Denver’s most anticipated restaurant seats only 8 people — and it was named one of the best new restaurants in the world
Apr 13, 2026, 1:56 PM
If you don’t mind dropping around $225 per person on a meal, there’s a spot coming to Denver that will make all of your foodie friends really jealous!
The most anticipated restaurant opening in Denver this year will seat fewer people than a minivan.
Chef Johnny Curiel and his wife and business partner, Kasie Curiel, will open Fonda Maize on May 13 in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood — an 18-course Mexican tasting menu experience that accommodates just eight diners at a time, with only two seatings per night.
The concept has already drawn international attention. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants named Fonda Maize one of the 27 most anticipated new restaurant openings on the planet this year, placing it alongside debuts in London, Tokyo and Los Cabos. Bon Appétit included it on its top 10 most anticipated list nationally.
The menu will feature raw dishes, house-made ferments, unique moles and masa-based creations developed in partnership with Boulder’s Masa Seed Foundation. The drinks program will focus on Bozal Maize mezcal, made from hand-harvested Mexican corn. Guests can expect extensive interaction with the chef throughout the meal.
Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Curiel draws inspiration from the foods he grew up eating, particularly his mother’s cooking. In a recent interview, he called his mother’s frijoles puercos with sourdough flour tortillas his comfort food — a dish she makes for him every time he returns to Mexico.
Curiel’s existing restaurant, Alma Fonda Fina in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, has become one of the most celebrated restaurants in the state. It earned a Michelin star in 2024. It was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2025 and is a finalist again this year. Curiel’s other restaurant, Alteño, was named to Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America list for 2025.
Fonda Maize represents a deliberate shift in scale. Where Alma Fonda Fina serves a full dining room, the new concept strips the experience down to eight seats, 18 courses and a level of intimacy that puts the chef and the diner in direct conversation.
Reservations for Fonda Maize have not yet been announced. More information is available at fondamaize.com.
