Oysters on the half shell in a very nice location. Yes, it's pricey. I've not gotten anything but the oysters.
I have had numerous positive experiences there. Excellent service, really good food and beautiful ambiance. I especially enjoyed being able to sit outside last Fall with the heaters to hold onto the summer a little longer.
My complaint centers around the reservation system/policy. Here is my advice; The restaurant has three spaces; bar, terrace (outside), and dining room. The reservation system requires you to specify. I made a reservation in the dining room for my 40th wedding anniversary. The hostess insisted it was for the bar. It was not. She relented when I offered to get my cell phone and show her the confirming text. What happened to the customer is right? So, if you go here, call the restaurant prior to your arrival to ensure the reservation is what you want. The spaces are not all the same. I have never enjoyed bar seating. Food is very good. Never have had a bad meal here. Best Foie Gras in the region. Brings me back to Toulouse. Cassoulet and the Duck are our two favorites. WE will be back, but, only with a printed copy of the reservation from the web site you are required to use.
6 people all-in for the tasting menu. Plus me - allergic to things with claws so no lobster. We notified them when making reservations, but that can sometimes be iffy. A shout-out to the restaurant and staff for substituting for the lobster, after checking extensively to see that I wasn't allergic to mussels (the surprise in the saffron-tomato bisque) or the day boat scallops that took the place of the lobster. The rest of the meal was as advertised, and they put a plate of candies out with the check. The wine list isn't huge, but we were able to pair with a white and a red through the menu. Altogether a great meal.
Who knew Minneapolis had such an incredible food scene. Meritage is a prime example of this by offering diners French-inspired classics, as well as sneakily tucking in unexpected twists like the Tiny Tiny Tuna tartar taco. This restaurant is a Minneapolis staple situated cozily within an old building. I sat at the oyster bar but was able to see the entire restaurant, which was packed with lots of folks on dates. For those who know me, they know I all but have a French fry eating disorder, and boy was I delighted by the cornucopia of fries presented to me with scrumptious béarnaise sauce. I selected all 4 “amusements”, think tiny bites, as well as the scrumptious and utterly tender Beef Tartare! The cocktail selection was robust and playful, and the bartenders are certainly experts in their craft, concocting pretty much anything you could ask for.If you’re looking for an adventure, don’t pass up the seasonal tasting menu, offering 6,9, and 12 course options.
The people were great! The environment was very nice and the food presentation beautiful. I received a very nice birthday card with a wine pour gift inside. Very thoughtful. Wine was good, coffee was warm, not hot. Food was so salty that some of it was inedible. Specifically, the potatoes on the fish and the vegetables paired with some of the plates. Every dish was way over salted, though. Even my 10yr old commented on how salty the food was. Would I go back? Probably. I'd just order the fries, like everyone else was doing.
Waited over 50 minutes for entrees. Me and my fiance had their duck steak and NY steak with their frites. The duck steak was very delicious. Our live oysters came out within 10 minutes. We ordered a second set of oysters, our server asked us if we wanted our steak entrees to come before the second set of oysters and we said yes since it sounded like it was ready. A long time after, still nothing has come out. Our oysters came and we wondered where our steak is at. Our server even admitted it was his mistake. We did not really care much about that until the manager came and spoke with us. we inquired about anything they can offer such as a simple free desert for waiting such a long time after 50 minutes and for her server's mistake She left a really BAD taste in our mouth. She said it's the way they do things, is to let customers enjoy the appetizers and then bring out the entrees. But I don't know any restaurant letting customers wait 50 long minutes to let entrees come out just for customers to enjoy their appetizers. She said they only have one guy in the back working his best. She declined any compensation. But after we left we saw MANY people in the kitchen. Keep in mind our server asked us specifically if we wanted our steak to come out before. We understand that places are short staffed but the way the manager handled it was not a great experience at all. We loved our server but management sucks here and needs to treat their customers better and employees.
This is the third time going to Meritage and sitting at the bar. Same story. It’s a lovely venue, but after sitting there with the 4 of us, 5 minutes went by with 3 people behind the bar, we had to ask to be served. It was not even that busy. Terrible! Had one drink and left.
Jan 2022: I've been going here since 2008 but tonight might be my last for a very long time. The value quotient just isn't there, a family of four, a bottle of wine, 3 entrees, several appetizers, and one dessert and we're over $400 with tip. My entrée the cassoulet was very dry and barely edible. The gnocchi was also just ok. Everything else was outstanding, the pommes frites, shrimp cocktail, onion soups, tiny tuna tartar tacos, and the mozza ball soup. The service was A+++ and she tried to make up for the experience. Also Meritage used to have a more extensive wine list but now every other page features a map and no listing of wines. Even worse, found out tonight they don't do a corkage fee if you want to bring your own bottle. Their wines are waaaaay marked up too. They had a Ridge blend I know well (Lytton Springs) that is under $50 retail and they price it at $120.For me I think I'll spend my dollars at the Lexington, Moscow on the Hill, or WA Frost going forward. I feel bad because I have always loved Meritage.
We had a lovely experience dining here for the first time. Alex, our server, was knowledgeable, friendly and had great recommendations. I had the best oysters I’ve ever had, the drinks were phenomenal, and the teeny tiny tuna tartare taco amuse-bouche was delectable. It was decorated beautifully for the holidays and the ambiance was charming. We look forward to going back soon and sharing the experience with friends.