Crasqui

Crasqui consistently delivers amazing food and stellar service. I've been four times over the last few years and each time has been exceptional.The food is the most special part for me. Every dish is bursting with flavor. The dishes are not overly complicated and the ingredients shine. It all tastes fresh. It's evident that the food is prepared thoughtfully and with care. My favorites are the infused beets (the sweet beets contrast the tangy goat cheese), bollito pelon (ball of heaven - the goat is tender and the curry is like a big hug), fosforera (seafood soup that originates from an island in Venezuela but is perfect for a cold Minnesota day), and seafood empanada (firm on the outside and most tender seafood inside).The drinks are delicious. I appreciate that Crasqui offers a good selection of NA drinks.The restaurant is airy and welcoming. The chairs are comfortable. The server was knowledgeable, accommodating, and friendly. Crasqui is a special place for me and I would highly recommend it.

We had a classy date night at Crasqui. Our server was very friendly, and helpfully explained the menu. I really enjoyed the palmito y aguacate, an arugula and roasted heart of palms salad. The chimichurri dressing had a bright balance of sour and salt. It was the best salad I've had in a long time. We enjoyed trying some unusual entrees. I ordered delicada de auyama (butternut squash lava cake) and my spouse ordered conejo al samorejo (braised rabbit with handmade linguini). My lava cake came with broccolini garnished with minced onions and bell pepper. I savored every bit of the broccolini, which was cooked just to tenderness. The lava cake was like a butternut corn bread with cheese in the center, as our server described. My first bite was very moist, but some parts were a little dry. I really enjoyed the deep fried squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese. The linguini sauce was very nice. It seemed to be made of cream, black pepper, and maybe butter. I also enjoyed the hand-cut linguini and a bite of tender rabbit. My spouse said some of the rabbit was tough, though. We had dessert before arriving at the restaurant, so we couldn't try the desserts, unfortunately. My spouse enjoyed watching the cooks artfully prepare the food in the back. The space is beautifully designed with fresh flowers at every table and a dreamy green floor. The bathrooms were also nicely decorated and supplied with both soap and lotion, a nice touch for wintry days.I'm glad to see a fancy Venezuelan restaurant in town, and I'd be happy to go back for another date night.

To start, it was a really slow night, so our very delightful server was also the bartender. Talented!!! The cocktails were balanced and surprisingly flavorful. And that was the best sangria we had ever had. We also tried three of the wines our server suggested. All were decent, the rose Tempranillo was surprising and good enough that I'm hunting some down bottles to buy.There were only two of us, so I can only offer a limited take to the menu. Overall, it tended towards excellence, though there was a little unevenness. The beet salad was a twist on the classic beet, goat cheese, and arugula that elevated a dish that's already rather perfect. The braised cabbage was well balanced with lovely texture. The squash lava cake was exquisite. I was unsure what to expect from it, but the texture was beautiful. The cheese in it gave a touch of sharpness. And the broccolini and sauce gave it crunch and a touch of acid.The timotes had all elements I love, but was the only dish that didn't full deliver. It was not bad, it just didn't land fully.My husband declared the mango sorbet a win. I got the rum cake. I found the cake a bit too sweet, but the custard and foam on top were perfectly executed and flavored. I suspect most people would enjoy the cake more than myself.The space is pleasant. Loads of floor to ceiling windows. The swirly blue epoxy finish on the floor is a little mesmerizing....There is free parking for customers behind the building with accessible sidewalks.Building issues are forcing them to close for a month, so no going between 1/13/25 and 2/10/25. It's good that the building owner is taking care of the property, but that's really hard for a restaurant.

In terms of food quality, it was great, although not to the point of "out of this world" yet, and there is a good amount of varieties that would allow each person to be able to get what they love. For me, there were a few highlights for sure, and a few dishes that were too salty, and I will elaborate below.I absolutely loved the Remolachas a la CC, which contained infused red beets along with herb goat cheese, and passionfruit jelly which provided both flavor and embellished the appearance. Three different kinds of flavors and textures combined, made it a very enjoyable experience with the dish. I also enjoyed Abrazo de Mama, which had an abundant amount of vegetables such as braised cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga, and more, along with coconut milk that provided great flavor.The dishes that were too salty were Sopa De Cebolla a la Gigi, the Tequeños, and sometimes the Empanadas (I say sometimes because I have been here multiple times), so it seems like it could be a hit or miss situation.The desserts were some of the real highlights, with Cocotero as, in a way, what defines this establishment. It was really cool to watch our server set the strings on fire. It was not to sweet which was great, and the cocada cream helped provide it with a creamy texture along with the coconut flavor, on top of the rum cake. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Torta de Zanahoria, which was the carrot cake, and the Marquesa de Chocolate, which was a whipped chocolate ganache. Overall I enjoyed the fact that none of the desserts were too sweet, and provided textural juxtapositions that offered an enjoyable experience.I must mention that it was clear that the meat dishes were a lot more expensive than the rest, such as the sea bass, the ribeye, the tenderloin, and more, which made me actively decide to not order them. Based on the fact that El Dorado, which was the red snapper, had a relatively small portion (7 ounces), I would assume that if one wants to order a meat entrée, some budgeting might be needed.One more thing, the owner Soleil is very sweet and if anyone has the chance to meet her, I would recommend relishing the chance to converse with her more than just surface level!

If you haven't been here yet, run! This place is such a hidden spot that is absolutely mind blowing good. Every single thing here is amazing. From the apps to the entrees and even their desserts were sooooo incredible! Every single person I've brought here has immediately came back with someone else it's THAT good!

The service is amazing accompanied by the food such as the ceviche, ribeye, and empanaditas

Soleil is an angel and her food is incredible! It's crazy to me how this place isn't busy.Split the yuca sticks, chicharron, tostones cameroneros, and remolachas with a friend. It was the perfect amount of food and everything had fantastic flavors. The chicharron/pork belly was my favorite, the accompanying sauce was perfect. We split the marquesa de chocolate for dessert and almost cried it was so delicious.

The atmosphere here is fantastic, situated across the river in St. Paul with a stunning view of the city skyline. Inside, it's ultra-modern and gives off a vibe reminiscent of a high-end seaside restaurant.The food is exceptional. Each dish is meticulously prepared with small portions that pack a punch in flavor and quality. However, the prices may feel a bit steep given the portion sizes. While you'll undoubtedly enjoy the food, you might find yourself questioning the overall value.The standout for me was the seabass with mango chutney--it was absolutely incredible and something I would return specifically to enjoy again.

Super cute restaurant, beach vibes, I loved the beautiful turquoise floor and vibrant decor. Tables and chairs gave a chic resort vibes. It's on the first floor of an apartment complex, that was unexpected, but parking is free, woohoo for that! We came on a Sunday for brunch and the place was empty, it was also Easter Sunday to maybe we were ahead of the church folk. We were celebrating a birthday and they had little celebratory confetti on the table for us, adorable. Food: TEQUEÑOS - Who doesn't love a cheese stick, I could have ate a foot long sized one of these. They came out hot, missing the cheese pull, but it didn't take away from the gooey crispy goodness. CEVICHE DE CUMANA - Fresh, the grapefruit and pomegranate added a pop to the dish, but it could have used a touch more acidity. LOS LLANOS - Ribeye arepa, this was the best arepa I've had and I've eaten them in South America. It's the thinness of the arepa for me, it wasn't overpowering like I've had the past. Ribeye was cooked perfectly. ISLA DE MARGARITA - Best dish of the meal, holy smokes, just order it. COCOTERO - The presentation was fire, literally, and so was the taste. If you're a coconut fan, you're going to love this. MARQUESA DE CHOCOLATE - Meh.Service was interesting...slow for an empty restaurant and our server was very confused by the menu. We had to repeat our order a few times, then he came back after he left to double check if we ordered a dish. We were 100% convinced we were not getting our order correctly, but we were impressed when it was right. He wasn't friendly or unfriendly, it was just kinda blah.They add a 22% hospitality fee that they inform you will be split among the staff...but it's not gratuity and then when you get the check they add gratuity recommendations starting at 20%. There's a lot of places like this these days. I'm not interested in paying 40% on top of meal prices. Pay your staff a fair wage. Food was good, I'd come back if I lived at the apartment complex , but I wouldn't go out of my way based on service and fees.

The service at Crasqui was absolutely phenomenal!! The staff could explain every menu item in great detail, and even some of the back story of the dish. It's also easy to park and a nice beachy environment. The drink menu is really extensive with a ton of fun options- and the food was great! We ordered several plates and shared among 3 people. Everything was good. But the Taquenos and Ceviche were our highlights!!