On a last-minute work trip to Minneapolis, I asked all of my foodie friends where I absolutely had…read moreto make a reservation, and the answer was universal: Vinai. I was able to snag a solo spot at the bar/chef's counter about a week in advance for a 7 pm weekday slot, and I'm so glad I listened. I'd never had Hmong food before coming to Minneapolis. It's plentiful here, but it's quickly become clear to me why Vinai is the "it" spot for a nicer Hmong dinner. The menu is vast and broken down by size of dish, which makes it easy to mix and match. Since I was solo and wanted to try as many things as possible, I opted for several smaller things. Pro tip: sitting at the chef's counter unlocks an additional "secret menu" of daily specials you can only order if you're sitting there. These seem like the best part of the menu, and I'm so grateful my friends pushed me to book the chef's counter specifically. What I ordered: - Severine (gin, vodka, white vermouth, lime leaf): A martini riff with a Hmong twist. Really light but interesting. - Curry rice ball (garlic cream cheese and blue crab in a fried ball): Tasty but nothing that blew me away. I'd skip on a future visit. - Grilled shrimp (3 whole head-on grilled prawns topped with green mango and jicama salad, served with purple sticky rice): This was off the secret menu and was unreal. Light, herbal, fresh. Drool-worthy. - Shrimp-pork toast (prawn mixture on Texas toast with apricot chili): So tasty, punchy flavors. My waitress kindly let me get a half order because I was getting full but really wanted to try this AND the fried rice. - Crabby fried rice (generously topped fried rice with blue crab): Half of this became lunch for the next day. - White rabbit candy ice cream scoop topped with olive oil and sea salt: Perfect end to an indulgent, incredible meal. The food here is insanely flavorful, and it's such a fun vibe; even on a Tuesday night, it filled up pretty quickly! I cannot recommend sitting at the bar more: you get really great service, you get to watch the chefs cook, AND you unlock the secret menu. My waitress was a highlight of the night, super helpful with every ordering decision and even brought me a complimentary half order of the shrimp-pork toast when I was torn between two crowd favorites trying to pick my last item. Truly above and beyond. Genuinely hoping work sends me back to Minneapolis soon, if only to eat here again!

What a fantastic dining experience! My coworker and I were eager to try a good restaurant in the…read morearea while in town for work; even on a Tuesday night, they were fully booked for reservations - but we were immediately able to get a seat at the bar! The cocktails are fun and definitely use flavors inspired by the culture; I loved that our waiter (the bartender) really spent time with us to explain the menu and his recommendations. I particularly enjoyed the carpaccio - all the toppings were incredibly light, fresh, and flavor...and then pair that with the purple sticky rice...DIVINE. Then we also really enjoyed the catfish lettuce wraps; I'm not usually a catfish lover, but they were so lightly breaded and with the noodles, sauce, and pickled veggies, they were delicious. We tried one of their cold noodle salads, which wasn't my fav. I also tried one of their curry crab rice balls, which was delicious. Overall, I can see why this place is on so many "top restaurants of the twin cities" lists!

Place has a super sexy vibe and low lighting. The perfect darkness level…read more Music the majority of the evening was a ghetto rap- should have been something cool and jazzy. A real mismatch for me but popular with the locals. Acoustics not great- not enough insulation to absorb the noise. Cocktails delicious- really great! Brandon the bartender described them perfectly. Loved the comfy bar stools. Hooks under the bar but a little too spaced out. Could use more. But glad they were there even if the one closest was in the way I started with the Tapaculo which was like a banana smoky Negroni Next was the Calluna which was like a lychee martini. Highly recommend!!

Flora Room is such a cute spot to come have drinks with your friends or on a date. They have a…read morehuge menu of cocktails and they are all so interesting. It was so hard to choose bc everything sounded so good. The bartenders were friendly and helpful. My friend and I sat at the bar and had several drinks before we headed out to our next spot. Was having too much fun so didnt take any photos.

Holy Moly! How did I not know about this place? If you like…read moreyour cocktails a little unusual but delicious and reasonably priced, you need to visit. It looks closed but it's hopping, even at 5 on a Monday. It's divy in an unassuming way, and cool as heck. No pretention just great drinks and delicious hotdogs. I had a vegetarian one with pineapple and some sort of spicy peanut sauce. Just get it, OK?!

Wow the cocktails here were incredible! It's such a cute, small hidden place but they offer super…read moreunique and delicious craft cocktails at the same price of basic bar cocktails many other places! They use unique spirits and combine flavor profiles creatively to make cocktails that are different than anything I've tried before. It's hard to tell what the drinks may taste like based off of the ingredients but don't be afraid to ask the friendly bartenders. They have a parking lot in the back, a patio attached, and you order at the bar. They change their menu a decent amount so I won't harp on about the cocktails we tried, but I will say they were all well garnished and delicious. I hope to be back here soon!

As far as I know, there's not another strictly Japanese speakeasy around, with only Japanese…read morewhiskies offered. Gori Gori is upstairs from Sanjusan, which makes for a nice after dinner night cap. Not a lot of seating, but the dark atmosphere adds to the speakeasy vibe. Just a heads up, the pours aren't cheap.

On the second floor there is a cute, remote, upscale cocktail lounge. It is very small and does not…read moretake reservations. The drinks were very flavorful, unique and well done. These are drinks that are worth the price! We will definitely be back to try some of the Japanese whiskey and other cocktails on the menu.

AMAZING! I visited on a Thursday around 6pm and sat at the bar with my friend. We ordered the Chefs…read moreChoice cocktail to start with which I highly recommend! It's a jalapeño and basil infused gin with Aperol, Cucumber Oleo and lemon-so good we ordered two each! To eat we ordered the Baked Reginette Bolognese and the Smoked Brisket Sandwich. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The servicing sizes are pretty big so you are likely to have leftovers. The service was superb and we were never left waiting. Great place for happy hour or a bite to eat.

This is one of my go to spots in NE, primarily for their Beef Capriccio and the Old Fashioned. It…read moreis great every single time!! Always super friendly service and the art work gives you lots to look at. Love this cozy corner of NE Mpls

Delightful tropical oasis in downtown Minneapolis. Tiki…read moredrinks are well made, try the jungle bird! The popcorn machine is a a rare find :) and there's also a food menu. A variety of rums are available by the pour, including some interesting aged ones. I was greeted first by two regulars at the bar, then the bartender, who was happy to orient me to their menu.

Aloha! What's better than walking inside a bar where the theme is tiki! I cannot resist a good to…read morebar. Especially when living in Minnesota where sometimes you need to escape your troubles (cold weather) and head to a tropical paradise for a bit. We came in through the alley entrance but you can come through public domain to get to it...through the curtains. Both restaurants have shared bathrooms. Damian was our cruise director at the tiki bar for the evening. He provided great cocktail suggestions and it was nice to chat him up while we sat at the bar. I ordered Hot In The Shade but wish they would bring back the Chi Chi. Drinks can be pricey but well worth it considering the exotic cups and atmosphere. There's a great photo op in the back close to the restrooms that's a must do when visiting as well. Lots of TVs playing surfing or coastline views. Highly recommend this place!

Relaxed but nice cocktail lounge; it was a little hard to find at first because it doesn't have a…read moresign, but it's below street level with a window sign that says "cocktails." The service was appropriately lowkey and prompt. Their food might seem a bit expensive, but their portions are generous. The fries were reminiscent of McDonald's fries in the best way, just fresher and crispier! We tried the Parlour burger and the chicken sandwich, both of which were simple but delicious.

Already been here a couple times and it never disappoints! Went mid week this time and it wasn't…read morevery busy so we got seated right away. Don't go often enough to get anything other than the delicious parlor burger and fries, but it seems like they expanded the menu at this location so they have other good options I'd like to try next time! Still got the cool speak easy type vibe that is great for an intimate date night or an outing with a small group of friends or family!

Came here after a group of us ate tons of sushi at Billy Sushi. We were given directions to walk…read morearound the corner, down the alley, and then the door on the left. I got the bootilicious cocktail. Very goo. Someone got the paper plane and it came with the cutest miniature origami bird! Atmosphere perfect in terms of lighting. Loved the decor. Music not my style but a friend at our table loved it. Highly recommend.

Love the night sky ambiance and speakeasy vibe. Staff are great. The drinks are fun and delicious,…read moreon the pricey side. Tried a shot with caviar bump served the right way, on a pearl spoon. Try it if you've been curious! The bites really surprised me! Had the best sushi, my fave in the TC, including the regular Billy Sushi which is now a close second. Melt in your mouth sushi, very well crafted and beautifully presented. Vegetable gyoza and popcorn shrimp tempura appetizers were mouth watering. Must try!

Came for a birthday jazz show, drinks and snacks and had an incredible time. The setting in North…read moreLoop Minneapolis sets you up for a nice time (besides parking). The atmosphere of the place gives a nice relaxed and colorful vibe, and the drinks and food menu had a stunning variety. The music was performed by Javier Hernandez and his band and was beautiful. The music here will change day to day, but on this Friday evening ours was beautiful. It included piano, trumpet, bongos, drums and bass. Staff were all attentive without being overbearing and allowed us to enjoy the music, and the food ended up being fantastic. We got deviled eggs (some of the best I've ever had) and Okonomiyaki which in this case was a variation of fried sweet potato and was delicious. Drink variety ranges from fruity cocktails to wine to N.A. beer and they had something for everyone. My only complaint of the evening was the booth we sat in was not very comfortable and it required a lot of fidgeting. Other than this 5/5 experience.

Beautiful spot! I loved the show, and felt so immersed. The candlit setting was very romantic and…read morecozy, and I felt so into the show! I went on a night where the Berlin donated all proceeds to the Immigrant Defense Network, and I appreciated seeing them stand with their community. The staff explained the cause, and why they participated in the no buy day. This place was worth the hype, I put off going for months, but will be going back! Next time I go, I'll need to try a snack or get a drink! I think it would really elevate the experience.

Our party of 11 celebrated our Granddaughter's graduation from the U of MN. We had great service,…read morethe atmosphere is awesome and the food was delicious!

We live nearby and high hopes since this used to be amazing pasta. It was so so and the service…read morekept coming to our table so often we couldn't even have a conversation. Don't ask how are the first bites three times! Rigatoni was good and the Caesar was good too but the meatball sauce was different than the pasta vodka sauce so my guest said that was a problem. Best dish was the olive tapenade appetizer and the bar was packed.