Best Date Night Restaurants in South St. Paul

We had a fantastic evening! The service by Courtney was stellar- she was knowledgeable, visited our table at the right intervals, and was personable. The food was top notch- the shrimp cocktail was beautiful and delicious, calamari very good and the walleye cakes were good. The NY Strip steak was reported to be “ the best steak I ever had” my special- 10oz prime rib was delectable. Seafood bouillabaisse, ordered by an East coaster, said it was delicious- the only dish not as highly recommended was Wellington meatloaf. Birthday dessert and a group photo followed also had the grasshopper pie and tiramisu which were delightful! A pricey meal- but well worth it. A wonderful experience had by all!

What can you say about a restaurant that really has nothing to be compared to? When you are rocking original, creative, Venezuelan cuisine, in Saint Paul, the comps are hard to come by… That said, this very-chef-based small cocina is pushing out creativity and quality that belongs in downtown Minneapolis next to the best of the best. This was a place I’d been promising myself a visit for about six months and finally got there. The menu is eclectic, inspired and wholly-original. Crasqui delivers and Ms. Ramirez is a true chef. Her vision of bringing the cuisine of Venezuela to has been realized and we are lucky that she decided to grace us with her art. The pulpo (octopus) appetizer is a great treatment and fun. If the idea of it throws you; just try it. The entrees, the Conejo (rabbit) and Lomito (tenderloin) were excellent to the point of licking the plates and demanding more. To add to drama, Soleil (Ms. Ramirez) has created a cocktail program that also delivers creativity, novelty and with a serious nod to the powers far-south of the border with citrus, liqueurs and exotics that are unique and well-crafted. Her wine list is also unique and exciting, featuring wines that are uniquely sourced and well-suited to the menu. Ms. Ramirez has relationships with the importers that provide unique bottles that are worth the trip. If you go: enjoy a few of the tapas and the secondi (shareables) knowing that the mains are just what they are. Mains are clean and unadorned with sides, and as such you either fill in with the before or add-on with sides for the entree. In other words; like the rest of the culinary world, you construct your evening and eats, you don’t get an entree with meat/veg/starch. So don’t expect that. In terms of postres (after dinner/dessert) the menu offers unique pieces as well. Lots of fruit-centric yums and as decadent as you like. A companion menu of bevvies for that is also presented including very nice Cherry Wine (think heavy tawny port)

We had a terrific service along with a great atmosphere where my sister met for lunch. It was quiet and comfortable. The food was really good and our party ordered the salad with grill fired salmon, cheeseburger, fish and grilled chicken. All were very good and we cannot wait to return. The popovers were a nice treat and a great surprise. It brought back some memories of when we were young and our mother would take us to a restaurant at Christmas time where popovers were served. We will be making an annual tradition to visit with family here around the holidays. Thank you for a wonderful time!

Our waitstaff was so friendly and competent. Our time there was enjoyable from seating to exiting.

It’s a great institution! Great food, drinks and service. If you want a really nice steak in a casual atmosphere this is the place to be!