Altura Bistro

The story

Altura Bistro Anchorage – Chef Nathan Bentley’s Award-Winning American Cuisine

From Anchorage Roots to a Refined Table

Chef Nathan Bentley grew up in Anchorage, his childhood shaped by annual hunting and fishing traditions with his family. That connection to the Last Frontier runs through everything at Altura Bistro, the contemporary American restaurant he opened in July 2019. After culinary training at King Tech High School, the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a semester at Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence, Italy, Bentley rose to executive chef by age twenty-four. When he struck out on his own, his vision was clear: source the highest quality ingredients, run a scratch kitchen, and elevate comfort food.

Recognition That Speaks to Craft

That commitment has not gone unnoticed. Altura Bistro earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and in 2024 received the higher Best of Award of Excellence. Bentley himself has been a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Pacific and Northwest in 2022, 2023, and 2024—a strong signal that this kitchen is doing something right.

What’s on the Plate

The dinner menu reads like a tour of Alaska’s pantry, prepared with precision. Start with Elk Tartare, dressed with smoked oyster vinaigrette and fried capers, or Hamachi Collars that have spent forty-eight hours in a miso brine. Seafood shines: Alaska black cod with herb crust and saffron-tomato broth, Kodiak weathervane scallops in coconut green curry broth, and the indulgent King Crab Mac and Cheese with Hatch chilies and aged white cheddar. For meat lovers, there’s a 16-ounce bone-in Duroc pork chop dry-aged for eighteen days, and a Wagyu ribeye from Australia. Desserts like the Passionfruit Tart with white chocolate cremeux or the maple-foie gras Altura Milkshake cap the evening.

The Space and the Vibe

Altura Bistro sits in Midtown Anchorage, a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. The restaurant’s own tagline—“Elevate your culinary experience”—captures the atmosphere: refined but never stiff, with a focus on letting the ingredients speak. Lunch is takeout only, with burgers and sandwiches on house-made challah buns; dinner is a full-service affair that invites lingering over a glass from the deep, award-winning wine list.

This is Anchorage dining that knows exactly what it is: a place where a chef’s Alaska roots meet a world-class wine program and a kitchen that respects every component.