Mizu Izakaya – Denver Japanese Restaurant

Went here for my birthday today! It’s a pretty popular spot—overall, the food was great but the environment really didn’t work for me. Food: Customizable sashimi and nigiri—everything was super fresh. The sweet shrimp and scallops were especially delicious! 4.5/5 Uni Carbonara – 4.9/5!!! SO GOOD, like…seriously amazing 😭 The sea urchin was big, sweet, and super fresh. I was down to my last few bites and still wanted to pack it up…and maybe lick the plate? 👀 Environment: (Personal preference alert) I’d give it a 1/5!!!!!! Because it was SO DARK and SO LOUD! 🚫 First, the place isn’t very big, and tables are kinda close. We arrived at 5:45 PM on a Saturday with a reservation, and it was already almost full. It was way too dark—if “mood lighting” means “can’t see a thing,” I’d rather just eat in bed with the lights off. 🛏️ Each table only had one tiny candle, so we had to use our phone flashlights to read the menu. Even taking these photos, my iPhone kept switching to Night Mode. Honestly, the darkness kinda killed my appetite and my vibe for pictures. 😒 Second, it was extremely loud! With so many people packed in, plus heavy bass music blasting, my friend and I had to SHOUT to hear each other. And as a true mile-high-altitude weakling 😅, everything in Denver already feels like a workout—including talking in this restaurant. For my birthday, they gave us a cheesecake with a strawberry on top—sweet but nice. The best part? It came with a little sparkler! 🎆 When they lit it, our table was finally…the brightest spot in the whole place. “Let there be light,” indeed. ✨ Writing this now just makes me sigh…the food was seriously excellent, but the atmosphere just wasn’t my thing. A bit of a shame! 😕 #Sashimi #Sushi #RestaurantRecommendation #FoodReview #Denver