Temple Bar and Restaurant

This place has the same makings as the old Tiburon that was once located here. I wanted to be fair when I wrote this, so I googled the restauarant and read many reviews from different websites. I found I wasn't dramatic for what I was thinking, and actually on the level of what most people had offered to write. Temple is outlandish when it comes to price, the food is of very little substance and inconsistent. My girlfriend and I had attempted two visits ,and had come to decide we found this place overrated. Being a lesbian and living in the lebian/gay community of Loring Park, we were happy to see a gay owner in our area. However, the catering towards a small percentage of high profiles will only find the place a joy. Everything here is pricey, unless you get to the happy hour which is very early and very late. Drink specials are a deal during these times, but the food offered is simply reduced from a full portion to a meager quarter portion of what they normally serve. The ambiance is a nice touch, but not well worth the amount you'll pay to simply stay and hour or two. If you have alot of money, by all means this is the place for you to be enjoying. It is an experience that you can simply avoid for roughly five visits and head to Cancun instead for a 7 day stay!After two visits we had spent nearly $300 and decided this wasn't the place for us to make a check on the to do list anymore. I felt like we had to give it another chance after a terrible first outing, but found our second to be better than our first encounter! Our service was among the lowest for price paid that I've ever seen. And again the price, my goodness, the remarkable price. This venue has a curse on it as other establishments have seen in the past, I don't expect it to be in business for much longer. The only thing keeping it in business is how much the owner wants to lose to keep it open. I wish it the best, but anyone who visits with a budget will see exactly what I did. Pros: Great drink happy hour Cons: price and service more

Thanks Temple! I took my wife and in-laws on Saturday evening. Perfection! Started with cocktails in lounge which were fantastic but abit pricey. We then were taken to our table in the dining room for what can only be described as an amazing, fantastic dinner and the service was great as well. We will be back! Highly recommended! Thanks more

An excellent choice for a weekday happy hour. Great experience overall, but a few things to point out: attentive and courteous staff, pleasing decor, fantastic Martinis. The lounge food menu offers a nice variety. Carnivores, make sure to order short ribs, but skip the duck spring rolls. Save room for dessert and get chocolate cake. It's absolute bliss. Pros: wine list and Martinis, great service, dreamy music Cons: not for the frugal set more

This is pure and simple, I walked in and found myself a spot along the bar. I ordered a diet coke, and a Dirty Martini. I asked for a menu and added a water to my order, after about 5 minutes had passed I had a water in front of me. I asked the bartender about my drinks, and she replied "Relax, and give me a sec!" Confused, I looked around the bar and noticed I was one of eight people sitting at it, so I just sat back and looked over the menu. After about 5 more minutes, at this point it felt like 15, I had my diet coke in front of me? Again, I asked about my dirty and was looked at as if I had deeply offended my bartender in the most demeaning manor. With two shakes of the mixer and a quick overflowing pour I finally had received the drink I ordered . I took a sip off of it, pushed it back to the bar, and wondered. Just what had I done to this place for disrespect in nearly every staff member that I interacted with. I stood up, asked the location of the bathroom and walked out without paying. The food could be great, but with what I saw in price and service from the bar alone, I'll never find out. Good luck Temple!!!!! Pros: Visual Cons: Poor service, pricing. more

Wow! I will continue to go back to Temple. After reading some of these reviews, it seems that there are a few bitter people out there...which seems to be standard for new restaurants. I noticed some people were stating, "This isn't NYC, this isn't LA..." You're right. This is Minneapolis. I think it's incredible that Minneapolis is stepping up to the plate and daring to be different in bringing a truly upscale yet comfortable establishment to downtown. Temple not only provides amazing food (which I have enjoyed each visit), it provides a hot atmosphere that allows you to escape from all the other "norm" etablishements out there! Are we not good enough to have a place like Temple? Come on people, Minneapolis isn't full of bohemians. I'm relieved that there is a restaurant like Temple. I no longer have to fly to NYC/LA/Chi anymore just to go to a fine dining restaurant. Embrace what's different. Change is good, folks. And if you don't want to spend $12 on drinks for your group, than I would highly suggest Applebee's. Pros: Valet was free, the mussels, steak, staff Cons: It doesn't serve lunch more

Some girlfriends and I went out the other night and stopped by Temple for some drinks before a show. Three ladies in our group of eight, one being myself, are expected mothers-to-be. This, of course, meant we were not drinking and more or less acting as a sober cab just in case the moment should arise. On our way out I grabbed the bill for the non-alcholic drinks and was amazed when the total came to $12 and some odd cents. I thought it was a misprint and asked the bartender for details regarding my obvious issue. Answering my question with the roll of her eyes and an insulting look, I paid the exact amount and walked out vowing to never return. Cons: The price, rude bartender................. more

Asian and French fusion? What is that? Maybe I'm not versed enough in my asian french fusion food but what we paid for and what we got was below average and just plain wierd. Between four of us, we spent close to $270. For a nice a dinner I would pay that, for a mediocre dinner, I would not and will not again. I think if you market your restaurant to a super-trendy crowd with super-trendy food, you will lose at the restaurant business. Generally, people in Minnesota are looking for pretty basic things and in fact they may pay a lot for really good, basic food. But I can guarantee they will not continue going back to restaurants that are out of the ordinary and cost a lot of money. The super trendy crowd is not big enough to support this business. I will not be back, it was a disappointment. Pros: Cool space, good wine Cons: The red lighting makes it difficult to converse, food is wierd, staff is stuffy, way too pricey more

This place serves the best steak I've had in town! Kobe beef and a selection to boot. Not everyone understands spending $65 for a filet but if you want to have the best beef you've ever had, go to Temple. The service is friendly and worth the price as is the ambiance. Pros: Steak more

Temple is fantastic. I've been there 4 times now since it opened and each visit is better than the last. The service is top-notch, friendly, and unobtrusive. It's quite obvious that Temple's staff has been working in the industry for some time (and this is coming from a former waitress)! I have no idea why so many people are complaining about the prices... seriously, they're not that bad. Besides, if you want to pay $8 for a crappy burger and Miller Lite, then go the VFW. This is what the rest of us like to call "Grownup Dining!" Temple has items on their menu that no other chef/kitchen could even dream about... and I'm glad to see this kind of stuff in Minneapolis. It's refreshing and interesting. It's a shame that a few disgruntled former employees feel the need to write nasty reviews about the place, but hey, whatever. Actually, it's sort of psycho. SO... take it from a REAL person that actually dines at the place... check it out for yourself. I think you'll be surprised and impressed. more

I went to Temple two nights ago with the intention of only having a few drinks. We ended up ordering some chicken eggroll apps thing and it was delicious! Having lived in Minneapolis for 9 years now, I have never seen a place like this here. It is very unique. Not over-the-top. The atmosphere is very warm and the bartenders were very friendly to me and my guests. It is a little expensive. My friends and I showed up in jeans and we still felt comfortable even though overall it's a very classy place. Pros: The food, the red ambiance, friendly bartender Cons: A little pricey more

I went on Saturday night and had a dry, overpriced cut of Kobe beef. I ordered a watered down Martini, and my wife had a glass of Louis-Jadot that was poured to maybe 3 or 4 ounces. After disappointments began to pile I asked to see a manager, but after 10 minutes had passed without one present we decided to leave. The self absorbed hostess said nothing as we left but continued flirting with who I assume was the manager we were waiting for. The way they were interacting looked as if we might had strolled into a brothel. We should have just stuck to our favorite place, Murray's, instead of wasting time and money. It was so bad I actually debated calling my credit card in stolen. Pros: What? Cons: Overpriced, food, drinks, bad customer service more

I went to Temple for the first time last week and absolutely loved it! This place is incredible! The food was amazing (highly recommend the sea bass) and the service was wonderful. It's about time Minneapolis opened a restaurant like this. The atmosphere is s e x y and the staff was so friendly. If you haven't checked this place out, go as soon as possible! I have found my new hot spot! Pros: Everything-food, service, atmosphere Cons: None that I saw more

This place is beautiful. They really changed it from when it was Tiburon. I only had cocktails and they were fun. I have never heard of alot of the ingredients...I like that. The server was pretty and happy and did a good job and the music was cool. They played Massive Attack. I'll go back, good for special occasions or girls night out. more

Wow! What a lucky find! My boyfriend and I went on a recommendation from his boss, and I'm so glad we did. Free parking, first of all, which is a rarity downtown, great happy hour drinks during our short wait at the bar. The dining room is BEAUTIFUL. The ambiance is very sensual and romantic. Service was incredible; our server (Alecia) was friendly, knowledgable and very prompt. The food was great- I don't know what that other person was talking about, the duck spring rolls were fantastic. Don't miss the Kobe Beef! It's so tender and flavorful. (Seriously, who else in this city has Kobe Beef?) I got the Hen- Wow. Words can't describe the awesomeness. This was a real treat; a mastery of flavors. You won't leave hungry, but save room for dessert with your honey. We loved the Green Tea and Chocolate Mousse with Drunken Cherries. Yum! There's something here for everyone! Considering the quality of the food and the service, the price was right. You get what you pay for, and we weren't disappointed by far! Plus it was great that the manager (Nikki) stopped by our table to make sure we had a nice experience. It was a special night all around. Listen to your rabbi- don't miss Temple! Pros: So romantic, great food, fantastic service, and free parking! Cons: That I can't go every night! more

I will not forget our great night at Temple. I have never written one of these reviews before but my wife and friend encouraged me because I can't stop talking about our experience. We dropped off our car to very nice valets, then walked into an enchanting greeting area, where they took our coats and swept us off to our table without skipping a beat. I was nervous because we were a little late for our Saturday night reservation and it really looked busy. We proceeded to take the lead from our server for the rest of the night. Two hours went by and every detail was perfect, staff showing us to the restroom, our water and wine glasses were never empty and the food was amazing. I don't know how they pulled it off, they have only been open 3 months. We will be back, thank you Temple! Pros: Guest service Cons: nothing more

I recently booked a company event at Temple, and could not have gone smoother. It was amazing! Their party planner was so helpful in organizing everything for me on such short notice. I didn't have to worry about a thing... our guests were stunned with the exotic decor and how the staff was so professional and accomodating every need. I was so impressed and will surely be hosting more events there! Pros: Excellent Service, Ambiance, Free parking! more

Great experience. I went on a Thursday, met up with a girlfriend. It would be very romantic for couples, though. The service was a little slow, but he was very helpful and friendly - he even bummed me a cigarette. Each of the appetizers he recommended was wonderful. It was a little more expensive than it needed to be, but I would definitely recommend it. more

first off I was very pleased that they had valet parking (since its the middle of winter and parking can be a nightmare downtown) the bar area extends to a hip sitting area with stylish little booths. This are has a great ambiance but could use a touch of more lighting in my opinion. The dinning area is great only if you get a booth. The food was good but didnt make my taste buds explode and for the price i was a little disappointed. I cant complain about the service because it was great and the manager Dave was very friendly and charming. Overall, I had a good time and will be back to enjoy the bar area. more

The entire experience was perfection. We entered the dark and romantic lounge to be greated by many smiling faces waiting to direct us to where we wanted to be. After choosing a little half moon shaped booth for two, we settled in. We were greeted by a warm and smiling server who guided us through both the food and drink menus. She suggested a bottle of wine for us that turned out to be one of the best bottles of wine we have had in quite some time. She also suggested some appetizers, Tuna with Fouie Gras and Black Mussels. Both were fantastic! We decided we were going to share a dessert but her description of the Tiramisu dessert special sounded so good we got that too! We were celebrating that night. Everyone who took part in our service made us feel like we were royalty. Our server even took our valet ticket out for us so that our car was warm and waiting for us when we exited the building! We will definitely be back! Pros: Romantic and Swanky, Excellent Service and Food Cons: A little pricey more

Pleasant as can be, I thought I was in the spa of restaurants. My date and I were pampered at every turn. She also looked so beautiful in the dining room's red glow. I wish I could have seen her in the bar, a little too dark. I did love all of the creativity and thoughtfullness Temple had to offer. The music and ambiance were brillant. We also loved that you can get fabulous steak and lobster that we have not had anywhere else in town. Because we are out at least 2 times a week we appreciate all of the attentive service. The servers were very knowledgeable and we had a nice chat with the blonde manager that had remembered us from another restaurant, that was very impressive. All in all it was a memerable and perfect experience, we will be regulars. It's about time someone got it spot on! Pros: Parking, great service, great booths, ambiance more