We were seated a bit after our reservation time but it was made up for in 10 fold with perfect wine selections and apps, and perfect service. Everything was delicious. We even took the dessert to our hotel because we were so full, and it was just as delicious a couple hours later. The staff was beautiful and we will be raving about Mizuna to everyone! read more

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Wow. Never ever have I had such a bad experience how do I rate 0? As an adult I have never experienced such a terrible experience. So sad. I thought it might be good....no! Don't go!! Dare I mention the odor indoors?? read more

First Impression: Walk in and before anything happens, the first thing I see (because the open kitchen is right behind the maitre d' table) are two chefs talking, one looking at us and saying "shoot, shoot" ... "one more table, how could they impose like that" was the implication. We sit... server comes up, does not introduce himself. At a restaurant of this assumed caliber I expect the server to introduce him or herself to the table, ask how we are doing, and ask what kind of water we prefer. Sounds snobby, but it's just what happens. If you're paying that much for food, there is an assumed level of service quality that should come along with that. Anyway, I ask how the server is doing, he says something like, "great, we're winding down but certainly glad to have you." Winding down? It's 9:25 by this time. I didn't think Denver was a particularly "early" city? Service: Touched on service a bit in "first impressions." The water filler was very diligent. He was all business. Our server was very attentive, but I got the distinct impression that he was overly attentive because he couldn't wait for his shift to be over. We reviewed the menus and were looking at the wine menu when he walked over and said "would you like me to take your orders so we can get those started and someone can come and speak with you about the wine?" 2 thoughts: 1) If this restaurant is intending to be one of the best in a major metropolitain area, your servers should know enough about the wine list to not require the sommelier to recommend something from the per glass list. 2) I don't care what time it is. If you are going to allow someone to reserve a table for any time of day - if you are going to have your door open and welcome patrons to spend money with you - then don't at every touch point with your patron make them feel like they are imposing on your time. Other... they may have been managers? Servers not in serving clothing? Before we were served our dishes, they were already walking around with a beer in hand and another had a glass of wine. They were standing around watching the patrons, waiting for them to leave so they could go do better things. Food: Presentation was lovely. Whoever went to school for that was taking notes. The food however was incredibly dissapointing. Our server recommended the Lobster Mac and Cheese and the Nantucket Scallops. Lobster Mac and Cheese because it had won awards in the past and the Food Network just praised the dish on a show. Nantucket Scallops because chef knew a guy who had gotten some of the best scallops ever tasted. We order: Lobster Mac and Cheese, Warm Spinach Salad, Scallops, Duck "cassoulet" Lobster Mac and Cheese: I think I've made better instant Kraft. This may be a product of being the last table to seat - which makes this all that worse in my opinion because then I get the impression that they have a consistency problem. There was no distinct lobster flavor or essence in the Mac and Cheese itself. There were a few pieces of lobster, but if you were to eat the Mac and Cheese without any lobster bits, there would be no way to tell that lobster had been involved in the preparation. There was far too much creme in the cheese sauce - no one single cheese flavor stood out. Just lots of creme. It would have been better with a sharp cheese to counter balance the heavy creme. To top it off, the macaroni was overcooked and was falling apart. There was no give. You could have taken a potato masher to the dish and it would have mashed together into cheesy gooey nothing. Spinach Salad - average Scallops - this was perhaps the worst preparation of scallops I have ever had, in my lifetime. 4 pan-seared scallops with a friend clam (I think) in the middle and greens on top. There was tartar sauce on top of each scallop. I sliced the first scallop, took a bite, and first flavor was "fishy". Second flavor was "salty". Fishy and salty are two adjectives you do not want to associate with scallops. It was overcooked. I could only eat one. Duck cassoulet - this was a deconstructed cassoulet at best. As defined in Wiki: Cassoulet (from Occitan caçolet [kasu'let]) is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the southwest of France, containing meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans. This was 6 slices of braised or roasted duck (which was good, but too salty) fanned on a plate with 3 deep fried beans, 2 slices of sausage, and this duck liver stuffing type thing piled high in the middle. Yeah. I'm going to skip the dessert. I will leave with this note - I wanted to make two comments in the restaurant but did not: 1) why would you allow anyone to make a reservation for 9:15 if they were going to make it blatently understood that you were not welcome, and 2) the best thing about the meal was the sea salt butter and homemade kalamata bread. read more

This really was an underwhelming dining experience. I had talked to some people about Mizuna and gotten mixed reactions. I read some reviews and should have stuck to their advice (@Cheryl L. re: the duck). My visiting friend really wanted to try Mizuna (something about Anthony Bourdain) and take me out for my birthday celebration. The evening started out well with complimentary valet, coat service, and our table was ready and waiting for us. I was also immediately attracted to Mizuna's cozy and intimate atmosphere. We decided on the paired tasting menu. The wine pairings were wonderful. I enjoyed every wine chosen for me and even got to try a few new things. The most memorable course was the lobster mac and cheese. If I was feeling forgiving, I would come back for that and a glass of wine. Second course -- since tuna conserva is a fancy way of saying preserved tuna; it should promise higher quality than Chicken of the Sea. The olives overpowered the whole dish but fortunately, I am always able to enjoy a rich little quail egg. For course number 3, I had the grilled prawns. They do know how to grill a prawn. But, the prawn itself deserves the most credit. It was plump and tasty and looking back, my meal should have just ended here. For our last course, they really kept us waiting. I'm talking an entire glass of wine wait plus the unasked for refill they provided (very much appreciated!). This wait would have been acceptable if the food ended up being worth the wait. Instead, we dined on ostrich overpowered by seasoning. The server had also raved about the waygu and I managed to convince myself not to get the duck. The waygu new york strip was chewy instead of buttery and it did not come close to melting-in-my-mouth. A true disservice to the famously high quality meat. There was also dessert. It was an enormous and paired with a nice port. The disappointing aspect of this experience is that for a special occasion, a hefty price tag would be justifiable, but only if the food is equally exceptional. read more

Thank you so much, Mizuna. Specifically Chris and Jacqueline- I appreciate your help and enthusiasm with my proposing to my wonderful girl. What a fantastic night. read more

Wow what a disappointment. We were very excited to try this restaurant given the reviews both on yelp and zagats...well it just didn't live up to expectations. 1. Service - our waiter was great but the Sommelier had a bit of an attitude...and we felt like the team had forgotten about us. 2. Wine List - the list was rather short...given how good this place is supposed to be they should reinvest in the inventory and make a more complete list. 3. Food - the first two courses were ok, nothing that great...and they took so long to come out I suspect they forgot about us. We waited an hour b/t the second course and our entree. Now the really bad part - they totally overcooked my veal...I raised it with the waiter and they took it off the bill b/c it was too dry to even eat. Although they offered to replace it by this point we had been at the restaurant for over 2 hours and just wanted to pull the rip cord. Given how expensive this place is they need to be on their game and they werent...if this is the best restaurant in Denver well then I am glad I dint live in Denver... read more

WOW! A small, out of the way, 5 star restaurant, located in Capital Hill. - YES! Interior - small, nicely decorated, not overly stated, quaint, upper class, for special occasions only, as you will pay approximately $30+ per person, but WOW! it is so worth it! Approximately 14 tables, and 7 seats at the bar. There are also 3 or 4 small tables outside. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. Food - WOW!!! Oh My Gosh! Excellent! The flavors that are presented to you on your place are Amazing! The menu changes monthly, or so we were told. Appetizers - My husband ordered the slow roasted pork belly, and he said it was melt in your mouth goodness. It came with Sweet Corn Madeleine and a Palisade Peach Barbeque Sauce. I ordered the Asparagus Salad, which came with Pine Nut Crusted Avalanche Fresh Chèvre, and Mâche. Very lovely, light, and tasty. Entrees - My husband ordered the Lamb. It came with Chanterelle Mushrooms, White Bean Cassoulet, Braised Leg, and Celeriac Salad. He loved the lamb, said it was very moist. I'm not one for lamb, but I did try it. It was moist, and that's all I can say, as I said, I'm not one for lamb. I picture "Mary had a little lamb..." and it just doesn't do it for me. I ordered the Seared NY Strip. It came with Oxtail Daube, PolentaCroquette, and Sweet Corn Nage. Now, I'm not a "have to eat steak type person," but WOW! the NY Strip was excellent! Very tender, easy to cut, and done just right! The entire dish was very well presented, and excellent! Dessert - not this time around, perhaps next. The dessert menu looked very good as well, which, if like the rest of menu, I'm sure is excellent as well. Location - Easy to pass by. Actually, we have been at the other restaurants right around it, and didn't realize that Mizuna was actually there! It is VERY EASY to miss - perhaps the owners should do something about that - make it stand out better. Parking - street or valet, so you have to love that. Service - EXCELLENT!!! Not in your face, but very much aware of what you need. Classes - they do offer some cooking classes, but sign up QUICK, as spaces are filled. Darn - we missed out, but will be watching for the next round! Plan on spending at least an hour, more like two hours, enjoying your meal and your companions. It is so worth it! See you next month for the new menu! read more

When I die I would like to be buried in a coffin made of veal cheeks, foie gras, duck liver pate, sweetbreads, and other delights that were once the province of kings and dukes but can now be had by any common bricklayer with a credit card and his flabby-kneed wife. Mizuna delivers what I'm looking for! On the downside, the wine chosen by the sommelier had a curious effect on my night companion Amy. When we got back home she was somewhat reluctant to choke me with my suspenders while I called her Mommy. Not sure what was up with that! read more

I don't hand out alot of 5 stars on Yelp. We've still got a long list of restaurants to try (we moved here in May) but so far, I'm going to say Mizuna is my favorite restaurant for all-out, beautiful-looking, blow-your-mind tasting food. Service was excellent and I was pleased with all the wine pairings our waiter offered with the entrees we chose (I decided to leave the wine selections to him). We were also impressed with how knowledgeable our waiter was about the food. We were completely happy with the recommendations he made. read more

Best meal in Denver, combined with impeccable service. I recommend the tasting menu, as chef perfectly pairs the food and wine selections. Go hungry, as course after course is surprising and satisfying. read more

I brought a date here last night for a birthday dinner, I expected great things and to be fair the seared foie was spectacular, but that's where it ends. Server: Snooty to the point of rudeness, I chose a Pinot Noir with the Rack of Lamb, and he insisted i go for a Tempranillo instead. I obliged and my date had the Pinot, which upon tasting was a much better pairing. I wouldn't have minded much, had he not been so patronizing about the switch. Food: Again, the Foie Gras, fantastic. We also ordered the duck breast and the rack of lamb. Neither came as ordered, the duck came very rare and the lamb almost med well. We ordered both med rare. Accompanying sides were appropriated, but not spectacular, the goat cheese gnudi was particularly mediocre. To top things off, everything came out room temperature. Atmosphere: Not much to say about it, sufficiently distraction free, our two top in the back was quiet so all good there I suppose. Bottom Line: Never again. Too much money for too little wow factor. Pair that with a rude waiter and you'll be guaranteed a night to forget,except for the dent in your wallet. read more

I usually have a 2-visit before yelping rule, but i dont think Ill be back. This place is so stale! This would be a great place to take your grandparents if they wanted to waste money. the vibe is so 90's. even the outside sign is cheap-looking. The food is good, yeah, but in a typical pretentious fine dining tiny portions way. I've never spent more money to feel less full. With so many more creative, cheaper, more vibrant places in denver popping up i don't see how this place charges so much. I was expecting more as this is supposedly Frank Bonanno's flagship restaurant and I love Bones and Osteria Marco (never been to Luca.) Also, i know fine dining is all-about wine, but at least have a couple decent beer selections. read more

I had been coming to Mizuna for a few years. Always innovative delicious food. Good value. I have recommended mizuna to dozens of others who have gone. I was therefore excited to bring my whole family to mizuna for New Year's Eve dinner, all from out of town. Upon arrival on New Year's Eve I was initially surprised that they'd instituted a prix fix menu, at $125pp. No one had told me, when I booked, that this was the case. They'd called to confirm the reservation, and still didn't mention. $125pp would have been fine though, had the food been up to their standards. Sadly, the food was at best mediocre. Uninspired. Poorly thought out. They had the option to add shavings of truffle on any dish, for an additional $25, which most of us did on one of the dishes, but it was barely noticeable. Not sure if they just barely put any so we couldn't taste it, or if it was a poor quality truffle. Again, mizuna was a place where I went to have creative delicious food, and this had none. Taste was off. Cooking was off. And it cost me nearly $1000 for everyone, with tip. I then wrote directly to mizuna about this a week after NYE and never heard back. Nothing. Not even an acknowledgment that they received the email. Big miss, Mizuna. read more

This is a review of Mizuna's macaroni and cheese dish. I must admit that I have been much anticipating the review of this m&c dish since I still remember the unique taste from the first time I encountered this dish years ago. As with all of my previous mac reviews I am really trying to make sure I am unbiased and disregard any hype...especially with this one since it is such a well received dish. So here we go... Description: First Course: Macaroni & Cheese - Poached Maine Lobster & Mascarpone Enriched Elbow Pasta - $18 Presentation: Simple and elegant presentation with a wide white dish that has the elbow style m&c residing in a center recess of the bowl (I firmly believe elbow pasta is a superior choice to other variations). White creamy texture with a large poached lobster serving in the center surrounded by a funky looking reddish lobster oil sauce that encircles the noodles at the base. The dish is topped with a chervil garnish which serves as a nice refreshing light contrast in flavor. Consistency: Beautifully creamy with a thick, yet smooth texture. Friggin' money. Taste: Buttery , rich and decedent. Seriously, the very first taste of this dish and it separates itself from the rest. No doubt this mac has a deeply rich taste and the buttery poached lobster brings it to a new and unique level. Due to the smaller portion size of the dish you only get about a dozen or so spoonfuls but I'll be damned if each one doesn't grab you by the boo boo. The marscapone cheese, beurre blanc and lobster oil create a taste that you just cant beat. If you google the recipe sometime you will understand the complex preparation that goes into creating this dish. Overall: So, here is the verdict. This truly is the best mac and cheese in Denver that I have tasted so far. But this is only one guy's opinion and I have to take into account that Mizuna's ofering is a relatively small portion with an $18 price tag. This is why I must mention that Denver's best comfort style mac n' cheese is from Stuebens - their appetizer mac for $3 simply can't be beat! Still, the quest continues for the best mac n' cheese in the greater Denver area. Mac n' cheese just makes me happy (and a bit chubby) so I am glad I still have several places on my list to try with plenty of time on my hands. Giddyup!! read more

I'll admit the decor is pretty 90s, and the vibe is kinda dated. But the food is divine. You must, must, must come here for two things: 1) the lobster mac & cheese; 2) the ostrich loin. The lobster mac & cheese is one of the best I've ever had. It somehow manages the feat of tasting both rich and light. How did you do that, chef? Mascarpone in lieu of 7 different cheeses. Incidentally, the chef once did a mac & cheese battle on the Food Network which you can watch and learn how to make this at home. I love you for that Mizuna, because I do not live in CO and would like to eat this again. The ostrich... If you have never had ostrich, this is the place to try it. I have never been disappointed by an ostrich dish anywhere, to be fair. I think that's because ostrich is delicious no matter what you do to it. It's like a lovely, low-fat, juicy piece of prime rib. Nevertheless, you rarely see it on a menu. The ostrich here is absolutely fantastic. It doesn't matter what preparation the chef has brainstormed, it's always amazing. And I am impressed that it is always on the menu here. Please eat it if you're a carnivore. The location is a bit bizarre, I'll be honest. The neighborhood is kinda sketchy, but I appreciate that Mizuna is there to seemingly class up the joint. I would definitely recommend this place for a special night out. read more

We went here for dinner for my birthday and sprung for the tasting menu with the wine pairings. The food was creative and tasty, definitely not anything you make at home or would find at any restaurant. The first course of the tasting menu is really fun, 5 or 6 little bites of different appetizers - like an escargot slider on a puff pastry bun. Fun, right? I'm sure the wine pairings were great, although to be honest my wine pairing knowledge doesn't go much beyond whites with fish, etc. Plus I was so tipsy after 7 courses of wine pairings that I wouldn't have cared if they started dishing out Franzia. Definitely a great place to go for special occasions - amazing food and service. read more

Trust the sommelier. Go for the ostrich. Get dessert. Fabulous local gem.

I was lucky enough to visit this wonderful restaurant during the 5280 restaurant week. Generally, I am anti-restaurant week because of the price. $52.80 is no where near what I usually spend for dinner. More like $8. However, Mizuna may have changed my mind a bit. While I appreciate the five star rankings for this place from my fellow Yelpers, I can't agree with such high praise. Don't get me wrong, the food is amazing and delicious. However, the table setup is cramped which is a clear reach to profit on us eaters as much as possible. I never want to hear the conversation next door about lovemaking in the woods. While interesting, it took away from the delicious flavors of the special menu and strength of the well proportioned drinks. Restaurants always do this. Tables within inches. Don't let it stop you from visiting, however just be prepared to take notes based on your fellow diner's interesting life experiences. read more

I wanted to like Mizuna more. The service and ambiance were great, in my opinion, as was most of the food. My entree, the veal tenderloin, was delectable. The Bing Cherry Bread Pudding was the perfect ending to the meal. The only drawback was the app - I went with the Bang Island Mussels and they were just a bit off-tasting. I didn't feel super later that night, but perhaps it was just the richness of everything. Definitely A-OK, but I wanted to love it - maybe an update in the future is in order. read more

Undeniable hit! Mizuna has some wonderful food, and great service to go along with it. The elegant but not snooty atmosphere makes this a great special occasion place (which is why I was here). Some words of advice if you come - Don't expect this to be a carbon copy of Luca d'Italia. Sure, same chef/owner, even city block. But, the staff is focused on making Mizuna great, and they don't do much talent swapping, especially in the kitchen. - The Macaroni and cheese with lobster is as good as advertised! :) - Unless your knowledge of wine includes the obscure, you'll see little you recognize on this wine list. Luckily, the wine director does, and you'll like what he brings - Diverse dinner menu. The lamb was EXCELLENT! - The temperature of the place can range somewhat. No idea why, since we were as far from the kitchen as we could get - Don't expect too many post dinner options within a quick walk Great experience! read more

This is my absolute favorite kind of restaurant, and I would have to say, in my top 3 in Denver (it could be #1 on most days). The atmosphere is cozy but elegant, sort of like a little bistro, and the service is as good as it gets...friendly, fun, but in keeping with the elegance of the place. While the 5 course prix fixe is a good deal at $115 (with pairings), I tend to eat too much when I do prix fixe, so I was happy with the sashimi appetizer and steelhead trout. Both were light, super flavorful, and presented in a really beautiful way. The wine list here is big enough to find what you want, and small enough to make a quick decision, which is always a plus for me. As we were leaving the wine buyer was doing a Riesling tasting and offered some to us, which was a very nice touch, underlining the entire experience as one that made us feel like we were walking into someone's Italian country home. One other thing I love about this place is that you can come in dressed to the nines, or very casual (not sloppy...casual) and still fit right in. Parking is always an issue in this part of town, but I haven't ever had to drive around for more than 5 minutes before finding parking on the street. However, if I ever did, they do have valet. read more

My wife and I enjoyed a spectacular meal at Mizuna to celebrate our anniversary this weekend. We reveled in the chef's tasting menu and were lucky to meet the very gracious Frank Bonnano, executive chef of Mizuna, who signed a copy of his Mizuna cookbook for the occasion. Predictably, our zeal was met with epic food, genius pairings ... a simply luxurious experience once again. A standout was the braised rabbit with fava beans, absolutely delicious. Other highlights: seared duck breast with foie gras sauce, lump crab salad with heirloom tomato and buttermilk, seared monkfish, curry shrimp soup shooter, and a superb pinot noir that was grown from the clippings of Romanée-Conti. In total we enjoyed 12 different tastes, 5 different wines, and 3 hours of bacchanalian consumption. The biggest surprise of the evening, a fabulously floral white wine from Greece; this was startling, as I previously had regarded Greek wine as typically substandard (though occasionally interesting with Greek food), and some of it being so bad as to be unfit to wash one's tires with it ... obviously I'll have to give Greek wine another chance. If you want to maximize your experience at Mizuna, put yourself into the hands of the chef with the tasting menu ... the regular menu is great, but this tasting menu is a whole 'nother level read more

We celebrated our anniversary at Mizuna and loved the food. The cozy atmosphere surrounded by wine bottles was really romantic and the service outstanding. The menu full of amazing options....I think we spent over 20 minutes trying to choose from too many delicious options...and a wine list that you can spend hours with amazing wines from everywhere. We both started with rabbit for appetizer...it was succulent yet light with cavatelli and a garlic spuma that was yummy For mains, we had the salmon with roasted pork belly and the yellowtail snapper. The salmon was delicious and the pork belly a nice touch, but was definitely rich and oily. The snapper with cereliac purée, peas and celery salad was fresh, flavorful and light. Other amazing options included lamb and duck which I would have loved to try For desert, we went for a chocolate cake with warm fudge which was simply mouth watering. The food doesn't come cheap, but it is a fantastic experience for special occasions read more

This review is based solely on the reservations process. I was very irked when I received a call today saying for my Valentine's reservation which Mizuna had already accepted on 1/6 now had to have a credit card to hold the reservation. They also said they had a special prix fixe menu for Valentine's day, which is sometimes common. The catch is they don't even know what the menu will be until February 1st, or even how much it costs? How can I be expected to hold the reservation until February 1st when I don't even know what's on the menu or even how much it costs? If I waited until the menu came out and canceled after February 1st too I would also have no chance of getting a reservation at any nice place in Denver. read more

It's hard to say anything bad about Frank Bonano, and Mizuna is arguably the best restaurant in Denver--consistently delicious with a menu that changes monthly. Neo-French with an contemporary twist--not ground-breaking, but interesting enough to keep your palate engaged. The ostrich here is the most delicious meat I've ever eaten, and I eat a lot of meat. If you ever see it on the menu, order it. It would be a grave oversight not to mention the service here. I've been eating at Mizuna for years, and even before the servers recognized me, the service was always gracious, attentive, and knowledgeable. It's hard to find people that remember the day when restaurant servers were more than a delivery system between the kitchen and diners (essentially a glorified conveyor belt), but the staff at Mizuna are true hospitalitarians. Add a bang-up sommelier and you've got a glorious dining experience. read more

Quick Valet, great enthusiastic servers, inviting environment....on to the food. We ordered the Prix Fixie which you select an appetizer, salad, seafood and meat dish, and they pick the desert. I had it paired with wine for an additional $40. The food was all great, and the portions were the correct amounts. We had the Pan Seared Foie Gras and Burgundian Escargot En Croute for appetizer, the Roasted Local Baby Beets and Palisade Apple salads, Duo of Maine Lobster and Prosciutto Wrapped Diver Scallops for seafood, Colorado Lamb Loin and Pan Roasted Duck Breast for meat, and I don't remember the desert. I have never had wine professionally paired with food before (beside Boones Farm and Hotdogs) but it was well worth it. I would go again. read more

It was okay. Took forever to get out appetizer and when it came it was mediocre at best. Food was meh. Panda cota was the only outstanding thing about the meal. Won't be spending my money there again. read more

This was the perfect experience for a celebration dinner. I tried the Chefs tasting menu and it was phenominal (I saw other reviews were very negative about this, but it was on par with Michelin meals I've had, highly recommend). I came to celebrate closing on a house and the staff could not have been friendlier. You can tell that it's a collaborative environment and everyone seemed to help each other and really get along well (special shout out to Clare who seemed to be everywhere at once!). Overall amazing food, good service and ambiance, I will definitely be back and cannot recommend enough! read more

It has pretty much already been said, so I'll keep this short and sweet. The food was excellent. I highly recommend the Bison tartar if you are into raw meat. I had the halibut which was above average. However, my husband's selection was the real star- the lamb with a wonderfully earthy morel sauce. Service was very good. Both our server and the sommelier provided the right amount of attention and valuable information to help us enjoy a special meal. This is a good destination for a special dinner. read more

Ever since I moved to Denver from Dallas, I had read so many great Yelp reviews about the diversity of food that exists in Denver. Unfortunately, due to my schooling getting in the way of a lot of my subconscious gourmand tendencies, I have been relegated to eating Jimmy John's sandwiches every other day (not that that's a bad thing - they are good). Anyways, my wife and I's anniversary was coming up and I feverishly looked high and low for a gem in the Denver restaurant scene. I came upon Fruition and decided that was the place to go....until OpenTable denied me a spot at our prime dining time of 7:30. The next place on my list was Mizuna and viola, 7:15 reservation time open. As everyone has stated before, it's located in a very unassuming building next to Lancer Lounge in the Governers Park area of Denver. The street was already full of cars, so we decided to valet since it's "complimentary" if you are eating at a nearby establishment. The interior didn't seem as dated as everyone else says it to be, however, the place is SMALL! We were seated in a small room w/three duo tables and a table of five. We were seated in between two tables and we could hear their conversations since we were literally about a foot away from either table (the only negative of the restaurant). They start by giving you bread...fairly good, but the three butters (regular butter, herb butter, and sea salt butter) make it remarkable. The menu has something for just about anyone on it and we opted for the Mac and Cheese and the Foie Gras for openers. I'm a huge fan of Foie Gras and I swear after eating this Foie Gras, I wanted to offend every PETA person out there by finding every goose/duck in this world to give to Chef Clement. This thing literally melts in your mouth - quite possibly the best Foie Gras I've had. The Mac and Cheese was great too b/c of the huge amounts of lobster they give you. I'd recommended both. For the entree, we ordered the Halibut and Ostrich Loin. I can't comment on the Halibut b/c it was what my wife ordered, but the Ostrich Loin was great! It was a little tougher than beef (maybe I should have ordered it rare) and the finishing taste to eat reminded me of a jerky flavor. The beets in the ostrich dish were glazed w/a French apple brandy and were sweet. The dish also came w/a pastry (bouche) stuff w/St. Augur cheese and walnuts. The cheese was full of flavor; reminds me of a stronger and sharper cave-aged Gruyere. Overall, this is a must eat restaurant in Denver. This place is ruinously expensive, but you pay for what you get...and this place is an absolute gem in the Denver foodie scene! read more

Again, I hate to be the SF food snob, but the restaurants in Denver just don't stack up. The simple low down: Two of us went here for a birthday dinner.....Cost = $200 including tip, Ambiance = 4 stars, Food = 3.5 stars. Our Meal: Salad (first course, shared) Escargot Potpie (second course, shared) Abalone w/ Artichokes (second course, shared) Lobster w/ Gnocchi (main course, each got our own) Chocolate Cake (dessert, shared) The salad and the escargot potpie were the two highlights of the meal. The dessert was also very enjoyable. For about 100 a person the food was disappointing. The bread was WAY too salty. It tasted like it was saturated in sea salt. This is coming from someone who gets down with salt without hesitation. The abalone needed a little more kick. The texture was good and I enjoyed it but it was missing something. The biggest surprise --- the gnocchi stuffed with lobster was very bland. Seriously. Bland. There was nothing there, potato and lobster. There was sauce on the plate and in the lobster shell but the gnocchi still tasted "blah"... it totally sucked. It sucked even worse because I expected it to blow my mind. The room itself has a great feel. There is a quiet buzz and the lighting is fantastic. Our service was conscientious and generally knew what he was doing. When asked what mushrooms were in the escargot potpie he couldn't tell us but overall he was pretty knowledgeable. The hostess was great. When we called to change our reservation she was very helpful and friendly. The biggest surprise (cause lets be honest, good food in Denver is easy to come by, GREAT food is nearly impossible to find) was the bathroom. It was dirty. On top of the toilet there was a canvas tote that had toilet paper roll hardware that had fallen off the wall and nail polish remover. WTF? For the cost, I rather spend a little less and go to Rioja. read more

In some case it is not how well a restaurant does but how they handle things when it isn't perfect. this was the case when I visited Mizuna. Was the food perfect no, was the Manager perfect, yes. I would give them 4.5 stars but the rating system doesn't allow for this. Free valet parking - love it! You drive up, they give you a little white card, the guy drives off, you hope they bring your car back when you are done. We had reservations and we were seated promptly. When you walk in you see a table of butter dishes just to the right of the hostess stand. I loved this. There is nothing I hate more than being served ice cold butter that you can barely get your knife through and then it doesn't spread very well on your bread. We then ordered the Slow Roasted Pork Belly. This was the part of the meal that wasn't perfect. It was a little tough and overdone but the taste was okay. I explained what we didn't like about it and the Manager took care of us. My dining companion ordered the Slow Roasted Duck Breast and for myself, the Dry Aged NY Strip. I did ask to sub in grilled asparagus for the polenta and sweet corn and they obliged. While the NY Strip was very tasty it paled in comparison to the Duck. The bite of Duck that I had was melt in your mouth delicious and I spent the whole meal convinced that I had ordered the wrong thing. It's 3 days later I'm still thinking about that one bite of Duck. I know I ordered the wrong thing. I passed on my dessert but my dining companion ordered the Strawberry Rhubarb Millefeuille with the sweet basil sauce. Millefeuille means millions of layers - who knew. The smell of this dessert was out of this world. I would never have thought to put Basil and Strawberries together but I will now. I will be going back to get a full blown plate of that duck as one bite was just not enough! read more

Just shy of greatness. The food here is very very good...but ...the service a little bit patronizing, I asked to have my dish served with another side and they were very hesitant. ...the bar is a little stiff. I wanted fresh lime juice for my cocktail which they did serve, but with the same ambivalence ...the place needs a facelift, from the worn carpeting to the strange old-school padding on the benches We had the mac and cheese(nice and creamy)salmon, (good but could have used more seasoning) lobster bisque(light, creamy, with chunks of potato), and lava cake(excellent, but small portion). My husband's entree was not served warm. All in all a good experience and the food is exceptional, but they're going to have to work a little harder to earn the final stars. read more

Excellent food, but they need more mid-priced food selections when someone in a party doesn't feel like spending $40 for a very small entree. Plus, their menu pricing is deceptive, as they list some things at one price but then add an additional fine print "supplemental" price addition to certain entrees. It's a bit sketchy -- if not unethical. Nice restaurant & ambience with exceptional customer service -- but as a lover of both fine things and value, I think Mizuna needs to check themselves before they wreck themselves. True story. read more

Guess I better catch up on my reviews! My husband and I dined here only because we had an awesome high value gift certificate, otherwise, it probably wouldn't be on my list of places to dine right now. In any case, as mentioned by other reviewers, the seating is tight. Tables are very close together and it gets hot - quick. We were arrived early for dinner and asked for at table near the wall. Little 2 seater tables are best by the wall, otherwise you'll get stuck in the middle area and that really looked like it sucked. Food - was excellent, can't complain. Had escargot, shared a house green salad and for dinner I opted for the lobster plate complete with a lobster bisque and lobster watercress salad. I must say, the salad was hella yummy, however, the lobster in my bisque was a little rubbery. More than slightly overcooked to be honest, but very flavorful. For desert I opted for the espress brulee and my husband went for the chocolate cake deal. Overall, on the pricey end, but the food was worth. May come back for a special occasion. read more

WOW, just WOW! One of the best meals I have had in town. I love the monthly menu switch ups, the cozy atmosphere, the spectacular service....let me gush on. I had the NY strip and it was a slice of heaven. The steak was perfectly cooked (which can be tricky with medium well) and was juicy and well-spiced. The potatoes and vegetables rounded the dish out perfectly and the portion size would make Goldilocks proud ("just right"), leaving both my girlfriend and I pleasantly full with room for dessert. Speaking of, do yourself the favor of the century and order the peanut butter cup. It was so scrumptious that I'm not sure words can adequately describe the rich peanut butter mousse, the rich chocolate cake and the perfect milk chocolate shell. It was served with milk (flavored with Tahitian vanilla, though the flavor didn't really come through)....I die. Seriously, I would come back just for dessert. (We ordered it with the key lime pie, which was the perfect compliment-tart and sweet all at once, thanks to the graham cracker crust). And the atmosphere....so sweet and quaint, while not the least bit pretentious. Attire ranged from yoga pants to little black dresses and everything in between with nary an eyebrow raised. From the moment you are greeted by a friendly valet, walk under a canopy of twinkle lights and inside to a causally elegant space, you will be enchanted. Looking forward to return for a special occasion in the near future...or maybe just next Saturday.... read more

This restaurant is definitely one of the best restaurants in the Denver scene...but didn't beat Fruition for me, which is still my favorite. The farm to table concept gives everything on the menu a fresh feel. You know that anything that you order is going to be beautifully prepared and plated. I also loved the open kitchen concept. It felt very honest. For a starter we had the pork belly, which didn't disappoint and for dinner we shared the NY strip and the Monkfish. Both were great. For me, the lacking star is that I know that if we go back, we wouldn't deviate much from our original order. I have a pretty adventurous palate but just can't bring myself to try the ostrich or escargot. Maaaaaybe the escargot on a good day... I just can't get into trying new game often. But there are a few other options as well as many tasty looking appetizers and I do know that they change their menu occasionally, so I would be interested to try again. I am just not racing to make my next reservation just yet. The service was great all around and the sommelier was really helpful. We stopped in here on a whim (thank you Open Table) for an impromptu dinner date night and for the price point probably should have saved Mizuna for a more planned, special occasion dinner... but when in Rome. We finished with the croissant bread pudding and the Madeira which were also amazing. We weren't aware that they offered a pre-fixe menu or wine pairing until now when reading reviews so that is a little disappointing but I definitely recommend trying out this restaurant and deciding for yourself! read more

The food here was definitely 4 stars, but the service and business practice is not quite 4 stars. First of all I had to call several times to book a reservation, after attempting to book via "Open table", although the hostess was being faux friendly on the phone, I can she was only accommodating to me b/c I called that many times... So when I finally arrive at the place, I did not see a valet attendant standing at valet booth to know that there was complementary valet, since it was hard to find parking and I wanted to get a jump start on getting seated for the table I had the driver of my dinner party pull over in front of the restaurant let me check in my name with the hostess. Checking in with the hostess: when I walked up to the hostess booth to check in my name for my reservation, the hostess told me that my reservation was outside, which clearly wasn't what I anticipated. The outside patio, isn't the most appealing area to dine either. It's more like a reject table. The tables were just placed outside of the street that did not have the ambiance flow coming from inside of the restaurant at all. You felt disconnect after seeing concrete, dust and leaves all over your table. After checking in with the hostess: I told her that I am having trouble parking and will need to go back outside to see where my dinner party is going to park and if it will be down the street or not. She said ok, and that was it. She did NOT tell me that valet service is open and that I would have complementary service if I dined there. So I leave the hostess booth and walk outside..... to see my dinner party already walking towards me, obviously they found a place to park, but later in this review you will see that it wasn't the correct side of the parking lot.. The waiter service: since we were 1 of the 2 tables outside, I saw that the waiter was not too thrilled going in and out of the front door to serve us and having to answer stupid questions that one of my party guest had due to inexperience with fine dining.. ( how in the heck do you not know what Veal is? Seriously) The food: Hudson Foie Gras: This delicate dish was full of flavor. You can taste the butteryness of the foie gras, the biscuits helped offset foie gras taste and texture. It was also easy to cut into, without having to carefully cut into in fear of smashing the foie gras. Bass: I didn't remember anything significant about this dish that made me want to order it again. It was just bass garnish with mushrooms that shouldn't have been paired up to begin with and port wine sauce. Duck breast: the duck was surpassing the bass at this point with the tender, and non-gamey meat. I like how the seasoning was used to offset the duck smell. The vegetables helped move the star to a 4 on this dish. Beef loin: the beef was seasoned really well, but was not cooked per our specification. We asked for medium rare, but was served at medium that was slighty over cooked. I would have enjoyed a better steak elsewhere. Dessert.. eh I think that the price we paid was overpriced for the very light portion of the dessert. I don't exactly remember which 2 we ordered. Overall, the highlight of the food was the Foie Gras. Hands down. The kicker of the dining experience here..... The total of the bill for 4 people was over $450, which did NOT include the extra $350 in cash that we had to pay for our rental car getting towed! Apparently our car was slightly parked on the wrong side of the yellow line that had a tow away sign strategically placed in which you wouldn't normally see it. So when I didn't find my car and didn't see any visible signs for the towing company that towed my rental, I walked back in to Mizuna and told them what had happened. They were apologetic, but really didn't do much. One of the other hostess told the manager in return told here that a lot of Mizuna customers have been getting their vehicles towed the past week and looked at me a shrugged his shoulders. She then turned to me and said that is why we have valet, at this point I wanted to maintain composure and tell her "duh"... If your other hostess would have told me so, then this wouldn't have happened. So after I keep inquiring about the Towing of my car, the hostess was finally able to "conveniently" give me the direct number for the towing company, b/c obviously the other Mizuna customers probably had to do the same as I did. To say the least, I don't know if food was that spectacular that I would over come the service and how I was treated here. I felt like that my patronage here was not appreciated..... read more

We arrived and were seated at very nice corner table. Mizuna is cozy but not cramped and elegantly decorated. We were greeted by our server Heather who turned out to be excellent. She has great insight on the dishes and preparations and here suggestions were insightful. She also has that ability to come by right as you might have some sort of need. We also noticed that all the staff is responsible for guests enjoyment. The bartender would not only make drinks but deliver them if your server was busy. Very nice customer first attitude and well executed. Heather suggested the house margarita, good call its fantastic! made on premises with various reductions it had an almost blood orange taste. Try it you will be impressed. First course Asparagus soup Delicious, fresh creamy with a parmesan biscuit. Perfectly seasoned and a great start Second course Asparagus salad. Did we just have this? Not by a long shot the plate consists of many unique bits including greens asparagus and several other items some of which I could not identify but they were all excellent. Lightly dressed it was very good. Main course Almost ordered the NY strip but Heather (correctly) noted that it had an Asparagus component as well and I went for the Duck. It was perfectly done, didn't need a heavy glaze just perfectly pan seared on a nice bed of grains an vegetables. My wife ordered seared scallops. Seeming easy but hard to execute well on, beautifully presented perfectly seared fresh scallop. On the plate we excellent rolls of potatoes and vegetables. Excellent once again. Dessert We never made it to the menu, we say a Chocolate Sphere go by to another table and just went with that. It was awesome with layers of chocolate flavors and a burre blanc poured on top that burrowed right into the sphere. Great food, service and atmosphere, I will no doubt try the other restaurants in Mr. Bonanno's little compound off 7th. Valet service is nice in an area where parking can be scarce. read more

The duck is amazing! The ambeance is wonderful. Came here for a company dinner, and everything was to perfection. Only 4 stars for waiting 20 mins for a drink. The food however, was amazing. WILL go back again. read more

Mizuna - New American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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