A cornerstone building on historic Larimer Square will get a new tenant this summer when the chef behind restaurants Mizuna and Osteria Marco opens a new Japanese-Italian fusion spot.
Romyo (stylized Rōmyō and pronounced ‘roh-me-oh’) is the newest restaurant from Bonanno Concepts, the hospitality group owned by Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno. Inspired by Mizuna, the pair’s first sit-down restaurant, Romyo will combine the two cuisines the Bonannos have explored since Mizuna opened 25 years ago.
“It’s Rome to Tokyo,” Bonanno told The Denver Post. “Drawing from what we do at Mizuna, what we do at Luca and kind of marrying them together.”
Romyo will move into 1401 Larimer St., the former home of Ted’s Montana Grill, which closed in 2023 after 20 years.
The menu at Romyo is still in the works, and the Bonannos are headed to Japan for six weeks before the opening, a trip likely to revitalize their approach in the kitchen, Frank Bonanno said. But he has dipped into “Itameshi” dishes in the past, a style of cuisine that meshes ingredients and styles from both Japan and Italy. His restaurant group took the concept one step further with Dumplin’, which opened last year in Highland Square and counts both dumplings and lobster ramen on the menu.
“Japanese and Italian food are very similar. There’s a lot of crossover that can be done,” Bonanno said, adding that it is similar to how Mizuna combines French and Asian cuisine. “They are so harmonious.”
Both countries value noodles and both use vinegar in an important capacity, he said. What are dumplings if not ravioli, he asked.
The Bonannos are familiar with Larimer Square, having run their garden-level Italian bistro, Osteria Marco, just down the street, at 1453 Larimer, since 2007. They also operated Green Russell and Russell’s Smokehouse, which lasted on the block for 12 years before construction in the Larimer Square area forced a restaurant exodus in 2022.
Larimer Square visitors may be confused by the wallpaper that covers the windows of the new restaurant. It teases the upcoming opening of Kiso, a Japanese restaurant first announced back in 2024 whose tenants ended up vacating the property. Bonanno confirmed their exit, though he was unfamiliar with the details.
Romyo isn’t the only restaurant planning to open in Larimer Square this year. The owner of Som Dee Thai Kitchen & Bar, Orrapan Botthaisong, is planning her downtown debut at 1442 Larimer St., next to The Capital Grille.
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Dining and Cooking