We had a wonderful meal here last night. As usual, we enjoyed a warm welcome and excellent service (thanks, Makenna!) with the customary great food. For this meal, we were all especially pleased to see persimmon gracing the menu. This lovely winter fruit added bright color, texture, and flavor to the dishes that it was incorporated into (I highly recommend them). I had it in the second course, a lovely salad that also contained endive, pear, radish, pine nuts and a wonderful layer of creamy taleggio. It was unique and very delicious. For my third course, I ordered the masa dumplings, which I have had before. Spoiler: they were just as good this time. With a pleasing firm but tender texture, these wonderful little dumplings hit just right. The Calabrian chili in the sauce adds a pleasant rosy color and a bit of warmth without being spicy (it's totally safe for your most Minnesotan dining companions). As always, it was beautifully plated. For my next course, I ordered the toasted farro, which is delicious, hearty, and comforting. The chewy grains combine beautifully with the umami from the cheese and porcinis to make a wonderfully substantial flavor and feel. Underneath it all, a bright basil pistou adds a pop of color to remind you that even though it's winter, spring is just around the corner. This is just a perfect dish for a cold, dark winter night. For dessert, I tried something new: the cream cheese tart. I chose wisely: this was a lovely winter dessert that was somewhat reminiscent of cheesecake (but definitely better). It was just the right amount of richness and perfectly balanced by a delicious pear compote and a layer of balsamic vinaigrette. Absolutely perfect. As always, I appreciated the awesome selection of N/A beverages. (The paNOma? Still my favorite!) read more

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Absolutely incredible. Wonderful staff, so kind and welcoming. Beautiful and tasty plates. Fresh, quality and exceptional food. Thank you for the hospitality, we will be back. read more

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No hyperbole, my experience at Joan's in the Park was probably the best restaurant experience I've ever had in my life. The setting was nice and intimate, the menu options were good and varied, and every dish was downright spectacular; I'd say each one was better than the last, but that'd be a disservice to how well put-together every single course is. My final course though was the filet mignon, and that was perfect. Not to mention the service! It was fantastic from start to finish, and I even got to briefly chat with one of the owners, who was great. Highly, highly recommend; definitely coming here again the next time I'm in town! read more

Joan's In the Park - Cosmopolitan - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Wow, just wow. Best meal of the year, from all four of us. The poached shrimp, cavatelli with lobster, the duck breast with wild rice. There being four of us, we were able to sample pretty much the entire four course fixe prix menu. Doll and I dine out quite often, this was the best of the year. Each dish elicited moans from all of us, the flavors were spot on. Got to thank both Joan & Susan personally, and told them the same thing, best meal of the year for all of us. It was a little pricy but, you are served perfection, in each dish. read more

Amazing service. Very attentive. and very very good food overall. We came here for my grandmother's 102nd birthday. They made her and us feel extremely special. We will definitely be back and will recommend to others. read more

I've gone to Joan's three times in my life so far. It's a staple go-to for celebrations and special occasions. They are fixed menu place, run by a family, and the restaurant is cozy and beautiful. They celebrate *with* you genuinely which is not common any longer at restaurants. They have a great wine list, and offer to pair with your menu if you'd like. The service is so personable, I recommend this place to everyone. I want everyone in MN to know about Joan's, but also not so I can still get reservations! Love this place. The plating is clean and creative, but even better than it looks, the meals all taste amazing in unique combos that are so fun to eat. Pictures from JAN 2020 read more

Joan's In the Park - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

My husband and I visited Joan's in the Park for our 5-year wedding anniversary. It was a perfect, upscale spot for a celebration. The wait staff was prompt, kind and thorough in answering our questions about the menu. Because we were celebrating our anniversary, they gave us complimentary champagne and a printed photo, which I thought was a very special touch. In terms of the food, it was probably some of the best food we've ever had. It's on the spendy side but because it was for our anniversary and the flavors were INCREDIBLE, it was totally worth every penny. My husband got the wine pairing which was so fun to taste with the various plates we ordered. In terms of parking, it was street parking. I didn't see a lot or space beside their building, but the street parking was no problem. Overall great experience and I would highly recommend Joan's in the Park to all my friends and family. read more

Joan's In the Park - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Everything was absolutely perfect. Went here for my birthday with my husband two years ago and I still think about this place!! The service is top notch and the food matches! The feel and "vibe" is upscale but not stuffy! Love love love it !! read more

Joan's In the Park - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Celebrated our anniversary at Joan's In the Park. We were greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne, hearts at our table and they took a keepsake photo for us. The food was outstanding. Each course was flawlessly executed and absolutely delicious. The service was great as was the setting. I'd highly recommend a visit here. read more

It was our first time dining here. We knew it was a 4 course type experience with just a few selections for each course. The venue is very small with limited seating both inside and outside. So reservations are a must. The bar is also very small with only 4 chairs. The building is nice, the inside is quaint and cozy, with nice decor and dining tables/chairs. The outside is completely covered but the tables and chairs are patio style so a little hard to sit-up and eat close to table. Now the cocktails and food. We started off with the French-45 & 43 cocktail/mock tails. They were very good, but obviously the mock tails are a bit too sugary. The first course was the bread and eclairs. I thought their version of the eclair with a thin sliced ham on top was really good. Very sweet and salty. The next course we had the beef tartare and shrimp dish. Both were fantastic. The next course we had the hominy and quinoa dishes, again both were great. I think the quinoa was better, more flavor and of course lobster. The final course we had the filet mignon and the vegetarian dishes. The Filet was one of the best we've had in some time. The vegetarian dish was tasty, and the dried beet chips added a nice crunch. We finished with dessert, the caramel pudding and chocolate cake. Both were great. I'd give the food 5 stars for quality and presentation. The service was very good, everyone was polite and on top of things. We didn't have to wait long for drinks or each course. They knew the menu and I would give the service very high ratings. Lastly, the price. The 4 courses were $85 ea. We had 4 cocktails and 2 mock tails and the 2 desserts, and the bill was $280 plus a tip. That is my only reason to put this at 4 overall stars vs. 5. But that is StPaul/Mpls. The cost to go out to dinner at a nice place will always be around $300 for two people. That is very hard to justify. So if you can afford it, it's worth it! read more

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I went here for a birthday party. It was wonderful! The food was delicious. I loved the onion knot bread, toasted farro, poached shrimp, and filet mignon. The portions were just right. I didn't leave feeling too full or hungry. The plating was like a work of art. It was nice to have the option to pick one item from each category. This is great for a bigger group with different tastes. I was really impressed with how the restaurant was so accommodating to dietary restrictions. Our server was polite and attentive. So was Joan! In summary, great food, great people, and a gem in Saint Paul. An excellent place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

My last review was in 2016. We come to Joan's often to celebrate birthdays and our anniversary. Dining at Joan's is like coming home to a wonderful family. Each member of the staff treats us like we are very special. Each course of the 4 courses is so amazing. We love the choices on the set menu. We don't eat meat and we had plenty of other, fantastic items to choose. We find ourselves talking about what we ate for days after. Susan, the chef, is so creative and her dishes are exquisite. We have been to many Michelin star restaurants and Joan's is comparable! read more

Excellent! I thought it would be a good dinner but wasn't expecting it to be this good. Every dish was absolutely delicious. The filet mignon was cooked just right, and the service was perfect. Such a wonderful Valentine's Day date. read more

Had a lovely quiet evening on the patio at Joan's. This restaurant has the air of a long standing staple like the Lex or other similar high class establishments. Seemed like there were a lot of older regulars dining early in the evening. The food was a-okay. The quantity of each item was sufficient and we didn't leave overly full. Glad I got the chance to try Joan's, it has been on the list for a while! read more

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Joan's just never disappoints. The pre-fixed menu is pricey for some but is exquisite. You will be pleased with whatever you select. I had the olive bread, the shrimp appetizer, the lobster third course, the filet for the main, and the brown butter pudding for dessert. The filet was cooked perfectly and was a generous size. The true stand out, for me, was the shrimp appetizer. So delicate and flavorful. My husband had the onion knot bread, the plum and ham, pumpkin tortellini, and finally, the cider brined pork chop. He loved the pork chop! Didn't even give me a taste of it! We had a great bottle of Cabernet too. This is a perfect date night restaurant. Also, when the cider brined chicken is on the menu, it's a must. read more

Joan's In the Park - Bacon - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Joan's is a small family run restaurant in St. Paul and it has become one of our regular spots for celebrating/fancier nights out. The space is cozy, made up of a small bar and about ten tables inside. During the warmer months they have a patio that significantly adds to their capacity, though keep in mind this is a small family run operation, so seating is generally going to be pretty limited by design. The menu is a set price and consists of four courses. Each course has a number of options available to choose your own path and those options change frequently. The food has always been excellent, artfully plated and well paced. If there is a better place to have a steak in the Cities I have yet to find it (so long as you're happy with the option on Joan's menu - which is often a tenderloin). You have the option to add a wine pairing to your dinner, otherwise there are plenty of a la carte drink options available. Joan's isn't a cheap night out, but it is consistently delicious, inviting and accompanied by friendly service. read more

If you haven't tried this place, go now!!! We went on our anniversary yesterday and we couldn't believe the care and attention to detail. Our table was decorated with cute confetti and they offered us some champagne. We don't drink so they subbed in a mocktail which was delicious!! Food came in a timely manner, the presentation and taste was perfect!! We can't wait to come back. We've been thinking about it since we left!!! read more

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LOVE this place! Came here for our anniversary. Joan and the staff were very welcoming and made us feel comfortable and took great care of us. When we arrived they wished us a happy anniversary with complimentary champagne! Dan, our waiter, even came over and sprinkled some heart confetti on the table which was a very nice touch. It's a very romantic and intimate ambiance, perfect for any date! We will definitely be back! Thank you to Joan, Susan for making our time in Minnesota something to remember! read more

In Highland Park is an Arc of fine dining! New York class in St. Paul's Highland Park with down-to-earth Midwestern atmosphere and service. Joan's in the Park will leave you edified and wanting more. The restaurant is family run and co-owned by Joan. Joan's Son and future Daughter in Law are servers. The family is extremely warm and attentive, exuding the attentiveness of ownership. The service is the best part of the experience here! A very intimate indoor dining and patio lies within an unassuming interior. The background music includes classical versions or popular music--unpretentious yet classy. The menu is four-course with four options for each course. My lawyer math tells me that leaves 256 different combinations (permutations) for the menu on a given week! For a cocktail, I tried the Sazerac, a New Orleans classic and close cousin of the Old Fashioned. It was bold and bitter, and altogether excellent. For my First Course, I had the Rustica Olive Bread, which was firm but delicately flavored with apple balsamic and olive oil. For the Second Course, I had the Cucumber and Raw Scallop. The Scallop was a bit cold, as if it had been thawed, while intricately presented in a creamy sauce. For the Third Course, I had the Coastal Star Romaine. It was a salad presented in a ball of romaine lettuce leaves that had not been cut. Creative. The leaves were soft if not soggy in and layered with Gorgonzola dolce (blue cow cheese). For the Fourth Course, I had the market fish, which was a pan seared salmon from New Zealand. This was excellent--moist, tender, perfectly flavored. I had not had New Zealand salmon before, but it is every bit as good as Alaskan if not better. For dessert, I had the Peach Ice Cream cake, which was a flakey cake with a whipped cream-ice cream flavor topping. Delicious, and well balanced between the dry base and moist top layer. Overall, a very fine dining experience. The 4-course menu is at the time of this writing $79 but well worth it for special occasions or just a welcome variety in dining experience. A "Park d'Triumph" in Highland! read more

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Superb dinner. Prix fixe 4 course meal. Only 2 negstive things...first it was unusually loud the night we went IMO. Second was it took 45 minutes to get our first course and I was a bit hangry. The food got progressively better each course cuminulating in a beautifully done filet and wonderfully prepared scallops. Loved the lobster/lentils and the beet salad was incredible. Service was great. Wine pairing was reasonable at $45 for 4 glasses. Loved the bread butter pudding. Highly reccomend. read more

An absolutely amazing meal! Great cocktails, fantastic wine list and one of the best meals I've had in years. Not cheap but well worth it. Service was impeccable. Can't wait to go back! read more

A special occasion dinner for sure. Reservations highly recommended. My parents and I went out for a nice welcome home dinner. For $62, you get a four course menu that has about 6 options for each course. You can order a la carte but it really doesn't make sense to do so. Every plate that came out was beautiful. Fresh silverware was presented for every course. Flavors were fresh and on point. The staff was friendly, helpful, funny, and courteous. With four courses I felt neither stuffed nor still hungry (as one often does a fancy French restaurants) Even better, my parents and I are good at sharing so I got to sample 16 of their dishes. Not a single one was poor, many were amazing. read more

Joan's In the Park - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Excellent food, service, ambience! So friendly! I really enjoyed the meal. I will definitely eat there again.

Delightful is the best way to describe Joan's in the Park. A four course tasting menu with a variety of lovely dishes for you to choose from. Our server Dan took fabulous care of us and he was delightful. I started with an onion bread that was served warm. Then I had the scallop dish. Then a salad with a fig cream. Then the pork chop which by far was the best pork chop in the city. We had to add a dessert. We had the Orange cake with a root beer caramel which was so delicious. We sat outside and it was a lovely night in a lovely neighborhood with terrific food. read more

Fine dining, white table cloths, and extremely elegant plating. It's true, we eat with our eyes first, and the plates here are stunning. There were perfect dollops on each beet. The beet tortellini had a mixture of golden and red beet swirling throughout! I've never ordered Beef Tartare before because frankly I've been scared to. Raw beef? I don't know. It has a beet chip on top that helps add a crunchy texture to the raw meat. After the second bite, I forgot what I was eating. It was salty and delicious! I'd definitely order again! read more

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WOW! I've never had to do this before but I need to. We made a reservation for our family for a Friday night. An intensive snow storm hit minneapolis, so we tried to cancel and reschedule our dinner. I tried to do this several times on their online system, and kept receiving a 404 page error. I then received a text message asking me to confirm or cancel. I said "cancel." And followed up with "So sorry, I tried to do this online but kept receiving an error message." I then received a rude reply back saying "You could have called...this is now considered a LATE cancellation." I messaged back that they were closed until 5, so I could not call and was sorry. At that point I received ANOTHER text from another number saying "you also were given a reminder from resy." To which I replied that is where I tried to cancel in the first place. They continued to send me several more harassing messages! This was shocking, so we called to let the manager know what was happening, and they hung up. My husband called and asked to speak to the owner- who SCREAMED at us for cancelling. We said our older mother was not comfortable driving in emergency weather, she then yelled more and also hung up on us. This was so disappointing - we meant to share wonderful news with our family this night, and we were all driving from several hours to dine. Suffice to say, we will never be coming back. This is extremely rude and unprofessional to harass your customers. read more

Our first visit to Joan's was decided upon by the many Yelp rankings and the fact that they offer a nightly tasting menu of four courses (two options per) and a very respectable wine list. My observations and tips follow: First as you may read, the restaurant is very small and intimate. Therefore no bulky coats or jackets. There is an area for those colder weather wraps, and the host will gladly take them back and return them to you when you are ready to depart. Cocktails: This establishment is pretty old-school in that they hand prepare your ordered libation at a small service bar in the back of the room. The cocktails we tasted were very honest (meaning a proper pour and careful mixing and composition). My favorite was the Sazarac! I hadn't had one that so reminded me of my visit to New Orleans some years ago, but they have it!! Most of the early plates (number one through three) are smaller, but the main entrée (course four) was full size. Each one was beautifully composed, and a tasty bite to be sure. We've experienced other tasting menus that were as well composed and featured a healthier portion with each course than here, but for the price and the convenience of visiting Joans and enjoying dependably well cooked and composed dishes, we weren't disappointed. Just not enamored. read more

Joan's in the Park is a hidden gem in St. Paul; I didn't know what amazing food and service lay inside until just recently! The options within the course dinner and portion sizes are perfect. We highly enjoyed the scallops, beets, grits, and carrot dishes. But truly, you cannot go wrong with any of your choices. Joan, Susan, and the staff are very attentive and obviously super detail oriented. We will be coming back soon and look forward to seeing what other seasons beyond summer have to offer on the menu. Cheers! read more

Joan's In the Park - Beets - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Wow. I've honestly never left a bad review at a restaurant but this was exceptional. I called the restaurant today to see if it was possible to dine outside. I was put on hold until Joan herself answered and demanded to know if we NEED to sit outside otherwise she will cancel the reservation. I told her that I will need to confirm with the other guests since I don't know the comfort level of all the guests (there was six of us) to which she said "WELL CALL THEM NOW THEN." I told her I understand the situation but it seems unfair to demand an answer RIGHT NOW to which she responded "I'M JUST GOING TO CACNEL YOUR RESERVATION THEN" and HUNG UP. Never met this lady and I am sure it's a stressful time for her but wow. Basic phone manners would've been nice to start with? Wish the best for her business but not dining here ever. read more

Joans in the Park is consistently excellent. The 4 course prixe fix has interesting creative options. The service is always warm and attentive. The atmosphere is cozy and personal. It is a lovely choice for a special dinner. Feel fortunate to have it in my neighborhood. read more

Perfection is what they produce. This menu has tastes for everyone. The four course menu flowed through our palates like Niagara Falls. The bread choice were also impossible to choose from. So had to get an extra one so the three of us could taste each one. The onion know had us at hello. The romaine with the ham speck hit the high note. The fish special was so mouth watering we had to beg for a bite. I took a risk and ordered the tenderloin, the night before we had been at a steakhouse in Wisconsin and was so disappointed. BUT OMG the sear was perfect with a beautiful pink center. Definitely worth coming back for. I am not sure how we decided to order dessert but the brown butter pudding is something dreams are made of. So so so yummy. The only thing better was the amazing service. Can't wait to come back again. read more

We had an intimate and amazing dining experience! The food was on point in every way. We had the English muffin which had delicious patte, French knot with perfect crisp on outside, tender on the inside, beet salad which was the best I've ever had, leek and egg which was so unique and tasty, beef tartare which I could have ate another it was so good, tender pork belly, sea scallops and filet both done perfectly. We were treated so well we thought maybe they thought we were reviewers and treated so well! It was such a treat and exceptional culinary experience! read more

Joan's In the Park - New Bedford Day Boat Scallops - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Had a memorable meal tonight. The bread course was delicious, as well as the steak tartare. The filet mignon and pork tenderloin were both good choices and brown butter pudding was perfection. Definitely recommend the wine pairing. Our server Dan was very knowledgeable about wines. We have been to several 3 star Michelin restaurants and our server was as good. or better than any server at those restaurants. read more

Pricey, small portioned but delicious food. Also hard to make appointment and stuck up servers. So, I have been here 4 times so far and each time I came with my family. We always made appointments beforehand as the place is small and busy. They use seasonally fresh ingredients and the taste is good. Maybe I have a bottomless stomach, after having salad, main course And dessert, I tend to still feel not-full. And considering how much I paid, that's a bit disappointing. So folks who are over 120lb, be mindful of that. lots of street free parking available in walkable distance. read more

What a great hidden treasure. We were greeted warmly even thought we were late (my fault). The food was pretty amazing--beautiful to look at, portioned just right--I had the quinoa lobster for my third dish and the market seafood was a mouthmelting cod. Plus our waiter (Dan I believe) was extremely professional, friendly and helpful without being overbearing. It all had the feel of a place where we were being welcomed in and made to feel special. The very essence of a great restaurant! read more

Amazing in all c ways, though it's been a few years since I was here. Quality, ambiance and service all great

Love love love. From the food, to the service to the family owned pride it is a winner for us. I'm especially a fan of their brown sugar pudding dessert, which is amazing. read more

How do I describe my meal here.... best meal and service of 2020, even when thinking about life before covid! It was truly the best dining experience of this year. The service was fantastic (I meant to remember our servers name but can't, whoever he is, he got a big tip!), the food was outstanding, the atmosphere was still great, and I was happy with everything. My parents, boyfriend and I cam here for their tasting menu and sat outside, it was so cozy with the fires going. I had the "Endless Summer" cocktail when it was about 30 degrees out, and it was so good and tropical without being too sweet, that I almost felt like I was back on a hot summer day. We all did the tasting menu with the wine pairing, and our server occasionally brought out sample wines that we could pick from so we could be sure to have a wine we enjoyed with our course. I know there are a lot of really good restaurants in the metro, and they all deserve our support, but if you are thinking of springing for a real treat, I would recommend Joan's in the Park first and foremost! read more

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Four star service two star food. You order five course from a fixed menu ($62), and there were a couple amuse bouches in between. We were promptly seated for our reservation and the bourbon old fashioned I had was delicious. Great server. It wasn't very busy for our 5:30 Wednesday visit. Food was just meh. Beautiful presentation. But small portions that lacked flavor. Maybe it's the style but for what you pay I want everything to jump out at me and be crazy delicious. I'm fine with small portions if they are so tasty and amazing that I'm left wanting more. The first course I had was rabbit with a jelly on top which was weird. The attic char was good but for the price I want great. My wife described her pork as boring. Even the amuse bouches were meh. We discussed dessert but based on the food we passed expecting the same tame result. It was fun to try but we won't be back. read more

Joan's In the Park - New American Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Had the most incredible experience here. The staff is absolutely wonderful and really went above and beyond to make our time special. I would have given it a 10/5 for the staff alone - but the food brought it up to a 20/5! It was one of the most delicious meals I've ever experienced, and was very fairly priced. I definitely recommend the steak and the brown butter pudding! read more