20.21 Restaurant

Restaurant celebrates modernity, fusion and design.

by Molly Priesmeyer

This Wolfgang Puck restaurant located at the Walker celebrates modernity, fusion and design. Located in the eyes of the Walker Art Center, this Asian-fusion Wolfgang Puck restaurant overlooks the center of the city. Through the great, high-design windows--or eyes of the robot, some say--diners can glimpse the tops of the Basilica, the glistening Minneapolis skyscrapers and the cherry on top of the spoon in the famous Sculpture Garden below. A bar offers art gallery-goers and happy hour crowds martinis and small plates--like the restaurant’s raved-about potstickers--while dinner diners nosh on entrees like Hong Kong salmon and Korean short ribs as chefs in the bustling, open kitchen move together like clockwork, preparing modern and artful dishes.

12/31/08

Amazing, World Class Experience, I feel proud to live in the Twin Cities!

by sunflowerisa

Thank you for the most wonderful experience. My husband and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a show and dinner, and we were seated right at the window with a breathtaking view of Minneapolis - and amazing food and wonderful service. We ordered three appetizers and one main dish to share- all were delicate, superb, gorgeous in presentation. We ended the dinner with the die-for dessert of the spoon with the cherry chocolate cake, the restaurant's speciality. We both have traveled and enjoyed cuisines at many places - Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and we can say that this is a top-notch restaurant, that we can fully recommend to out of town guests. Also a wonderful place to spend a special evening. Thank you and we are proud to live in the Twin Cities!

• Pros: World class Asian-Modern Fusion Cuisine, breathtaking view, ambience, service at the amazing Walker Art Center. Great Parking.
• Cons: None.

09/14/08

pretty tasty food, but way overpriced and not such great ambience

by DMAN1708

The food is pretty good. However, it's not meaningfully better than the food at the Rainbow or the Seafood Palace on Nicollet ave (in fact, it might be worse). I have had whole fish at those places that were at least as tasty, and certainly about half the price. (the decor and service at those places is also kind of better.) Service was ok. Nice guy, but a bit inattentive. Didn't really care though, since i was with great company. Window is very cool, but not big enough to afford everyone in the restaurant a great view. I had a great view, so i can't complain, but it would be worth waiting for a different table if you weren't near it, since the alternative is a stark white wall. That leads me to what I really don't understand about the place: the decor. The place screams corporate cafeteria. The carpet is ugly. The chairs are like from a waiting room at an airport, and the splotches of color are just sort of cheesy and out of place. also, the lighting is totally underwhelming, especially given some of the architectural interest in the room (plus, the bar is lit up with basic rope lighting which can be bought at lowes for like $3/yard. The ceiling is also very low. It's an awkward space. For it to be as expensive as it is, and for it to be in such a highly regarded museum, which itself is something of an architectural and design marvel, i found the decor to be completely unimpressive (and somewhat disappointing) and without charm or character. Certainly not the decor of a place with $30+ entrees. This is especially troubling since most of its competition are beautiful spaces (e.g., cosmos, chambers kitchen, la belle vie across the street). One other thing -- the kitchen is totally exposed, which normally is cool, but here just resulted in it making the room very hot and imparting a sort of fried food smell. I think this restaurant has some potential, since the food is pretty tasty, but I think they need to rethink it a bit.

• Pros: tasty food; cool view if you are right by the window
• Cons: Ugly decor, only decent service.

04/19/08

One of the TOP Minneapolis Restaurants

by arsenalbrandon

I have eaten here several times, for both romantic occasions with my wife and business meals. They always exceed my expectations. Fantastic food and service that is the best in the twin cities. I have eaten almost every entree on the menu although it does change and my favorite (Miso Sake Butterfish) is now some other type of fish. With the ButterFish it is quite possibly one of my favorite all time meals. So if you see it, get it. This is one of the only restaurants that I have ever tipped the waiters 30% because I felt like we had our own personal server even though he had a couple other tables. The chefs in town could learn a lot from Wolfgang on how to run a restaurant. This restaurant is in my top 2 in town, right there with 112. The desserts are also to die for so make sure you leave room. I have tried them all but my favorite is the tres leches, which is always the first dessert I try at a restaurant if they have it. Theirs may be my favorite in the world.

• Pros: Food, Ambience, Service, Tres Leches, ButterFish
• Cons: This place makes so many other Twin Cities fine dining restaurants look bad

02/29/08

About 50% overpriced

by nyexport

Given the quality of the food we had, I would say this is about 50% overpriced ($150 for 2, before tip and with one beer). The steak tasted watery, potatoes gratin were missing their blue cheese flavor and creme brulee was average. Add to that a fried smell from the kitchen and I wasn't overly impressed; the view would also be much better if they took the time to keep the glass clean.

• Pros: Quick service, reasonable menu selection, view
• Cons: Quality of food, fried smell, over priced

02/17/08

Overpriced and overrated

by mywong

At the suggestion of the waiter, we ordered 2 appetizers and a dinner entree to share (just two of us for dinner) to "experience the flavors of the restaurant". Not only were the appetizers and entree expensive, they were very small in size. We spent over a $100 for dinner only to walk away hungry...we find this ridiculous. Service was fine, the downtown...more like the Basilica view was also overrated. There are much better options in and around town.

• Pros: Convenient underground parking
• Cons: Paltry portions, poor decor, loud atmosphere

12/13/07

20.21: Overpriced, awful service

by mplsreviewer

I have been to 20.21 three times: for appetizers, dinner, and brunch. Each time has been more disappointing. The food is OK but the service is atrocious. The last time I went with four friends, we left cash and split the rest on 2 credit cards. They incorrectly billed the ENTIRE amount to one card even though the slip I signed said they only charged 1/4 of the bill. I didn't see their error until I double checked my bill statement and then it took two calls to their manager before it was fixed (and no offer of a special discount for the next trip, which most restaurants would do). The time before that, they forgot to return my credit card I had to track down our waiter to find it. If you go here, save your receipts until the final charge appears on your account! Instead of 20.21, head across the street to La Belle Vie - they have amazing food, amazing service, and a bar menu for those that don't want to splurge.

• Pros: View, convenient if you're at the Walker already
• Cons: Service, Service, Overpriced, Service

11/03/07

Hiring issues?

by mia6

What is happening at this restaurant? The food used to be exciting, maybe the lack of change is growing old? It seems as though they either have new management monthly or they do not have any management? We used to visit every couple of weeks, but Wolfgang has warn out his charm with us. The potstickers are no better than any chinese take out, and much pricier, the spring rolls equally bland. There are some great entrees, but the whole experience is just not consistent. Good Luck!

• Pros: The Whole Sea Bass is delicious
• Cons: The new monthly manager seems to leave service to be desired

07/27/07

What happened to 20.21

by merring

We truly enjoyed this fine addition the the Minneapolis food scene back in it's hay day, great space and view, the Puck dining experience, and exceptional service...however, we left this Friday evening wondering if we would indeed be back. Sure, perhaps the food is the same, I say not as appealing now as the menu has become stayed..and yes the room is still loud..thats OK we grew to overlook that chaos..but tonights dinner service was way out the waters by any standard.

Our server seemed completely indifferent as to our what we were expecting..and soon found wishing for...knowledge, grace, charm, and PROPER service, rather than the automated coldness that we recieved. We still hark back to your opening days..you had a fine staff on hand. One gentleman server in particular...Dennis, was outstanding..and made each experience the most it could possibly be..without fail. So we ask you Wolfgang, fully realizing that one component enhances the other, please bring back your service professionals and standards and utilize the others in perhaps your mall/airport settings. Perfectly executed dinner service may even cause one to believe that this room is worth a visit.

• Pros: view location
• Cons: service service service

05/18/07

Odd ambiance, Fab food, Quick and Knowledgable Service

by jmfix

The restaurant is a little odd...cafeteria-style chairs, long narrow room, pretty noisy--but a wall of windows over looking the cathedral. We got drinks quickly at the bar, and our server was AWESOME. She was very attentive to our large group, and made helpful suggestions on wine, cocktails and food. The potstickers and ahi tuna appetizers were amazing. The duck was very good, and the lobster rissoto was incredible! We all left fat and happy!

• Pros: Delicious food, Impeccable Service
• Cons: Bit noisy, odd tables and chairs