No question, some of the best food we have ever eaten. Everything was exquisite. The flavors were spot on and diverse. Decent vegan selection and good vegetarian selection. Amazing cocktails. We wiill be going back!
Jade Villatoro
Wonderful experience, our waiter, a gentlemen with a mustache that unfortunately I can't remember his name was lovely. Attentive and knowledgeable. Food was a small plate tasting experience, very good.
Krista
Excellent food, probably some of the best bao buns and naan with unique flavor combinations. Expensive for the portions on some items even for happy hour, but well worth it for the quality of the food.
Savannah Peterson
The tasting menu here is a phenomenal expression of midwestern farm to table delight! The love the veggies get always impresses me. But the spiritual experience of the meal? The blue cheese cheese cake. Other worldly. Stop what you’re doing and go order it.
Sarah Jarchow
Harbinger was an amazing experience. The staff was friendly and attentive. I never felt silly for asking any questions. The food was fantastic. We got the chef's tasting with wine pairing and it was absolutely worth the price. Reservations recommended, and expect to spend time here enjoying your party's company.
Trevor Mc Carthy
Small plate service, my wife and I shared the chefs choice 7 course eating experience. It was out of the world, the pairing of the sauces, the temperature of the food when it came out, perfection. My wife and I will be back
Katelyn
This was such an amazing meal! You could really tell how much thought went into each dish. The Island Creek Oysters with miso butter and chicken skin xo were some of the best oysters i’ve ever had. The steamed buns were addicting, especially the chicken and rhubarb one, i would have ordered more if i wasn’t already so full! The vegetable broth in the spring green dumpling dish was perfection. I also can’t stop thinking about the english pea lumache pasta dish. And both desserts were absolutely incredible. Who knew yuzu and blue cheese could work so well together? The service was great as well, our server was very nice and fun. I’m so glad i came here and would definitely come back while in town!
Andre Livingstone
The service and atmosphere were pleasing, but the food was below average. I've never pushed food away- this was my first time.
Emily Jones
Devon and the team made this Georgian feel right at home. I appreciated the flavor combination and the utilization of fresh produce. Thank you!
Nick Behlke
My wife and I go out to eat way more than we should and Harbinger has been our favorite in Des Moines for years. Rivals great meals we have had in New York, Chicago, and overseas.
Harbinger never disappoints! We came here for their tasting menu 3 months ago and it really impressed us. We had Ben as our bartender and server as we ate at the bar and he provided incredible customer service. So, we came back recently to celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary and guess who was our bartender/server once again? Ben!
He ensured that we enjoyed our celebration by serving us a wonderful tasting menu along with his recommendation of wine pairings. Every pairing that he introduced to us with the dishes complimented the flavors so well! We especially loved the Habanada Peppers, Marinated Scallops, & Korean Pear, and the Bulgogi Steak with Scallion Aioli Potatoes. Mouth-watering deliciousness! What keeps bringing us back to Harbinger is not only the creatively curated dishes that fuse various cuisines together thoughtfully, but the warm hospitality and service. Ben went above and beyond to make our celebration one to remember. Thank you, Ben!! We loved every moment of our delicious meal and atmosphere that surrounded our celebration. We will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dev Lam
The somm there is top-notch, Ben. Food is fantastic. Michelin star worthy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Katie Clausman
I’m always pleasantly surprised by their chefs table. I also enjoy how the menu is always different whenever I visit.
Vegetarian options: The vegetarian menu was the same size as the primary menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef's Tasting, Steamed Buns
Sophia Slade
this may be something of an odd (and long) review, but i appreciated my experience here tonight so much i wanted to say something! my husband is a huge foodie. i have a massive appreciation for the artistry of food, but i have a lot of sensory issues with taste and texture, so new and unconventional foods can be hard for me. my husband has gently helped me expand my horizons, but it is still a source of anxiety for me.
his family invited us out to celebrate his 30th, which was so sweet, but they wanted to do the tasting menu. i knew that was going to tough for me, especially in a group setting where classically i have been labeled “picky” despite my best efforts to be polite and unobtrusive. my husband offered to do the regular menu (i have tried some individual entrees at harbinger and liked them!) but i knew he wanted to do the tasting menu, so i insisted.
this is all to say that i really feared being put on the spot by our server in front of his family, especially at a place like harbinger where food is both a science and an art—but our server handled everything with such grace it was barely an issue!
she seemed to implicitly understand i was out of my comfort zone. she was reassuring, did not probe me or make me feel guilty or embarrassed when a few of my dishes were clearly only picked at, guessed a drink i would like right off that bat, and even snuck me an extra chicken bun without announcing it to the group. only my husband noticed and he smiled so big.
with the stress off, i was able to relax and enjoy the parts of the meal that were a little less overwhelming to me. i even liked a couple of them! most importantly though, i got to watch my lovely husband enjoy a gorgeous meal for his birthday.
i imagine it is not super common for folks to leave five star reviews for restaurants when they only nibbled on most of the food, but the kindness and grace extended to me by our server, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the aesthetic beauty of the food is such that i can do nothing but.
i wish i remembered the name of our server—she had a black/dark brown bob, small gauges (i think), and was wearing three rings, which i know because i complimented them and she mentioned wanting one more to balance them out lol.
anyway, this is way too long and possibly weird, but i just really appreciated all of those little kindnesses! and the drinks and chicken buns slayed.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Lynn Waller
Best food I’ve ever had! Great menu, excellent service (thank you Grace!), great atmosphere! Can’t wait to come again. Thank you for making our anniversary so special!
No question, some of the best food we have ever eaten. Everything was exquisite. The flavors were spot on and diverse. Decent vegan selection and good vegetarian selection. Amazing cocktails. We wiill be going back!
Wonderful experience, our waiter, a gentlemen with a mustache that unfortunately I can't remember his name was lovely. Attentive and knowledgeable. Food was a small plate tasting experience, very good.
Excellent food, probably some of the best bao buns and naan with unique flavor combinations. Expensive for the portions on some items even for happy hour, but well worth it for the quality of the food.
The tasting menu here is a phenomenal expression of midwestern farm to table delight! The love the veggies get always impresses me. But the spiritual experience of the meal? The blue cheese cheese cake. Other worldly. Stop what you’re doing and go order it.
Harbinger was an amazing experience. The staff was friendly and attentive. I never felt silly for asking any questions. The food was fantastic. We got the chef's tasting with wine pairing and it was absolutely worth the price. Reservations recommended, and expect to spend time here enjoying your party's company.
Small plate service, my wife and I shared the chefs choice 7 course eating experience. It was out of the world, the pairing of the sauces, the temperature of the food when it came out, perfection. My wife and I will be back
This was such an amazing meal! You could really tell how much thought went into each dish. The Island Creek Oysters with miso butter and chicken skin xo were some of the best oysters i’ve ever had. The steamed buns were addicting, especially the chicken and rhubarb one, i would have ordered more if i wasn’t already so full! The vegetable broth in the spring green dumpling dish was perfection. I also can’t stop thinking about the english pea lumache pasta dish. And both desserts were absolutely incredible. Who knew yuzu and blue cheese could work so well together? The service was great as well, our server was very nice and fun. I’m so glad i came here and would definitely come back while in town!
The service and atmosphere were pleasing, but the food was below average. I've never pushed food away- this was my first time.
Devon and the team made this Georgian feel right at home. I appreciated the flavor combination and the utilization of fresh produce. Thank you!
My wife and I go out to eat way more than we should and Harbinger has been our favorite in Des Moines for years. Rivals great meals we have had in New York, Chicago, and overseas.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Harbinger never disappoints! We came here for their tasting menu 3 months ago and it really impressed us. We had Ben as our bartender and server as we ate at the bar and he provided incredible customer service. So, we came back recently to celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary and guess who was our bartender/server once again? Ben!
He ensured that we enjoyed our celebration by serving us a wonderful tasting menu along with his recommendation of wine pairings. Every pairing that he introduced to us with the dishes complimented the flavors so well! We especially loved the Habanada Peppers, Marinated Scallops, & Korean Pear, and the Bulgogi Steak with Scallion Aioli Potatoes. Mouth-watering deliciousness! What keeps bringing us back to Harbinger is not only the creatively curated dishes that fuse various cuisines together thoughtfully, but the warm hospitality and service. Ben went above and beyond to make our celebration one to remember. Thank you, Ben!! We loved every moment of our delicious meal and atmosphere that surrounded our celebration. We will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The somm there is top-notch, Ben. Food is fantastic. Michelin star worthy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’m always pleasantly surprised by their chefs table. I also enjoy how the menu is always different whenever I visit.
Vegetarian options: The vegetarian menu was the same size as the primary menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef's Tasting, Steamed Buns
this may be something of an odd (and long) review, but i appreciated my experience here tonight so much i wanted to say something! my husband is a huge foodie. i have a massive appreciation for the artistry of food, but i have a lot of sensory issues with taste and texture, so new and unconventional foods can be hard for me. my husband has gently helped me expand my horizons, but it is still a source of anxiety for me.
his family invited us out to celebrate his 30th, which was so sweet, but they wanted to do the tasting menu. i knew that was going to tough for me, especially in a group setting where classically i have been labeled “picky” despite my best efforts to be polite and unobtrusive. my husband offered to do the regular menu (i have tried some individual entrees at harbinger and liked them!) but i knew he wanted to do the tasting menu, so i insisted.
this is all to say that i really feared being put on the spot by our server in front of his family, especially at a place like harbinger where food is both a science and an art—but our server handled everything with such grace it was barely an issue!
she seemed to implicitly understand i was out of my comfort zone. she was reassuring, did not probe me or make me feel guilty or embarrassed when a few of my dishes were clearly only picked at, guessed a drink i would like right off that bat, and even snuck me an extra chicken bun without announcing it to the group. only my husband noticed and he smiled so big.
with the stress off, i was able to relax and enjoy the parts of the meal that were a little less overwhelming to me. i even liked a couple of them! most importantly though, i got to watch my lovely husband enjoy a gorgeous meal for his birthday.
i imagine it is not super common for folks to leave five star reviews for restaurants when they only nibbled on most of the food, but the kindness and grace extended to me by our server, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the aesthetic beauty of the food is such that i can do nothing but.
i wish i remembered the name of our server—she had a black/dark brown bob, small gauges (i think), and was wearing three rings, which i know because i complimented them and she mentioned wanting one more to balance them out lol.
anyway, this is way too long and possibly weird, but i just really appreciated all of those little kindnesses! and the drinks and chicken buns slayed.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Best food I’ve ever had! Great menu, excellent service (thank you Grace!), great atmosphere! Can’t wait to come again. Thank you for making our anniversary so special!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steamed Buns
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