It hardly took any time at all for BearLeek to establish itself as one of the most exciting restaurants ever to emerge in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. Since debuting in August 2025, the restaurant has quickly gained acclaim for its mostly refined, often irreverent takes on dishes like burrata, seasonal vegetables and vividly-presented proteins. The collaboration between chefs Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki, and Beverage Director Carlos Hugo Meza has consistently hit on all cylinders, churning out drinks and dishes that are excellent in their own right, but even better when taken as a whole.
In April, the team launched its spring menu. It will be the fourth list that’s been offered, and one that Porter says follows the same fundamental outline as its predecessors. “There’s always going to be a crudo and a tartare,” he said, noting that while the offerings follow the same fundamental format each time, new dishes are built from the ground up based on what’s in season.
This menu features some of the best items the trio has produced yet. The duck fat madeleines with chicken liver mousse and Cara Cara marmalade are exactly what they sound like, a sweet-savory cookie that does a nice job of disorienting diners who believe that dessert shouldn’t come first. The grilled asparagus with trout roe beurre blanc eviscerates any notion that the stalks, all too often an afterthought, should be relegated to being a side. But of all the menu’s many delights, it’s the red snapper crudo that may have cemented itself as one of the city’s current great plates. The fish is joined by snap pea aguachile, charred cucumber oil, serranos and macadamia nuts for a dish that is almost as appealing to the eyes as it is to the palate. Almost.
Even as exciting as the dishes are, the beverage program doesn’t get sidelined. Meza makes cocktails that intentionally complement the dishes, often using ingredients that are shared with the kitchen. The Ramptini, with Roku gin, dry vermouth, ramps and olive brine, elegantly displays this interplay. Porter says that ramps provided fundamental inspiration for this menu. “Ramps are the first sign of spring. You can’t cultivate them. They last roughly one month,” he said, noting that beyond their use as an ingredient, they represent transformation, whimsy and the fleeting nature of creativity.
The food at BearLeek is easy to understand on an instinctive, visceral level. The flavors have no problem explaining themselves, where words simply don’t suffice. But pinning down exactly what the place is doing in terms of region or style is a bit more difficult. “At the core, it’s really a representation of Rema and I,” said Porter. “It’s whatever the fuck we want to do,” he continued, noting that the pair have worked together for several years across multiple kitchens. Most recently, Maaliki served as the sous chef while Porter ran the kitchen at Brasserie Brixton.
Before opening BearLeek, Maaliki and Porter had been discussing several other concepts they might want to do. Maaliki floated a Palestinian concept, while Porter toyed with the idea of doing something with yakitori. The only sure thing was that they wanted to create something together. That energy has continued to inform the way the pair arrives at each new list. “The menu is definitely a collaboration between the two of us,” said Porter. “We want to make sure one voice isn’t louder than the other. We want it to be a symphony of ideas.”
The spring menu is set to run for only another three weeks.
BearLeek is located at 2611 Walnut Street, Denver. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 – 10 p.m.
It’s closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
All photos courtesy of Jeff Fierberg.
