Lively, trendy restaurant on Nicolle mall. Very popular with locals. Anytime I am Minneapolis, I eat here. Food is consistently great. Fresh products. I had delicious scallops. Reservations suggested. read more

Zelo - Lively bar scene - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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First off, I want to make a shout out to my WONDERFUL server, Jeff. JEFF YOU ARE AWESOME!! Okay, now for the wonderful experience! I was looking for a place to eat out around the Nicollet Mall area, and there are quite a bit of choices. I read up on Zelo's from Yelp and such great reviews. I made a reservation to go there tonight w/ my coworkers. We arrived at 8pm, and they promptly took us to our seats (wow no wait...awesome). Next, we were very promptly greeted by our server, Jeff. Jeff was soo friendly and did not rush us at all. We started with the calamari w/ lemon aioli...amazing aioli! The lemon aioli is perfect because you don't have to squeeze the lemon from the plate! GENUIS! Later, I asked Jeff to recommend either the salmon or the risotto, and he was really recommended the risotto. It was amazing. The chicken was tender and had lots of flavor, and the rice was good well. My coworkers ordered the pork chop and was very delighted. I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was impeccable from the server down to the bus boy. It was one of the best experiences I had in Minnesota! read more

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I've tried everything at Zelo - lunch, happy hour, and dinner - and always have a great time. The lunch menu is affordable and has enough variety that it can be a frequent destination with coworkers without anybody getting too tired of the selection. Happy Hour is equally delicious, but the drinks are a little more pricey than some places on Nicollett. Service has always been efficient when I have dined here, and the waitstaff is very courteous and accommodating. read more

Great lunch spot in downtown Minneapolis! Was in town for a meeting with two coworkers and we had two hours to kill between meetings so we decided to check out Zelo for lunch. When we got there around 12:30 PM, it was pretty crowded so we first got drinks at the bar. After a brief wait, we were seated and given menus. I ordered the Seared Salmon Salad, which came with organic greens. It was light and springy, but quite filling. I could probably have used a little less dressing, but enjoyed the salad all the same. My coworkers both raved about the tomato soup and enjoyed their salads. When we got up to leave around 2:30 PM, we noticed that we were the only ones still in the restaurant. Guess the lunch hour is a bit shorter in Minneapolis, though thankfully, no one rushed us. Enjoyed lunch here and would definitely come back. read more

Zelo has the appearance of a very upscale restaurant. Everything about the looks of this place gets high ratings - including food presentation. The service is reasonably fast and the food was pretty good. But where Zelo looses one star is in the taste of the food. I've been to restaurants where I've felt ripped off. Other times, I've been to restaurants where, despite paying $50+, I felt the price was a bargain for the food I ordered. Zelo does not sit in either category, but rather sits in the "oh the food is good, just not great" category. In the end, what makes this restaurant good is the service, atmosphere, and decent - but not stellar - food. read more

Asked for a cozy booth and the host, Kenneth accommodated. He is such a great guy to have around. The server's name was Clark and he took great care of us. Our wine glasses were always filled and the food came out quickly. We enjoyed celebrating our anniversary at Zelo. The room temperature had to have been closer to 80 degrees though. Walking over from the bar was about twenty degrees different. I can't imagine how hot it was in the kitchen. We highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner. The food, wine and service are top notch! read more

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Service is definitely 5 stars, even with the snooty hostesses. The bar is 5 stars. Not only because it's a cool bar area, but they've got fantastic drinks. Dinner partner got his favorite and hard to find Blanton's Bourbon. I had a Prairie Organic Gin Mule that was made perfectly, twice. When our table was ready we sat in a lovely booth in the middle of the place. It provided for excellent spying of other people's food and people watching, while also being noisy enough that nobody could eavesdrop on our conversation. The bread basket was an excellent vehicle to consume butter that dreams are made of. We ordered the Scallops and the Brussel sprouts as openers. Both were delicious, like really delicious. I love scallops and have been spoiled with some write home to grandma scallops in my days. These proved plenty worthy. In fact, I'd go back for the scallops and would love to find them as a main dish. I ordered the Butternut squash ravioli. It was the perfect blend of savory with the sweet squash. BF ordered the...oh no! I haven't a clue what it's called. Raglioti.. or something. I'm bastardizing the name and feel awful because I mean no disrespect. Large tube like noodles with vodka looking sauce. It was fantastic. I might order that one for myself next time. Maybe then I wouldn't wreck the name! We got the smaller pasta portions due to the opening act we ordered. It was the perfect portion size, despite our eyes and hearts wanting the biggest bowls available. That's only because it's a place where the food is so good you'd immediately agree to a future of morbid obesity if you could eat it daily. We finished this perfect meal with the pumpkin cake. It was delicious and perfect of course. I'd go back to Zelo in a heartbeat. I'd make it a regular spot and celebrate everything worth celebrating here. I giggled through the entire meal because my soul was delighted with this place! The service is impeccable, as is the food and drink. I highly suggest reservations, it's worth the wait, but why wait when you could plan ahead and be a hero? Get dressed like it's a mature, modern, sexy night out. Very few people in jeans. Rock the glittery sweater or hot little holiday dress with tights... No bowtie's needed, but button shirts and combed hair for the fella's would be a good look. It's a fun place to get a little dressy at, nothing too crazy or you'll end up looking like an aged leather Barbie in the corner. The price point is pretty decent. It's not cheap but it doesn't cause ya gulp at the end. Plus the food is so good you know it's worth every penny. I'll be back, celebrating anything and nothing as an excuse to eat here again! read more

Zelo! Wow... words cannot express our gratitude for such a wonderful dining experience in Minneapolis! We have been to Italy just this last year and this is the first food and beverage choices that have transported us back to our vacation! We are so appreciative for the amazing service exquisite food and the wonderful wine and lemoncello! Jeff was an amazing waiter and we wish that we could come back from Texas often! Truly an amazing dining experience thank you so much! read more

Zelo - Dinner & Dessert - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Atmosphere: great. Attitude of waitress: bad. food:great!!! The linguini pasta is wonderful and all seafood in it is fresh. Lasagna is a little bit dry in taste. Pizza is so salty. In all, good restaurant. read more

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Hello Zelo, you're amazing, and here's why. First off, props to our server, Manu. We were there for an anniversary dinner, and he made us feel incredibly welcome, comfortable, and helped us newcomers choose out some amazing dishes. The night would have been amazing regardless, but with Manu, it was impeccable. Now onto the food! We started off with some brown butter scallops, and they were delicious melt-in-your-mouth goodness that started off the meal right. We ordered the spicy crab spaghetti and the linguini de mare and both were delicious. The spaghetti had a great light freshness to it, thanks to the mint, but was well balanced with the chiles and lemon. The linguini de mare was the more subtle dish, and I have to give props to the choice of keeping the mussels in their shells while cooking. I felt it gave the dish more nuance, and the extra work to dig out the meat was worth the extra flavor. The only qualm I have is that we booked a table on OpenTable and we arrived on time, but still had to wait about 10 or so minutes to be seated. It was busy, but it definitely made me question why even book a reservation in the first place. Shoutout to the complementary valet service as well, made getting to Velo easy and stress-free. Definitely a great place to go for a date night! read more

Very nice restaurant with a solid menu and equally attractive wine list. I really like how many of the entrées have small/large portion sizes available when ordering your meal. Calamari starter was very good. Spaghetti and meatballs were spectacular, and the butternut squash ravioli did not disappoint. We had a great server who was very pleasant, and especially knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. I would dine here again without hesitation. read more

Great food! Awesome service! We enjoyed several small plates and shared their ravioli! And then dessert! Great atmosphere! Thank you read more

I was very impressed by the service and food at Zelos about a year ago or so. Second time round, I have to say I'm not as impressed. I went during happy hour on a Monday, the place was a zoo filled with businessmen and businesswomen. The service was way less attentive this time. Minor errors occurred that I would overlook at a less upscale place, but with the amount of money I'm spending at Zelos, should not have happened. The waiter was quick and attentive and brought everything out in a timely manner, but I had absolutely no utensils to eat my meal with. The server disappears for a long time of course and I ended up having to use the teeny fork that's supposed to be used for taking out the meat from the mussels, to eat my pasta. Eventually a waiter passed by and finally noticed that I had no utensils, and then he snickers because I'm using the teeny mussel fork to eat my pasta. How rude. It's YOUR fault I don't have utensils in the first place, and you're going to laugh in my face as I had to improvise with what I had? Once he recovered from his amusement, he apologized for the mistake and finally brought me my utensils even though I'm practically finished eating at this point. I also get my bill and saw that they charged me $24 dollars instead of the $20 the pasta meal was supposed to have cost. I'm usually a generous tipper, but only when I get excellent service. No tips for ya'll this time. Despite this less than perfect experience, I'll probably visit Zelos again in a year because even though the service is spotty their pasta dishes are seriously the best in the Twin Cities. read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Italian fine dining at its best! I sat at the bar so I didn't get the full experience, but everything from decor, service, food, and drink was excellent. The spaghetti and meatballs were amazing. Portion size was perfect, and each of the 4 meatballs were perfectly cooked. I couldn't recommend this place any more if you have a craving for Italian. If you are looking to sit in the main dining area I highly recommend getting a reservation a few days in advance. read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I had a lovely early dinner at Zelo tonight. When I dine alone, I always appreciate restaurants that serve me well. Which was certainly the case at Zelo - my wine, pasta and dessert were all delicious, and my server was top-notch. But what made my visit extra-special was the entire Zelo staff's handling of an medical emergency of another diner seated next to me. The staff's quick, compassionate actions were exemplary. Not only does Zelo serve wonderful butternut squash ravioli and tiramisu, they deliver loving, graceful care to all of their patrons. read more

I have not come inside lately their food is very good But did you know they have a to go in the Medical Arts building I love that lasagna it is open at lunch time not sure about weekends read more

Erica our waitress is hands down the best! She was super friendly and sweet. Our meal was delicious. Our bellies were all very content and super full. Being a foodie girl from the big apple I have very high expectations... They were met at Zelo! The best part was the dessert; their panna cotta was omfg delicious. Every bite was heavenly!!! read more

Zelo - Very happy and full bellies - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We had a great dinner here while visiting from out of town. We ordered the ravioli, the linguini with lamb, and roasted Brussels sprouts. The food was excellent--very authentic. Our server (who was Italian) was very attentive. The regular wine list was pretty ordinary but a bit pricey. The "special" wine list was very expensive. I would recommend a reservation--this place was packed on a Friday night. read more

Fantastic! I tried three small plates and they were all amazing. My husband stuck with filet and said it was done just right. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was beautiful. read more

Zelo - Tuna, crab cakes and Brussel sprouts...all were amazing! - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This place was absolutely fabulous! The architecture of the inside was lovely, the service was really good and the food was mouth watering!! My fiancé and I were in town for one night, from Chicago and wanted a place that served fresh seafood for the Midwest and we were not disappointed. The server suggest the fresh ahi tuna with avocado and sweet soy on a sesame crisp - it was to die for. I had the special which was a wild caught sea bass on a bed of spinach, in a tomato sauce with fresh crab. And my fiancé had the risotto with chicken and wild mushrooms, they all were so delicious and made to perfection. If you're looking for a beautiful restaurant with amazing food this is your place! It will not disappoint- not to mention the wine list had so much to offer. read more

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Still dreaming of the meal I had here. Freshly baked bread and butter on the house. Fried calamari with a delicious tangy aioli. Slow braised lamb ragu with fresh made in house pasta! The pasta had this great elastic texture to it that only comes with the freshest of pasta. Got the small size which was perfectly filling. Then tiramisu and creme brûlée to round it off. One of the most perfect meals I've had in a while read more

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Nice outdoor seating, enjoyed a bunch of appetizers, Brussels spouts were delicious, meatballs were nice size and tasty, also had coarser salad and the toasted bread served with it was excellent read more

Zelo - Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

oh my Gawd! This is the most romantic place in the cities. High end food & service. NEVER been disappointed. Very creative space , furniture & lighting. Quiet. Peaceful. Total date place. My husband proposed to me there in 2013. The whole place stood up & applauded. Side bar is hot with beautiful men & women hanging out for happy hour. read more

My wife and I eat out 250 nights a year. In the last three or four years we have never had a meal as GREAT THIS!! The pork chop is the best ever. The fish is amazing and the pizza cannot be compared to anything we have ever had. Mix in a wonderful staff and location and you have a MUST GO TO. We are from California and will be flying back this winter to see Jason and the team. Don't miss this!!!!!! read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Superb from start to finish. Husband loved the huge portion housemade lasagna. Fig & prosciutto flatbread was fantastic w/ tasty balsamic. Kids "sketti" is a generous portion for only $4.95. Teenage son ate every bite of his huge burger and thin-cut housemade fries. Sangria was tasty and good sized although glass is filled with a lot of ice. The strawberry lemonade must have had muddled strawberries right in it. Tasted out of this world! Server was attentive and genuine. Extra brownie points when he side-whispered to me "The kids lemonade has a free refill. Would you like her to have another?" Helping me keep parental control and telling me up-front that her refill was free? Yes, you understand!!! read more

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Dinner last night before the Elton John concert was amazing, our server was very personable, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and wines. The shrimp and creme brûlée was my favorite. Chicken Parmesan and seafood pasta hit the spot. Thank you for a great experience. read more

I was looking for the best places to eat in Minneapolis and Zelo came up in my search. I was excited to try it out and it definitely lived up to the expectations the reviews had instilled in me. The staff were fantastic, Heather, Sabrina and the hero we all need, the water guy, did a wonderful job taking care of me. Water continuously full is an easy thing that I absolutely love when I never have to worry about (and I drink a lot of water). Heather provided some excellent suggestions about things to try on the menu which I can always appreciate. I ended up trying the tuna and the crab cake. Between the 2, the crab cake definitely won my affection. It was not too dry nor to saucy which can be an issue when one orders crab cakes. The truffle aioli on the side was not bad but it didn't blow me away either. Was a touch overpowering. The tuna was great! The only thing I might recommend is a touch less of the spicy mayo. I'd like to be able to appreciate the delicious tuna they provided!! I ordered for my main to try the tortiglioni rossa and that was great. The sausage was a superb touch and really enhanced the dish. The pasta was al dente and delicious. I would order it again if there weren't so many other things on the menu I would want to try! Overall it was a fantastic meal highlighted by excellent service. I would easily recommend this to someone for a great meal in Minneapolis and to sit in the bar area with the 3 excellent team members I met. Parking was easy with valet or self parking all around. read more

First off, food is delicious. My problem was not feeling welcome and lack of presentation. I'm traveling to Minneapolis for work and like to find good places to eat. I will often sit at the bar - so that is something to consider for this review. I first sat at a table near the bar, found absolutely no servers willing to make eye contact, moved to the bar and waited a few more minutes before a bartender would make eye contact. This was at 7pm, so I guess people were trying to get their last happy hour drink orders in. I ordered a drink and waited a few more minutes watching others' drinks get made as I wondered if I had some kind of curse cast upon me. The drink was ok and after dinner, I ordered another. This one was not as good, and they obligingly remade it, but proceeded to make me feel like an a**hole for not accepting their martini. I was in the mood for a light meal and ordered the Wood fired grilled local asparagus - quite tasty, but for $7 there were 7 pieces of asparagus dumped on a white plate. It was far less than expected - I immediately took a photo and posted it on Facebook. I then had a cup of the tomato basil soup which was also good - why they don't have soups on the menu, I'm not sure. Overall, just felt like it was a waste of my time to go there. I've been other places which go far further to make you feel welcome (especially when dining alone on a work trip). read more

Zelo - The $7 Wood fire grilled local asparagus. - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

My daughter and I were passing through Minneapolis on an extremely long road trip (Oregon to South Bend, Indiana). Picked this restaurant because we had been really missing the organic, fresh, local fare we are used to coming from Oregon. We were not disappointed. We sat outside, so the people watching was great and we were serenaded through much of the meal by a very talented street trumpet player. The service was top notch. Our server, Michelle, was obviously a pro. She knew the menu inside and out, enough to come back and check when the chef loaded more sauce on the raviolis than she had described. Let me just say - extra sauce was no problem. It was amazing! The food was the truly best we had on our trip. The Ahi Tuna Spring Rolls were so fresh and fabulous. The raviolis and chicken fettuccine - both with homemade pasta - were to die for. Dessert was chocolate lava cake and creme brûlée with Tahitian vanilla. Both were exquisite. The only miss was a bit too much dressing on the salad - but I'm beginning to think that is just a West Coast v. Midwest thing. All in all we had a fabulous meal - and did I mention the great service? I would definitely make it a point to return if ever in the area again and highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

If this place closes permanently it a huge loss . My favorite for 18 yrs. Apparently downtown is to be sacrificed

We enjoyed a three course meal with the crab cakes and I fell in love with them. Everything is scratch made and packed with flavor! I very highly recommend!!! read more

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We came here for dinner and did valet parking. The decor is elegant and rustic, kinda reminds me of a cathedral. We had reservation at 6:45pm. We arrived 15 mins earlier so we sat at the bar and got a bottle of Chardonnay. We were not seated til 7pm. And as a courtesy, the manager took care of the bottle of wine. We had calamari fritti ( it was soft and it tasted fresh!) , ahi tuna, pesto crusted sea bass and tiramisu. Food tasted great, very well seasoned. The quality of their fish is exceptional. I'd come back!! read more

Excellent flatbread! Had the prosciutto and it was great! Also had the ahi Tuna crisps and beef tenderloin appetizers and they were superb. Highly recommend. Ambiance was nice, a bit dark and loud but waitress was wonderful. read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Splurge on anything and everything here. I came for a business dinner and absolutely have no regrets. Service was awesome, and food was beyond awesome. (My wine and water were always full, which might not have been a great thing) I didn't end up getting pasta, even, and got the Alaskan caught fish special. The fish was tender, and the 4 grain side and asparagus sides were also delicious. Good for corporate groups of up to 8 (although I'm sure they would have seating for more) Would come back on my own when I come back to Minneapolis, with a friend or otherwise. read more

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This place is AMAZING. Best meal I have had since visiting Minneapolis. This dish is full of fresh seafood and taste. Homemade pasta and bread. read more

Zelo - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nestled in the middle of Downtown Minneapolis, this cute little Italian restaurant has an incredible wait staff and great food to boot! I had the Steak sandwich and my partner did the lamb linguine. Both entrees were absolutely superb!! Cooked and seasoned to perfection, we walked away content with our overall experience. Probably a little on the spendier side but not by much and it's downtown so to be expected. read more

Zelo has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. Their lasagna is the best I've ever had and their Cesar salads with homemade croutons are wonderful. They recently did a remodel inside and it has a nice ambiance for special celebrations or even just a night out on the town. The servers are attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. I always recommend Zelo to anyone looking for some delicious Italian food! I'm disappointed they aren't able to offer pick-up during this pandemic because I'm more than willing to drive 45 minutes just for some of that lasagna! I hope they are able to open soon. read more

Delicious food. Truly delicious. But a little pricey for our group of 4. And sooooo loud, I felt like we were shouting across the table. Nice ambiance and wait staff. read more

Zelos is a nice spot downtown where you can watch the passersby. the food is good but not as good as it use to be. The service is good but lacking. Its a great place for people watching. read more

The beef tenderloin crisps and the tuna crisps were amazing!!! The beef was soooo tender and the truffle aoli was to die for. Oh and those tuna crisps were so fresh a fb flavorful. Melted in your mouth. The house made ravioli was disappointing. They used way to much rosemary. I love rosemary but too much and it can really take over a dish. The raviolis were barely warm but the presentation was beautiful. The waitress was super nice and accommodating. Definitely dress business casual if you want to blend better. read more

Zelo - The ahi tuna crisps we so good. A must have - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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