Rinata Restaurant

Recommends

NBC

Joined 2 years ago

Best Uptown Italian Food. A neighbor suggested this restaurant to us so we went there this Sunday. We were pleasantly surprised to find out they had a special "Date night" on Sundays. We were presented the special menu as well as their regular menu as we were promptly seated by a very friendly host. The regular menu was modestly priced and had a great selection. We opted for the four course special date night menu, it was hard to believe it was only $20 per person. We started with 2 of the best pizzas we have had in a long time from the regular menu then we ventured to the course menu. We had a spicy sausage and an eggplant involtini which were both great. Next we had a caesar and a butterleaf salad, both crisp and delicious. Then came the pastas, and what generous portions they were. We had the gnocchi putanesca and the ziti with braised pork. Both were hot and very flavorful. By this time we were beyond full but had to have the last of our courses. we had a sambuca Tiramisu and cherry chocolate gelato which were both out of this world. We also enjoyed the wide variety of wines offered as well. Our server was spectacular. He was very informative and suggetive. He explained that all their products were made in house including desserts, pastas, and sauces. He commented that he actually had made the gelato because he had worked in the kitchen that morning. As we were leaving the Chef came by and asked how our meals were and thanked us for comming in. We later found out he was one of the owners. In summary, we were so glad we tried our neighbors' suggestion. Our night was etremely pleasant

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jayleck

Joined 6 years ago

Excellent Fresh Pasta. Walking down Hennepin Avenue; this was a spur of the moment choice for dinner. When my party walked in, I was asked if I had reservations. I said no but they were able to seat us promptly.

I believe the first sign to a good restaurant is having a small, well defined menu. The chef here has got it right. We ordered 3 different entrées and I have to admit, they were all delicious! Fresh pasta, quality olive oil, garlic, and fresh dill are just some of the ingredients that contribute to the wonderful flavor.

I will definitely be coming back for more!

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cinder73

Joined 9 years ago

Fantastic!. My friends and I had the best time at Rinata last night! The food was fabulous and so was our server! Leah was smart, timely and perfect at her job. All of our dishes were wonderful too.

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kbeckma

Joined 5 years ago

Involtini Rocks. I chose to go here for my birthday dinner since I had heard such wonderful things about it. The place is a tight fit but I still found it cozy and comfortable. Our server ( I only wished I could remember her name right now) was awesome. We had the Eggplant involtini and the Mussels for apps. YUM ... I only wish there was more involtini per order b/c it was amazing. Outside of the Ceasar side salad my sister did not like, everything else we had was tasty. The Black Cod special, duck pasta and so on. Overall I had a great night and would definitely go back.

Doesn't Recommend

Dinerout

Joined 4 years ago

Bad food and bad experience. The person who seemed to be the owner plays favorite, playing nice with people he knows and ignoring the others.

But more importantly, the food wasn't good at all. We ordered three different entrees, and none of them were good. Dry, no taste, and the duck was probably coming out of a can... very very disappointing.

Not worth the trip, or the money. A minimum of courtesy would have been appreciated.

Doesn't Recommend

guswatkins

Joined 4 years ago

Turned off by the staff. The food is decent, but I have been quite unimpressed with the staff.

Recently a friend received a couple of coupons for free wine. When we tried to redeem them, our server quite rudely chastised us for using them "incorrectly." I paid and tipped, then went inside to see if I could talk to someone about it, and no one inside was even remotely interested in helping me out. I had to pry a manager or owner's name out of a bartender.

The server the coupons were "to get people in to see what we're all about." Well I saw what they're all about now. Rude customer service. I won't be returning.

Doesn't Recommend

KendlinMpls

Joined 4 years ago

Not Worth the Visit. My husband and I ate here recently and were disappointed for the most part. Upon entering, the place definitley got a face lift from Giorgio's, however the rooms are so small it is hard to manuver through the restaurant.

Well on to the food. It started off pretty decent. The eggplant Involtini was full of flavor, and the beet salad was nice. However the clams with white wine and fettuccini were horrible. The sauce tasted as though the only seasoning was salt with some wine thrown in there and not properly reduced. The "house-made" sausage and sauce were almost worse. I can't expain the taste, but it was as though you were simply eating a wet piece of ground beef with not much flavor.

We noticed after a while we never recieved any bread even though the two or three other tables in the restaurant had it. After requesting it, we received it with no olive oil, dipping sauce, etc. It wasn't worth asking for either because I'm pretty sure it was not house made. My husband agreed. We ordered the Canoli for dessert. It tasted stale. The inside (mascarpone or ricotta) tasted as though the chef forgot to sweeten it.

The service was just OK. Our wine glasses sat empty for almost the entire meal. We had to flag down the other waiter to ask for another. And the atmosphere is a downfall as well. You can hear a pin drop along with everyone else's conversation.

Overall we were not impressed and will probably not be back.

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navypinstripes

Joined 5 years ago

Great food, great value!. A wonderful menu at a great price! The gnocchi melts in your mouth. One of the best meals we've had in a long time and we didn't have to pay $25 a plate for it. Can't wait to go back again. Great ambience for a date night. Waitstaff was friendly and attentive. All in all, how a night out should be.

Recommends

nk99

Joined 4 years ago

Best restaurant for the price in Minneapolis. This restaurant is fantastic. My wife and I have had two meals here and enjoyed them both greatly.

On my last visit, I had the lamb shank special. It had been slow-cooked to the point of falling off the bone. As good as the gigot a sept heures I had in Paris! Served on a bed of whole-grain couscous, with harissa. Just very very interesting and tasty without being overwhelmingly salty (which is the way most Twin Cities restaurants achieve taste).

The service is friendly, informative, and attentive.

The room is definitely crowded ... but so are the trattorias in Rome!

I think that this is - right now - the best restaurant for the price in Minneapolis.

Doesn't Recommend

salem4

Joined 4 years ago

Worst Customer Service. I have been wanting to check out Rinata for some time, seeing as how I live in the neighborhood, and had read excellent reviews about it. It was obvious from the start that our waiter knew we were not the type to order a four course meal with a bottle of wine, and therefore paid no attention to us at all. I had ordered a salad before my meal, and never received it even though the table next to us was receiving their orders with no problem. When I mentioned this to the waiter, his explaination was that "he thought since it had been so long, that I had already eaten my salad" I was not about to let a salad spoil my night, so I told him I did not want it, just as long as it was not on my bill. Finally, our entrees came, and not one bite into it, another waitress came by, took our plates, and said that they had forgotten to finish them. She returned after a few minutes with our "finished" plates. I do have to say that both entrees were excellent and almost made up for the poor service until..... we get the check, and guess what item was still on it? The salad. Without even apologizing, the waiter huffed and took it away and came back with the modified bill. My fiance and I left the restaurant, went to the local coffeeshop to enjoy our after dinner coffee and dessert and laughed about the whole thing.

I thought we had put all of this behind us, until today, when I checked my bank balance, and found out that I had gotten charged twice.