Major Tom

Houston, we have a problem. Because major tom is in Denver instead of Houston. Selfishly, because I live in Houston, I would love if this bistro style sister restaurant to Beckon had a Houston location so that I wouldn't have to keep flying back to Denver to enjoy it. But, when I am in town, Beckon is always on the list, but almost always, so is major tom. I will admit that I am jealous that Denver has such amazing restaurants like major tom, because when I left the Denver area in 2008 to move back to Houston, the food scene was in it's extreme infancy phase. It was just sad, bland, and boring. Fast forward 16 years, and Denver is one of the hottest food scene cities in the country.I knew that major tom was going to be amazing when I was first told by one of Beckon's managers that they would be opening this casual bistro concept, months before it opened, I was eager and ready to try it. By the time I was back in Denver, it had opened, I had dined, and I was of course impressed with all that the team had to offer. Denver has enough beautiful days, that the outside patio, which doubles the dining room size, offers an urban garden to enjoy a cocktail or dinner. The interior reminds me of a European bistro with a few bar seats, and a handful of tables lining the long community booth seats.The interior decor is a mix of modern artistic design and European bistro, with an interesting unisex bathroom that will make you feel that you've landed on Mars. The reddish yellow tinted lighting, exposed wall sink pipes, and the interesting sink nozzle will send you to another world. Just watch where you step since most men do not aim as well as they think they do.If exquisite wines, handcrafted cocktails, and a distinguished selection of beers is your thing, then this is your place for a drink. Not a drinker? They have some of the best zero proof offerings I've had anywhere. The first time I came in, I brought my niece. She's exploring her world through food, and because she is an emerging amateur artist, I thought she would appreciate the culinary offerings. Ok, so I was wrong about her exploring elevated bistro food, since she mostly just wanted to eat through the fries and way too much bread (we ended up with 3 orders of bread), but the bread was so good. I would highly recommend ordering one, which is more than enough to split between 2 people, and perfect for 3-4 people. Dressed oysters, the fry sauce, and the Basque cheesecake (not currently offered on the menu), were definitely the highlights of our meal.The staff at major tom are shared and trained the same as the staff at Beckon. The only difference is that there is a more relaxed feel, even with the staff in major tom. All the same, I always feel welcomed and like a valued guest with the staff, and they are always so eager to ensure that diners have a great experience. I cannot say enough about how the staff are highly professional, engaging, and keen to details. They are truly worth the tips they earn.Like most restaurants in RiNo, parking is tough. major tom is no exception. There is no parking at all provided by the restaurant, nor is there a valet service. I would highly recommend to either wear your walking shoes because you'll be parking at least a couple blocks away, or get a ride share. I personally opt for the ride share since I don't bother to rent a car when I'm in town. For in-towner's or out-of-towner's, major tom is a must-try for anyone's culinary journey.

Came here after a wonderful dinner at Beckon just next door.The place is modernly designed and decorated for a small space. I was full so did not try any of the food. I'm sure it's great. It was not too crowded, some groups enjoying the night. They have indoor/outdoor seating. Seems like an easy place to hang. Server - our server (according my receipt is Allison) was great, service was quick, which I appreciated. Drinks- I decided to go with First Ascent which has passion fruit, ginger beer and almond. This is actually on there mocktail list. But I told them to add gin to it, to make it a cocktail. Sometimes mocktails can become great cocktails and vice versa. Very light and refreshing. Give it a whirl, if your so inclined.

Feeling majorly inspired by @majortomdenver! Named after David Bowie's iconic song "Space Oddity," this cozy spot is the perfect date night destination. The atmosphere is intimate and the menu is approachable, making for a low-key dining experience& yet classy. The roaring fireplace outside adds a romantic touch to the ambiance. And let's talk about the food - impeccable! The cocktails are divine and the in-house made desserts are heaven. The staff, especially Tim, went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. I can't wait to come back to this 10-month-old gem. Featured dishes:Venison TartareShiitake mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes, aioli + s /p potato chipsFarm VeggiesSeasonal vegetables, smoked yogurt + almondOra King SalmonFennel, potato + tarragonCream PuffVanilla creme diplomatCocktails:The AlpineForthave Yellow, gentiane, cocchi americano, creme de menthe, lemon bitters + saltThe MoviesPuffed amaranth-infused bourbon, manzanilla sherry + mole bitters

Drinks:We were heading to beckon and came early. They had us sit at Major Tom while we waited which I have to say is a nice "waiting room". We actually weren't drinking this night but we had two delicious mocktails. One was a smoked watermelon and the other was a lemon pepper (no heat) with sparkling water. Both hit the spot!Ambience:Super cute place. The outside has heaters and almost as big as the inside. The inside is fairly small. Not sure if they take reservations but I would recommend getting one as we sat at the last table on a Wednesday night (it was packed)Would come back!

Cannot say better things about this restaurant. Truthfully one of the best meals I've had (including the other 5 people at my table) in Denver and in general in a long time! Each dish was flavorful and one-of-a-kind, there's not one dish we weren't impressed with. The staff and kitchen team were unbelievably hospitable and made us feel welcome, special, and like family. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy. A hidden gem with unbelievable talent! 10/10

We were able to get last minute reservations for an early dinner. Major Tom is next door to Beacon, where their sign can be easily missed. Very cute and curated space for fine dining. Enjoy indoor or outdoor heated patio seating. Tiny but mighty kitchen setup and shared space with the bartender with a massive selections to choose from. Service was spot on. Waters were never left empty and always asked if you wanted another round if your drink. Everything tasted fantastic and made perfectly in their tiny kitchen. We opted for family style so we can to taste a bit of everything. The menu rotates during the seasons, so what I had might not mirror what's available today. The bathroom decor is super cute - Major Tom theme. Pricer so probably not your everyday place but special occasions or with friends. Happy eating! Oysters CabbageHeirloom saladTartareFriesPanisseCream puff

A cute, cozy, and romantic spot for a date night. Professional service, great drinks, and a wine list. The only thing that I think is a miss, is the menu is very small. We tried five of the ten or so dishes. If this was a weekly or daily menu that would be fine, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The beets were delicious. The babka was OK but didn't impress. The tartar was also delicious, I would have liked to see the quail egg on top. The fries were another hit.The skirt steak was as tender as a fillet and delicious. I would definitely come back!

A charming little restaurant in the heart of the action at RiNo serving up fun and interesting foods and drinks.Given that I can only rate 4 or 5, I give a 5 even though I want to give 4.5 stars. Minus half a phantom star for food execution, which I will explain throughout the food review.We made reservations for Saturday at 4:15pm. Earlier than I typically prefer for dinner, but happy hour is from 4-5! The ambiance was dark, hip, and modern art. Even the utensils were black and had a slight modern art look to it. We were warmly greeted when we entered and taken to our table. I especially loved the rustic cloth napkins. We ordered a couple cocktails and a few dishes to try. Thanks to happy hour, the cocktails were 50% off and the oysters were 1/3 off.The absinthe cocktail had a wonderful black licorice flavor. The sweetness from the vermouth and the herbal flavor from the creme de violette complemented the dominant absinthe licorice, but masked the aggressive and less pleasant aspects of pure absinthe.The porto cocktail was pretty sweet and simple, but very well balanced. A crowd pleaser for sure and a classy drink.The oysters were fantastic. Fresh, clean flavor. It came already composed with the right amount of champagne jelly and pickled shallot. I particularly enjoyed it with several drops of fresh squeezed lemon wedge, which seemed to bring forward salinity.The Morel and spring pea tartine was a 100% hit. Beautifully composed dish with fantastic mushroom flavors. This kind of dish would make me not miss meat.The shooting star (seafood tartine) was mostly awesome. Luxuriously topped with delicious caviar and perfectly cooked prawns. My one complaint was the halibut. Everything about it was perfect except for the dryness. Not sure how to fix that other than maybe pick a fish that is more oily?The pork chop was a bit of a disappointment. The quality of the meat was excellent, but most of the meat was overcooked (medium well) and a bit dry. The meaty bits right on the bone was perfection. Honestly, I don't know if I ever saw a bone-in pork chop cooked a perfect medium using just a pan and an oven, which is the technique that this kitchen used. The apple cider vinegar jus that pooled at the bottom of the dish was absolutely delicious. The salt crystals were awesome, but not plentiful enough for me. I would have loved to have 1 giant salt crystal with each bite.The popcorn eclair was almost a flop for us. The cream inside was amazing and delicious. The popcorn inside the cream was somehow kept crunchy, but was insanely salty. When eaten with the cream, it wasn't inedible salty. The pastry was nice and slightly crusty in a good way with nice flavor.Overall, we had a delightful experience. While I felt that the food was not perfection, it was still good and not lacking in creativity.

Drinks: we had a bottle of champagne for our group. Idk which it was, but it was crisp, bright and nicely complemented the rich food we had. The plates here are meant to be shared family-style (exceptional ones that changed our perception of the dish are starred below): the salmon was deliciously fatty and tasted like salmon should taste. The portion size was large enough it could probably feed one person. Beets were slightly sweet, rich soft cheese (probably a goat cheese). They tasted as beets should taste.*Savory babka: eating this reminded me of eating a well baked, fresh croissant in loaf form with a tantalizing flavor of rosemary and generous serving of butter. Great for sharing with the group. *Panisse: these chickpea fritters are perfection. You would hardly know they're made with chickpea, it's so creamy and smooth and perfectly crispy on the outside. You get 4 fritters, so you may need to order more than one plate. *Venison tartare: it comes with a generous serving of what tasted like fried root vegetable chips (possibly taro or some sort of potato), typical size for the tartare itself. No gamey flavor whatsoever! It was so good our group ordered another plate. *Miso Cabbage: I was skeptical about paying $26 for cabbage, but this is well worth it! Like a well-roasted artichoke, the cabbage is charred and crispy on the outside and soft and so delicious on the inside. This dish really elevated and changed our idea of what cabbage could be. It was about half a cabbage or so, a portion large enough we didn't need to order more of it. Dessert: cream puffs that made me feel like I was eating in the French countryside, the cream was so fresh and the pastry so well baked. Overall: Exceptional service and food. Small but wonderful ambience for a night out. The only downside is that this restaurant is located in the RiNo, which makes finding parking difficult. Nevertheless, I will definitely be back!

Everything my gf and I had here was amazing. The duck and the bass were both 10 / 10, but I'd have to say the babka and tartare were my favorite. I went to Hell's Kitchen in Vegas last month, I would say Major Tom was a better experience and it's not really close. Will be recommending to anyone I know traveling to Denver.