Nicollet Island Restaurant

We ate here for a business luncheon. There was a set menu, which was rather small, maybe 6 selections. I was not very impressed with the food and I would not eat there again. I was glad I did not have to pay for the meal. I have to add that the restaurant itself has the most beautiful view.

We went here for a Easter brunch. It was a four course brunch with pre defined menu. It had atleast one veggie option in each course… The restaurent is in the hotel premises and just on the banks of Mississippi river. We got a good seat with view of the river. Don’t expect this to look fancy but the setting & look was old, homy and classic. Service was top notch. Food was good but not great. None of the food stood out to me including the veggie options. They had some good cocktails as well. Portions were on the lower end for the price. Can go here for some special occasions.

Unfortunately this place doesn’t deserve a five star rating from me anymore. The Valentine’s Day fixed menu has gone downhill and they still charge $ 70/​person.
The French onion soup resembled a bowl of brown slop and was the opposite of romantic. It was impossible to divide the big glob of cheese and each scoop was long sopping wet onions that dangled over the spoon.
The nuts on the salad tasted stale and old. I had to spend time trying to fish them out.
The steak was delicious and so was the oyster but they only gave us one oyster per person. My boyfriend said his oyster was the size of a quarter and paltry.
We were dressed to the nines but treated like kids since they seated us in a room by the bar away from the dining room. We should’ve requested a different table but figured we’d stick it out.
The dessert was lack luster since the nuts made it disgusting and it tasted like the same chocolate mouse I can get anywhere.
The server only checked on us once so we didn’t really feel like he cared much. How hard is it to provide top notch service with a fixed menu?!
Overall this place is a rip off for Valentine’s Day and there are many better options in the cities if you are splurging on a special occasion.

Love this place it’s obvious the most excellent place in Minneapolis. Any who complains about this place is someone you could never make happy any way. Love love the food the service and the atmosphere.

I liked the beet salad, too! Excellent wine and cheese samplers. Check out the specialty drinks. I went in January for drinks with a friend on a weeknight. Charming atmosphere and décor. Grab a seat by the window and watch the horse and carriage stroll by.

My husband received a groupon for Nicollet Inn for a wonderful meal — we decided to head there one Wednesday evening and have a wonderful time — it happened to be lobster week — we decided though not to go with the tasting menu but instead order directly from the menu and we were not disappointed. Our waiter — Cory C helped us selected a great meal, his laugh and jokes helped to make the meal even better. We started with the crab cake as an app — it was quite good — I wouldn’t say it was a requirement to eat but the sauce with it was lovely. We then moved on to a beet salad — although I normally tend to stay from a beet salad at restaurants since you can easily make them at home this was fantastic. The lettuce on top with a perfect amount to dressing and nuts — amazing. To finished our meal with Scallops (AWESOME!) and duck (also good but not as good as the scallops). All and all it was a wonderful dinner out — it is a bit price of a restaurant but the service is fantastic and the food lovely.

Went here for holiday tea with daughters (5 people) only to find out this was in the basement of the restaurant! $ 45.00 a person and 20% mandatory tip, no mention of these! Food was not good. I would not recommend this afternoon tea! I have gone to this restaurant for years, this was an awful experience. I even talked to Lindsey, who is in charge of special events, she said, «sorry about your experience». Poor customer relations.

Horrible customer service. I used to like this place. But will never go back. We cancelled over 24 hours in advance and were charged a cancellation fee. We were a group of 3 couples all living in the area and we will not return to this place. Life happens-​and there was no grace.

My husband and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary here. Spectacular food, service, and romantic atmosphere.
We ordered the flatbread and our drinks and then our beautiful meals came — what a spectacular presentation! My salmon was done perfectly and my husband enjoyed his steak. We could t have been happier with the service and our experience overall. Perfect way to celebrate our first year together! they truly deserve your business given how much they want to ensure the guests’ satisfaction.

Great restaurant, with a great setting. Food was excellent and the staff were superb.

Such a lovely evening! We were treated warmly from the moment we walked in. The wine selection was smaller but amazing. We had the beef tartare as an appetizer and it was melt-​in-​your-​mouth. We had two entrees: the flat iron steak and the scallops. The flat iron steak was over salted, but cooked to perfection with great flavors under the excess salt. The scallops were to die for. They were cooked to perfection and nestled on top of an amazing risotto. We finished with a cup of perfect espresso. We will definitely be returning!

My wife and I occasionally have dinner and have always enjoyed the food and service. Last night was no exception. Since the menu cycles a little, I had the lamb duo and she had the walleye. Both meals were very well done. The view of the river is always wonderful and watching a couple at a neighboring table work through a marriage proposal was a neat experience. My only complaint might be that the chairs are not the most comfortable options, so we may request a booth the next time we done here.

Because Minnesota’s fall weather was as good as it gets yesterday, we sallied forth to dinner somewhere near the Mississippi in NE Minneapolis. First thought was Wilde Roast but since I really like the Nicollet Island Inn, and since I was buying, we looked at their parking lot and pulled in there. Not busy at 6:00 on Sunday last and I have no idea why. Mr. Bill seated us near a window and pressed bartender Matt into waitservice due to being shortstaffed. I wonder if being a bartender requires a jovial and terminally cheerful demeanor. Mr. Matt certainly exhibited those qualities and played a good part in the success of our spontaneous evening out. Now I have to bring him that jam I promised him!
I could not believe mein eyes when I saw the three course prix fixe meal for TWO. $ 50. It’s their Sunday night special — after 4:30. That price was confirmed and we enjoyed the excellent onion soup, the flatiron steak, and pineapple upside down cake for dessert. My faithful companion popped for the $ 20 bottle of champagne to accompany it all.
The soup was wonderful and the steak perfect. Pineapple upside down cake wasn’t bad, either. :-)
Truly, $ 70 (with the wine) + t&t. Worth every penny and I am flummoxed as to why there were not more people taking advantage of the deal. And no coupon required!!! LOL!!! You should go. I’d go again in a heartbeat.

Don’t blink, or you will surely drive by this little historic property. If you do happen to stop in, however, you won’t be disappointed.
Upon stepping foot into the front door, I knew deep down this would be a good experience. The second we walked in we were met with an unassuming smile from the host. It’s as if he was waiting for us. (maybe he was?) With gentle elegance he guided us to our seat to meet our party.
The server was courteous and played the balance between a new friend and a detail oriented server. She knew her stuff inside /​out painting a very descriptive picture to the food preparation and ingredients.
I chose the 10oz flat iron and my wife tried the home made gnocchi. Both were incredible. My wife’s gnocchi was very rich, and had a wide spectrum of flavor. My flat iron had, what I can only describe as an asian /​south of the border reduction garnished with cilantro. (What?) It was tangy, punchy and had some serious depth.
We did order an order of bread to mop up our reduction /​crème sauce, and it was quite meager. (Almost seemed comical) Not a deal breaker, but it was a bit odd for sure.
The price will set you back a bit, but it does seem justified. I’d highly recommend the NIR.

We came here for lobster week and purchased the 4 course tasting menu for 2.
The service was SLOW, like an hour in we had only been served our appetizers. Drink orders took a long time as well, there was no explanation about why since there were many staff everywhere to accommodate the small size of the crowd.
1^st course
Lobster chowder came with clams in it and tasted like clams, not the small slivers of lobster that was draped on top. Also the vegetables in the soup were undercooked and chewy. Left much to be desired. It took about five minutes to eat, and about thirty minutes before someone came by to take the dirty dishes. 1.5÷5
2^nd course
Lobster and leek terrine. Mehh. ¹⁄₅
3^rd course
Lobster Newburg was ok. There was a welcoming chunk of lobster, present for the first time in the meal. While flavorful, the lobster had an alarmingly bizarre texture to it. The three pomme dauphine we’re the most expensive tator tots I’ve ever had in my life. ³⁄₅

I was here with the MN WIFT group for a brunch. It was held in the party room downstairs. Ryan the manager was always on hand for us, and didn’t mind turning up the heat. There is a handy, sizable coatroom. On the other side of that is the bathroom. That’s where it’s toasty, and well maintained and two boxes of kleenix. There wasn’t a hook in the stall for purses. The banquet room had round tables. I am not a brunch buffet type. I only ate the bacon and scrambled eggs. Those who had the thick, gooey french toast seemed to like it. The strawberries in the fruit looked good for January. No potatoes were on the buffet. What I had I liked. It’s a very beautiful venue. Old style architecture, and I love the button knobs on the elevators.

Restaurant review –
Delicious and high-​priced food. Average service. Lovely setting and ambiance.
Walking in for our 7pm reservation a few nights ago, we saw that no one was at the hostess area and so we just ambled into the restaurant, looking around (I’d never been there before). And as we were walking back to the entry area, the hostess was walking out from some place and greeted us in what I felt to be a rather brusque manner. She hurriedly lead us to our table way off on one side of the main entry dining area.
Moments later, our server made his presence well known to us — my companion and I were clearly engaged in conversation and the server interrupted us. In a place of this renown, I would expect near impeccable service (like the excellent service I recently experienced at Forepaugh’s in St. Paul). When asked a few questions about a few certain white wines, our server seemed at a loss to offer any helpful answers.
A small basket of bread arrived with a tiny amount of butter in a small dish. Our glasses of white wine arrived — mine a nice cool cellar temperature, and my companion’s chilled like a can of PBR. Turns out, the wine he ordered was «out» and they «upgraded» his selection to their Hess chardonnay and if he did not like it, they’d bring him something else. PBR-​cold though it was, it was decent enough wine. My Linwood chardonnay, however, was much better.
We shared a crab cake. It was beautifully-​presented and also very delicate and tasty.
Next, I enjoyed a bowl of their onion gratinee soup. It was ohhhhh, soooo good. Rich, sweet, and satisfying.
Lastly, I had their beet salad. Whole cooked and chilled beets were in the depth of the bowl, surrounded with pickled onion wedges, and then a smear of brown butter mascarpone around the upper perimeter of the bowl. It was very tasty, although I would have enjoyed «warmed» beets more than the cold ones.
My dining companion ordered their 3-​scallop risotto and deemed it excellent. I ate a small bite and agreed.
We ended our meal with a shared pumpkin crème brûlée topped with shortbread crumbs and honey-​poached dark raisins (although many of those «raisins» looked to be the size of currants). It had a nice caramelized crust with a soft, creamy pudding underneath, not a loosely-​firm custard. It was very yummy and we ate most of it.
Upon our exit, we had the pleasure of chatting with a woman behind the hotel reception desk. Her personality and demeanor made up for what was lacking in the others we encountered.

Came here for a business dinner planned by one of the lovely vendors and this just took my dining experience to a whole new level.
The service was absolutely impeccable as he understood it was a business dinner. He was not over bearing and was on his toes the whole time!
I ordered the scallop risotto, and it is honestly the best risotto I’ve ever, ever had!
Lastly, the gorgeous view overseeing the lake made it very difficult to talk business.

I have to say this is one of the best dining experiences I have had in the Twin Cities… and I eat out a lot!
Service: Our waiter Joe’s service was impeccable! He was attentive and not over bearing. He suggested some delicious foods as well. The ambience was key. There was a woman with an amazing voice playing the piano and singing.
Food: I had two entrees for dinner bc I couldn’t pick between them. Scallops and gnocchi. Both were delicious. The scallops and risotto were probably my favorite. The risotto had a cow’s milk cream that was to die for! We had all three desserts-​pumpkin brûlée, chocolate thing and almond cake. Almond cake was the winner-​super moist with tons of flavor and fresh apples and cream.
I’ve lived in Minneapolis for a while and am so sad I didn’t go sooner. This place is on the top of my list!

What a gorgeous bed and breakfast! I went to the hotel for breakfast for a friend’s birthday. It seems (from the comments below) that you should call ahead for the «tasting menu?» However, we just went in for breakfast and had a wonderful time! Maybe our bliss was due to the fact that we were unaware of greater things…
I ordered Nic’s Breakfast (eggs benny 4 life) with ham and hasbrowns. I skipped the mimosa’s (again, apparently i didn’t have to deal with that drama either), and just had coffee, which was wonderful. My friends had the crème brûlée french toast and said it was to die for. I loved the atmosphere, and since we weren’t in a hurry, we didn’t mind that the service was on the slower side.
I am definitely heading back, but this time, I’m going to ask for a tour. I’m so curious what is on the other levels, not to mention the lower level patio — when can one sit down there?!