Mississippi Belle

This place should be voted one of the best restaurants in Minnesota. My first love is seafood and I was not disappointed. My husband and I enjoyed both entrees of Scallops in this 'to die for' sauce as well as the Walleye in a ramesco sauce. We had been going to Minneapolis for years and will now dine at this wonderful place. We had a 7:30 reservation, and although the place was packed for V-day, were seated within five minutes, and had not only great food, but the decor of this place is like a combination of historic and modern, with a twist. It has been kept a secret way too long!! Sorry Hastings, the secret is out. It was romantic, and had live dinner music as well which we ended up staying until well past 10 because we had such a good time. Not only did our waitress not make us feel rushed, she encouraged us to stay as long as we wanted, instead of like previous places that just wanted to get another table seated as soon as we showed signs of being done with dinner. The prices are all under $20 which is very affordable for most everyone, unless you want steak or lobster then it was a bit more. Try it, you will definitely be back! Pros: Superb taste, ambiance, service more

About a year ago my husband, sister and myself dinned at the Belle. We were disappointed in both food selection and quality. The menu, at that time, was a minimal variety of average tasting Italian cuisine. I had known the Belle from back in the 80's & 90's and explained to both of them how this wasn't my typical experience with the establishment. However, my husband absolutely refused to entertain any idea of a second chance when he could spend less and receive better quality at any number of other ""chain"" restaurants. Pros: Walk in seating, excellent food, generous portions (too full to enjoy dessert !!) Cons: Small amount of nearby parking if you dine at peak hours more

I had come to the Belle many years ago, then stopped coming about four years ago because the food had gone downhill. It was ghastly, they seemed stuck in the seventies, with overpriced generic red sauces that were very dull. When we found out it had new owners we decided to try it again and it is worth the drive from St Paul. Since my husband and I love wine, finding out they were changing the bar into a wine bar increased its appeal for us. The big change was the food though!. It's sensational. Get this, they even lowered their prices, and have really brightened up the place. Pros: Much better menu, inventive dishes and lower prices. Better specials. more

April 26 2008 Food bland service poor! I used to love the belle but I don't know what happen. The menu is not what it was. Frank come back! Pros: Not very busy easy seating Cons: Food the worst I ever had more

The sign on the restaurant says Mississippi Belle Italian Restaurant & Lounge, but there is more too it... more

The sign on the restaurant says Mississippi Belle Italian Restaurant & Lounge, but there is more too it then that. They do serve wonderful Italian ... more

I had something so delicious at the Belle. I hadn't been there since the new owners took over, and wow was I missing out! I had heard the food had gotten better and more interesting, but was not prepared for the chicken with blueberry salsa and lime chipotle polenta. It melted in my mouth. My husband had the walleye francese as usual, and our friends had the Filet Mignon with chimmichurri and Eggplant Parmesan. We all enjoyed the food, and the wine selections that the waitress recommended were out of this world. She knew a wine to fit each our meals. Now that they do some non-italian menu items along with their regular menu, we will be going there a lot more frequently. The new owners Bill and Hope came over, and let me just say Hope's name is fitting as I believe it has a lot of hope to be the most popular and interesting place to dine. We will be back very soon. more

I have been to Italy before and trust me, this place would make the Italians proud, only with an American twist. The daily specials they have make it a weekly place to go to, as they offer new items that aren't quite so heavy as the Italian ones. My husband had the walnut crusted walleye with Romesco sauce last weekend and it was the most amazing sauce. I had the filet mignon w/ a taragon butter sauce and wow was it great! It may have new owners, but having gone there three times so far in the last two months, we will be Friday night regulars. They even put up a divider to help w/bar noise and smoke as that gets to me, and it's been remodeled. It's much lighter in there and the wine list is finally up to par! The service is as great as ever, Jacky sees to that!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see what's for dinner next weekend Pros: Thumbs definitely UP... Parking, service, ambience, unique specials, authentic italian Cons: need even more specials, they offer 3, i'd like to see 4 or 5 nightly that aren't Italian more

Good and occassionnally great italian food. Service is nice and friendly but the bar and smoking is noisy. Suggest coming earlier if you have family and kids since the bar is not well seperated from the dining room. A nice change from the standard italian chain restaurants. Pros: Service, Steaks, Non-chain food Cons: Bar and floor plan, a little dirty more

Since the Belle was sold in late December, it is not the same. The staff remains wonderful, but the food isn't. The new owners have replaced home made masterpieces with canned and pre-made replacements. We had been going to the Belle every Friday night for the past two years and quit going completely after our first visit after the new owners took over. There is no replacing the previous owner and chef. If you have been a customer at the Belle the past 7 years, it's not worth going to now. Pros: Good Service, The best coffee ever, knowledgable staff Cons: Poor food, Loud bar that can be heard in the dining room, more

My wife likes Italian and loves the Belle but I like steaks and they do them great. Ray Pros: wonderful food, good service more

The Mississippi Belle is a wonderful restaurant. Delicious Italian food and reasonable prices. The staff is friendly, prompt, and knowledgable about the large menu. I eat here often and no one has been disappointed. You may need a reservation for a large group, but I have also never had to wait walking in on weekends with a aprty of four. Pros: Food, Service, Value more

This restaurant was excellent. My girlfriend and I first went there a couple months again. We're going again tonight. The food is absolutely delicious, the service is excellent (very courteous) and the atmosphere was charming. Plus the prices aren't that bad. Next time you feel like going to the Olive Garden or the Macaroni Grill, do yourself a favor and come here. Pros: Great setting more