BRUTO

For me, this type of dining experience is a special treat, not something I do very often and something that, for the price, I had very high expectations for. My experience exceeded all expectations. Incredible food, service, had a great time with some friends celebrating a milestone year in our careers. And I think this is an amazing spot to celebrate such things, especially with the thoughtfulness and creativity given to the food.

What an incredible experience at Brutø! My husband and I went for our first anniversary and it was just perfection. The food was absolutely incredible and so unique. The mixed beverage pairing was to die for and truly enhanced the flavors of each dish. All of the staff were so kind and made our night so special but I must give an extra shoutout to Carson, the sommelier! Carson was so kind and attentive and when there was a beverage pairing that I couldn’t have due to an allergy (that I forgot to mention), he quickly jumped in and brought me a glass of wine to take its place and oh my goodness it was the best glass of wine I’ve ever had. Brutø surpassed any and all expectations we had. We were just hoping for a nice meal to celebrate our first anniversary but we got a spectacular experience. I cannot recommend enough! 5 stars is not nearly enough!

Elevated tasting menu inspired by Chef Byron's Costa Rican roots. Brutø is inspired by a brutalist, raw connection with food - and its ambience is reflected. The kitchen, 18-seat dining area and foyer are all one open, neo-industrial space in which concrete and steel are somewhat softened by lighting and splashes of color from food or dishware. They have two groups of seating per evening, one around 5pm and the other at 8pm, which they stagger into 3 groups each so food can be batched and presented appropriately. Everything is thoughtfully curated and choreographed, from the beverage selection to the portions of the plating that you get to see between courses. But the choreography does feel a bit stiff and cold at times. While the maitre'd was lovely, it was harder to engage with the other staff. I generally avoid alcohol pairings (my taste buds get overstimulated after the first few rounds), but I did enjoy my cocktail from the a la carte menu. Through our 7 course tasting menu, we explored a fun fusion of local and Central American cuisines. The bread mentioned in previous reviews is gone, but we traveled from ocean, plains, and forest in various presentations of small plates. Some of the bites seemed less inspired (of course adding pate and caviar is going to feel fancy), but other courses like the red snapper ceviche and chocolate + papaya dessert were playful, tart, and funky. You can tell that sustainability is also a huge part of the consciousness here. Be open minded to different flavor and texture profiles and know that not every dish is meant to please everyone. We ended our meal with a copy of the evening's menu as well as a satchet of house-made spices meant to evoke the essence of this Costa Rican fusion. I appreciated the effort that went into each course's preparation, but I don't know that I would pay for another experience even with a different menu.

Overall: the food had real bright spots, the mission is admirable, and the guest chef element was cool. But the service, pacing, and gift card situation made the experience feel far less polished than it should have been. I don't leave negative reviews lightly as I appreciate how hard it can be to run a restaurant, so here are the details that will hopefully help the place improve: We were given a gift card to BRUTØ and decided to use it for our anniversary. We like what they stand for, appreciate their stated mission, and thought it would be a good fit for us. They were hosting a guest chef from Costa Rica that night, which was exciting. I believe 3 or 4 of the 7 courses were his creations. He was very kind and had a great vibe. The food itself was solid, and some dishes were genuinely great: inventive, interesting, and memorable. Not every course was a slam dunk, but I’d say about 4 of the 7 were punching above their weight. The bigger issue was the overall experience. Value is subjective, and yes, it’s expensive with small portions, but that would not really be a gripe for us if the plates all slapped and the service matched the price point. Unfortunately, it didn’t. We had a 5:30 reservation at a restaurant that opens at 5, and we still had to wait to be seated after arriving on time. If there’s a wait, that’s fine, but give us something: an introduction to the concept, a welcome drink, a drink menu to look over. Anything. The pacing also felt off. Courses seemed to come out roughly every 20 minutes, which did not feel balanced with the portion sizes. It came across less like intentional pacing and more like a function of trying to manage parties where some people had the drink pairing and others didn’t. That setup probably needs to be reworked. After our first drink, which we finished around the the start of third course, we were not offered another until right before dessert, when a different waiter finally asked. At that point, we declined. I wanted to enjoy my drink with the food, not after most of the meal was already over. Individually, these are small things. In aggregate, it just was not up to the standard I expect for the purported calibur. Then came the weirdest part: the gift card. Our tasting menu had already been paid for up front, around $300, and the remaining bill was about $150. They gave us the gift card back with a $50 balance. Guys. It’s a $500+ night to dine with you. Why are you trolling me by leaving $50 on the gift card? When I asked if they could use the full balance, I got a disapproving look and was told it would be an “ordeal.” Uhhh, what is the 22% service charge for, if not to handle small ordeals with grace instead of annoyance? Apparently it required refunding $50 through OpenTable and then charging the gift card. Seems like a pretty straightforward 'ordeal'. After a couple minutes the server handed me the card and walked away without any concluding comment or receipt. I stood around waiting for what I imagined should be a receipt showing the refund. About 20 minutes later, I asked the server if they were still working on it and only then did he clarify that our business was concluded and that I’d get an email from OpenTable about the refund. That could have been explained when the card was handed back. Update: 2 --> 3 stars. The manager made a proactive and worthwhile attempt to address the issue after the fact. They did not ask me to change or update my review; they simply took the feedback seriously, showed accountability, and ultimately handled the situation in a professional manner.

Another great experience trying a new restaurant in Denver. The detail in the dishes they use to present the food and the food melting in your mouth. All your senses are awakened while eating meals.

Food was average at best. The main was an oddly prepared New York strip sopping in Worcestershire sauce. The service was awkward and unpolished. There is no bathroom. Plenty of other places in Denver for a nice meal.

We came here to celebrate a birthday and unfortunately left disappointed. The food was good, but the price point did not match the quality or overall experience. What made it worse was that the staff asked when we arrived whether we were celebrating anything, and we told them it was a birthday. After that, there was absolutely no acknowledgment: no candle, no dessert, not even a simple “happy birthday.” It made the occasion feel completely overlooked and not special at all. Overall, the experience did not live up to the reputation or price point. We’ve honestly had better and more thoughtful experiences at regular restaurants. If you’re planning to celebrate something important here, don’t expect the experience to feel special. Trust the Reddit reviews.

Bruto ended up being one of my favorite meals in Denver and felt like one of those tasting menus where every course kept landing. They were running a Costa Rican inspired menu when I went, and by the end I realized there really wasn't a weak dish all night. The service stood out too. My server was great and added a lot to the experience. He gave me a bunch of recommendations around Denver and made the meal feel relaxed rather than overly formal. The opening bites immediately set the tone. There was a pepper cracker, a serrano bite, and a blood sausage cake, and all of them were strong. After those first few courses I already had a feeling this meal was going to be good. Right after that came my favorite course of the night. It was avocado, caviar, and soursop ice cream paired with a non alcoholic drink, and somehow all of it worked together ridiculously well. The pairing actually made the dish even better. That was the moment where I stopped and thought, okay, this place is doing something special. The menu leaned heavily into seafood and fish, which ended up being the strongest part of the night. The ceviche tasted incredibly fresh and every fish dish was a hit. The meat course with yuca was probably the least memorable dish, but even that was still good. More of a situation where everything else was operating at such a high level. Dessert ended things really well too. I loved their Costa Rican style horchata drink and the petit fours were great. Costa Rican horchata is a little different from the version most people think of and I ended up loving it. By the end of the meal I realized there really weren't any misses. I'd absolutely go back.

Amazing experience— wonderfully curated tasting menu and great service. N/A drinks were well crafted

The Costa Rica inspired tasting menu was lovely. I will think about the depth of the ceviche dish they served for a long time to come. I loved the sustainability and the extent to which they use all parts of their ingredients for the menu and beverages. The service is excellent and they have created an environment that really just lets you focus on the food, your company and the experience. i would go back in a heartbeat! PS- the drink pairing is worth it!

The food is absolutely INCREDIBLE. We did the Costa Rican themed menu and every thing was awesome. The cocktails pairing is a must. It definitely compliments each dish in a way I have never experienced before. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars for service is because the seating next to us had a server who was surprisedly disruptive. He realized the couple he was serving were also in the service industry and spent a great deal of time talking pretty loudly about his certification, what moving to Denver from sf has been like, challenges finding a wine study group, and his desire to exchange info. For context, the general ambience of this place is very quiet and hushed. The chefs are almost putting on a performance of prepping each dish and serving it. In that environment his conversation was pretty loud. On the flip side, the person who made the cocktails is an absolute genius. The dishes were great but the way each drink complimented them is what will have us going back.

Really fun dinner! A more modern and industrial twist than Wolf's Tailor. Everything we ate was interesting and tasty. Really more of an "experience" than just a dinner out.

Truly a spectacular culinary experience.