I'd seen rave reviews about this place, so we decided to go here to celebrate a personal…read moreaccomplishment last weekend! It's a really cozy moody interior, with *no big lights* aka great low lighting and comfy seating options. When we went, there were just a few other parties there so pretty quiet. I liked that we had a whole corner to ourselves with a sectional couch of sorts and some chairs. They close at 10pm on a Friday night, which felt absurdly early for a cocktail bar. But, we were able to order and drink one drink during the ~45 minutes we had. They closed up shop promptly at 10pm. They had a classics and a "rumors" section of the menu. I didn't think the signature drinks were overly unique, with classics like Paper Plane making that menu side. I had a pomegranate mojito which was good! Consensus was that the cocktails were good not exceptional, especially for the $16-17 price point. We ordered churros for the table which were a table favorite! I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again, but we enjoyed our time and could see this being a good option if you lived in the neighborhood and don't mind the early close hours.

The interior of this place is incredible, such a cute spot with moody lighting, intimate seating,…read moreand vibey music. It's a great place for drinks and appetizers. The drinks were good, and they also have a solid selection of beer on tap. The food portion are a bit small imo but I will say the Mac and cheese was pretty darn tasty!

I had been really wanting to go to Altera and was excited to go! I liked the ambiance but will say…read morethere was room for improvement for attention to cleanliness - menu, water glass, chair were not clean. We ordered: POK POK CHICKEN WINGS 5/5 BURRATA 1/5 CACIO E PEPE Pizza 2/5 DAN DAN NOODLE 4.5/5 (not terribly warm) CLAUDEL 5/5 Wine list was good!

This place has potential, the ambiance was there and the server Josh was great, but the food itself…read morejust didn't match the prices. Came here for a date night, I got the Broiled Miso Salmon and one glass of wine and my partner got the Steak Frites and a coke. Our bill was $95! Ouch. The bad: If it were really really good I would be willing to pay for it, but I felt that the flavors in my dish, in salmon, carrot ginger sauce, and cauliflower, were whispering at best. I think the cauliflower could have used a sauce or been crispier, it just seemed boring and soggy. The steak and fries also came out cold :( my partner really knows his steaks and was not impressed, it was over cooked for medium rare and it had clearly been sitting too long. Not worth the $38! The good: The space itself is decorated really well, it's pretty dark but the theme comes together really nicely. I personally enjoyed the indie/pop music they had playing and it wasn't too loud. I really enjoyed the Chardonnay ($16) and they had a decent selection of wine but only a handful were by the glass. You can get glasses of by the bottle wines if you commit to getting at least two glasses though which is good to know. For me, the service really saved this review, our server was so nice and friendly, attentive but not overbearing. I would maybe grab a drink and an appetizer here sometime but will definitely hold out on dinner again until their prices chill or the food gets better. ‍ TLDR: Too expensive for the food quality

My daughter and I were excited to finally try this restaurant in my new neighborhood after walking…read moreby it countless times. Since we didn't have a reservation, we arrived early and were pleasantly surprised to be seated right away. From the moment we walked in, we loved everything about the place. The décor is beautiful, the ambiance is warm and inviting, and the staff was fantastic. The menu offers so many great options, and the cocktails were even better than expected. Our server, Rosie, provided excellent recommendations, and we genuinely loved everything we ordered. They also offer a great happy hour until 6 PM, which is a nice bonus. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience, and I highly recommend giving it a try. One small note: We didn't realize a 20% gratuity had already been added to our bill. That's partially on us for not catching it on the credit card slip, (we tipped in cash) but I do think it would be helpful if servers mentioned it when presenting the check. I typically prefer to tip in cash, so on our $62 tab, we ended up leaving a $34 tip. Even with that little surprise, we'll absolutely be back. The food, drinks, service, and atmosphere were all worth another visit!

We were in the area and finished with work sooner than planned. My daughter asked for oysters and I…read morefound this restaurant, plus they have oysters on their happy hour menu! Located in the area by the private colleges, they have a small parking lot on the right. Inside of the restaurant is colorful and dimly lit. I see the restaurant is known for craft cocktails and was excited to try. We sat in the front room since we didn't have reservations, I would recommend for party of 4 people or more.

Locally sourced ingredients, good portions, and consistently perfect cooking! I love highland grill…read more- all of their food is delicious and their drinks are great too!

I got the cakes, eggs, and links breakfast ($16.99), which came with your choice of buttermilk or…read moreoatmeal pancakes, eggs, and your choice of sausage. I ordered mine with oatmeal pancakes, scrambled eggs, and pork sausage links. The oatmeal pancakes were fantastic. So fluffy and filling! I could have easily had another stack. The eggs were cooked well, and the sausage was tasty, but they were pretty much your typical breakfast fare. The coffee ($3.75) was also your average diner coffee and came with free refills. My server was on top of things. She always kept my glass of water and cup of coffee full, and she was super sweet, to boot. A touch on the expensive side, in my opinion, for what you get, but if you're in the area and you want a tasty, filling breakfast, this is a good option.

A very versatile bar! An intimate setting, more so when a…read moreband is on stage. Would definitely play here again!

The White Squirrel Bar was just okay to me. There was live music going on, which was a nice touch…read moreand probably the highlight of the visit. The inside of the bar is pretty small and felt a bit cramped, especially with how busy it was on a Sunday. They do have a back patio that is fairly large, which I appreciated, but during the day it did not feel very inviting. Without lighting or much going on, it came off a bit plain. As for drinks, I tried a non alcoholic half and half with lemonade and iced tea, which I actually really liked. I also had a mojito style cocktail that was not my favorite and tasted a bit too strong for me. The overall vibe just was not really my thing, but I could see it being more fun at night or with a bigger group.

Wonderful, intimate spot in Minneapolis. On our last night before returning home, Flora Room seemed…read moreas if it would fit the bill for our cocktail fix. Relatively easy to find, though you do have to hunt a little bit, Flora Room sits behind a nondescript metal door leading down a short hallway to the entrance. Take a long moment to allow your eyes to adjust if you're coming before sunset; this space is DARK. It's also perfect. Once your "night vision" kicks in you're surrounded by a nice bar, numerous bistro-style tables and booths. Candles adorn the tables creating a nice, cozy place to settle in for drinks. Once seated in comfortable chairs at a table, we were quickly greeted and provided with menus. The cocktail selection is relatively "small" but really nicely varied. Prices seemed a tad steep but frankly, given the quality of the drinks I'd say quite worth it. I started out with the Evita, a nice flavorful gin-base cocktail topped with a nice egg white foam. Very tasty. My wife opted for the Tapaculo, with gin, mezcal, pineapple, banana and bitters over ice. Also quite good. There are also bites available from the associated restaurant I can't recall the name of mine but I can say it was delicious. Bread-like bites with a really tasty dipping sauce. To close out the visit I selected Palo, a smoked aged rum cocktail that was really nice and rich. My wife chose the Nahualito with rum, walnut, amontillado and white chocolate. All should be on your radar. Flora Room really fit the bill for a nice, intimate speakeasy-style spot to spend time. Dark and cozy. Savory cocktails and friendly service will stand out and make you want to return. I know we'll seek it out if we return to Minneapolis again. I hope so.

Wow, this place was cool!…read more The entry is pretty hidden and parking requires a bit of work unless you do valet. We went on a Saturday night, so we had to wait a bit in order to be seated. However, it was worth the wait for us. There is a dark moody vibe and while my group went in for drinks, there are also options for food. The place itself is pretty loud - both with music and talking, so maybe not the best location for a first date. The drinks are expensive, but the experience was worthwhile for us. I enjoyed the meditteránea. I'll very likely be back! What a neat spot.

100/10 experience here, food and drink are both amazing! The staff is so friendly and…read moreknowledgeable! Don't be afraid to ask questions about the menu! They have an amazing cocktail menu along with a cocktail and martini of the day! Very exciting to see the creative freedom from the team! The mussels are to die for! You can tell the menu is very well thought out, I will be back to try more! The entire place is just a great vibe! Truly a gem worth trying and will leave you wanting to come back for more!! Thank you for the amazing experience to everyone there!

I have truly never been disappointed by the drinks or the food at Emerald Lounge! The vibes are…read moreawesome - perfect for catching up with friends or a more intimate hang out and the food is delicious. LOVED the chips and dip and I don't think I have had anything I don't like. 10/10 recommend this stop if you're looking to try somewhere new in st paul! Vibes, food, and service are all top tier.

Service excellence Food amazing…read more Totally recommend. Very nice place to visit and hang out

We ventured over here with some friends who knew the DJ curating the tunes that night. For a…read moreweeknight, it was getting pretty full by the time we strolled in, but luckily we were still able to secure a table for four. The space itself isn't terribly large, and it looked like there were only three or four people working that evening. After being seated, it took a while before we were able to order our first round of drinks. Normally I don't focus much on service in reviews, but we could immediately tell our waitress was not having a great night. We were forgotten about a few times, but eventually managed to order some small bites, including a charcuterie board and some pretty yummy cheese curds. When we finally caught her for our second round, I complimented her glasses since they were similar to mine, partially in an attempt to cheer her up. I was met with a glare and a mumbled "thanks." When she walked away, all four of us kind of looked at each other like... dang, we're not sure what we did. Having all worked in service ourselves, we try to be respectful, stack our dishes, wipe up after ourselves, and generally make things easier where we can. Oddly enough, when it came time to pay, she returned with a completely different attitude... suddenly cheerful, friendly, and telling us to have a great night. Honestly, the whole interaction was a little bizarre! Service aside, the cocktails were balanced and genuinely good, the food was slightly elevated and hit the spot, and the atmosphere was great, especially with the DJ playing that night. We decided to Uber since we knew we'd be drinking, so I can't speak firsthand to parking, although it looked like street parking could be moderately difficult depending on the night. I'd still go back if I were in the area and the night warranted it. My guess is we caught them on an off night or they ended up busier than anticipated.

I literally stumbled into 5 Star after visiting another business close by. I asked about the menu…read moreand when I learned it was an Ethiopian restaurant I went the next week with my husband and another couple. The food and the service was incredible. I am gf, and the injera (the incredible bread that is served with the food) has only teff flour. We ordered the vegetarian plate, however I tried some of the beef and can report it was also tasty. I am looking forward to visiting again soon.

We really enjoyed this cafe/Eritrean(?) restaurant. The injera was delicious, and the veggie combo…read moreplate is huge and deliciously flavored. The other fare also is great; if you're feeling something more simple but filling, the egg and avocado bowl will get you sorted.

Cute spot with great service! The wine pairs are fun to…read morecompare two wines. Our server lets us guess which is which and explained the differences/how to know. They also have a decent food menu.

Met friends here for dinner on a weekend. The ambience is super cute. The upstairs area is…read moreadorable. Service was really great - they didn't rush us at all and our orders were accurate. I want so much to rate higher, but the food was just ok. Grilled chicken salad was good, but everything else we ordered was okay, and very very small portions. Wines were just okay as well - we tried 3 full wine flights (whites, reds, sparkling) Cute space and great vibes, but all of us thought the food and wines were just average.