from just getting engaged. When the restaurant found out we had just gotten engaged, the staff made their way over to our table to say congrats. Between the food and staff. It was honestly, the perfect place to celebrate our engagement. I am so happy, we stumbled upon Mizuna somehow thanks to google. It really made our engagement night extra special. And I will always remember it. They even gave us extra donuts and almond cookies for breakfast along with a bottle of champagne. Literally best service ever!! I have no complaints. And I know we'll be back to celebrate other anniversaries. But this is definitely a celebration place. Thank you Mizuna for making our night so special and delicious. We appreciated how friendly the staff was. read more

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We got the chef's tasting menu and it started off strong. The zucchini bread was good. A little weird starting off with something sweet, but good nonetheless. Then everything went downhill. The crudo was a little salty but ok. The bread was inedibly salty and I thought maybe it was the outside but oh no, the inside was also crazy salty and also raw tasting. I've never had food make me gag in a restaurant but that did it. The service was fine. The ambiance was fine. The food felt like it was meant to harm me. The dessert was thankfully not salty, except for the crumble under the gelato, which was also inedibly salty. So...if you're salt-deficient, have I got the place for you. Dinner for two was over $400 but it's ok because we must've had $300 of salt. read more

Our experience could not have been any better! A 10 out of 10. Why you don't have a Michelin rating is beyond me. We expected great food and got it! What I was hoping for was some unique dishes and Executive Chef Michael exceeded that! The bartender Alex was on top of his game with some creative drinks that were delicious. It certainly had the French Laundry vibe with fine dining and atmosphere but what I didn't expect was the fun and laughter we shared with the chef and staff. A truly great night. The Smoked Alaskan King Salmon first bite was a favorite, the Spanish Octopus ended my quest for a really tasty Octopus (20 year search) my Hamachi Crudo, the Spring Salad and the Beef Wellington were all exceptional but it's the attention to detail that makes Mizuna special. The Spring Pea Anolini had house made Chrispy Shallots that just exploded with flavor. This was the best dining experience in our 10 years in Colorado, now let's get the Michelin rating, you have our vote. Kirk Schumacher read more

This was an amazing night! We found out at the last minute about an event at Mizuna with guest chef Richard Sandoval. We couldn't get in, no surprise, so decided to try the restaurant the next night with some friends. So glad we did! The ambiance is perfect for enjoying conversation, with good music at a low level in the background. Raphael, the sommelier and the primary person taking care of us, was friendly, knowledgeable, and had great suggestions. He helped make the night fun. The cocktails were fabulous, very creative and the best I've had in a very long time. The Tai Chi, a winter version of a Mai Tai, was thoroughly enjoyed by some in our party, while I had the best Cosmopolitan I've ever had. It perfectly balanced sweet and sour with the cranberry and orange liqueurs. We all had the Chef's tasting menu. This is a marathon, not a sprint, with a first bite and then 10 tastes. Some were a unique take on a common dish, and others were creative innovations. My favorites were the first bite - pork belly with a caramelized heirloom tomato and smoked mozzarella - a unique BLT; the seared scallop - a new take on clam chowder; the 48 hour braised short rib; and the toasted pistachio gateau with caramel tuile, brown butter gelato, and strawberry chocolate. Having a nice Bordeaux during the latter part of the tasting and a Ruby Port to finish, it was a magical night. Was it expensive? Of course it was. Also worth it, in my opinion. The service was outstanding, with every person who brought something to the table, and there were many delivering different parts of the meal, taking the time to be friendly while also bussing the table. Last night was the experience that should be expected at a restaurant like this. read more

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One of Denver's best restaurants. Was there recently by mistake. Let me explain... I was shocked when I recently made a reservation at Mizuna for Valentine's Day dinner and there were all kinds of seating choices open. How lucky! So I picked a prime time and felt quite competent as a husband who was going to show his beautiful bride how much I treasured her. And all of that was working pretty well until I realized on the morning of February 14th that I had made the reservation for February 16th. What an idiot. Of course they'd had lots of seating options available. Who would want to go there 2 days after VD? Apparently, not a whole bunch of people. So I quickly found another spot for Valentine's Day, and called Mizuna to ask if I could reschedule. They couldn't have been nicer and let me transfer my deposit to a new date when we had a great experience. The first interesting thing I noticed when we did eat there was that Mizuna is clearly aiming at getting Denver's first Michelin starred restaurant rating (if and when Denver ever gets to be considered for Michelin star-reviewed restaurants). At Mizuna these days they are doing the things that Michelin-starred restaurants do. For example: When you arrive they offer you a welcoming glass of champagne. They then present you with a menu which has a selection of "gustation" dinners where you choose from a list of set courses and then pick from options on that list. They then start you off with a series of amuse bouche plates, not mentioned on the list of menu dishes, teasing your palate with single bite delicious tastes. They also offer a list of "indulgences" so that after you decide on a certain number of courses you then also have the opportunity to add extra servings of things like a supplement of caviar, or an accompaniment of A5 Wagyu beef on the side, or a garnish of white truffles in addition to your already pricey order. They also offer wine pairings, and pairings at the "reserve" level that will cost you that much more but kick things up a serious notch. And finally after you've finished what was way too much for my wife and I to eat so we had to take a box of left-overs home, they send you off with a goodie bag that includes incredible muffins for your breakfast the following morning, choice pieces of chocolates, and their homemade cookies to boot! All of that is exactly what you would see at the Michelin-starred restaurants we've had the chance to visit. That said the meal was definitely worthy of a Michelin star and of course a 5 star Yelp review. Pix of a couple of the courses are included below, and the night's manager and sommelier recommended a beautiful french pinot noir that was at just the right price point considering the meal that we ordered. So my friends, if you're wanting to celebrate an important event or you're just up for spending some serious dough on a meal to remember then head on over the Mizuna's, a Denver restaurant that some day, if the folks at Michelin ever decide to include Denver in its list of cities eligible for star ratings, is sure to show up for serious contention, along with places like Beckon, and Fruition. Caio bella, David M. read more

Mizuna - Warm chocolate cake with malted iced cream for me and banana honey creme brûlée for her - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Mizuna was offering a special coursed Valentine's Day dinner, and we quickly made a reservation and waited in anticipation. The staff was kind and I appreciate that they verified our vaccination status. Two glasses of champagne were poured automatically (which is fine, but we're not drinkers so it went to waste). I have a shrimp allergy which they inquired about and said they were able to accommodate. But you're really reading this for the food, arguably the most important part of the experience, and simultaneously the most disappointing part of the evening. To start was a lobster spring roll and Thai tea drink that started the meal off on a cautious note. My boyfriends roll didn't have any lobster, but I'm not sure it would have improved anything about the flavor. The next two dishes, the polenta and the hamachi were arguably the best and most flavorful dishes of the experience, but how could you really ruin fresh fish? From there, it went downhill. The foie gras hummus seemed inventive, but in my opinion was a waste of good foie gras, and the Gerry roll that came next was allegedly a staple of the restaurant, but really just bread. The odd part was that the bread came by itself and it would have been nice to either be paired with the dish before (the hummus) or the dish after (the agnolotti). The agnolotti was easily the worst dish of the night. It was so bad the couple that sat next to us sent it back. The chef in good faith ended up making a lovely looking tagliatelle pasta for them, which I was envious about because the flavorless, agnolotti drowning in tasteless sauce was not good. The paella did have a nice flavor, and this dish originally came with prawns, but because of my allergy, they served sea bass. The menu said that the paella was in shrimp and lobster broth, and the waiter scurried off so quickly I couldn't ask to confirm that mine wasn't made with the shrimp and lobster broth, so I took one small bite and slid the rest to my boyfriend. The next dish was a palette cleanser of subpar homemade kombucha. The strip was next, and if I hadn't heard one of the waiters at the end of night explain the dish to one of the other tables that it was dry aged, I never would have guessed. It was quite chewy and not tender like a dry age typically is. The vegetables served with this dish were lovely, crunchy, and paired well with the sauce and steak. Unsure why, but the restaurant felt the need to have two dessert dishes. The pre-dessert was probably the second or third best dish of the night and the actual dessert came in close competition with being the worst of the night. I thought the strawberry covered chocolate was inventive and light, just sweet enough to end the meal. The cream puff was overkill and the pomegranate didn't really go well here because of the seeds and the sauce that looks like caramel was not, and horrible to be blunt. Other than the disappointing food, the service was at a minimum what you would expect at a fine dining establishment. The staff changed our silverware after each course and filled our waters when they saw we were low. My two gripes here were that the hostess forgot to give us the menu for the meal and the inconsistent experience with the explanation of the dish. As a customer who loves food very deeply and is interested in the ingredients and cooking style of the dish, I was upset that some of our dishes were explained well, while others were just sat down on the table. The waiter who served our steak said "here's the NY Strip", whereas one of the tables next to us got this lovely, elaborate explanation of the 45 day dry aged NY Strip. The cost of the meal was $450 without any drinks. We were aware of the cost when we made the reservation, and I love patronizing businesses with good food, but I felt like I took five $100 bills and threw them in the trash. Honestly, $450 for an "11 course meal" whose food didn't taste fresh with only three good courses out of 11, and of those 11, two of those dishes were dessert, and one of the others was a shot of kombucha? If I was Mizuna, I would quite frankly be embarrassed asking folks to waste their hard earned money like that on an extremely disappointing experience. When I look at the reviews on Yelp, I'm appalled how many positive reviews there are, so I have surmised that this must be for one of three reasons. First, is that there are people out there that are instantly equating expensive food to be good food. This is not true! Second, is that something must have changed recently or it was a horrible idea to come on a special meal outside of the regular menu, and we are not planning to go back to test that theory, so if you are someone who loves Mizuna and is thinking about coming for a special menu, I would highly advise against it. And third, is that folks have just lost their sense of taste and never regained it back after having COVID! read more

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Incredible. I took my mom here to celebrate her job promotion and we both go the 3 course meal. We were welcomed with a class of champagne and phenomenal service. Drew is the BEST! So ask for him for sure (that is until he leaves for Italy!). Anyways, you can't really go wrong with anything here. Just make sure to order something that you typically like (explained below). So, appetizers: - Escargot: garlic, light, chewy, but not too much. If you've ever wanted to try it, do it here because the mushroom pairing is delish. - Yellowtail Carpacchio: fresh, thick cut pieces of meat with a delicious citrus sauce. - Crab Cake: Also very good, lots of good crab chunks and a very good sauce Entree: - Seared Diver Scallops: cooked to PERFECTION. You only get 2, but savor every bite because they are scrumptious. Easily something I would order again. - Duck Duo: PERFECTION - this duck was cooked 2 ways and both were amazing. One was crispy the other was perfectly moist and tender, almost melting in your mouth - Veal: Now, this dish was really good, however I don't typically eat Veal. So compared to the ones above, I would say this was my least favorite, but it was VERY rich in flavors. Desserts: all of them, any of them, you won't be disappointed. Light fluffy, dark decadent. Everything and anything you could want from a dessert. Happy celebrating! read more