Lurcat

Mango and raspberry with citrus is delectable as always.
Craving for desserts this past few days and I remembered Café Lurcat.
Same as before their service is a bit slow, but their desserts are always great!
Worth repeating!

I’s good, but no better than that. It’s the high-​end restaurant offering from the D’Amico and Sons people, who have a bunch of restaurants around here. It is over-​priced given the menu and skill in preparation. I’m guessing the location is expensive.
First the décor: cookie-​cutter high-​end. Clean, pleasant, but no personality. I would call it «impersonally pleasant». The location is nice, with a view of Loring Park. Table service is good with nice quality glasses.
Service was okay, but the servers are, as with all corporate restaurants, selling rather than serving. The waitress made sure to tell us that she «loves this» and «loves that» menu item. In this type of restaurant, they tell the servers to «push the potato salad» or whatever it is before service and then they go out and try to sell those items. We never asked her for a recommendation, but she gave them anyway, which is actually a bit rude.
The food was also just okay. The salad was nice, not overdressed, but otherwise undistinguished. My wife and I eat vegetarian only at home and usually when we dine out, but if we can’t find a decent vegetarian entrée at a restaurant and we don’t care for the seafood selections, or if we have had seafood recently, we allow ourselves to eat meat. That night we both had pot roast. It was very nicely braised to the point where it was very tender but still had tooth. On the other hand, it was not seasoned. The mashed potatoes were also bland and pretty much pureed. I prefer that pot roast and mashed potatoes have flavor, so this was another undistinguished plate. The Malbec goes well with the pot roast, by the way. I wish they had a decent vegetarian entrée but they don’t. If you want really good food with one or more really good vegetarian entrees then you go to Barbette in Uptown. That place at least cares for vegetarians and doesn’t do the usual «smother it with cheese» routine for vegetarian entrees.
Ultimately, I think Café Lurcat is over-​priced, given the value.

I was very impressed with décor, service, and food taste/​quality/​innovation. This was my first time to Minneapolis and I was looking for a restaurant to celebrate my anniversary. Café Lurcat did not disappoint.
I was initially concerned when they took me down a dark, smelly hallway past the kitchen, but it ultimately opened into a very large, bright dinning room. We were sat at a table by the floor-​to-​ceiling windows overlooking the park across the street. The large dinning room get very loud, but it emptied out by 8p so it quieted down.
We had their Burrata (mozzarella) and roasted heirloom tomato appetizer that had the best combination of tastes on the the most amazing crostini bread (crisp, but not dry). My 7 oz. filet was a little over-​cooked, but still very tasty with a port reduction. The orange parfait dessert was way too strong and I was unable to enjoy it.
Both the Hotel Minneapolis and the Grapefruit Drop martinis were way too strong, but their extensive wine list was very impressive. For example, if you are looking for a 1964 Spanish wine ($ 1,000), they got it.
Overall, it is a beautiful venue with impressive wines, ambitious menu, and decent prices. I am so happy that I got a chance to dine here.

The Chilean Sea Bass Marinated in Miso entrée is by far my favorite dish here (especially if you’re a seafood lover). Although you can’t really go wrong with anything else on the menu either. My friends and I ordered different dishes and every dish looked amazing — no one had anything bad to say about their entrees.
Service is always at its optimal quality here.
Beautiful, classy, and fun restaurant.

Amazing food, unique layout, expensive but not necessarily overpriced. Horribly slow service.

Everything was delicious! Highly recommend this palace.
This is what I had. Very happy with everything I had.
Appetizer:
tuna tartar. Very fresh and fatty tuna.
Apple, cheese, chives salad. Also so good! (I’m going to try making this at home.)
Main: sea bass. Prepared very well. Loved the miso glaze. So delicious.
Service was excellent.

I had heard a lot of Bar Lurcat but had never had the opportunity to go until now. First of all, the restaurant is immaculate: high vaulted ceilings, candle lit ambiance, and chandlers dripping with crystals welcome you into the lounge. I began my night with their grapefruit martini which would perfectly concocted by the bartender. We dove immediately into the meals… I ordered the miso marinated sea bass and it was honestly one of the best meals I’ve EVER had. The miso created a butter-​like glaze that made the sea bass literally melt in your mouth. I could go on and on. The mashed potatoes were fantastic but a little bit dry for my taste however, the mushrooms were fantastic. I also was able to try the hanger steak. Cooked perfectly to medium rare in a Madeira garlic wine sauce and garnished with rosemary. MUAH!

It’s an amazing restaurant!!! Decadent food that will tickle your taste buds. Amazing combinations of food and ambience. I will be back I hope sooner than later. I had the sea bass nothing better

So cool! I came here for the first time during restaurant week and was beyond impressed in every way.
1. The building is totally rad — gorgeous architecture, smothered in character. I’m sure I would have appreciated the giant windows more in daylight, but there was beauty at every turn regardless.
2. The service is phenomenal. As soon as I walked in I was offered to check my coat. And as I was still waiting for two friends to arrive, I took a seat next to the host stand and was promptly also offered a beverage while I waited. Our server for the evening offered lots of much-​appreciated recommendations and was very attentive throughout the evening.
3. The food. The FOOD! The apple, cheese, and chive salad was light and delicious. The mushroom soup was like «stroganoff gravy» according to my friend. The squid ink risotto creamy and comforting, the stuffed chicken breast exquisitely crispy and overwhelmingly flavorful. And the chocolate torte was like a brick of soft fudge covered in chocolate shavings and itty bitty milk duds. Despite the portions being smaller for restaurant week according to our server, none of us managed to finish dessert, and not for lack of trying.
Although I typically would be hesitant to splurge on a place like this at full price (hence going during restaurant week), they have earned plenty of future business from me!

Our experience was only okay. We came for restaurant week. The space is quite large and feels impersonal and less intimate. Some tables are better than others. For whatever reason, we were seated at a table that felt jammed into a hallway. It would have been nicer to sit by a window or in a nook where we could have enjoyed the ambience more. The food was good, and worth the restaurant week value price, but definitely would not have been worth full price. We tried the short ribs and apple salad appetizers; the pork and salmon entrees; and donuts and pistachio pavlova for dessert. Everything was good, nothing was exceptional. The cocktails were similarly tasty and balanced, but pretty much average. Not a bad meal but we are in no rush to return. Third Bird or Bradstreet or places downtown like Spoon & Stable or Borough are all *much* better than this place.

After hearing nothing but good things about this place, my friends and I decided to come for restaurant week last night. I got the mushroom soup (amazing) chicken breast (amazing) and mini donuts. The food was great but I was bummed by the service. I felt like we got less attention because we were ordering off the restaurant week menu. Our server never came back to our table after taking our orders. Many of us were wanting a second glass of wine but never got the chance to order one. We were delivered our checks without even asking for them. I felt rushed out, unappreciated, and honestly… thirsty. Many of us would have been happy to spend full prices to come outside of restaurant week but dinner last night did not make me eager to come back.

Made reservations here for the Valentine’s Dinner Special. Instead of getting seats in the Café, we were seated in the Bar which, to me, is much better than the Café side. They had a live band playing really good music as well. The service was great. We were greeted right away by the hostess and seated shortly after for our reservation. Our waitress was really friendly and our water was never empty for more than a minute. They have meter parking and also valet for $ 8. The only bad thing was the table we sat at. It was right next to the door which was only separated by a thin curtain. We felt every breeze with every opening of the door. Good thing I had a blazer on otherwise I would’ve asked for a different seat.
They had a set Valentine’s menu to order from. I was too hungry to take a photo of the menu so I don’t know what the exact names are of our dishes, but the description will be close enough. Most of what we ordered is on their regular menu.
For starters we chose the crab cake and salmon carpaccio. The crab cake was good but a little salty. The salmon carpaccio was more just smoked salmon with some type of slaw or radish on top. We were not a fan of the topping but we did enjoy the smoked salmon. For the main entrée, I ordered the Chilean sea bass marinated in miso with salad and the boyfriend ordered the Colorado rack of Lambs with Toasted Garlic Purée and Cabernet Sauce. The sea bass was good and I love sea bass like no tomorrow, but how this sea bass was cooked made me unable to really enjoy it. The texture and flavor of it wasn’t a great mix for me. Unfortunately I felt nauseous after each bite so i gave it to the boyfriend to finish (he loved it). the salad was delicious though. The Colorado rack of Lambs were cooked to perfection, seriously. It was so moist, juicy, tender, mm mmmm! The boyfriend said if we were eating the rack of lamb at home he would of gnawed at the bone. Along with our entrée we had a side of roasted potatoes, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. All were seasoned well.
This was my 2^nd time here and overall I would come back again. On Sunday, they have date night which includes 3 courses + bottle of house red or white wine, or bubbles for $ 50 per couple. That’s what I will be doing on my next visit. Definitely a restaurant worth trying.

Speechless. That was my experience with one word.
I went here for Restaurant Week and I was absolutely blown away with how great this place is. When it comes to expensive restaurants I have been to many where I spend a lot, leave hungry or have the worst service possible. Not here.
Starting when we came in the door the staff was immaculate. Everyone was so polite, even the people who weren’t serving us were incredible. The mannerisms here are outstanding, I couldn’t believe it was even possible to have a staff so gracious and polite.
The food was fantastic, a couple times throughout the 3-​course meal I felt like I was eating something out of a dream. It was too good to be true; but there it was, sitting in front of me!
Appetizers: My boyfriend had the Sashimi Style Beef Short Rib with Wasabi-​Miso and Crunchy Potato, and I had the Smoked Salmon Carpaccio with Truffled Crimini Mushroom Salad. Both were so delicious. We shared them with each other and wished we had more!
Entrée: I had the Squid-​Ink Risotto with Butter-​Poached Blue Prawns. I cant even describe how amazingly delicious this plate was. The prawns were/​are out of this world. They are so buttery that they melt in your mouth and almost taste like lobster even! I haven’t had prawns that good, EVER.
Dessert: I had the Pistachio Pavlova with Black Blackberry Blackcurrant Syrup. So good! Lots of restaurants I have been to don’t serve pavlova, it is actually one of my favorite desserts as I am from Australia and there pavlova is everywhere! The syrup was sweet and tart and the pavlova itself was super chewy!
I can’t give this place more praise, it was probably the best meal I have ever had. I left so full and I was barely able to finish my risotto! For the price it is well worth it. Outside of Restaurant Week they have a «Date Night» special on Sundays that is $ 50 per couple and includes a bottle of bubbles! I will definitely be returning to this place for a monthly Date Night dinner!
Thank you and your staff for the best dinner imaginable! :)

Well this is going to be a mixed review. We ate here on a weeknight and sat on the bar side. We were welcomed by our waiter who was friendly but overly attentive as we tried to both catch up with friends and look at the one drink menu. I asked to have the bartender craft me a unique Manhattan. The result was good but not memorable. For a second drink I had the Black Manhattan which I sent back after a few sips since it was way, way diluted, and lacking in flavor. The replacement Old Fashion was decent as well but like the 2 previous drinks would have been better on the rocks instead of up in a Martini glass. The bar program is getting out of date and really needs an update.
On to the food. We tried an assortment of food from the dinner and bar menu. On the good side the Miso Cod and Apple, Manchego and Chive salad from the dinner menu (and long time favorites) were both great. From the Bar menu the Raw Tuna Pizza, Mahi Mahi Tacos and Short Rib Lettuce Wraps were all vary good. The fried Manchego tasted like Mozzarella Sticks, and not in a good way.
The service was tough. Our waiter was way, way too engaging and then he disappeared for huge periods of time. One of our items came out about 15 minutes after the rest of the food and the waiter was AWOL. At one point we went to the bar to get water refills. They comped us about $ 40 for the delays and service issue, which was both a nice gesture and appreciative.
Overall, the food was all pretty good, the drinks were disappointing, the service was poor. So for a much cheaper place this would have been a good night. For the price we were charged (before the discount) this does not work for me. I know you guys can do better. Please work on it.

Dear Lurcat,
I think it may be time to end our relationship. When I first moved to Minn 10 years ago, I discovered you and loved you at first sight. Great wine & cocktails, food that made my taste buds dance, and a hip atmosphere.
I probably need to apologize though for my part in our break-​up. I started coming around less frequently. I got caught up in the Twin Cities food culture: new restaurants, new chefs, farm-​to-​table events … but I always came back to you. You remained in my Top 3 restaurants. And on a nice summer night, I could depend on you for an outdoor table and great night out.
But about a year ago I started noticing changes, and our most recent visit cemented it. You are changing, and what I loved about you is a distant memory. The menu is different. You kept some of my favs (Miso Sea Bass & Apple Cheese & Chive Salad), but the other menu items are not memorable. Prices have increased while food portions decreased. And the wine — you continue to have a quality selection, but prices are significantly higher than standard restaurant margins.
We are not longer a good match. I want more for a night out than you are capable of giving me. I want great food and reasonably priced wine.
I will fondly remember you for what you used to be.
I wish you the best and hope you find someone who can appreciate your new direction.

Amazing!
Décor was beautiful and romantic. Excellent ambiance. It overlooked Loring Park. Music was light in background. Lighting was dim. Service was top notch. Food was incredible. Great place for a romantic date, one in a few in the twin cities that is elegant in style. It is more expensive than most places though. However for the experience that you get here, it is worth it. I got the sea bass and hub got the sirloin steak, both were terrific! Their baguette is delicious! Michelle, the manager, reserved us a beautiful spot by the window. Every staff member acknowledged us and made us felt welcomed. Will be dining and drinking here again.
Also, their cauliflower was delicious. When the server recommended the cauliflower, I was intrigued and just had to try it. (I mean, its boring cauliflower, how good could it be?). When it came out, I didnt know cauliflower could actually be that delicious lol.

This was a great find during our long-​weekend in Minnesota. Immediately upon walking in we felt welcome! Literally everyone working smiled or welcomed us in some way. Most people are dressed up nice, but you definitely don’t have to show up super dressed up to fit it.
We made reservations on Saturday evening for 8 pm and were able to make the reservations about an hour before we arrived. It was nice to have the reservation, but not sure how necessary it was based on there were still open reservations online all night.
Drinks: The Spice Market is delicious spicy tequila drink! I had two. If you like spicy drinks I would definitely recommend, however, it was mild in comparison to other spicy drinks I’ve had
Appetizers: We started off with the Tuna Tartare, which was a great light and refreshing start to our meal
Main courses: I ordered the Sea Scallops, which were cooked to perfection. It is served with three large scallops and a crispy prosciutto salad on the side. The flavors were spot on and it was just enough food for me to feel satisfied. I can see how other people that didn’t split an appetizer could be left hungry after this though. My boyfriend ordered the Pork Tenderloin, which he really did not enjoy. The pork was cooked ideally, but the sauces did not help enhance the flavors and actually hurt the dish altogether.
All in all, my meal/​drinks was delicious and the ambience is inviting. We wished we would have chosen something different than the pork tenderloin, since there are so many great looking options on the menu.

Beautiful restaurant/​/​bar. I love this place when I’m feeling like I have extra money to spend. So classy and has that marble floor, palm trees everywhere look that can’t really be described unless you go and look for yourself. I’ve only sat at the bar, but have looked around enough to know that bringing any size of group would be more than appropriate. They have clash white couches and different styles of seating that is definitely a people pleaser. I will definitely be holding a party here sometime in my (spendy) future.

My boyfriend and I went on a date night on Sunday evening. They have a $ 50 date night special which includes 3 course meal and a bottle of wine for 2 people. We had been to Lurcat before at NYE, and wanted to come back. Our server was very informative, and was upfront, we will need to order an appetizer or something in addition to the 3 course meal, because the portions were small. We appreciated that a LOT. We did order our appetizer in addition to the 3 course meal. The food was outstanding, service was phenomenal and the décor and lighting makes it perfect for a date night. I would love to return here again in summer where we can sit outside after our meal and enjoy our glass of wine. They do have the firepit going, but you know how MN winters get.

Best food/​service ever! Barrett was awesome, great recommendations, great service, best Sunday date night special. Didn’t make us feel like a special deal at all… Recommended to everyone!

Our go to restaurant for a date night, celebration, or a lil fancy drink. Here’s why:
Thumbs up:
–Fair $&
–Variety of food including some veggie options (love the apple feta salad myself)
–Good food, not great, but good
–Good variety of cocktails, wine, and beer options
–Clean bathrooms
–Unique décor and lots of room (love the restaurants set up)
–Good for larger parties, private rooms, or single seatings
–Valet, parking lot, and street parking
–Central location
–Cute patio seating
–Consistent good CS
Thumbs down:
–More veggie or vegan options
–More high quality dessert options
Tip: hang on to the railing and be careful on the steps leading into the restaurant when it’s icy or slippery out.
I’ll be back!

Their atmosphere and service were impeccable. The ambiance is great for a romantic evening. They do offer a «date night» for 3 courses and a bottle of wine for $ 50.

Just came for dessert on a Saturday and it was TASTY! They said they weren’t serving dessert any more at the end of the night but ended up making it work for us. We loved it. Would definitely recommend dressing up for this restaurant; it is a classy establishment. Also some of the servers are super helpful and friendly, some were less so. I definitely plan to come back!

(Review of the bar)
Happening on Saturday night! Most people dressed up (jackets, some in ties, ladies looking elegant) with some hipsters looking sharp, too. Lively, good pace, good music, service quick for the crowd. Not a bad place to grab a drink if you like a good scene.

The Sunday Date night deal is one of the best deals in Minneapolis. For two people, you each get your choice of an appetizer, entrée, and desert, and a bottle of wine for $ 50. This is a great option compared to other date night deals because you each get to choose your own items. You don’t have to share the appetizer or dessert. Everything on the menu sounded amazing, and it was hard to choose. My friend got the apple and chive salad, the lobster risotto, and profiteroles, which all three of those were our server’s recommendations. I got the beef carpaccio, pork tenderloin, and profiteroles. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on this menu. Will definitely be back!

Atmosphere and service were amazing. Went ere for my anniversary and she loved it. They gave us free mini cinnamon and sugar donuts that were fresh and just sweet enough.
The heist cocktail was amazing. We shared the 12 oz ribeye and Chilean sea bass which were both extremely delicious. Ribeye was cooked a little rare for her liking but was perfect for me. Chilean sea bass was lightly flaky where it was seared and tender throughout with an amazing miso sauce.
what about dat chilean sea bass tho!

Tried out their Sunday Date Night and really enjoyed it-​definitely a bang for your buck with a three course meal for each of you and a bottle of wine to share for $ 50! We sat at the bar to have a more «relaxed» dinner but the dining room looked very romantic for a more traditional dinner. Andreas was our bartender/​waiter and he is so great! From the date night menu we ordered the Apple, Cheese and Chive Salad and Beef Carpaccio with Cremini Mushroom Salad and Black Truffle Vinaigrette, for our entrée we both chose the special addition of sea bass and because we love dessert so much we ordered the Dark Chocolate Profiteroles with Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Spiced Candied Pecans and the Warm Cinnamon-​Sugar Doughnuts but next time I would just get two orders of the cinnamon-​sugar doughnuts because they are AMAZING.
If you’re looking for a great date night spot, check out this gem on a Sunday!

Ho Hum…
I read up about Café Lurcat before dining here for a business dinner. The reviews were very good and I was very excited to try it. Getting to Café Lurcat was pretty easy by car. They have valet parking ($ 8).
The ambiance was dark but appropriate for the style of food. To walk to the part of the dining room where our table was located, we had to proceed through a hallway adjacent to the kitchen. The musty smell was pretty bad and temporarily made me lose my appetite. The staff were helpful and for the most part friendly.
The menu had a large number of options for starters and dinner. The restaurant describes itself as «New American» and that is about as accurate as one can get. The wine and cocktail selection was great.
To start, I have the BLT salad. How do I put this lightly. Hmmm… let’s put it this way, I have seen more generous portions of lettuce on a sandwich than this salad. It was MAYBE a sixth of a VERY THIN wedge of iceberg lettuce with three slices of tomato, a few droopy onions, and some blue cheese topped with bacon. For $ 14! Not sure how they get away with this.
For my meal, I had the miso glazed sea bass. I was told this was a signature dish. I’m going to try to give them the benefit of the doubt here and freely admit that coming from the east coast, I have probably unreasonably high standards for fish. The sea bass was definitely not fresh, probably frozen, and did not flake the way sea bass is supposed to. The miso glaze, however, was very well done. The glaze was the only thing separating this from the sea bass at PF Chang’s. That and probably $ 15 extra.
We had the roasted cauliflower and french fries as sides. Both were quite good.
For dessert, the table split the «famous» cinnamon and sugar dusted donuts. They were warm and freshly made. Other than that, pretty forgettable.
Overall, Café Lurcat was ok. There was some good and some bad. For the caliber of restaurant and price range that the restaurant is shooting for, they have quite a bit of work to do.

My husband and I met some friends for dinner at Café Lurcat during restaurant week (July 17). The crowd was really diverse with a mix of young and old… and somewhere in between (like me). The atmosphere was energetic and happy.
We had a reservation and were seated promptly when we arrived. Our friends were running behind so we ordered cocktails while we waited. I had a Grapefruit Drop (Absolut Ruby Red, Orangecello, fresh grapefruit). It was so good. My husband ordered something that I can’t recall — but he didn’t like it. It had some sort of spice to it that he didn’t care for — he handed it off to me — and I loved it. :)
We ordered dinner from the restaurant week menu — except my husband — he saw sea bass on the regular menu and decided he had to have it. I ordered shrimp spring rolls for my appetizer (swapped with my husband for his beet salad), pork medallions for my entrée, and sorbet for dessert. My husband ordered the beet salad (for me), sea bass and warm citrus budino for dessert.
My meal — amazing. Every single bite was SO good. The beet salad was a perfect balance of field greens and beets (love them), the pork was cooked to perfection — so tender and absolutely mouth watering… the sorbet light and refreshing.
My husband’s meal — spring rolls were a downer and he is the only one who didn’t finish his dessert. I don’t know what a budino is… but it was a cake soaked in something, kind of mushy. BUT the sea bass, cue the violins, ridiculously good. Like if there were nothing else served at that restaurant except sea bass from now until the end of forever — they would prosper. Perfectly cooked, juicy and flaky, hot and melt in your mouth amazing.
Here is the kicker of the night… our service was great — but they messed up our order and brought our courses out in the wrong order. We got our entrees first, then our appetizers and then dessert. There was more confusion about which course was next — but I won’t dwell on it. The result though, is that the manager comped our entire food bill. We had $ 90 worth of food on our bill just wiped out because they messed up which dish to bring out first. Hell yeah! We had this delicious meal, some cocktails, and wine… and walked out for $ 70.
Oh, we’re going back, no doubt about it. Next time I’m getting the sea bass too.

Such a quality experience. I went here for a work event and thoroughly enjoyed myself. During the cocktail hour where we had the back patio all to ourselves I had a couple of glasses of the Mouton Noir Opp (Other People’s Pinot) Pinot Noir which was delicious.
I liked that we had a personalized dinner menu. The warm complimentary buttered bread was a nice starter. The apple, chives and cheddar salad was light and refreshing.
In between the appetizer and main entrée, the staff brought out some french fries. They fries were long and salty to perfection.
The beef tenderloin was super decadent, but what made it even nicer were the side dishes. The roasted cauliflower, the asparagus and the mash potatoes were so rich with flavor (buttery goodness). The mash potatoes complimented the tenderloin very well.
For dessert, I asked for half of the chocolate peanut butter ice cream and half of the strawberry ice cream. The cinnamon covered doughnuts were a great addition because they were nice and warm.

Pros: Food (!), Drinks (!), Service, Location
Cons: Parking, it’s too expensive to eat here every week
After living in MPS for only 1 year, this became my go-​to fine dining spot in MPS. From what I understand, Café Lurcat is the 2^nd restaurant to be in this spot but I think it’s definitely established itself enough so that you can forget about whatever it replaced!
The restaurant itself overlooks Lohring Park which makes a great backdrop. Many of the seats have window views and I would definitely recommend asking for a window table. Next door, right when you walk in, is Bar Lurcat. The crowd there is a bit too much Edina for my taste but ah well. Parking is a pain, there is meter spots which are the best but those are often full. So you have to resort to valet parking which is NOT free and can be a bit of a wait when the restaurant is crowded. Ugh.
But hey, let’s get to the gist of it. The food! the Drinks! I’ve never ever been disappointed here. From the seafood, to the steak, to the chicken, salads, sides, desserts… everything is really prepared very well, carefully, and with an eye towards the details. Really, its rare to find a restaurant that does all those well. The cocktails also stand out a lot, I actually think the cocktails here are some of the best I’ve tried in MPS… and that includes Marvel Bar, Prohibition, Parlour, etc. And last but not least, the service really really stands out. I can recall being 10 min late for my reservation and they held my window table without any questions asked. The servers are all very knowledgeable and best of all, excited about the food — which is always great to see. You will also never have to ask for water here.
So who should you take here? Well definitely that special someone with whom you want to «seal the deal.» However, this would also be a great place to take your professional colleagues or family out to a nice dinner as well (just please, no kids under 14). So what are you waiting for?

Visiting here for a late night date with my husband was one of the highlights of our summer vacation to minneapolis.
It’s dreamy and classy inside and we walked in only 45 minutes before the closed. The waitstaff was friendly anyway and sat us at the bar. We ordered drinks and, of course, the doughnuts! They were fresh and hot and sweet and delicious!
I got an eiffel tower cocktail that was yummy. The place was dim with a really romantic atmosphere. We were kind of confused as to where to enter as it’s a huge place with two different sides – the «café» and «bar». I think they connect through some back hallways but we sat on the bar side.
All totaled it was something like $ 30+ for two drinks and doughnuts but it was worth it for the nice romantic and quiet atmosphere and we knew we wouldn’t want to splurge on a full dinner here.

My first trip to Café & Bar Lurcat was years ago, and we sat in the bar. My last trip was to the café side. After trying to decide which restaurant he wanted to go to as part of my birthday gift to him, my boyfriend chose Café Lurcat.
We arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated at a small table that’s kind of by itself and nearly touches a glass door. Not sure if it’s an emergency exit or was once a functional door. We felt a little separate from the rest of the patrons, like we were in a corner for time out — yet were close enough to the table elevated behind us that we could hear their entire conversation. It was fine, though — we just joked to ourselves that perhaps the hostess wanted to hide us. Not every table at a restaurant can be the BEST table.
Ok, that bit over, the service was spectacular. Our server was professional, timely and made excellent suggestions for food and drink. I love servers who can read their guests and make the meal enjoyable by doing their jobs well.
We hemmed and hawed over doing the Date Night special (bottle of wine, starter, entrée and dessert to share, all for just $ 50, an amazing deal) but I’m moving soon and will very shortly be poorer so we decided to splurge.
I had a half bottle of wine and my boyfriend had beer. We started with the Apple Chive and Cheese salad which was amazing. Simple ingredients that sing together. We then shared the roasted cauliflower and my boyfriend was truly in amazement. «How do they do this? It’s so soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. That can’t all be done with one process.» Even the complimentary bread was excellent.
My boyfriend chose the beef tenderloin filet and it was prepared to perfection and wonderfully tender. I chose the seared ahi tuna with lemon confit and ponzu. It had all the elements I adore… seared tuna, cilantro, citrus, vinegar. What was there not to love? The tuna was deliciously fresh and seared with just a bit of a crust around the edges. Mmmm. I will say I found the lemon to be a little overpowering but I still enjoyed the meal.
Then dessert. The restaurant offers warm mini donuts for birthdays but we wanted to go all out so also selected Milk Chocolate Cremeux, which the server described as a deconstructed candy bar. It was rich and crunchy and phenomenal, though I will say the donuts were pretty awesome, too.
I don’t know when I’ll have enough money to go big on a dinner again, but when I do, Café Lurcat would be at the top of my list. I’ll just request a different table.

Absolutely wonderful. We made reservations for our anniversary dinner and they gave us a beautiful table in the front overlooking Loring Park. Service was fantastic. I ordered some kind of cocktail with tequila and tobasco and it was lovely.
For dinner, I got the sea bass because Unilocal told me to. I also asked the server and he said it’s the number one seller by far. Sold! I had never had sea bass before but obviously had to get it. He got the sirloin and we got asparagus. We also started with oysters. Everything was delicious, especially the sea bass! Seriously it was one of the BEST things I have ever tasted and if I came here every day I would repeatedly get it every day. It’s like candy and so tender and just amazing.
They brought us free mini donuts for dessert for our anniversary. It’s like they knew about my ongoing obsession with donuts.
Service and food was top notch. Happy to go back asap.

went here for restaurant week with some friends.
We’ve had better. portions were very small, still hungry even with the many «courses». everything was just OK, nothing was good enough to make a trip back for.
Will have to try again in the future and order off the full menu

Can’t go wrong with anything from here. Great service and delicious food. Definitely get the apple salad and sea bass or pot roast. Yum. Yum. Yum.