St Genevieve

Stopped here an hour before closing during the week and perfect ending to the nightI wanted something cosy and quiet and I was transported to a French bistro sitting here at the bar chatting with the GM Tim (shoutout!)We ordered the fries with the bernaise dipping sauce, so fresh and perfect amount of saltAlso got some delicious cocktails- sorry forget the name and a delicious shared dessert!!Need to come back and try the dinner menuLive the ambiance here

After watching and taking in the Olympics via Paris we felt it was time to enjoy this wonderful local establisment.

There was a change of brunch plans and we ended up going to Saint Genevieve's for brunch. I was worried about parking the most because the Google app mentioned limited parking in the area but at around 12:30, there were several spots available right next to the restaurant. Reservations were very easy to make and manage using the Tock app.I have not been here in a long time and the last time was for dinner several years ago. I could smell the aromas of fresh cooking as I walked into the door. I took a few minutes to Glance around and admire all the mosaic tile and wooden floor. The old mirrors and the beautiful tables and chairs through. As well as the layout of the bar and the way that the establishment is laid out with so many windows. The combination of high ceilings and windows brings in ample natural light and brightens up the place.Our server was Sophie who told us about the menu items and the various beverage items and we decided to try their seasonal mulled wine spritzer. This vibrant purple concoction with an orange peel for garnish on ice was refreshing and very good. It paired well with everything I had to eat. We were not sure what to eat so we decided to just order a few items and share them and just chat and enjoy. Our table was small so Sophie was going to bring them out in waves. While we were waiting my friend had a coffee and I had an espresso. Her coffee was fine but my espresso was very bitter most likely due to the grind being way too fine or over extraction from my experience making it at home in my espresso maker. Other than that the first items that came out were the smoked lox and the shakshouka.I have had smoked lox in many locations and it's always like some nasty pickled smoky mystery meat. I have had it at some places where it's not a bright color and more muted as if it was in a jar or air-tight container. The lox Here tasted very fresh and was not too vinegary or overly smokey or salty. It did not leave that fishy aftertaste in your mouth and as you chewed it up the luscious fish melted like butter and tasted like a good piece of sashimi-grade salmon. This blended in with the capers along with a touch of the herb cream cheese it was divine.The shakshouka well I was telling my friend that I have not had a good shakshouka in the United States ever. The last good shakshouka I had was in Ramot Naftali Israel and Tel Aviv Israel. Since then I have been to so many places claiming they make a great shakshouka and how it is just like back in Israel and this and that and you taste it and it's like omg this is dreadful. It's like canned tomato paste with oil, overcooked egg, salt, and mystery spices. This shakshouka is very similar but the stuff was more thinly cut I rate this the best I have tasted in the US so far. Disclaimer I don't go seeking out shakshouka but I sometimes try it when I see it at a nice reputable restaurant or a Middle Eastern restaurant.While eating our lox and shakshouka we met an amazing older couple who I could tell by speaking to them were foodies also. They seemed to be on the next level. I write reviews for fun and to share but they seemed on a way more professional level and it was such an honor speaking to them. I opened up my notes as they gave me some tips on locations where we should go check out and I am making those a priority. As well as the great conversation with them. The fun part about what I like about the food and not what I like about the food is also the experience I have at a place and this couple made our day we hope we run into them again down the road and will never forget them.Next came out the Baccon. Their bacon was thick and not overly cooked where you would need to see the dentist if you bit into it. The bacon slices were also all uniformly matched and dress right dress. The seasoning on it was perfect and was not salty like the Dead Sea. The bacon went really well with the omelet that came next. The omelet was wrapped to perfection and cut incredibly smooth. It was stuff with all types of goodness and one bite into it revealed a nice buttery flavor that was so creamy. This is one of the best omelets I have had in a while and we have already ordered it but the couple we were speaking to recommended the omelet and I can see why. The only was very dense on the inside but very fluffy on the outside. You can get 4 good-sized sizes sharable tasting pieces from one omelet if you want to just do what we did and just be adventurous. So by this time, we had had several drinks and my friend switched from spritzers to corpse revivers and brunch was over and I was being slow as always and the Quiche was still left. The Quiche looked like a giant fancy New York cheesecake honestly. It was beautifully crafted and light and fluffy and as I pulled over the final plate to try the last thing I took my fork and like a samurai with a quick downward motion I cut the Quiche.

Went to this little neighborhood gem on a whim on a Friday evening for dinner. A quaint place you could likely miss if you weren't looking for it.The staff was friendly and understood their menu. Our server recommended dishes and hit it out of the park. We went with the 3-course dinner, priced reasonably at $55.For the first course we went with the Beef Tartare amd Tomato Tarte Tarin. The tarin was a unique presentation and almost felt like a dessert. The tartare was one of the best we have had. Perfect consistency and went really well with the toasted bread it came with. Steak au Poivre and the Casoulet were the main entrees we chose. The steak was cooked perfectly with an excellent demi glaze and the green peppercorns had a perfect crunch and tanginess. The cassoulet was well balanced and the crispy fried leg was a nice addition to the dish. We also had the Pomme Frites as a supplement which worked really well with the steak and came with a bernaise aioli that was very tasty.We ended the dinner with Pear Financier and the Panna Cotta. Both a perfect end to the meal.We had a few drinks with dinner and the cocktails did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the Fleur de Sang and the Flying VI would be going back here to check out the other offerings.

Closer to a 4.5 in terms of rating but the vibe makes up for it. This is a very cozy place for brunch because of its location on a weekend morning! Sitting outside on a morning in the summer makes it even better. I am also just a huge fan of the restaurant's name, so part of me maybe a bit subjective on how much I like this place. However, I do have to be realistic about its food and the aspects that matter the most.The food is not cheap, especially for the portion given when each entrée is $18 or $19, but I think the taste makes it relatively worth it. They have the quiche du jour and the omelette du jour, which basically mean that they can vary from day to day, and I have had various kinds at different times and they have always tasted good. Two days ago their omelette contained scallops and gruyere cheese and the egg texture was very soft as the scallop flavor seeped into the eggs giving the egg another dimension of flavors. The dish got both flavor and texture without a doubt. The shakshouka was pretty good, although I will say for this one the portion really didn't match the price because shakshouka is a very easily made northern African / Middle Eastern breakfast dish that I have had elsewhere for $10-15 with much larger portions. The wild mushroom & brie crêpe also had really soft texture, meaning the scrambled eggs and the mushroom were really well made. I also thoroughly enjoyed the beignets as they were very freshly made with the perfect amount of sweetness! Although I have to say that I have attached two photos of beignets from August 2022 and two days ago, respectively, and the beignets from two days ago looked and tasted better. A good amount of house-made milk bread was given to us two days ago, but only three sausages were given to my friend and me back in August 2022 as the photo has shown, and the latest menu had the bread cost $5 while the sausages $10, so yeah... Slightly beyond my comprehension.Service was pretty good! Our server always had a smile and was very attentive to our needs and checked in at the exact right moments, so I appreciated it. They also made sure that I had sparkling water while my partner had still water.Overall if people ask me some of the best brunch restaurants in the Twin Cities, then I will definitely mention St. Genevieve, but I also will give a disclaimer on the price that may disappoint some when they see the food portion. Our bill amount was pretty high even though we felt like we just got full.

I've lived in the neighborhood for about 8 years and finally made it to St. Genevieve. I'm just not an Oyster person, but the Bacon Jam Burger was amazing!!! It's a pretty rich and unique burger and pairs nicely with a good beer. Their fries are perfect as well. Now on the to the Fleur De Sang cocktail. Their bartender invented this drink and it's a nice blend of mezcal and a float of red wine. Next time you're there make sure you order one.

Good food but slow service (so be kind and patient). If you're looking for a quick bite, not the place for you but if you have time to spare and would like to enjoy good French cooking with friends and loved ones, then this is the place for you. It's consistently delicious but it is a little expensive so be ready to pay for quality food.We've dined here several times now and the food is great! Just be patient on how long it takes and make sure you like the people you're dining with.

Yikes! Where to begin? ...We came for restaurant week. They ignored us for over half an hour before asking for our drink orders, even thought the restaurant was more than half empty. Then they forgot to put in our appetizer orders. (We kept waiting! We were getting so hungry...) Then they brought the wrong dishes for our second courses. We had to remind them multiple times that this had happened. Eventually they brought the food we'd ordered, but (and at this point we were pretty unsurprised when) they totally forgot about our entrees!!! Then they brought us the bill and were confused when we asked if we could have our entrees first. Of course they had forgotten our entrees. (No wonder the steak was basically raw!) They also do the thing of charging an automatic 15% wellness fee that does not go the server, so you are asked (multiple times, if your bill arrives ahead of your food) to tip on top of the wellness fee, in proportion to the already steep prices. The food was fine but nothing special. We might have liked to order dessert, but the kitchen closed before they remembered our entrees (again, no wonder the steak was raw!), so no chance of dessert. It would have been nice if they had given us a free glass of wine or something for the trouble, but no such luck. Not coming back.

I visited this restaurant years ago and had the same concerns and review. The atmosphere is elegant and uniquely French with perfect lighting, but the food is marginal. Interestingly I had originally commented that we were served 2 tiny carrots as a shared appetizer so I thought this time it had to be better, but instead we were served about 1 oz of carrot shavings as an appetizer about the size of a small egg- this was ostensibly a shareable appetizer! The chicken was uninspiring and did not taste fresh at $40.00. The wait staff was distracted eg few water refills and cutlery not adequate for the meal choices. Oh dear! Lovely friends, but still uninspiring food.

I was super impressed in my recent visit here. The drinks are outstanding, and the food is incredibly tasty complemented only by its sophistication. Without said very easy-going environment very approachable cuisine excellent job by the chef and the staff.