Colita

I've been to Colita a handful of times and I've never been disappointed! This is consistently a spot I take people wanting a stellar experience. Street parking is your best option but they do have a small lot if you're lucky! From the second you walk in, you are transported to a calm, cozy, resort-like setting. The live plant wall behind the bar and the twinkling candles in the wall alcoves make this one of the best interiors in the Cities! I'd highly recommend a reservation to ensure a timely seating! Service is always quick and goes above and beyond to make sure you have a stunning experience. The food and cocktails are some of the best in the City! It's sometimes hard to tell what a cocktail is based on the menu so I always engage the server in a conversation to make sure I land on one I love! The food is elevated Mexican, served in small plates. I'd definitely recommend 3-5 plates for a couple! My favorite items from our most recent trip were the Lamb Barbacoa Tacos and the Elote! Top notch spot for special occasions!!

To start, this place is a bit tricky to get a reservation to as they book up due to popularity. I made my reservation for 4 people about a month and a half out for a Friday night at 6pm. Upon arriving, we had to park a few blocks away as the parking lot is quite small (~15 or so spots). They were able to seat us right away which was great! Our service was above standard which really enhanced our dining experience. They were attentive to clear plates quick due to limited table space and they even cleaned up crumbs on the table in between dinner and dessert. Every dish that was brought out to our table was explained to us in depth which we all appreciated. The portion sizes are quite small for their price point. We still managed to share everything but that meant we needed to order more to ensure we were satiated. For $20, I felt you should have been given 3 Tempura Fried Shrimp Tacos as opposed to just getting 2. At $10 per taco, it wasn't worth it to me. Same goes for the Horchata drink, for $10.50 the drink was mainly ice cubes. The Cacio e Pepe Stacked Tostadas were a fun grown-up take on your classic quesadilla. It was very rich, but fun to have those flavors and textures combined as usually you see Cacio e Pepe done pasta style. The Charred Eggplant Tostadas were delicious but I wish there was more burrata on top. Getting all three flavors of the charred eggplant, burrata, and the roasted tomato was mind blowing! I just unfortunately ran out of the burrata too soon. One thing to note for the Masa & Guacamole is that it's a sophisticated take on chips and guac, but the masa is served in 3 big strips so you have to break it apart to dip which was a fun dining experience! The Fried Green Tomato Salad was great but I wish the tomatoes were more thin, as they were wedge style for this salad and on the hard and sour side. If they were a little thinner, the breading to tomato ratio would be better! The inside is a cozy, candlelit modern vibe that makes you leave your worries at the door. For the parents of the group, I noticed at least one of their two gender neutral restrooms had a pull down changing table (the other one could have had one as well I just didn't check). Overall, I recommend you visit for a date night or girls night but be prepared to shell out the big bucks for the big flavors!

My son had to catch a plane back to LA after a fun holiday here in MN. I looked to Yelp for. Tapas spot and Colita came up. I perused the menu and thought this would be good! Well... I was mistaken... it wasn't good...It was GREAT! Old gas station turned trendy haute Mexican restaurant! You walk up to the building and like fish in a bowl, you see the warm candlelit interior. We were greeted by a very pleasant hostess. We chose to dine at the bar... which is where we met Joe (the bartender extraordinaire). He walked us through the bar menu and dinner menu. This restaurant takes details to a great place.. as evidenced by the imprint on the beverage ice blocks (I had the Colita Old Fashion and "cocktail of the moment"). The old fashion was great! Mezcal could have been even a wee bit more smoky- but WOW... what a great beverage! The description states "Amari"... curious I asked Joe and he said they make their own blend of four(?) Amaro's... hence "Amari". He let us taste the blend... man... that was tasty alone! From the pics I provided you get a small glimpse into the cool aesthetic they are striving and succeed in providing... themes of the space even extend into the bathrooms. Overall cool trendy spot!! So... by now you probably think we went there for a liquid dinner... that's definitely not the case. But if the drinks alone did not tell us we arrived to a great spot, the food elevated the experience! We ordered:AguachileSeared scallopsLamb barbacoa tacosEach and EVERY dish was A-mazing!! I could eat a bowl of the aguachile!! Seared scallops... cooked to perfection and laid on an amazing carrot puree, topped with a multi-chili pepper salsa that has peanuts in it- mic drop good! Lamb barbacoa tacos were very good- I had no expectation but to try something different and I was NOT disappointed! Definitely a "richer" heartier flavor than the rest of the food we ate. Well, after you read "the rest of the food we ate", you probably saying next, that, well Todd, you only had three plates that you shared... well... the food was too damn good to stop there... we added to the order after finishing the Lamb Tacos and ordered up the Tempura Fried Shrimp Tacos. The tortilla's are AMAZING! Texture and flavor are great and I haven't even mentioned the shrimp, fine shredded cabbage and chili mayo...Admission, I have not been to many fine dining Mexican restaurants... there is only one other I can compare it to and it was perhaps in my top five restaurants of all time, and that is Mirate in Los Angeles. Colita has aspects of the similar vibe but here in the Twin Cities!Do yourself a flavor... stop reading this and JUST GOOOOOOO!Cheers!

Beautiful restaurant! Drinks are definitely unique and delicious. Food is great and bartenders are super cool. I love how clean and organized everything looks! Very nice place for a date night. - Anthony

Colita is undeniably a culinary experience worth savoring. It's easy to see why this spot has garnered a loyal following. The ambiance is a feast for the eyes, with delightful decor that sets the stage for a memorable meal, and the service is as polished as a fine wine. However, when it comes to portion sizes, the prices might leave your wallet feeling a tad lighter than expected. I sampled three dishes, each a delightful surprise in its own right--some more tantalizing than others. While they were intriguing, none quite reached the "wow" factor I was hoping for. In the vibrant tapestry of local dining, I've recently discovered a Mexican gem that has captured my heart and taste buds, and I find myself drawn back time and again. For now, Colita will remain a singular chapter in my culinary journey, rather than a recurring theme.

The food was delicious and the vibe is great. The only reason I am not giving this restaurant a 5 star review is simply based on plate size. We had a group of 4 so we decided to share dishes as recommended. Unfortunately, many of the dishes come in two so by splitting that into 4 it became more of a tasting menu than a meal. Fully understand that this restaurant is more of an elevated experience and I was prepared for the cost, but to walk out of the experience where we ended up getting snacks at the next place we went for cocktails because we were still hungry, dimmed the experience for me.Of the 6 dishes we got, my favorites were the Tuna Tostada, Miso Crusted Zucchini, and Lamb Barbacoa Tacos. Do NOT skip the churros for dessert! We were able to add a 4th one to the dish of 3 normally, which was great.I also of course had to get the famous rubber ducky drink. I really liked it!

Colita is such a cool spot! The vibe is cozy but modern, and it feels like the perfect place for a date night or dinner with friends. The food? So good. Unreal. Everything was packed with flavor and super fresh.Drinks were also a highlight--definitely try the Coconut Margarita if you're into something creamy and refreshing. They've got a solid cocktail menu.Service was on point--friendly and quick, but not rushed. They had great recommendations, too.Overall, Colita is 100% worth checking out if you're into fun, flavorful food and a chill atmosphere. I'm already planning my next visit!

Very special restaurant, perfect for date night, dinner with friends, taking your parents out for their birthday... The menu is diverse and there's really something for everybody. The food was really outstanding. There was an eggplant dish that was the best eggplant I've ever had, the lamb barbacoa was unique! I also loved the fried green tomato salad, the aguachile, and the scallops. Everything was excellent (except the brownie for dessert, that was only ok to be honest). The churros are what they're famous for on the dessert front and wow, for good reason. Also I love how flexible the staff are when it comes to portions. They'll gladly add an extra taco, tostada, whatever to make sure everyone gets to try what they want to. The group sharing is so easy! Love the vibe, adore the food.

Our server was excellent! The ambience of the dim lighting and plants was great. We ordered the elote, chicken tinga tostados, and the lamb barbacoa tacos! Each were delicious. The churros were handstands down the best churros I have ever had.

This restaurant is a fun spin on fresh Mexican food. Tuna, tostadas were definitely my favorite, and we totally ordered another round of these. Drinks were good, and the presentation was beautiful. Our waiter was hilarious and very attentive to us. The only thing I did not care for as much was the octopus, I found it to be pretty tough. I believe the whole kitchen is gluten-free, so this is a great spot for people that need a gluten clean experience. On a more personal note, I'm still trying to figure out how the heck they carve their limes so beautifully.