££££ • Contemporary French • Downtown / North Loop
Nicollet Island Inn was such a cool anniversary dinner spot. The drive into the city was a little stressful for me since I’m not super familiar with the area, but once we got there, I really liked it. The building is beautiful, historic, and feels a little hidden away. I loved the chandeliers, the dim lighting, and the bar area looked especially nice. It definitely has that old-school, romantic feel.
It was surprisingly quiet when we went, which honestly made it even nicer. We got to choose our table, and our server was very friendly and gave us great service throughout the meal.
We started with the deviled eggs and chicken wild rice soup. The deviled eggs were a hit, and the soup was good, although I did add a little salt and pepper. I had the prime New York strip, which had a really nice crust and was cooked the way I asked. The portion was plenty for me. My husband had the Chicken Bryan and really liked it. I tried a little and thought it had a garlicky, tomato flavor that worked well.
For dessert, we shared the signature chocolate cake. It was very rich and chocolatey, and it ended up being a nice way to finish the meal.
They didn’t have mocktails, so I just had a Coke, which was fine. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the experience. It feels like one of those places people forget about, even though it has so much character and is genuinely beautiful inside and out. I would definitely come back.