I liked the food at Gia, and the room itself was bright and lovely. The bar was comfy. However, I was unsettled because of my own prejudice. A certain demographic in Minneapolis always makes me uncomfortable. Around what I believe is called "the Lakes" is a segment of the population that carries itself with an aura of superiority. They gravitate toward Linden Hills, Excelsior, and Wayzata. It's odd, because we all live in Minneapolis, not Saint-Tropez. These folks are fairly homogenous and dress as if they just stepped off their sailboat or their tennis court. Even when at a nice restaurant, they must appear sporty, never flashy, except when you spy the Louis Vuitton purse or Prada athletic bag. Most of the men, if older, have a full head of gray hair and dress for the country club. Gia was filled with them. I don't fit into that particular tribe. I'm short with hardly any hair on my head, and like to dress fashionably, but never sporty. I dress as if I'm in NYC, where I grew up, and I like cool clothes, even though I'm an old fart. The stares I received were not welcoming. Jeff, the ubiquitous server/bartender who took care of us, was great, as was the omnipresent woman who took care of the front. The food is very good, especially the fantastic pasta. My swordfish was served with fabulous grilled vegetables, but I had to hunt that elusive fish down. I must try Gia again during the week, and hopefully the restaurant will have a more welcoming demographic. read more

Sydney K. was our server she was fast, friendly, fun, and helpful. Our group of four was really looking forward to our visit and I think the reviews we'd seen before our visit might have got our expectations a little too high. Our cocktails were an Orion's Belt, the Moira, 2 glasses of Bordeaux and a half glass of the featured wine Farina Amarine...all were great We have noticed lately we don't get dessert because we are full and decided to start with dessert much to our server and the owner's delight. We got the chocolate mousse, the affogato and the lemon polenta cake...these were the stars of the meal. They were delightful and made you crave another bite...hats off to the pastry chef! We followed this up with the focaccia and the formaggi, let me tell you the focaccia was some of the best we've had! We then ordered the arugula salad to go with our meals. My wife chose the Tuscan soup, I chose the casarecce, and our friends selected the bass and tagliatelle broccoli rabe. These were all good just not the stars of the meal. read more

Gia is a fantastic place to impress a date or host a business meeting. The food was excellent, the service genuinely friendly, and the beverage selection strong (they have a full bar). Reservations are recommended, but solo diners can comfortably sit at the bar--perfect for a relaxed conversation with the bartender. The ambiance is elegant yet comfortable, and the acoustics are surprisingly good, making it easy to actually talk without shouting. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Gia was wonderful- the server explains all the dishes thoughtfully and the food was fresh and delightful. We had a wonderful experience overall. Felt like we weren't even in Minneapolis anymore but rather on a European vacation! read more

Gia - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Have been here twice and the food was wonderful both times. The menu does change weekly but it does not seem to affect the quality. They have parking on the side of the building but if full there is street parking as well. Service is solid and the servers are able to pair wine with the food, recommend dishes, and describe what's in the dishes. We will definitely be back. read more

Gia - Pasta dish - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Happy to say another great experience here Great to have consistent food and service even with the weekly menu changes The lamb chops and risotto were excellent Great wine list and love the vibe of the intimate restaurant read more

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Great ambiance, excellent service. Food was amazing... Smallish place so make sure to get a reservation! read more

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In one word - delightful. With an ever changing menu, attentive staff, and absolutely decadent food, Gia is the perfect addition to South Minneapolis' already vibrant food scene. The interior is clean, simple and intimate with white tablecloths that add an elegance without the presumed stuffiness. Our waitress was excellent, delving into details of each dish on the small, curated menu. We started with the salami plate, with little circles of salty goodness that paired well with the complimentary nuts and crackers delivered to the table. We then moved on to the seasonal bruschetta. Sort of reminded me of Hyacinth, where they have a seasonal sort of bruschetta. Gia's rendition came with two varieties, one set of delicious bread was topped with smashed chickpeas and a squirt of high quality olive oil and the other paired that same olive oil with cooked rapini. The crispiness of the bread, soft and flavorful chickpeas and smooth, flavorful oil made an extraordinary first bite. The mains were standouts. I forget the type of meat in my pasta but it essentially was like a shaved, salty cut of prosciutto but it had an alternative name. The bucatini was cooked perfectly and the bursting tomatoes and fresh cheese on top created a blend of salty, filling goodness. The duck breast with polenta was something special. The tender duck falling off the bone and the creamy polenta packing a subtle flavor played well off one another. Would love to go back just to see how the menu changes with the seasons. Somewhat expensive but I do think the quality proves worthy of the final bill. read more

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The portions were extremely small-especially considering the cost. The artesian cheese had 2 small homemade crackers that were uninspired, 1-2 ounces of cheese, along with a very minimal dried fruit for $22. The grilled artichoke with quinoa was more of a side dish and not a main as there was very little food there and no taste stood out. The prawns were mealy/gritty and did not taste fresh. The waiter was very nice and professional. Glad our company was so wonderful because I'll never go back to the restaurant again. read more

LOVED this spot! I came here with a friend and we sat at the bar. We had great service. It's a gorgeous interior. The food and drinks were delicious! I'd love to come back again! This neighborhood has so many options but Gia stands out! read more

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Fun to try this new spot! Got a reservation and sat outside on their patio which is cute. Small very quaint spot! A few parking spots on the side of the building otherwise street parking. We ordered a variety of things to split and enjoyed all of them. Portions were quite small so if you come you'll want multiple things instead of just one entree. The appetizers were really good and then we enjoyed our pastas. The mushroom pasta was nice and creamy, great flavor, however, the mushroom to pasta ratio was way off, way too much mushroom for us! Food was relatively quick and overall service was just okay. Our apps came before drinks but didn't have to wait a long time for anything. Worth a stop to check out this new place! read more

Gia - Rosemary focaccia - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I wanted to really like this place, but unfortunately it felt too expensive for the value. The pasta was really good, but it's hard to pay 30ish dollars for a pasta dish that didn't make the noodles fresh. I enjoyed everything I ate, but it was underwhelming. read more

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Gia has weekly menus and I love the surprise of it. It has me looking forward to going back and trying something new each time. Gia is a beautiful little spot that is relaxed and had great service at the bar. I highly recommend making a reservation because the restaurant filled up quickly. The ravioli and risotto tasted magnificent and were both full of flavor! If you are looking for a great meal and drinks add Gia to your list! read more

Gia - Ravioli and Risotto - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We have always loved this restaurant, love the owner, the community/neighborhood vibe and the quality of the food. We have only had incredible experiences here every time we've gone. Unfortunately we went there for a big family birthday celebration last night and everything was excellent as usual except our server. He made us feel unwelcome which is so unlike every other server we have had. Right from the beginning how he presented our dining options (restaurant week or not) was so unfriendly. We will absolutely be going back as we love this restaurant but hopefully we will have a better experience with the server next time. read more

Some highlights: -Love that the menu changes weekly (which may account for the hit or miss entrees others are talking about? Loved my pasta dish from our second visit!) -Ambiance is really chill and homey -Service is amazing -Food is a little expensive -Can be crowded and require reservations in advance even on weekdays -Accommodating with kids (have crayons and a kids menu that's prix fixe) read more

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We arrived early to our reservation and had a couple of drinks at the bar as well as the bruschetta app. The bartender was so nice and made the most delicious espresso martini and Aperol spritz! The artichoke bruschetta was delicious and a dun try. I ended up getting the truffle pasta which was also delicious but I did wish there was a bit more truffle flavor coming through in each bite. The food definitely had a French / Italian mix which was fun to try. Finally, the ambiance of the restaurant felt cozy and intimate which I really appreciated. read more

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I was at Gia for a private dinner recently and plan to return in the future. The food was outstanding and interesting - no upscale burgers or other culinary cliches. The menu was northern Italian. No red sauce, meat balls etc. Although I dearly love these traditional southern Italian staples there is a lot more to Italian food than pasta and marinara sauce. We met the owners and who are also the chefs and who are dedicated to providing the best ingredients prepared with care and expertise. We started with a roasted squash, radicchio, and walnut salad which had an absolutely outstanding vinaigrette. This was followed by another salad - hurray!! I love salads. This was fresh figs which were properly ripe, arugula, and an outstanding mozzarella. I grew up in the south with a fig tree available for picking ripe figs - really miss that here. The next course was the best - risotto with a seared scallop - absolutely delicious. The main course was braised beef cheeks on a bed of polenta. This was good but I liked the first three dishes better. Dessert was a polenta cake which was okay. We started with a really good lavender na cocktail. Our server was friendly and knowledgable. Gia is small and nicely decorated but too many hard surfaces so with a full complement of diners the noise level is high. There is a small parking lot and on street parking is ample. It is great to see a small restaurant which is chef driven by chefs who seem to care about providing excellent food. The local dining scene has too many "celebrity" chefs who seem to be more interested in opening new restaurants than providing a quality dining experience. Burgers aren't that difficult even McD's does ok why do we need expensive "gourmet " burgers. When I go out I am looking for something out of the ordinary. I will definitely return to Gia soon. read more

The food was fine. The server was nice. So why won't I return? Is it because Gia has a policy that charges 10 dollars a person for a "no-show" on a reservation? No. I can understand that. However, when you show up for your reservation and two days later find you've been charged (in my case $30) for a no-show.... I called and was told no problem "I will speak with the GM and she'll get it refunded." Very nice. Mistakes happen. I get it. A few days later I have a voicemail from Gia. When I called back, the GM had some questions for me. "Am I sure I came on the right night? "Can I describe my server?" (To which I responded "IDK, white, female" and the response I got back was "we had a black, male serving that evening." I am not kidding!) "Do you have the receipt?" I don't keep restaurant receipts. So I told her what the 3 of us ordered, and the card I used. She said she could look it up if I was "really sure that that was the card I used." Condescending . She told me she was "really surprised" that they would have missed the reservation on their part since it wasn't a particularly busy evening. She looked it up, and low and behold WE WERE THERE!! She told me she would refund the $30. Did she apologize? Perhaps, but if so it was weak, because I have no memory of it. I was put through the 3rd degree over their mistake. I wasn't lying. Did they have to comp. a meal that cost them product? No. I was being charged for their having been inconvenienced, or in other words NOTHING. I was a server for many years. I know that good customer service would have just waived it -- even if there was a chance that the customer was lying. It's not a big deal. None of this was a big deal for me either, until I was interrogated over there invented charge. Shameful. read more

The ambiance of this place is so wonderful. Very calming and cute. The service was very warm and welcoming. Our server was very attentive and nice. I ordered the French 75 and it was perfect! Light and refreshing with a lemon twist. For starters we got the bruschetta, which was amazing! It reminded me and my group, of something we always get in Albania. The cheese was creamy and complemented the tomatoes, I got the pork chop with greens and a cream sauce with pine nuts. The pork chop was super tender and juicy. We also got the chocolate nemesis cake and the strawberry frangipane tart which was to die forrrr. The house roasted almond ice cream was also stunning. This was an expensive meal but an absolute treat! read more

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I secured a Friday night reservation opening week. Unfortunately, Gia falls short of my expectations. I walked out of that space having dined at the previous French restaurant that was there and left disappointed for the first time ever. The new space has been renovated well. A fresh brighter ambiance with new paint and nice lighting. The fresh flowers on the table are also a nice touch. Will keep this short and sweet. Service was very good. Food was very subpar(especially for the price). Everyone in our group felt the same. Recipes tasted mediocre and two items were noticeably overcooked . Entrees seemed to miss an ingredient or two to ignite flavor and excitement. Spent over $700 for a group of four people for food that was at a level that not only myself but friends and family members already prepare for us at home. read more

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Most items are or can be made gluten free! The menu changes frequently but staff are friendly and super knowledgeable about all of the dishes. We had a pork chop dish and an arctic char dish, both of which were excellent. About half of the desserts were gluten free when we went as well! Great cocktail menu and cozy, chic interior. read more

Gia - Italian Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Service was great and food was good, but nothing jumped out to me as a "must get again". We got the bagna cauda with anchovy, garlic & winter crudités, which is just root veggies with a pate like sauce (personally wouldn't order again). They ran out of the mushroom spaghetti that I wanted that night, which I was bummed about, but did enjoy my risotto and salmon. The menu does change every week so may come back again in the future. Cute spot if you want to chat over wine, but it is a little small inside. read more

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A brand new shiny gem of a neighborhood restaurant! We chose to come on opening night. They took the space and livened it up with fresh and light colors with a minimal decor style. It's lovely. I appreciate the details of linen covered tables topped with fresh butcher paper, a finer grade of flatware and glassware, and fresh flowers. The menu has a great selection of shareables and plates/entrees. Heads up- stay for dessert. We had the bruschetta, lamb chops, bucatini, and the lemon tart. The star of the night was the lemon tart. Perfectly cooked and balanced. The dishes were executed well but could use a bit more attention to meat temperature and finishing/seasoning. We will most definitely return and look forward to trying more items on the menu. I would really like to give a 4.5 rating but feel a 4 is too low. So, it's a 5 with the understanding it was their first night of service. Once they are open for a few weeks and get into the groove, this will be a popular place. read more

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Attentive service, great food and comfortable environment. It feels like a personal neighborhood spot and warm vibe!

Service was outstanding. Food was high quality and prepared with great care. The highlight here was the lamb dish with really delicious polenta! The only thing giving us a slight pause on returning are the prices. read more

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Service was a 2, food 3.5 We were a two top celebrating a birthday which we noted on the reservation. Upon arrival the birthday was acknowledged by the hostess but not by the waitress .. we ordered 3 share plates (buffalo mozzarella / heirloom, artichoke ravioli and fried zucchini, plus one entree , all three share plates came out at the same time ? Why should we have to ask these to be staggered? The zucchini was heavily breaded so that alone overwhelmed the dish. The heirloom and ravioli plates were very nice ...the bucatini entree was nice, but the sauce was more of a rue than a sauce, so very heavy and thick. Focaccia was never served, water was not refilled . We asked for a dessert menu and when the waitress returned to take our dessert order I mentioned we noted we were celebrating a birthday and she simply asked would we like a candle with the dessert we ordered? read more

We headed out to celebrate my birthday with a couple of girl friends. The service was a 10 out of 5. They were extremely accommodating to a friend who has high allergies and were wonderful at walking us through the menu. The bruschetta was wonderful and I would go back just for that, we also enjoyed all of our small plates/sharing. But as for the Main Plates they fell flat, the pasta with mushrooms lacked favor and the fish was a little bland. We left at about 400 or so for the 3 of us which was quite high for the quality read more

The food is always wonderful. I have never had a bad experience there. The service is excellent and so are the drinks. The ambiance was great. We sat at the bar. read more

We had a great dinner tonight. Fantastic food, drinks and dessert. One of the best pastas I've had in Minneapolis. I'd highly recommend Gia.

We had a wonderful meal with great service provided by Christian. The mozzarella di bufala with fresh (very fresh) tomatoes was superb. I followed this by the perfectly cooked sea bass with pesto and seared peppers. To top it off, the flavor explosion of the amalfi lemon tart and crème fraiche was "to die for". Applause applause! read more

My wife made a reservation a while ago for our one year anniversary. It would have been nice if the waiter would have done something for that. It was a special night for us. Besides that the food was amazing! Sure fills you up. It's a very romantic restaurant I would say. We will be back in the future. read more

Gia is incredible! Every dish we have ever had there is amazing. Creative and unique AND delicious!!! This week's beef tenderloin was the best we have EVER eaten anywhere including big steak places downtown Minneapolis. Always totally worth every $$. read more

Great service from our bartender during HH. Lovely small plates to share. The wine was notable. $$$

Good restaurant. Nothing to blow your socks off, but solid quality food and good service.

Friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff, and incredibly delicious food! We've been twice now and will be back soon!

We got a reservation for our Mother's birthday and were so happy with the entire experience. The food was phenomenal and expertly prepared. I lived in Italy for five years, so I am not as easy to impress with Italian food. The risotto nero (squid ink) was perfectly done; the pheasant with polenta was so good I can't stop thinking about it. The ambience and the service was so warm and welcoming. Highly recommend to locals or someone visiting! read more

Was excited to try this new spot but was disappointed. We sat at the bar and service wasn't great. Food was very average unfortunately. We tried the bucatini and a walnut pasta dish that was flavorless read more

One of the best places I have been to in the twin cities! Great service and love the vibe and atmosphere.

We had dinner with another couple last night at Gia. The noise level was so bad where we were sitting ( front part of the restaurant) that we had trouble having a conversation with our friends. it was really hard to enjoy the food because of the noise. read more

This place is beautiful and I love that it's in the neighborhood. I want to love this place but the food falls short. I like to eat at restaurants where the food menu and execution top what I can make at home. The sad focaccia, simple arugula salad, standard gnocchi for instance might even be below what you can make at home. The prices are not in line with the quantity and quality of the food. For example, we shared the arugula salad among three women that left each with a few leaves. Nothing special about the arugula as well (standard grocery quality). The focaccia was likely a day or so old and we received 4 very slim small pieces. Why 4 for a table of 3? Why not put two more on that plate - felt stingy and a rip off. And no it didn't come with an amazing dipping sauce (came with nothing - not expected but would have changed the game). The rest of the food was standard/ sub par. When you leave a little hungry after spending a good amount of money and disappointed - 3 stars is a gift. This place has potential - I hope they keep trying and improve for this is valuable to the neighborhood. Also, our group didn't comment on the food that evening - we found out later that we were all thinking the same thing: we didn't want to complain while enjoying good friendship but all felt the same about the food quality and value. read more