Mara

Brunch here is delicious and just plain fun. All you can eat buffet, with everything you'd expect from an American continental breakfast plus a lot of Mediterranean options and a massive dessert bar. Is everything that's sitting out as good as if it was made to order? A lot of it actually is (the potatoes, steak, and various Mediterranean egg preparations were particular standouts), and the things that aren't are still very tasty. For me, the trade off was more than worth it for being able to try (literally) 15-20 different dishes. Service was very friendly and attentive, and staff answered a couple of different questions we had about some of our favorite food and cocktails in great detail.

We dined at the chef's table and it was an amazing experience. Our host, Sarah was great at explaining our wine pairings, answering questions about the food and menu and made sure we had everything we needed. Chef Thony put on a masterclass. Fall flavors were on full display. Our favorite dishes were the pasta with truffle, short rib with fennel and the trout with horseradish and an amazing red cabbage sauce. Great experience, the chef's table provides an intimate view of the kitchen, a chance to talk with the chefs, and a fantastic menu.

The most gorgeous design in the Twin Cities!! Every detail is absolutely stunning!! We got seated in the best booth, overlooking the entire restaurant. The food was scrumptious. Their tomato sauce is THE BEST I’ve ever tasted!!! I’d love to learn their secret, because I can’t get enough of it! Best frites in town as well. AND the best kids meals in town also - I highly recommend! My Chardonnay was pretty amazing as well. I love this wonderful addition to the city, it’s fine dining the way it should be. 😍 A must go to place!!

Beautiful location in the gorgeous Four Seasons Hotel. Service was wonderful and the food was absolutely delicious. The Mezze was sooo good, the hummus was ridiculous, and feta cubes and pita were so delicious. Calamari was excellent, the Chicken shawarma sliders were good, but i wasn't a huge fan of the chicken patty texture. The flavor combo with the tzatziki sauce and pickle with the chicken, however, was spot on. I definitely want to go back and try more stuff on the menu. Chef Gavin definitely did not disappoint. Burger and wings were reported as very good.

One of the best meals we have ever had. Our reservation was 30 mins late, but we weren’t in a rush and they gave us complimentary bubbly! The Gorgonzola Tartine was pretty good, nothing too special but glad we tried it. The gnocchi was absolutely incredible, just melts in your mouth. After this course we thought there was no way the salt baked Branzino could live up to it, and we were so wrong. Possibly the best fish dish I have ever had. They really care about the food and you taste the amount of thoughtfulness that goes into each dish. Will be back so many more times in the future. Great way to celebrate my 30th birthday and baby moon!

Celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary with the folks at Mara this evening. We love Spoon & Stable and were excited for the new concept. Walking in the lounge and bar give a hint to the vibe which is upscale while remaining very laid back. The main dining area is open but not loud and draws the eye around without being distracting giving you a view of the kitchen. Get the Hummus. Yeah you can make hummus at home but I assure you it's not like this. Get the rice pudding. As a chocolate person I can confidently tell you it's still the rice pudding. Wonderful staff who were warm and welcoming. Having a food allergy makes dining out an adventure but I had full confidence as our waiter Buddy guided us through the menu. Everything was wonderful and made extra special as we were invited to tour the dessert kitchen including the chocolate room. A truly memorable experience.

the food is all so special and delicious. you get what you paid for. i really enjoyed the shish barak, and my husband loves the seafood stew. we went for our anniversary and the atmosphere was perfect. the maraklava wasn’t our favorite, the texture wasn’t interesting and it was personally too floral to taste.

I'm a huge fan of Gavin Kaysen so I have been waiting for an opportunity to splurge at Mara. Mara is an excellent restaurant for a celebratory meal - we happened to be celebrating our daughter's college graduation. The waiter was very approachable and engaging. We decided to order multiple dishes for the table instead of a main course for each. I would say we were spot on with the amount of food we ordered - for three people, we ordered tomato hummus, 2 appetizers (uni toast and crab tartine), 2 pasta/mains (lobster bucatini and steamed mussels & shrimp) and 1 side (crispy fried potato). We did end up ordering dessert to share (strawberry field), but wouldn't have needed to. Everything was perfectly executed. I a huge fan of the mussels at Meritage in St. Paul, but would have to say the mussels at Mara were better. Maybe the fennel? It was just a highlight dish for the table and was presented beautifully. We all raved about the hummus and the fried potatoes. I preferred the lobster bucatini as my fav, but the other two thought the uni toast was the best. Bonus points to the waiter for picking a fabulous wine. I asked for something "fresh & fun" and it was spot on! It would be worth going back....so much on the menu to try. Next time I'd pick a Saturday night to feel the buzz of the restaurant since we were there on an early Sunday night and it was pretty chill. Overall, Mara is a great addition to the downtown Minneapolis food scene. As long as you are prepared for the bill at the end of the night, you'll be impressed!

Words cannot describe the awesome experience we had... We were seated at the Chef's table! The service, food, drinks, EVERYTHING was fantastic. The hummus and pita bread! OMG- the best I have ever had, honestly. I have NEVER eaten rabbit. However, a rabbit pasta dish was offered as a sample at the Chef's table. Let me say, it was perfectly thin sliced, the pasta was hand made in house. It was very good. There was not anything we had that I would not recommend. The ribeye was perfectly cook, perfectly charred in all the right places. The chicken with African spices was delicious. The atmosphere was beautiful. I felt like and was treated like a queen for the evening- Thank you Mara!

Incredible service & food. I personally have dined at all of Chef Gavin’s restaurants and they never disappoint. Mara is no exception to this. Table was ready upon arrival. Nicholas was incredibly knowledgeable about their cuisine and was eager to talk with me about the fine details. Staff makes you feel welcomed and well taken care of. The food is creative and well thought out, presentation is on point and done with finesse each step of the way. I dream of having the skill that the chefs at this establishment have achieved. Bravo. Will be back again & again :)

Over all we had a wonderful meal. Our server was knowledgeable and accommodating. After you order everything they time out each course to come out perfectly l, which I personally find helpful for the flow of the meal. They accommodate gluten and dairy free easily, however I’d say the Grilled gem salad fell flat because of it. We ordered the breadcrumbs on the side for my husband but the texture just wasn’t there. It was just grilled lettuce. My favorite of the night was the Alaskan halibut. Cooked perfectly with a flavorful garlic purée underneath and pistou. It went perfect with the side of fried potatoes.

What a wonderful dining experience this was. From the luxurious restaurant decorations, to the view of the open kitchen. I was super impressed. I ordered the black cod and they were able to accommodate dairy free. I had the pistachio old fashioned and it was to die for. One of the best restaurants in the cities I have been to. Also, the hummus was the best hummus I have ever had.

Had such an incredible and unique dinner experience at Mara! We were celebrating the December birthdays in my friend group - mine included ! Definitely a great place for a girl's night out. Let's start with parking, because that always stresses me out. We had an 8:15pm reservation for a Friday and downtown was absolutely packed. I didn't feel comfortable parking too far so I ended up circling for about 10 mins before finding a spot a couple blocks away. Phew ! Keep this in mind when dining here - it's in a busy area ! They do offer valet, but I didn't ask the price. It did take us a while to be seated. 10 mins. The waiting area is beautiful - the whole restaurant has an elevated vibe with deep maroon curtains and beautiful upholstered seating. Dinner was amazing - I absolutely loved the mocktails. I ordered the Metropolitan which had a cranberry flavor. They have a menu that shows Halal options of menu items that don't have pork or alcohol. The waiter was also very careful to explain that the menu items that do have alcohol cook out, but wanted to ensure I wouldn't order something I can't have. I appreciated this! We got potatoes and hummus as an appetizer. I really loved the crispy potatoes ! The potatoes and aioli at the bottom was so delicious. Perfectly salted too. I didn't think the hummus was more unique than other hummus I have tried. The crunchy fried beans on top were a nice touch. I loved the fluffy naan it came with. I ordered the Redfish. It was absolutely divine. Lots of flavors going on and I loved the beurre Blanc sauce used. The onions on top were caramelized nicely. I tried my friend's Chermoula Spiced Chicken which was very delicious too! Also tried the bucatini with lobster. I wasn't a big fan of the bucatini but It's personal preference because I don't really like red sauce much unless it's in pizza or a lasagna. We got the olive oil cake for dessert. It was good, but not what I was expecting. It had a custard on top, very thin layer of cake, and chocolate surrounding it. It was good but probably wouldn't get it again. I was a little surprised they didn't offer a birthday treat or even just a candle on the dessert. Especially since we were celebrating two birthdays. On that note, I did love how the staff gave us a spot right near the fireplace and made room on the counter next to us to put all our gifts! It does cost $8 a slice to cut a cake at the restaurant, so we didn't go that route. Keep that in mind if you're planning on bringing cake. They did bring out complimentary macaroons at the end of the night which was nice! I would come here again for a date night with my husband.

Really nice, old-fashioned, great atmosphere and friendly people! Loved this little lounge bar! Good hidden gem!!

Phenomenal dinner! Do not miss all the dip appetizers. The turbot was the favorite main dish of the table and the lamb tartare was probably one of the best I have ever had. Really creative cocktail list as well with one that even comes with a Jell-O shot on top. Can’t wait to go again!

The restaurant was beautiful!! The atmosphere was friendly and everyone was amazing! The food though, where to start. Every bite was spectacular & the pricing was not crazy at all! I recommend getting the lamb shank & 1 of each dessert! I had a hard time choosing one and I was happy to do one of each. I am going back most definitely!

My husband and I booked a reservation for the Sunday Brunch Buffet and our whole experience at Mara was amazing. It was our first experience here and I cannot wait to go back for regular dinner service, hopefully soon. They offer complimentary valet parking, which in downtown is a very valuable service and hopefully it encourages those who might not regularly venture downtown a chance to enjoy this restaurant. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. There is so much natural light and the decor is wonderful. We arrived on the early side and were seated in the chic lounge area until they were ready for us. We had a 10:15am reservation so it wasn't busy at all when we arrived (brunch starts at 10), and we were seated in a really comfortable booth with a great view of the whole dining area. Brunch included delicious, perfectly portioned plates of dishes set out that they frequently replenished so it's always fresh. Everything was delicious. We started with their potatoes (a crispy, smashed-then-fried breakfast potato) and sliced-for-you picanha steak with various sauces then joked with our waiter that it's all downhill from there because it was SO good. My husband's favorite was the Turkish eggs (a little on the spicy side), and I enjoyed everything that I could put their orange mascarpone on (my favorite was waffles and fresh fruit). There is a form at your table for you to create made-to-order eggs that you can give to your wait staff when you're ready. We definitely tried to try each one of the desserts in the dessert room, but there were so many! It was fun, delicious, and they all looked so beautiful. We were told that many of the desserts change every weekend too. Our waiter, Chadwick, was amazing. The service at Mara was just incredible. He was funny, easy to chat with, and made our dining experience that much more memorable. He had a lot of great suggestions too (he told us not to skip the Turkish eggs and I'm so glad we didn't). I wanted to note that we saw several families dining in for brunch and there are a lot of options that children would enjoy too, so it's a great fancier option for families as well (it's located at the Four Seasons Hotel so I'm sure it gets a fair amount of families who stay there).

Server, Chadwick, was great. They really took care of us for an anniversary dinner. Everything was good - but the Branzino with table side explanation was a highlight for us, the tomahawk would have been fun too I imagine. Skip the hummus and pita - it’s missing a salt and acid component. We also tried the special, steak on skewers with toum and it was very delicious. Tartare was perfectly balanced and also very good. Opted out of the soufflé dessert because we were stuffed (we took the hummus and pita to go, too) but it seemed delicious. Came back down a little later in the evening and missed the window to order the special dessert but it sounded lovely. Had a scoop of chocolate ice cream instead, which was a perfect little serving size for me and pacotized but had too much xanthan gum or something so it ended up with a slightly wrong texture for me - I’d stick to menu desserts if you can. Five star service from the hotel extended into the restaurant, with multiple staff commenting over the celebration flowers the hotel had gifted us over the two hours. It’s nice that they care enough to train the staff on those details. PS if you’re staying in the hotel, order breakfast before 11 so you can try Mara breakfast offerings, not available after 11.

Such a great meal, I especially loved the hummus and pita bread as well as the desserts but everything was amazing. The service started off slow, it took 15 minutes for anyone to even come to our table but after that the service picked up speed and was good. I want to come try the new lunch menu now. I really enjoyed dining here and am excited to return.

This was a real chill vibe, with excellent food and service! Parking: they offer valet for $10 or you find metered street parking. Service: Kyle was our server, he was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and recommended some good things for us to try. He was also very attentive and made sure we didn't need or want anything. Food: I'll be honest I was not sure about anything on the menu when I looked at it online. However every single dish I tried was amazing, full of flavor, and cooked just right. I will mostly be visiting again soon! I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to expand their palate.

Hands down the best brunch I've had in the Twin Cities. I love that it's buffet style with so many options. The waffle bar and parfait bar were my favorite. Everything tasted great. The dessert assortment is gorgeous and includes a chocolate fountain. The interior is also beautiful, with a picturesque aesthetic. I will definitely come back!

We stopped into the Mara Bar for drinks and food before a Guthrie performance. For a Wednesday night, the place was packed at 5:30, and we couldn't find an empty chair at the bar. With resignation, with settled in at a high top table in the lounge. My gloom lifted when two couples left for a dinner reservation, and our server helped us move to the bar. It was the right move. The bar at Mara is fantastic, beautiful, classy, and gives Minneapolis that urbane touch. The incomparable Pip, a bartender with the worldly affect of a bygone era, enhanced our experience. Not only were his cocktails perfect, but we also discussed music, philosophy, and topics usually reserved for the early 1930s Paris salon hosted by Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. The bar menu is a delight, featuring a diverse array of unique offerings. Mara's chicken wings are like no chicken wings you have ever tasted. They're amazing! My swordfish skewers were so good, I ordered another serving. I can be a pig, but I love delicious food. Our fries were done just the way I like. Prices are high, but you get what you pay for. The Mara Bar is a perfect venue for pre-theater or pre-concert sustenance. In fact, my wife and I will return to the Mara Bar this Saturday before a concert at Berlin. I know Pip will be bartending, and that takes the Mara Bar to a special place.

I had the best experience at Mara last night! We started with cocktails at the bar (which has the prettiest ambiance) and then did dinner. The service from the bartenders and our server was absolutely stellar. They do not skimp on the lobster meat in the lobster risotto, highly recommend. And the beet & stone fruit salad was honestly addicting, excellent dish. I had the swordfish and it was cooked perfectly. 10/10, can’t wait to come back!

I wish I took pictures, but I was to in the moment too. We had 2 apps, 2 entrees. 2 desserts, and 2 drinks. Everything was great. Waygu Tartar, with the cheese and bread, very yummy. sardines on toast was sweeter then I thought. but good. The lamb chops were perfect, had them medium and so good, i wish there was more then 2 to 3 on a plate. The sword fish was alright. the pistachio desert, was almost to die for, the best. so good so yummy and sweet with great texture. The breakfast here is also very good, great pastries, great waffles, all around great place for a date or a special occasion.

By far the best food we have ever had, ever. We had the hummus for an appetizer and the steak and lobster risotto for dinner. Our waiter, Chadwick, was excellent. This is such a cozy and relaxing environment. I can’t wait to come back! They also had an extensive nonalcoholic drink list, which I’ve really appreciated.

I’ve been here twice for dinner and the hummus steals the show every time. Great wine selection. Amazing ambiance with the dim lights and pop of red with the open kitchen in the back. It gives date night. Some of the dishes weren’t my favorite like the mushroom soup. But the chicken was cooked perfectly and the lamb is tasty! My only con is the sesame seed bread must be removed from the menu, but overall a good vibe and a cute spot!

The appetizers are 4-5 stars. I tried their babaghanoush and watermelon salad and loved them. My friend tried the fried chicken wings and said they were the best they've ever had. The entrees and desserts, however, were not very appetizing. The entrees (tomato pasta and the citrus butter fish) and dessert (looks like a baklava but isn't) didn't come close to the fresh flavors of the appetizers. The broccolini wasn't as appetizing as it sounded either. I would stick to the appetizers. So why the 4 star rating? The service. Our server was fantastic. She noticed that we didn't touch our entrees and our enthusiasm had diminished, so she immediately tried to rectify it. The manager came over and apologized as well. It's very considerate of them. I will come back for the appetizers and probably a different dessert. The non-alcoholic drinks were also very nice.

We visited Mara Restaurant for Easter brunch this year and overall had a wonderful time. The atmosphere was elegant and festive, and the food was just as delightful as we remembered from last year. However, there was one small moment that left us feeling a bit sad. My son was really looking forward to the Easter basket, especially since he received one last year and talked about it excitedly leading up to our visit. Unfortunately, this time he didn’t receive one, even though we saw other children with theirs. I’m not sure if it was an oversight or just missed during service (and I don’t wish to name anyone), but it was disappointing to see his excitement turn into quiet confusion. This isn’t meant as a complaint, but just a gentle piece of feedback. Small touches like that mean a lot to families, especially during holidays, and they really leave lasting impressions on young guests. Thank you again for the overall lovely experience—we truly appreciate the warm environment and thoughtful details that make Mara special.

You are absolutely paying the price for the aesthetic and experience. I would say I have high expectations since this is located in the Four Season Hotel. The food was okay. You can find better for your buck. I understand everyone has different taste buds for food so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The mussel appetizer was too salty and the bucatini entree were very acidic in my opinion. Our table was close to other tables so we were unable to have decent level conversations. I felt like I needed to yell and I was able to hear conversations at the table next to us. I would recommended for the restaurant to space out the smaller tables to feel more intimate. The alcoholic drinks were amazing and the highlight of the time. service was great. all the staff were nice and charismatic. I would recommend you to go once for the experience.

Located inside the Four Seasons Hotel in North Loop, this establishment has one of the best decor settings I have seen anywhere in Minneapolis, and I think the fact that it is inside the hotel most likely has a lot to do with it. My partner and I went there for our wedding anniversary and we had a great experience there for sure. Our server was very nice and very attentive to our needs. The food was tasty in general. And it was just a great time after getting out of the pool upstairs while staying in the hotel. My favorites are the two items under the "To Share" section on the menu: hummus and baba ghanoush. I know they are both common dishes one can find in a Mediterranean restaurant, but Mara did it even better by making the hummus and eggplant dip more flavorful than typically, as they contained tahini and tapenade. It tasted so amazing! I also really appreciated the fact that the hummus came with pita bread (the pita tasted amazing) and the baba ghanoush came with crudités. It made me realize some new about food combinations. My other two favorites are the desserts. The chocolate decadence and the maraklava are both amazing and very finely decorated, painted with edible gold brush. Both desserts came with either ice cream or sorbet which were huge pluses. I highly recommend both to anyone visiting Mara in the future. The bucatini was good as well, although the lobster flavor did not quite seep into the pasta or the pasta sauce, which would have been perfection. The lamp chops were pretty tasty with the sauce carrying majority of the flavor. The scallop crudo was gone too fast that we could not really have a moment to procee what it tasted like. The amount was very small. I am not sure if the spring onion, rhubarb, or the preserved orange made a huge difference in defining its flavor. With all that said, I must admit that other than the four dishes I happened to like the most (to share's and desserts), I think the prices for the other dishes were a bit outrageous. Every entrée was over $30 which was uncommon even in fancy establishments. My two lamb chops that were not abundant in portion were $42 in total. And the scallop crudo that we barely had any due to its small amount was $23. Our bill easily went over $200 as a result and even in upscale establishments it wouldn't be like such. The amount (and at times, taste) and the price was not balanced. My favorite dishes happened to be the cheapest. But on second thought, I wouldn't be surprised if the high prices have something to do with it being inside Four Seasons. Would I recommend this establishment? Definitely a yes. I just do not know how frequently people want to visit here but it surely is a great place for date nights and fancy occasions in general. As long as one does not mind the prices, then it is in fact perfect in pretty much every way!

Brunch review. There’s a variety of food, and it is all cooked very well! It was served up in individual plates or cups to be easy to grab. I wish there was a way to request just a plate of shrimp and not take 6 cups of the shrimp, for example. I would highly recommend ordering the small menu items on the made-to-order card on the table when you sit down. The meat and the eggs were absolutely delicious! The desserts were incredible and probably the highlight of the brunch for me, especially the carrot and chocolate cakes.

In MN little much luv with salt.. humus was amazing presentation, but over salted. Lunch steak is good, but can be better. Something about Salas and sauce. Desserts is cute, I’ll give 3.5/5 Stuff are good people and making Best service. I’ll give chance this place and maybe will check more this menu.

I give 5 starts for the service and the place & 3 stars maximum for the food. I was planning to try the lunch menu but I arrived late the kitchen was already closed so I tried the bar food menu. Staff are very polite & professional. I tried only two items they don’t have too much choices I tried calamari tempura it was below average nothing special the cilantro & the garlic on the top give it the oriental taste but the cover bread was soft & oily but it was ok wasn’t bad. The chicken shawarma sliders wasn’t bad but they should call it chicken sliders because it has nothing to do with shawarma it’s chicken patty with crispy onion dill pickles not the oriental one & their special mayo. It was ok but definitely not from the items you wish to try again. Prices are normal 50$ for 2 appetizers items & large San Pelegríno. Definitely I will visit it again to try the brunch & the lunch menu.

Disappointing. As much as we enjoy being in a beautiful Four Seasons hotel, the foods are not as good as expected. Except seafood stew, portions are small for those prices. Tastes are mild; should be more pronounced. Best dish is monkfish, but portion is too small. Friendly service.

Food was good, but nothing spectacular unfortunately…I was expecting a lot more if I’m being honest. However, amazing aesthetic…this place is gorgeous and right in downtown for a night out or special occasion type vibe, and customer service was also on point. The waiter knew the menu, was entertaining, and made the best suggestions as he could…special shout out to our server Lucas (if that’s dudes names?) Still not impressed with the menu at its price point, but I would try it again just to confirm.

Was here for Sunday brunch to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We were a small party of 5 gals. The best part of the buffet style brunch were the desserts. The food was subpar for a higher end downtown Minneapolis restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel. None of the food stood out for flavor…. The service was disappointing for the cost of the brunch and the server only came to our table about 3 times, they took long in clearing the dirty plates from the table and had to ask the server a few times for drinks we had ordered. The atmosphere was the highlight of this dining experience. I don’t recommend this place if you’re looking to get a flavorful meal, but if you’re looking for an aesthetically appealing restaurant for pictures, then this is a great place for that

Unfortunately, Mara didn't live up to the expectation we had coming in. We went for Sunday brunch which also coincided with Father's Day. It all started at the front , where the hostess was quite scattered. It took about 10 minutes before we were seated. It took a while for our server to come and when he did acknowledge us, there was no introduction. In fact, we didn't even realize he was our server until we came back with our first plate of food after helping ourselves and he told us drinks like juice and coffee were included. He could have been a busser for all we knew and we don't even know what his name was. The food quality was fine. The sausage, bacon and potatoes were the better of the items. Which for the price, is not justifiable, as those are the most basic of items. The desserts were not great either. They were quite sweet. They had a chocolate fountain but only marshmallows and strawberries to dip in it and there were no picks to grab those things that we could find. Maybe some pound cake or more fruit, etc. would have been nice to dip inside. Pretty looking food/presentation only goes so far. Taste is far more important. Valet is complimentary which is nice and the valet attendants were kind. But the service in the restaurant really brought down the whole experience. The restaurant service did not meet the standards you would expect from a Four Seasons property and was certainly not worth the $65.

My sister and I came here so we could take some cute photos, we decided to buy a drink, ice cream and some zattar fries. The server was really sweet and attentive, she was tall blonde and had long hair. She is NOT to be confused with the hosts. when me and my sister first came inside the restaurant we were not greeted by any of the 3 hosts. Instead we looked around confusingly and then the host then proceeded to say "how can I help you" in an annoyed tone no greeting at all. We then said we would just like to get a drink and then she proceeded to say " ok these two sections are free seating" Confused by this I went up to the bar as I thought I was just gonna get a drink at first. The bartender then proceeded to tell me that the servers could do that and I would just have to sit down. This Surprises me because later on while I was eating my meal I saw a host seat multiple people. Well the server was very nice the food here is not worth the prices at all. But ice cream was one scoop and the biscotti was very thin although good. The zattar fries were all right but for $15 it's not worth it. We even saw a man getting served something that looked like a crouton And it was just one. I bet he paid around $20 for it. The three hosts were very rude and while leaving the restaurant they said thanks in a monotone and dismissive tone. These hosts were very very bad at their job and you can tell they have bias and are racist against people of color.

Very disappointing experience. We came to celebrate a birthday, but from the host onward, the service felt rude and unwelcoming. We understand the no-photo policy and immediately put our phones away when told, but there was no need to escalate it by informing multiple staff members and having the host check on us near the bathroom. After that, we felt watched and uncomfortable. At an upscale restaurant, you expect to enjoy the full experience — sadly, our birthday dinner was ruined.

Edit: the email address they provided in response to my review is bouncing all my emails back. lol. Absolutely disappointed with my experience here. First, the elderly hostess with short hair working on Sunday 7/6 @ 11am was rude and aggressive from the jump. My friend actually asked me if I did anything to upset the hostess for her attitude to be so harsh - so I know I’m not the only one who noticed it. It ruined my entire mood as the host is the first interaction at a restaurant. I picked this restaurant for my 26th birthday brunch and loved the aesthetic. I planned to take photos, however, the security came up to us to tell us photos are not allowed. We saw others taking photos without getting scolded, though… To see other reviews of people saying they felt discriminated against/Islamophobia affirms what I felt upon my first interactions with staff at Mara. Sad when it’s my culture this restaurant is profiting off of. Perhaps you should let people know photos aren’t allowed when a reservation confirmation is sent. It’s a beautiful space and I’m sure that drives people to enjoy Mara. The hostess asked if the party was still 7, I told her someone backed out. The only smile that came from her was her telling me that actually works better for them. Weird. She took 15 minutes to seat us despite my reservation being at 11 and 5 out of 6 people already present. The waiter, Nico, was kind and attentive. The made to order omelets took so long to come out (literally ~1 hour) that we were full by the time they came to us. The food was mediocre. I have Mediterranean roots and would consider this food Americanized. I was told there were plenty of halal meat options for brunch but I ended up only able to have the steak. Pro tip - don’t put chicken sausage in the same lidded serving dish as the bacon. I’m Muslim and cannot eat chicken sausage that’s enclosed with pork bacon. 😒 I even mentioned this when the restaurant called me the day before and the person on the phone assured me this place was halal friendly. The pastries were okay. The pistachio pot de creme could use some work. The hazelnut beignets tasted like state fair food. But - I loved the mini chocolate mousse tarts! The shakshouka and Turkish eggs were cold and the eggs literally squirted water. The spices in the shakshouka were nothing like what shakshouka should actually taste like. Again, was not getting Mediterranean from this place at all, from the hospitality (or lack thereof) nor the food. If you want to spend good money, have it be worth it, and enjoy a combination of nourishing food and lovely pastries, I highly recommend Diane’s Place in NE MPLS. I won’t be returning to Mara.