The Most Delicious Tapas/Small Plates in Saint Paul

Hotel Crosby

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (51)

"Absolutely beautiful hotel. Great location, great ambiance and great food. Love the fire pit on the roof! The bar and restaurant was great too. We all said we'd come back. Walkable to everything downtown! We did all agree a mini fridge would of been helpful. Really surprised there wasn't one."

El Bodegon

★★★★★ 4.7 (11)

"My wife and I stopped in to this spot last night, it opened about 2 weeks ago, being adventurous foodies we took a chance. Small space, clean, staff is very attentive. We tried the sangria, my wife said it was the best she had had state side. We ordered Gambas Alajillo ( langostin), Paella Marinera (full of fresh sea food, shrimp, scallops, calamari). I will be going back!"

Pedro's Pizza Lounge

★★★★★ 4.6 (61) • $$

"I was hosting a rehearsal dinner at the brewery a block away and stopped in to try their pizza to see if it was good enough to order for the event. WOW! The pizza was fantastic and the people working there were genuinely helpful, kind and just great to talk with. I spoke with my waitress, Hannah (who was lovely by the way) and she suggested I reach out to the owner for my rehearsal dinner needs. She even provided me with the contact information. Some people would just say email the owner, she did not. I reached out to the owner Laura, and she was lovely. I asked her if I could preorder 11 pizzas, pay for them and have them delivered. She wrote back a kind email offering everything I asked for and included heat lamps and warming bags. In the course of our conversations, she supplied me with an invoice and will work with the brewery to set things up prior to our arrival.Do not hesitate to eat here. Support people who go out of their way to make a customer's experience a great one. The pizza is fantastic and the people are genuine.I truly feel blessed to have come upon their restaurant and am so totally blown away by the service and food I received."

Louie's Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.8 (15)

"Amazing food and the best service! also jami and shaunie are the best bartenders and super nice!"

Pizzeria Pezzo

★★★★☆ 4.3 (343) • $$

"Great atmosphere! Peaceful low lighting, modern and clean.We happened to be in the areas to pick up a few things and this place cay eye. The kiddo and I were hungry and, well, it was Friday fun night! The kiddos taste buds are more standard American than mine so we went with Caesar salad and pepperoni & sausage pizza. And ended with 1 scoop of vanilla and pistachio gelato. After ordering, our awesome server brought out a plate with a ball of dough for my son to play with! Coolest kid thing a restaurant could give a kid!! he will probably never be content with a standard restaurant issued crayons and paper again! I could probably go on and on about how awesome that ball of pizza dough was. It totally killed time, waiting for the food and distract us from our hunger. Even I had fun playing with it. And of course, he asked to take it home in which a container, was provided at the end. The staff is great. He helped us narrow down to a regular crust versus deep dish. (And he brought us that dough ball!!!) despite how busy the place seemed, he was on point with checking on us and brought things out quickly..The Caesar salad was a bit lackluster for me. It had some brown leaves in it, which I'm a little bit squeamish about. And just wasn't as flavorful as some housemaid. Caesar dressings I've had elsewhere. It did have incredibly long shaved Parmesan cheese pieces though and my seven year old said it was the best salad he's ever had. The pizza was decent. The pepperoni was perfectly crisp and juicy. And the bits of fresh basil on top helped my more gourmet taste buds enjoy playing on pepperoni and sausage pizza all the more. Being that it's woodfired pizza, it's a given that some of the crust would be charred. Which is OK with me. I'm an oddball that likes a the flavor of things being a little burnt sometimes.And the crust was just the perfect texture and chewable consistency. I can see returning the kiddo... Especially for that pizza dough, ball!"

WA Frost & Co

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (672) • $$$

"Sometimes you just need to splurge. But where? I had never been previously to WA Frost, even though it's been around since 1975. A concert brought us to St. Paul and we decided to give WA Frost a go.Walking into the restaurant, I was reminded of similar antique bed and breakfast homes, although you can neither sleep there, nor have breakfast. However, I was also reminded of an art gallery, because every inch of wall space is covered with paintings. It's a wonderful ambiance and it fits perfectly with the 1800's Selby Avenue address. There is also a bright and sunny patio, for those who like to dine outdoors.The food was five-star quality, for sure. Everything was excellent. I love lamb, but it's difficult to find in the Midwest. I found it hard to resist ordering the Lamb "T-bone" with roasted pearl onions, on a bed of macadamia puree with pea shoots (according to the menu), which seemed like spring green lettuce to me. Yes, it was so good that I picked it up at the end and gnawed on the bone to obtain every last bit of meat. It was cooked perfectly and had no gaminess at all. I would not have complained if instead of one lamb chop, I had two -- or three, but it was excellent. My wife ordered the sun dried tomato cappatavi pasta, which are cork screw shaped pasta noodles. She said it was superb and based on my tasting, I agreed.For dessert, we split a Crème Brûlée which had a topping as smooth and hard as a Minnesota lake in the dead of winter. I let my wife crack it open because I am the perfect gentleman. Beneath the shell, it was much, much, much tastier than the average Minnesota lake. The custard was smooth as silk and the taste was perfect. I did resist licking the bowl, but that was a challenge.With one glass of wine, tax, and gratuity, the bill for two exceeded $100. However, based upon the excellent service, food quality, and ambiance, this is still a good value. One needs to splurge now and then, and this is a good place to do it."

The Good Wives

★★★★★ 4.5 (22)

"Was brought here by a friend for a special dinner menu crafted with pairings from Lazy Monk brewery! Pleasant inside, the space was warm and tastefully decorated for the season. The service was impeccable with very friendly faces. Delicious food with beautiful presentation!"

La Mesa

★★★★☆ 4.2 (71) • $$

"Fairly unprepossessing from the outside, the interior is much more attractive and cozy. A long kitchen/bar is flanked by tables along a windowed wall. This somewhat narrow corridor opens to a spacious adjoining room with a mix of tables and booths. I've had dinner here twice and each time come away impressed with the food, ambience and service.The first time I came here with a friend. We started with refillable chips accompanied by two smoky salsas, green and red ($7). I had the Slow Roasted Pork with rice and beans ($18.5). It was a savory, satisfying and delicious plate. Friend had the fresh, well prepared Mahi Mahi with cilantro rice and mango salsa ($22).Second visit I was accompanied by two others. We started with the Chips and Salsa to which we added a largish bowl of very good Guacamole ($9.5). We then proceeded to split the Mussels ($12), Shrimp Chuzos ($10. - skewers) and a Chorizo Pizza ($15 ). We added three Tamarind sodas to the mix. I think all left fat and happy. Parking can be a bit of a hassle though street options abound. Moderately quiet so as to enable most conversation. Staff is knowledgeable and courteous. In my estimation, a great addition to Bryn Mawr serving Equadoran/Latin inspired cuisine. Perhaps one could even say it's a great addition to the ever evolving metropolitan food scene."

Pour Wine Bar & Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.1 (140) • $$

"Excellent filet! 10/10. Toasted ravioli appetizer was also excellent. All food was fantastic, as were the drinks. Came with a party of 10 and everyone fully enjoyed their meals. Service was great too. I'll be back!"

GusGus

★★★★★ 4.7 (94)

"Gus Gus was phenomenal. I remember when the space used to be Cafe 182 when I went to UST. It was fancy then and it's fancy now, the inside is so eclectic with teal walls with black donkey prints and gold or brass accents. It was very chic but a little dark for photos. We were sat near the corner and had a very nice waitress who gave us recommendations. It was my groups first time going to the restaurant and we were celebrating a birthday. I had the double cheeseburger with grilled onions and cheese and it was fantastic. Easily one of my top five burgers in the twin cities it was just melting in my mouth and was so savory and perfect somehow. The girls got the gnocchi dish with butternut squash and they didn't love it as much because there was too much mascarpone which was similar to sour cream, they did like gnocchi it was perfection. The fried gnocchi poutine for our appetizer to split was phenomenal it had oxtail that was so savory. The poutine was so filling and the fried gnocchi was chefs kiss. My other friend had the scallops and said the lemon risotto was amazing. No complementary desert was offered but that's okay we went to cafe latte after for cheesecake slices! Seemed like a missed opportunity to promote desserts from the menu. A perfect night, I nightly recommend the burger. Another top burger is Parlour Bar in Saint Paul with egg and bacon on top. I'm getting hungry writing this now!"

Pour Wine Bar & Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (62) • $$

"Let's knock the bad thing out of the way first, price. She's spendy. Not like crazy spendy, but like Brick and Bourbon pricing. The men's bathroom was clean, but it was, interesting given how awesome the rest of the place looks. Anyway, everything else was fantastic. The drinks, the food, the staff were all absolutely amazing. It was top notch. Despite being in a mall, you don't get that feeling inside. It's beautifully decorated. We went on a Friday night, walked right in and were able to be seated. Ordered the parmesan truffle fries for an app and they were some of the best fries I've ever had. Ordered several drinks and everyone of them popped in our mouth. Even the kombucha beer was delicious and fantastic. Ordered the burger and lobster mac. I wouldn't call the burger cooked medium rare, but it wasn't overly done, more of a medium. It was super tasty. I swore up and down that I would never order seafood in the Midwest but golly was the lobster good. The mac was surprisingly spicy for my wife and we ended up switching food, but I wasn't in the slightest upset about it. Couldn't go wrong either way unless you don't like spicy foods. There was a guitar player there offering some live music, and although we were seated so close the music wasn't overbearing. Honestly the staff were super friendly. The waitress was timed perfectly, so helpful and honestly sincere, 10/10 will go back."

Wise Acre Eatery

★★★★☆ 3.7 (419) • $$

"I can't believe I haven't come here before. Their food is AMAZING!! I got the brunch bowl which was amazing. I couldn't eat it fast enough!!! All the flavors worked perfectly together.I also got their maple cold brew which was equally as fantastic. It's on the sweeter side though, so if you aren't a big sweet person I'd say it might not be for you. But I thought it was amazing. The restaurant is so cute and its seat yourself. We easily found a table outside on their patio, which is gorgeous. So many plants and flowers. They also have a grocery section in the store where you can buy local produce. I had to snag some fresh tomatoes. I absolutely loved Wise Acre and will definitely come back!!"

Rincón 38

★★★★☆ 4.4 (321) • $$$

"If this is your first time trying tapas... just remember you don't need to order all your tapas at once. Savoring your tapas is all part of the quintessential dining experience. The food is absolutely amazing - everything we tasted melted in other mouths. We highly recommend the Malaga, Pasta Negro, and Toledo. Definitely a go-to place for date night or with a small group. Waiters are very attentive, and super nice atmosphere."

HomeGrown

★★★★☆ 3.6 (25)

"Best flat bread pizza I've ever had and I've had a ton of flat bread - super great. Nice seating outside and Saint Michael needed this place. As a former server I'd work here in a heartbeat because it's just that amazing... date night kinda vibe I saw they had live music one day too. I wish you all the best and hope your business is here for a very long time."

The Tasting Room

★★★★★ 4.9 (20)

"The perfect wine bar. Not to extensive list but a mix of quality and interesting curated by someone who knows what they are doing. I'll be back"

Hastings Public House

★★★★★ 4.5 (23) • $$

"Gorgeous views, delicious food, but what really sets this place apart is the exceptional service. This is our family's favorite place to go!"

Anna's Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.8 (9)

"We Tried Anna's for dinner, and came away with mixed feelings. The food was fine, but nothing special. I had the chicken. It was supposed to be cooked in a wood oven to finish. I think they forgot that step. The chicken was a bit on the under done side With no evidence of a wood stove. The rice was perfectly done as were the carrots. Overall I felt the meal was a bit overpriced."

W XYZ Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (42) • $$

"I've been here a few times, but only once during the evening. From the perspective of a hotel bar (it's inside the Aloft Hotel), it's a very chill place to grab a drink, work on your computer, and mingle a bit. This isn't your typical stodgy hotel bar: the uber-modern and bright decor lends itself to fun, and considering many of the occupants stay here on business, it's a nice way to wind down from a day of meetings. From the perspective of a Minneapolitan starting his/her evening of going out, the wxyz bar is also a nice choice. They have a daily happy hour as well...I think it's from 5-7 pm. Since it's just around the corner from the Guthrie, it could be a nice place to grab a drink pre or post show. The also have a nice outdoor space with firepits that's perfect on a chilly fall night.I was here once for an event: the Sugar fashion show back in October and this place was slamming! A great DJ was spinning, 80's pop colors were everywhere, and pixie sticks, chocolates, and electric colored martinis filled up the room. It was a great way to spend an evening and made me realize they really know how to throw a party. In fact, I hear that if you do want to throw one, your can bring your own play list on your Ipod and also arrange a drink special for the evening!"

REVEAL Rooftop Bar & Lounge

★★★★☆ 3.7 (38)

"I've been meaning to check this place out and did so with some out-of-town friends on a Thursday evening. They could do a better job at advertising themselves, as it's not easily apparent which building they're located in (it's the AC Hotel / Marriott). We arrived at 6:30 and had several seating options. The five of us plunked down into a couch section next to a window with a fabulous view. Menus are available via a QR code (which may or may not match their website menu). Being the driver, I ordered a club soda ($4 for a small glass). The others enjoyed beer and cocktails. The beer drinker had to go with his third choice as the first two were out of stock. The food was okay ... mostly easy to assemble items. For example, the tomato prosciutto toast was literally a piece of toast topped with the pizza sauce and slices of prosciutto ($11). Service was leisurely. We ended up going to the bar to ask our server to stop at our table to take our food order and write up our checks (appreciate that they did five separate checks for us). The ambiance after sun set is quite nice ... fire pits, overhead lights, overhead heat lamps. The couch seating is comfy and great for groups. Not as many options for couples, though. They claim to be the best roof top in Minneapolis, which is a stretch. Maybe the best rooftop in St. Louis Park (and probably the only public rooftop in St. Louis Park)."

Zhora Darling

★★★★☆ 3.8 (25)

"Located in the old Red Stag location, Zhora Darling has a nice loungey vibe to it. A group of us went to check it out, specifically their karaoke room. My drink was wonderfully festive and set on fire. The Crimson Frost is a seasonal beverage that includes cranberry and a bunch of things I don't remember. Sorry! But, the sprig of delight that was on top added a nice Christmas in a glass feel. We ordered various apps: chicken wings, fries, pirogies, pizza, and pretzel bites. The fries and pirogies were great, however, the chicken wings looked like the saddest chicken wings I've ever seen. Barely anything on it. The pizza was more like an extremely thick biscuit with cheese on top. Was it an off night? Who knows, but the apps just didn't hit. The staff behind the bar was maybe having a bad night. They acted more put out than anything that they had to pour drinks for us. It was kind of rude, but again maybe it was a bad day. The karaoke room was a lot of fun! The website says it can fit 15-20 people...absolutely no way. There were 9 of us and there wasn't a whole lot of room to maneuver. All in all, it was a fun night and the drink was great. Not sure I would be a frequent visitor."

The Sonder Shaker

★★★★☆ 4.3 (267) • $$

"One of our new favorite places! Drinks were awesome, apps were fantastic, and main dishes were delicious. We were too full for dessert. The server was wonderful and the overall vibe was cool. To top it all off, we were there at about 5, so we also benefitted from their great happy hour deals. Win win win!There is construction on the main road, but we got through quickly and parked nearby. I ordered their Pool Rules (spicy) - it was so good that I got a second one. My hubby and son got their Hazy IPA, a Cherry Rhubarb Cider, and a surprise daily bar tender's choice where you pick the base alcohol - all yummy.We ordered the Japanese Fried Chicken and Brussel Sprouts for our apps. The side sauce with the JFC was yummy, but the maple glazed, pork shoulder brussel sprouts were so good that I'm still thinking about them and will get them every time we go back.For our main dishes, which we also shared family style, we ordered the kale salad, the salsiccia (spicy fennel sausage pasta), and the paella. Of the three, non of us loved the paella, but duck can sometimes vary in flavor, so perhaps we would have liked it on a better duck day. The other two were absolutely delicious with a really nice level of spice to the salsiccia.We are going back this week and will put it on the list to take visitors. Really great place!"

Swirl

★★★★☆ 4 (31) • $$

"What a delightful place! I came out with a group of gal pals for the ultimate ladies night which Afton hosts every 3rd Thursday in the month. Several of the businesses stay open later and offer specials between 5 and 8 pm. Swirl had a free wine tasting and offered 6 wines (3 whites and 3 reds) all different kinds from not dry to very dry. The tasting plates they offered looked great and the full meals even more so. I ordered a plate of truffle oil infused herbed french fries with gouda dipping sauce. It was a huge plate for sharing and OMG so amazingly yummy. I so wish I took a picture of this plate but I was so eager to wolf them down, I didn't even stop to snap a shot. I will for sure be back and ordering again so next time!One friend ordered the margharita flat bread, someone else ordered the fish tacos and another ordered the crab cake. All were met with very positive thumbs up! I am a sweet wine kind of gal so I got a glass of the house moscato and it was the perfect dessert wine. Others all went for the merlot and pino grigio. The decor inside is beautiful. They had plenty of wait staff helping with food and wine. Since it was ladies night out, there was a one man band outside playing guitar and keyboard and singing a nice selection of 70's/80's tunes. They have a beautiful patio with firepit tables for warming up on those crisp nights. It was a perfect night to be outdoors and spend with friends. I look forward to coming back and trying the avocado cream cheese wontons with strawberry glaze!"

Pour Cocktail Bar & Bites

★★★★★ 5 (7)

"This is one of my FAVORITE places ever. Love the vibe. The drinks are great (especially Strawberry Fields) and the small bites are sooo yummy. Go with a friend or on a date. Love it."

Snack Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (132)

"Beautiful space right next to Bar La grassa with an extensive drink menu. The waitress, Suzy was amazing and very knowledgeable about the menu. Everything was delicious and smaller portions side but very tasty! I would strongly recommend the house made ice cream with the chocolate and caramel topping! To die for!"

Steele & Hops

★★★★☆ 4.3 (271) • $$

"3.5 stars for Steele & Hops. I wanted to give them a 4, but the service was so painfully slow it was almost comical. I was with a party of 5, and we ordered apps, drinks and dinner. We shared the cheese curds, pot stickers & chicken wings. We wanted the burnt ends instead of wings, but they were out of them. My friend and I both ordered the Cajun pasta. It had great flavor with lots of shrimp & sausage - but my bowl came out super saucy with not a lot of noodles, and hers was more dry with a lot of noodles. Inconsistent. Pinot Grigio was nice and crisp! We would have had more cocktails, but again the service was so incredibly slow we decided to grab more drinks somewhere else."