My wife and I spent a weekend at Alma's Inn and had dinner there on a Saturday night in late March and it was simply fabulous from the minute we arrived to our departure on Sunday. Our dinner on Saturday was superb -- we opted for wine pairings with each course and they were spot on. I don't think you can go wrong with any of selections on the menu, but our highlights were the celery root soup, the toasted rye & buttermilk crepe and the roasted duck breast & confit. As good as our dinner was, the service was every bit as good -- the staff at Alma was a highlight of our dinner and of our stay. read more

We have been wanting to come here for the tasting menu for a while. It's so fun when a dining experience exceeds your expectations! There were so many incredible bites that it was hard to pick a favorite. We loved the warm garlic flan and crispy pork belly but when the chilled sweet corn soup came, we were blown away! The duck two ways was fantastic as well. We will definitely be back in the Fall! read more

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Stopped by the Alma Cafe a few weeks ago to meet up with a friend who was visiting for a quick brunch bite. I did street parking just a few blocks west of the restaurant on University and there were plant of spots even despite the snow blocking many of the options. Alma is split up into a few different components: the cafe which I visited for breakfast, the dinner restaurant which is an extremely fancy prix fixe menu type of place, as well as a small hotel. I visited only the cafe as the rest are currently outside my budget, but hope to visit one day! This place was packed when I entered and seats were hard to come by, but after a few minutes of waiting, a table got up and we were able to snag it for ourselves. There are two ways to order here: either wait on the line at the front or order on your phone using the QR code on the tables. Since we were already sitting down we decided to use the QR code. For myself, I ordered the Smoked Turkey and Salami Sandwich, and my partner ordered the Baked Egg Strata which I was able to have some of as well. I was so happy with the sandwich, it was relatively reasonably priced considering the quality, it was very well filled and all the ingredients seemed fresh. The pickled peppers worked perfectly, and the salty flavor of the meets was balanced nicely by the freshness of the peppers and flavor of the bread. I can't exactly articulate what made this so good, but it was definitely a special sandwich. As for the strata, I also loved this item. It's been years since I last had a strata and this reminded me exactly of why I used to love them so much. Packed with vegetables this was so flavorful and I love the texture. This is definitely a cafe I recommend for the food explicitly, I know a lot are just cool places to work and study, but this really is a great place to eat! read more

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Alma Café is such a wonderful spot to grab brunch with someone. The bites are small, simple, and absolutely delicious. My favorite menu item is the fresh ricotta and toast! The space is small so you may sit pretty close to another party but the service is fast and I love the warm ambiance! read more

Alma - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Alma is amazing. I have the chef's dinner with multiple courses. Every course is made after careful consideration of the flavors involved and the seasonal selection readily available. The flavors mix both light and savory combine in every dish. While this menu changes every month or so, I'm confident the chefs will nail it here. I'm not from Minnesota but will surely come Back if I'm in town again. read more

Alma - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Visiting my friend in MN and she highly recommended this coffee shop and hotel. She and her husband even stayed here for their wedding night/honeymoon! The baristas were so friendly and great at talking about their coffee options. The space is huge and very aesthetic. I would definitely come here again with friends, to study, or to read. If you come, try the brown butter and lemon latte, as well as the berry danish. read more

Alma - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Came from out of town for a concert. Enjoyed the meal and the service. Would definitely return.

We visited Alma for their New Year's Eve prix fixe dinner. We were greeted inside by the host and they took our jackets to be hung up. We were shown to our seats quickly and our server walked us through the experience. All items on the menu would be brought to the table, and there was an optional addition to the menu - foie gras with toast, oysters, and wagyu carpaccio with truffles. We chose to add the optional appetizers and the wine pairings. Our server was knowledgeable and gave us a really nice overview of each course and the wine pairings. Even though each course had multiple appetizers or parts to the dish, the wine pairings were great and paired very well. Our favorites of the night were the wagyu carpaccio with truffles and the creamy leek soup. The carpaccio was flavorful and satisfying - the truffles added a great umami note and the aioli really added to the richness of the dish. The soup was flavorful and creamy. The oil added to the top helped to add depth to the dish and the caviar and crunch toppings helped to cut through the richness of the soup. I could have licked the bowl. The restaurant was full and buzzing and the atmosphere was really lively. We hadn't been to Alma since 2020 and it was great to see them come back from the pandemic so strongly. We loved our visit and can't wait to return! read more

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This place is so uppity and the food is just meh. If you look like you "don't belong" expect to be ignored until you ask for help.

''Twas the night before my daughter went to college and we wanted something really special and a longer dinner to have conversation and enjoy the meal. This checked all of the boxes. The meal was scrumptious. It was expensive but it was an experience we really enjoyed. Every course was explained to us in detail. It was well worth it. It was a great send off to both of my kids to college and I am now an empty nester! read more

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This was for my wife's birthday...we stayed there as well. Staying there was great, a nice room, very comfortable and breakfast the next morning was a nice lighter way to start a day. The supper the night before...omg. Everything was lights out delicious. I mean even the panzanella(bread salad) was . My only complaint is for a table for two you run put of real estate quick when you have drinks, water, and multiple plates of food...maybe next time we have to order less. I doubt that will happen. Definitely worth a visit and a repeat visit! read more

Alma was a totally unexpected delight in my recent visit to Minneapolis. This review is just for the cafe, which I visited for breakfast. The coffee was fantastic. I really enjoyed my latte. The number of gf and vegan options was really impressive, and none of them were a sacrifice of flavor! I particularly enjoyed the little almond orange cake, and had a fantastic breakfast sandwich as well. On another day I tried the gf banana bread which was also really nice. The staff were helpful and pleasant, and somehow despite being a low service environment (you order and pay through your phone and bus your own table) it felt welcoming and high end. Definitely recommend and I know I'll be back! read more

Alma - Oat milk latte - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Fun healthy, tasty option. Stopped by the cafe and would love to come back for a tasting menu. You can order online and pick up, sit at a table outside and order, or wait in line. Casual alert vibe. Blueberry smoothie - 5/5. Milky, well rounded. Perfect smoothie. Saffron Rice - 4.5/5. Great textures with hard rice and soft chickpeas. I'm not typically a parsley fan but it works great. Complex, hearty. Just a tad too oily. Sourdough - 4/5. Crusty bread with salty butter and fruit jam. Solid. Squash Soup - 4.5/5. Seasonal item. Nice creamy level. Pesto works great. read more

Alma - Blueberry-Yogurt Smoothie Squash Soup Saffron Rice - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I yelped Alma out for a Healthy Sunday brunch. It fit right into my expectation. Contemporary and minimal interior with plenty of special choices. Love the cabbage-cucumber slaw, very unique! The beets salad and fried cauliflower are not uncommon but there were special twists, definitely worth trying. Overall a great lay back place for Sunday brunch. read more

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This was our first time to the restaurant side of Alma. The service and food were excellent. The staff was very attentive and knowledgeable, and the flavors just kept impressing us. We love a good prix fixed menu, and this one did not disappoint! The menu felt smart and very well thought out. We did one of each menu, and the vegetarian options were equally delicious and satisfying. Starting with the antipasta course, liked that there was a variety of perfect bites... like reading a really great compilation of short stories with a clear theme. There was definitely an Asian fusion theme, which can be so hit or complete miss, but these dishes were definitely hits! The 2nd course was the cold rice noodle salad and charred Japanese yams, which were great on their own and surprisingly good together! The salad was bright and fresh, whereas the yams were very homey and comforting. It was delicious. The mains were good, but maybe my least favorite course of the entire meal. The black cod and duck breast were delicious, but the roasted duck wasn't special and the veggies were just a tad salty. But, Im NOT complaining! Finally. the passionfruit mousse... my mouth is watering as I write this. It was sweet, tart and creamy with the perfect crunch of the crumble. YUM! We will definitely be back! read more

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I went to Alma's cafe for brunch with some friends and it was a great spot! We went at 9:30 on a Sunday and it was already busy and hard to find a table. I got the Up South Egg Sandwich on a gluten free roll with a Chai Tea. The gluten free sandwich took longer to come out than my friends on a biscuit but I was okay with that because I knew that it was prepared safely! The Chai Tea was really good as well and you could tell it was made in house rather than from a mix. There is street parking nearby that was free on the weekend. I would definitely return and recommend Alma's cafe. read more

Alma - Up South on Gluten Free Roll and Chai Latte - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Bustling place with an interesting menu. It's a bit bougie, but not ridiculously so. It's counter service, but it doesn't fell like that.

We went for the tasting menu it was absolutely perfect! We also did the wine pairing and it was 100% worth it! The staff was very knowledgeable about everything they were serving and also proud of the food they were bringing. Our waitress was also incredible knowledge about the wines that were part of the pairing when we were there. The food is fresh, tasteful, with perfect amount of texture and also with perfect amount of umami, sweet, savory and acid. The desserts were also fantastic. Coffee came with the best shortbread cookie I've ever had! Cannot recommend Alma enough! read more

In a word, disappointing. Went to the cafe for breakfast. Cute, clean space with friendly and reasonably quick service. The breakfast sandwiches we tried were mediocre, unfortunately. The "Sunshine Helps" was lovely to look at but pretty flavorless. The buttermilk biscuit was downright unpleasant, hard and dense in a way that made it impossible to eat without ejecting the contents of the sandwich. I found myself thinking of hardtack as I picked at the sandwich's disassembled remains with my knife and fork. The "Up South" sandwich had a bit more flavor, almost entirely from the pimento cheese, but was otherwise underwhelming. And, like the first sandwich, the biscuit was a problem. What's the deal with their eggs? They come sheet-pan style, fluffy but tasting like air. On the upside, the blueberry smoothie was good, as was the coffee. Kind of wish the cafe and restaurant had different profiles here. From reading through, it looks like those hitting the restaurant in the evening may be having a significantly better experience. We may be back to give it a try. read more

Alma - The "Sunshine Helps" breakfast sandwich. Lovely but generally tasteless, with a difficult-to-manage biscuit. - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

One of my favorite cafes in Minneapolis. The pastries are fresh - the seasonal danish always hits! Their matcha is amazing as well. The atmosphere is very urban rustic - feels kind of like NYC. Just be warned its very busy on weekends and the staff gets pretty stressed and impatient with guests. but regardless I always bring my friends to Cafe Alma! read more

I have been to this cafe several times over the years and have always enjoyed the ambiance. However, today's visit was one of the most underwhelming lunches I have experienced. I ordered ham and lentil soup, which arrived with the tiniest piece of sourdough bread (cut in half). The soup itself was fine but was nothing memorable. My husband ordered a burger that was $16 and added on a $2 side of kettle chips, which ended up being a bag of old dutch. For a cafe that is order at the counter and bus your own table, the experience to price ratio was disappointing. read more

Alma - Ham and Lentil Soup - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Alma has 3 distinct areas: cafe, hotel and fancy restaurant. This review is for the classy restaurant with the 12 item prix fixe tasting menu. My hubby and I have been here twice and the service was top notch both times. He is a foodie and LOVES the food as well as the casual dress code. I love the clean, modern decor, but the modern American "foodie food" is hit or miss for me. read more

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This place is amazing! Great food and great coffee !! Ambiance is cozy and welcoming and the service is exceptional!

Alma is one of our all time favorite places. We've been going for nearly 20 years and have only had amazing experiences. The wine pairing is a must. Service is amazing. The servers are knowledgeable and down to earth. read more

Great food, service and ambiance. Awesome selection of seasonally appropriate cuisine.

This has become my new favorite place during these takeout-food-only times. Pre-COVID, Alma was the perfect place for mtgs, classy but warm vibe & great coffee and bakery goods. But I'm just so impressed with their post-COVID adapting & food game. They're giving me the chance to eat restaurant quality amazing food during this pandemic & for that I'm grateful! THE FOOD: I held out on this review until after I had a chance to try their Dinner for Two. It's kinda spendy for a regular night but had a good excuse when it was my husband's bday. We loved it! The quality of each dish was spot-on. The wow dish was the shiitake mushroom bread pudding. I also could've eaten 10 more of the sesame cremeux. I love having a mix of dishes with a meal so I highly recommend getting this. I liked how it all came in recyclable/ compost containers too (it's truly my one gripe w/ most takeout but well done Alma)! You don't need a special occasion to eat here though. I also ordered from their lunch menu mid-week. Their slow roasted porchetta sandwich is a must-get. It was juicy & packed with flavor. My partner heard my exclamation from upstairs when I bit into it & sadly made me share. I should've kept my mouth shut until after I ate it all (lol). No, actually the lesson learned here is that I should've ordered 2! THE PROCESS: Ordering online is super easy. Because I was just waiting in my car, I just parked in the lot that looks like it is their parking lot but isn't. I called the restaurant, told them what my car looked like & someone came out with a bag of my food & stuck it through my passenger window. Has been on time and they've been wearing masks and friendly each time I've picked up my food. TIPS: - Make sure you follow them on Instagram for the latest menu announcements & mouth-watering photos. - Heat things up you know will be tastier if you do. Our Arctic char & bread pudding came in aluminum containers that made it really easy to pop in the oven quick. - This review is just for the food but Alma is a hotel too & they have rooms you can rent to stay or eat in! Everything about the rooms look beautiful & they also sell lotions, soaps, etc. - Make sure you're masked up too when the staff come outside with your food. Be safe MN! I've still got to try their burger night, fried chicken sandwiches, & pasta but couldn't wait to encourage you to go! They will be a bright spot during these pandemic days, as they've been for me. No need to thank me later, just post your pics for me! read more

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We tried Alma Cafe for breakfast/brunch to start the day. Parking looked challenging even though we went on a Monday. I cannot imagine during the weekend or restaurant rush hours. The Bar seating area and every table had qr codes for the online menu, which had pictures for each item. I noticed the code after I ordered from the big menu sign at the top of the counter. Without any picture reference, I selected a super yummy grilled mozzarella sandwich and my usual choice of hot coffee mocha. My partner got regular coffee and a cheeseburger. It was open seated, so we sat at one of the small tables on the left side. Noice was moderate. Looks like a perfect place to study or work while eating, which I noticed some people were doing it. Drinks came quickly. My mocha was very yummy. It had a perfect amount of chocolate syrup that didn't make it super sweet, especially the bottom part of the drink. I enjoyed my drink from the first sip to the end. The grilled mozzarella sandwich was also perfect. If you are a spicy food lover you may find it a medium (4 or 5 out of 10). I don't think they ask for a spicy level. So, this is how they made the spicy salsa verde sauce. I would recommend you to order only if you like spicy. I didn't try, but my partner said the cheeseburger was so on point. This place became one of my favorite brunch spots in Minneapolis :) read more

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Casually elegant. Excellent sandwich delivered quickly via the QR code menu/tableside ordering. Also loved the seasonal latte-- I think it was a maple infused delight. I got the turkey burger and was more than satisfied with the flavor, juiciness, and freshness. I'd always been intimidated by this place due to its rave reviews-- what a waste of years I could've been enjoying its loveliness! read more

I've been here a few times and am consistently impressed. Breakfast and lunch in their cafe is seat yourself. You order from a QR code at your table. Service is quick and friendly. Drip coffee was solid. Vibe is definitely classy cafe. If you squint a bit you feel like you're in a Europe. Lunch options are varied, well-made and flavorful. I've also been for their prix fixe menu. Excellent with wine pairing and various impressive dishes. Definitely will be back! read more

Wow this place definitely is worth the hype! Also this review is just for the cafe as I haven't tried their dinner menu before. The Up South breakfast sandwich is so good! Their coffee drinks are also so delicious- the coffee is smooth and there is a good balance between bitterness and sweetness for me. Their baked goodies all also very good- not too sweet and usually moist. My friends and I really enjoyed the coconut macaroons- it was nutty, flakey and sweet. It is more on the pricier side but the freshness, quality and flavors are definitely there to make it worth it. I would definitely recommend trying at least once. Parking is a little annoying but the area is like that overall being right by the UMN campus no surprise. Ordering is super easy as you can order online or at the counter. read more

By far the easiest 5 stars I've ever given. I would give 10, 20, one trillion stars for this hotel. We used to live down the street and would go to the cafe regularly, but we never had a reason to stay at the hotel. Now we live in another state and decided to stay at Alma for our visit back. Well where can I even begin? First of all they have this little paper form you fill out for breakfast which is delivered to your door each morning. The free stuff is excellent. The breakfast sandwiches have me reeling and I will never forget them. Also you get a charcuterie plate and a carafe of wine when you arrive!!! Simply amazing. We don't stay at fancy hotels often, but we have stayed at a couple in NYC and other high demand locations and the service at those places does not even compare to Alma. There is a side entrance for guests only so you don't have to walk thru the restaurant or see anyone every time you come back. Also they have this pillow mist and essential oil that we now realize we need one hundred gallons of (each). We have traveled overnight to a few other places since we stayed here, and we talk about Alma every single time. Because nothing compares!!!! Especially at their price point, you really cannot beat it. I want to live, breathe, and BE ALMA. There is a small parking lot which was available during our stay. There is also a sound machine, a remote control for the light, and complimentary access to Netflix and other smart TV applications on a big TV. Basically it's really obvious that the person running this place tried staying here for a night and made sure to meet every need you might have during your stay (or they are extremely good at hospitality without doing a trial stay!). The attention to detail is simply unmatched. The decor is what I want my home to look like. This place...I will never forget. Thank you Alma. I don't want to stay anywhere else when I am back in Minneapolis. And in the best way, you have tainted all the other hotels I will stay at, because nothing I've experienced has been to this standard. Thank you!!! read more

Food was fantastic but service was extremely lacking. Didn't receive wine pairings until most of our courses were already eaten. Wine descriptions were very general or not even close to based in reality at all. read more

I would suggest adding this place to the to do list when visiting Minneapolis. I would put it right behind the Vikings unless of course your hungry. Great food and service! read more

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Came for Saturday brunch. Definitely a casual feel for brunch. You can pick your own seat and order through a QR code at the table otherwise you can order at the counter as well. Plenty of drink options and breakfast foods. I got the Sunshine Helps breakfast sandwich with a side of crispy smashed potatoes with aioli. The potatoes are amazing and the side of aioli is a must. Also got the Coconut Cold Press which was very smooth and not too coconuty. You bus your own table so definitely a more laid back brunch but delicious none the less. And you pay on your phone so everything is done on your own time and they bring the food out to you. Want to come back and try happy hour and dinner here! read more

Alma - Sunshine helps breakfast sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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For a surprise dinner out for my birthday my wife chose well. Alma has been on my list to try for some time but for some reason I kept putting it off. What a mistake! Upon arriving we were welcomed and shown to our table. Our server was friendly and explained the full meat and vegetarian menu. We ordered a starter cocktail and then let the main event start. The combination of the meal and wine paring was spot on. I keep asking myself why I waited so long to try Alma. I may never know that answer but we have already decided to go back in roughly 6 weeks once the menu rotates. read more

Alma - Menu 6/23/22 - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

My first time back in years. It was superb!!! Still the best service in town!!! It used to be you had four choices in the the first through third course. They've changed it up in now they serve it all. I was ready to explode by the end of dinber read more

cafe has great breakfast. the ham jam was soooo good. great cinnamon roll too, it's a cross between cinnamon roll and a croissant. latte was ehhhhhh a little acidic for their coffee but definitely will be back for the food. read more

We loved our dinner date at Alma. Each of the courses was wonderful and each bite was to die for. The ambience was super date like and intimate. The wine offered was yummy and we can't wait to go back! Parking is also pretty easy to find on the street! read more

Tried the pre fixe dinner as a special occasion with my sister a while back . Overall was decent, but was maybe hoping to be more impressed than I was? Maybe expectations were bit high? Maybe an off night? Under seasoned? My sister had ordered their takeout a couple times and it was apparently excellent. The food was beautiful in presentation and in general execution seemed well done but I felt the dinner fell a bit flat, almost like they forgot to add some salt or something. Service was excellent tho. Unfortunately with so many great places to try and go to in Minneapolis, I'm not sure I'll be back any time soon, but maybe I'll get to try some of my sister's takeout order sometime and Alma will be redeemed. With all the positive reviews, they're clearly doing something right - just wasn't quite the right fit when we went. read more

Alma - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Visited Alma for the "Twice Fried Chicken" pop-up and left wanting a little more. I've been to both the restaurant and the cafe at Alma and have had great experiences both times - this experience was no exception, however, I was left a little underwhelmed by the food. As always the service at Alma is wonderful. Our waitress was prompt, polite and very friendly. The food for the pop-up was twice-fried chicken with a Japanese theme. Overall, it felt a little lazy. All the food came out on one platter to enjoy "family style" and I would have enjoyed it a bit more had there been more focus on presentation. For $55 per person, it felt a little steep for what we got. Overall, good experience. Would I do it again, probably not. read more

Alma - Cafes Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota