Cafe Lurcat

04/20/09

Ouch, that hurt. Bad!

by CSMobileUser

Overpriced, shmoozy, nothing special. Service was mediocre, food choices Very limited and nothing for vegetarians. I had an issue with my meal and the manager came over, after schmoozing some more-important-then us kind of people, and I'm pretty sure she gave me attitude. Ouch that hurt. I will never return nor will any of my friends,family, or anyone I can possibly stop from making this awful mistake. Ouch that hurt my wallet, stomach and possibly this restra

hat hurt.

12/02/07

Has potential

by luxuryeditionmpls

Nice ambiance, fantastic wine selection, and wonderful food- I would definitely recommend cafe Lurcat and will absolutely go again for these reasons. However, the service was mediocre- the waitress that served us was rather disheveled and actually brought my fiance and I another couple?s appetizer!

11/24/07

I'm never going back!

by krecreane

Uh-uh..I won't be going back!

$28 for 6 prawns, and one of them is mealy,mushy, inedibly? Not that that isn't bound to happen with shrimp...it's just that when I told the waiter (who was EXCELLENT!) and he told the chef -- I was told that mushy, mealy, inedible shrimp happens when shrimp is steamed/sauteed in the manner it was (though somehow the others ecaped the one's fate).

Now, I was just telling the chef cuz I thought perhaps he/she'd want to take a look-smell at the product being used. Nary a "sorry", nor a "can we get you something else?" was forthcoming. And actually, it was my 5th of 6 prawns and I wasn't looking for free stuff or bowwing/scraping ... yet to be told that a nasty, slimy-to-the-touch shrimp was part of the design of the dish was disconcerting and condescending.

08/04/07

Food is good but expensive. I miss the old Loring!

by fundies

If you're missing the old Loring Cafe and think that Lurcat might be a reasonable substitute, you're wrong. While the few foods I've tried here have been quite good (tiny hamburgers; addictive fried puffy cheese ball things), it's quite expensive and the ambiance is stuffy and uncomfortable.

04/13/07

All the right stuff

by romyschinker

I took my sister and her husband to lurcat and had a wonderful time.The food was wonderful as was the service We took our time laughed and enjoyed never did the service lax no one told us that they needed the table.I know that you should eat and free up the table but somtimes you just want to sit. Thanks Lurcat!

• Pros: valet parking

Everything's new at the former funky Loring: D'Amico-style, chic decor, brand-conscious clientele and contemporary comfort cuisine.

by Contributor

In Short
Views of Loring Park and the Walker from Cafe Lurcat's floor-to-ceiling windows are some of the Cities' finest. The D'Amico touch is New York chic: diners dressed in black and white accents (lampshades, linens and chair covers) throughout. Service is casual and efficient, but sometimes confused. It's all about artisanal ingredients and simple presentation. The melted Brie and smoked ham crepe is paired sweetly with cool, pulpy figs. Oven roasting sears moistness into miso-marinated sea bass while a lamb porterhouse is succulent and juicy.

09/19/06

Enjoyed the night out

by anneylani

I took my dad to this restaurant in May to celebrate his retirement. The front entrace to this place is somewhat misleading; the sign hangs above a door that goes nowhere. Once you find the "real" door, the hostess stand is actually in the bar, and they lead you through a dimly lit hallway (where am I being taken??) before you enter the dining room. The dining room seemed to be crammed with VERY close, small tables that we weaved between to be seated. Fortunately we were seated against the windows facing the park. I would have much disliked being surrounded by people. But once we sat down, the rest of the night was a pleasure. Keep in mind that the menu is ala carte - side dishes are ordered separately. I enjoyed foie gras - served with a toasted baguette and poached apples - delicious!! My entree was a typical steak and mashed potatoes and my dad had roasted sea bass. We both loved the food. The service was great too - low-key yet attentive, just as it should be. The server was well-versed in the menu and thorough with the service. And there was great live music in the lounge! I would love to go back!

• Pros: great staff, creative menu, atmosphere
• Cons: small tables, crowded dining room

09/18/06

So close, yet so far.

by maroon_wolverine

This was the second time I ate at Cafe Lurcat. The first time, I was not impressed by anything but the bill (and not in a positive way). Having survived a couple of Minnesota winters since that first experience, I decided to give Cafe Lurcat a second chance hoping that maybe the restaurant had grown into intself by now. It has not.

The funny thing is that there is very much to like about the restaurant. It is a very well designed space with a great view of Loring Park. The service is impeccable. More importantly, the menu is friendly yet interesting. And, for the most part, everything is cooked to near perfection.

The problem: they over-salt every dish. Even one of the desserts has salt on it. Weird. It was the same complaint I had my first visit, and it's the same complaint I have heard from several other visitors. Any one dish, taken by itself, is salty. Not so salty that I won't eat it, but salty. If the rest of the dishes/sides were say sweet/sour/spicy, etc., maybe it would balance out. But they are ALL salty. Taken together, I felt like I needed my own carafe of water just to keep from shriveling.

Is this a ploy to get people to order more drinks? Perhaps the chef has low BP. In any event, it ruins the entire meal, the entire experience. The restaurant was still busy enough. So, apparently they can keep serving their food this salty and they will still be successful. But if they really cared to improve the place, they need to get a handle on this. Next time I'll be sticking to the bar.

• Pros: nice space, well-planned menu
• Cons: too salty, too expensive (for that price, tasting menu at la belle vie or d'amico cucina)

08/09/06

Cool, Cute, and Unique

by jmfix

I'd never heard of Cafe Lurcat until a friend wanted to celebrate her birthday there. We reserved a private back room for our group (no charge), which has it's own bathroom and balcony over looking the restaurant. Our servers were ok, a tad slow with our drinks. There's a nice little variety of food, and everyone liked their appetizers, sides, and meals. After dinner it was fun to hang out in our room, or over by the bar by the live music. The ambiance is unique with the nice big windows, dim lighting, and even big cushy couches by the bar area. We had a great time, and I would recommend it for dinner, drinks and entertainment.

• Pros: Great for groups or dates, valet parking (if wanted)
• Cons: Live music can get loud

03/28/06

great food - great service

by dbaumy

great food - great service, would go again. One of the best meals I've had in the Twin Cities. The service was top notch - the best. Valet is nice/fast. Live music not too loud so you can talk in the bar.

• Pros: very prof staff, great service, great food
• Cons: expensive, bathroom confusing