(612) 824-6300
2919 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis,
MN
55408
44.949
-93.298
Neighborhoods: Uptown, Calhoun Isles
What People Are Saying About Zeno Cafe
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – Located on the hip and happening corner between the Lagoon Cinema and Uptown Theatre, this sleekly designed, minimalist space offers its own theater of life, with prime people-watching right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Cafeteria-style ordering fits the early crowd, while later, a relaxed energy, low lights and friendly table service add romance. From early-morning bagels and lattes to late-night creme brulee and French sparkling wine, the cuisine here is as varied as the clientele.
09/25/09
Bought In Deserts
by nenechan
I went to Zeno Cafe with a couple of friends after dinner on a Sunday. We looked at the desserts in the rotating display and took a seat. The waiter at first was a little chilly but quickly warmed up. I ordered lava cake, my friends ordered the red velvet cake and a turtle cake.
As I dug into my cake, I realized it was dry and a little tough. It tasted like unsweetened cocoa powder dusty and flavoless. The "lava" tasted like overly sweet dark cocoa syrup, the kind you pour onto ice cream. A weird combo of bland and shockingly sweet. The others tasted bad as well, a lot of the refrigerated/freezer taste to them. We asked the waiter if the desserts were made in house or bought in and of course they were bought in twice a week.
I think it's weird for a cafe that bills itself as a place to get dessert to not make the desserts either in house or at the very least get well made desserts, esp for charging around $8 per giant serving of dessert. The lava cake at Chino Latino is superior to Zeno's.
- Pros: honest server
- Cons: desserts
08/18/09
Treated like leper at Zeno.
by idafran
Wow. WTF Zeno? My sisters, Mom and myself wandered in here after a movie for some birthday cake. We're pretty quiet and friendly people. The host was nice, but our server was quite possibly insane or on something. He was particularly mean to my Mom. It was very, very strange. We were able to find the humor in the experience, but I don't think I'll be going back there unless I want to feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone or have a communicable disease. I attempted to reach the manager via phone and email with no repsonse at all. Not impressed.
- Pros: great desserts
- Cons: attitude of waitstaff, felt humiliated!
08/02/09
Much better than I expected!
by randomstuffmpls
I went to Zeno for the first time this weekend, and was pleasantly surprised. Appetizers and entrees were tasty and filling. I had expected only lame-o appetizers, but they had options that were plenty filling. My friend and I both had a variation of mac & cheese which was quite good. (You might be saying 'how difficult is that to screw up?' Well, I've had lots of tasteless mac & cheese at places where you'd think it would be fab.) Menu was a bit limited, but expected that. Happy hour specials included bottomless wine and $4 martinis, which I wasn't able to indulge in, but everyone else around us was! And, happy hour didn't end at 5:30pm like so many places.
- Pros: tasty food, more than appetizers, good happy hr specials
- Cons: parking/logistics, acoustics
The Details on Zeno Cafe
Save Time:
Planning a dinner party? Zeno also offers whole cakes and desserts for takeout.
The Extras:
Enjoy free Wi-Fi access while sipping the house java.
Save Money:
Come in 3pm to 7pm daily for a bottomless glass of wine for $20. It's $10 for house wine. There are also martini and beer specials.
When to Go:
For the most indulgent happy hour in all of the Twin Cities, Zeno is the place to be. The vibe is laid-back, and specialty martinis are smooth and delicious. You can enjoy high-style martinis like the Tiramisu, Velvet Charm Caramel Truffle for only $3, from 3:00 pm-7:00 pm daily.
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