Finally made it here & had a great meal. My friend from Hawaii was visiting & she texted me a…read morecouple weeks in advance asking me if I've been meaning to try any new restaurants. I immediately replied Vinai & she told me she booked us a reservation & I was excited for 2 weeks until we arrived. AMBIANCE: It feels like a more upscale trendy Asian spot but still felt warm, airy, and welcoming. Folks were both dressed up and casual. Our server was nice, but did think it was funny how she explained "family style" to a table of Asian folks but I guess it's safer not to assume. FOOD: It was all delicious but my fav was the Laab Carpaccio-that's a must get! We also enjoyed the Fun Fun Egg Noodles & Hmong Cucumbers for something healthier & then the pork chop. It was def worth paying extra for the green hot sauce & for some extra sticky rice. We also enjoyed our cocktails and mango sticky rice dessert. Yes it's a bit spendy but I would say it's worth it & can't find any of these dishes at Hmong Village :) Lastly, I saw the owner of the restaurant join the table next to us. I was so close to leaning over and giving him a high-five but resisted embarrassing my friend, but maybe next time!

Food: 3/3 Overall, the food we chose was very good. I…read morehighly recommend the double cut pork chop. The flavors were familiar, yet elevated by the chef in a refreshing way. I'm sure lots of you are wondering what this means. Well, IMO there are lots of Asian restaurants in the Twin Cities that try to elevate the food for what is typically considered cheap Asian street/home-cooked food so they can charge a premium price. Most of them do it very poorly. This place actually hits the mark on most of their dishes. This is not just a trendy place for less familiar Caucasian patrons, but can be enjoyed by those familiar with the flavors. Service: 1/1 Staff was attentive and provided excellent service. I was seated in a busier spot, and the servers always made an effort to give me plenty of space. Ambiance: 1/1 The seating was clean and spacious, and the lighting was not too bright or too dim. It is street parking, but it is manageable with the nearby neighborhoods.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billy After Dark is such a fun experience! I've gone here on several occasions. If you're a smaller…read moregroup (think 3 or under), you can typically get away with getting in without a reservation. Otherwise, it's best to make one beforehand! The cocktails are always changing. I love how they incorporate unique Asian flavors, like ube, and also serve small snacks (yuzu whitetail is delicious). The ceiling is lit up with a ton of tiny lights, making it feel like the night sky! Highly recommend trying this place out!

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

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

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

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