New Denver Spots Rarely Look Like THIS 🍣

The name JW Lee doesn't mean much if you haven't been paying attention to the Korean restaurant scene in Denver, but you've probably eaten somewhere he's behind. He's the reason a handful of the best Korean spots in the metro area exist. So when word got out that he was opening a Japanese izakaya in Aurora, I paid attention. The space alone — before you even get to the food — is worth talking about.

Leezakaya sits at 2710 S Havana, and from the outside it already signals that something different is happening here. Havana Street has quietly built into one of the better food corridors in the Denver area, and this one lands as probably the most visually striking newcomer on the strip. The exterior is impressive enough, but the interior is where it really opens up. It's big — genuinely big — with the kind of Japanese pub atmosphere that usually takes years to settle into feeling right. This place is brand new and it already feels like it belongs.

What You're Walking Into

The renovation is extensive. The room has a sushi bar, a full cocktail program, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — the kind of izakaya setup where you order a few things at a time and keep going. That style of dining works well here because the space has good energy without being loud in a way that makes conversation impossible. My wife and I went on a weeknight and had no trouble getting seated, which I appreciated given that newer spots in this part of Aurora tend to draw a crowd quickly once people figure out they exist.

The menu is long. Not in a way that feels unfocused, but in the way that a real izakaya menu is long — small plates, skewers, sushi, rice dishes, some heavier options if you want them. It takes a minute to navigate. The cocktail list is worth a look if you drink; they've put real effort into that side of things, which isn't always the case at spots like this.

What Stood Out and What Didn't

The sushi bar is operational and the fish quality seems solid for a place that just opened. I'd come back specifically to sit there and work through some of the raw options more deliberately. The Japanese pub food — the things you'd expect from the izakaya side of the menu — felt executed with more confidence than I expected from a first visit at a new spot. Younger restaurants at this scale often have inconsistencies early on; whether that holds up over the next few months is the real question, but the opening run is encouraging.

The size of the space is both the draw and the one thing I'd flag. It's a big room. On a slow night, parts of it can feel a little underpopulated. That's not a permanent problem — Aurora's dining crowd will find this place — but if you're going early on a weekday, just know the vibe is more relaxed than electric. That might actually be what you're after.

Getting There

Parking on Havana is generally fine — strip mall access, not a street parking puzzle. Aurora is about a 20-25 minute drive from central Denver depending on where you're coming from, and this stretch of Havana is worth building a trip around. There are enough good spots nearby that you can make a full evening of it.

If you go for the first time, I'd skip trying to cover the whole menu and pick a direction — either lean into the izakaya small plates and cocktails, or post up at the sushi bar. Doing both works better on a second visit when you have a better read on what you want.

JW Lee has built something that stands out in a neighborhood that already punches above its weight. For a brand new restaurant at this scale, Leezakaya is in much better shape than it has any right to be on day one. Worth the drive from Denver.