Angel the bartender was the best thing about the restaurant. The food was awful and I couldn't understand the menu. I will not be coming
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 5
Natalia Gutiérrez
Crasqui might be our new fsvorite restaurant!! The menu is so beautifully crafted around memories, I can tell the dishes were thought out with a lot of love. Everything was cooked to perfection and the flavors were balanced so well. It is priced fairly for the quality. The service was AMAZING and our server Luis made us feel like family. This was a great place to celebrate our anniversary and the staff made it feel very much like a special occasion. My partner has celiac (gluten allergy) and the staff was knowledgeable and they even had a separate frier. Overall, 10/10 experience.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options available, staff is knowledgeableParking: Plenty of free parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Blackberry, Chicharon
Ben Geary
Been here several times now and consistently blown away by the food, the space, and of course the staff. When you hear Venezuelan food, what doesn't come to mind is a rabbit pappardelle that turns out to be one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Appetizers, salads, mains, cocktails—so far nothing has been less than a wow. Beyond that, its great to be inside someone's vision, which is what is happening at Crasqui from Chef Soleil. From the cerulean floor to the stoneware (and of course the food), Crasqui feels of a singular design. Also, when the sun is setting it floods the restaurant in a wonderful way. Warm weather dining will be a delight as well. Love it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yulin Yin
Beautiful space, everything is meticulously put together. Food and cocktails are elevated and aesthetically pleasing. Service is wonderful. Great food, great drink, great service, great experience! Cannot wait to try their brunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Graf
From the cocktails to the dessert, Crasqui hits it out of the park. Had the airliner chicken and the braised rabbit and both were flavorful and masterfully cooked. Definitely a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shayna T.
I may have found my new favorite place... Crasqui is located under an apartment building in St. Paul, but is still fairly easy to find. There is a parking lot close by, and other parking options further if necessary. When you walk in, you are greeted by kind staff and a bright interior with some wild blue floors that are reminiscent of ocean waves. When we were seated, we were greeted by Luís who took care of us. He explained upfront that there is an additional 22% service charge to go toward the restaurant staff which is great, but I wish that would be reflected in the food costs instead so you could better plan out what you want to order and how much it will cost. Luckily, my group was able to stay, but I could see in some situations how that might catch someone off guard if you are on a budget and expected to tip on top of that anyway... We started off with drinks and I ordered the Salto de Angel, which is a beautiful drink that can certainly knock you on your butt. My sister had recommended the drink, but when we drank it, she said it was more salty and less mixed than usual. Because we were celebrating a birthday, we also got complimentary champagne for the table. We then looked over the menus and ordered appetizers. As a gluten-free individual for health reasons, I really appreciated the transparency for which items were gluten-free and vegetarian. You'd be surprised how many places do not take the time to make those designations. We ordered several appetizers but my favorite was the empanaditas. The rest of the table (that wasn't gluten-free) enjoyed the tequeños. I ordered the sea bass for dinner and the table ordered rice and beans, plantains, and beets with goat cheese-all delicious. I split a mango sorbet with my sister, which was SO good. Overall, it was pricey, but quite delicious. I truly think that you will have the best experience here if you go with several people and are able to order and try as much as possible. As a group of 6, we were able to share many different plates. Crasqui, I hope to be back soon.
Ann Loyd
Excellent food, drinks, and service! Everything was fantastic!!
Betsy Sullivan
Wonderful food and great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Megan B.
The service at Crasqui was absolutely phenomenal!! The staff could explain every menu item in great detail, and even some of the back story of the dish. It's also easy to park and a nice beachy environment. The drink menu is really extensive with a ton of fun options- and the food was great! We ordered several plates and shared among 3 people. Everything was good. But the Taquenos and Ceviche were our highlights!!
Kavitha P.
So much can be said for service at a restaurant making or breaking your night - Now I know this could have been a random one off kind of night but here is my review anyways Had high expectations for this newer Venezuelan restaurant as it looked amazing from previous reviews and social media - I will say the food did have very good flavors so for that I would give 4 stars Unfortunately they fell flat in the service - from not having a host when you walk in - which by the way is all too arkward at the back entrance since they don't want to open the front door due to the cold- this confused a lot of people who would park in the back and couldn't figure out which door to go in as signage was not great Once seated we did have a nice server but he was too slow- the restaurant at this time did not look prime time busy yet so not sure why he was slow and didn't check in with us very often We did not get our cocktails for over 20 mins- they did taste good and presentation was on point By this time I wished I would have ordered our appetizer as we were hungry ,by the time he came back we put in our order and we discussed him spacing out the meal The pork belly app was pretty good,2 large pieces Then we ordered the Sea Bass and the Ribeye steak Now they both looked amazing - presentation is very pleasing to the eye My sea bass tasted good but it was barely room temperature because the server prob didn't bring it to me on time as it's obvious they waited for the steak to get done I should have said something which I didn't because they were moving too slow, now by this time the restaurant was almost full and I'm not sure if they are short staffed so I just didn't want to wait around for a new meal The ribeye was delicious but not the fancy grade of meat I would expect at $44 ,same with the fish at $42 portion size was small I think they are trying their best and it's a beautiful space but the ambiance is a little off because it's at the bottom of an apartment block and just felt not as inviting as it should be- on a good note they did have a beautiful sunset visible from the large windows We decided to opt out on dessert -I know this sounds like first world problems but when I was soo looking forward to eating here and then it falls flat but the bill is over $200 it irks me! They do add a 22% surcharge which they openly explain at the beginning- and the server explained it does go towards the staff so tipping is at your discretion For the price range and slow service not sure I would trek across the river to come back again
We were there for their special wine/food pairing competition. It is the first event they have held, having only been open about 7 months. It was fantastic! Everything ran so smoothly, was so well organized, and the food was delicious! With a good-size crowd there, they had made sure there was plenty of help. All the food and wines arrived in a timely fashion, water was refilled often, dishes cleared quickly, and everyone smiling and helpful. It was so much fun. If you have a chance to go to one of their specials events, do it!. We will head back there to enjoy the great food on their regular days too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C Johnson
Great to have a South American fine dining option like this in St. Paul! The seabass was amazing as others have said, and the chicharon as well. I also enjoyed the rabbit paparradelle. Cocktails were delicious and made with fine touches like shaved toasted coconut and flowers embedded in ice cubes. Service was great as well. They charge a 22% service fee so tipping is not necessary which I appreciate. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicharon
Lida E.
Absolutely amazing. We stopped in here Feb 2, 2024 after a BCL ballet performance at it exceeded our wildest expectations. We had 11 people in our party and the host was so nice about helping us figure out how to get seated despite no reservations (they sat 8 of us right away and then a few of us waited at the bar until another table finished up and left so that all 11 of us could sit together). They also told us about the health and wellness charge before we were seated in order to make sure we were ok with it - which was impressive. Once seated, our waiter assessed the situation and realized we were there to celebrate our dancers and he made the evening SUPER fun. Our whole family talked about how they felt like he made it a party for us. The food was out of this world and we will definitely be back for their event evenings. We had a guest from El Salvador and she said it is by far the best food she has had in the US. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Tannat on the wine list - which is an amazing South American grape. It is not an inexpensive night out, but totally worth it.
Ada S
AMAZING experience and even greater food. Came for Valentine's and it was beautiful. (Pics for evidence). As a Venezuelan myself, the flavors are quite an experience. Brings me back to my childhood... Will come again in the future, and so should you!
The food was fresh and delicious. The ceviche with red snapper was very good. The ribeye was one of the best I've had. The only draw back was that bill included a 22% hospitality charge. We asked our server if that all went to him and he said no it gets dispersed between the staff. I've seen 2%-5% for a hospitality charge in restaurants but this was way too much. I appreciate great service but it's hard to justify tipping more after I've been charged $45 already for this higher than normal upcharge with no transparency from staff about the charge or on the menu about the charge prior to ordering. For this reason I probably won't be returning. Again server was great so I still tipped $30 but won't continue to do it.
Angel the bartender was the best thing about the restaurant. The food was awful and I couldn't understand the menu. I will not be coming
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 5
Crasqui might be our new fsvorite restaurant!! The menu is so beautifully crafted around memories, I can tell the dishes were thought out with a lot of love. Everything was cooked to perfection and the flavors were balanced so well. It is priced fairly for the quality. The service was AMAZING and our server Luis made us feel like family. This was a great place to celebrate our anniversary and the staff made it feel very much like a special occasion. My partner has celiac (gluten allergy) and the staff was knowledgeable and they even had a separate frier. Overall, 10/10 experience.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options available, staff is knowledgeableParking: Plenty of free parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Blackberry, Chicharon
Been here several times now and consistently blown away by the food, the space, and of course the staff. When you hear Venezuelan food, what doesn't come to mind is a rabbit pappardelle that turns out to be one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Appetizers, salads, mains, cocktails—so far nothing has been less than a wow. Beyond that, its great to be inside someone's vision, which is what is happening at Crasqui from Chef Soleil. From the cerulean floor to the stoneware (and of course the food), Crasqui feels of a singular design. Also, when the sun is setting it floods the restaurant in a wonderful way. Warm weather dining will be a delight as well. Love it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful space, everything is meticulously put together. Food and cocktails are elevated and aesthetically pleasing. Service is wonderful. Great food, great drink, great service, great experience! Cannot wait to try their brunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
From the cocktails to the dessert, Crasqui hits it out of the park. Had the airliner chicken and the braised rabbit and both were flavorful and masterfully cooked. Definitely a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I may have found my new favorite place... Crasqui is located under an apartment building in St. Paul, but is still fairly easy to find. There is a parking lot close by, and other parking options further if necessary. When you walk in, you are greeted by kind staff and a bright interior with some wild blue floors that are reminiscent of ocean waves. When we were seated, we were greeted by Luís who took care of us. He explained upfront that there is an additional 22% service charge to go toward the restaurant staff which is great, but I wish that would be reflected in the food costs instead so you could better plan out what you want to order and how much it will cost. Luckily, my group was able to stay, but I could see in some situations how that might catch someone off guard if you are on a budget and expected to tip on top of that anyway... We started off with drinks and I ordered the Salto de Angel, which is a beautiful drink that can certainly knock you on your butt. My sister had recommended the drink, but when we drank it, she said it was more salty and less mixed than usual. Because we were celebrating a birthday, we also got complimentary champagne for the table. We then looked over the menus and ordered appetizers. As a gluten-free individual for health reasons, I really appreciated the transparency for which items were gluten-free and vegetarian. You'd be surprised how many places do not take the time to make those designations. We ordered several appetizers but my favorite was the empanaditas. The rest of the table (that wasn't gluten-free) enjoyed the tequeños. I ordered the sea bass for dinner and the table ordered rice and beans, plantains, and beets with goat cheese-all delicious. I split a mango sorbet with my sister, which was SO good. Overall, it was pricey, but quite delicious. I truly think that you will have the best experience here if you go with several people and are able to order and try as much as possible. As a group of 6, we were able to share many different plates. Crasqui, I hope to be back soon.
Excellent food, drinks, and service! Everything was fantastic!!
Wonderful food and great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service at Crasqui was absolutely phenomenal!! The staff could explain every menu item in great detail, and even some of the back story of the dish. It's also easy to park and a nice beachy environment. The drink menu is really extensive with a ton of fun options- and the food was great! We ordered several plates and shared among 3 people. Everything was good. But the Taquenos and Ceviche were our highlights!!
So much can be said for service at a restaurant making or breaking your night - Now I know this could have been a random one off kind of night but here is my review anyways Had high expectations for this newer Venezuelan restaurant as it looked amazing from previous reviews and social media - I will say the food did have very good flavors so for that I would give 4 stars Unfortunately they fell flat in the service - from not having a host when you walk in - which by the way is all too arkward at the back entrance since they don't want to open the front door due to the cold- this confused a lot of people who would park in the back and couldn't figure out which door to go in as signage was not great Once seated we did have a nice server but he was too slow- the restaurant at this time did not look prime time busy yet so not sure why he was slow and didn't check in with us very often We did not get our cocktails for over 20 mins- they did taste good and presentation was on point By this time I wished I would have ordered our appetizer as we were hungry ,by the time he came back we put in our order and we discussed him spacing out the meal The pork belly app was pretty good,2 large pieces Then we ordered the Sea Bass and the Ribeye steak Now they both looked amazing - presentation is very pleasing to the eye My sea bass tasted good but it was barely room temperature because the server prob didn't bring it to me on time as it's obvious they waited for the steak to get done I should have said something which I didn't because they were moving too slow, now by this time the restaurant was almost full and I'm not sure if they are short staffed so I just didn't want to wait around for a new meal The ribeye was delicious but not the fancy grade of meat I would expect at $44 ,same with the fish at $42 portion size was small I think they are trying their best and it's a beautiful space but the ambiance is a little off because it's at the bottom of an apartment block and just felt not as inviting as it should be- on a good note they did have a beautiful sunset visible from the large windows We decided to opt out on dessert -I know this sounds like first world problems but when I was soo looking forward to eating here and then it falls flat but the bill is over $200 it irks me! They do add a 22% surcharge which they openly explain at the beginning- and the server explained it does go towards the staff so tipping is at your discretion For the price range and slow service not sure I would trek across the river to come back again
Restaurantji Recommends
We were there for their special wine/food pairing competition. It is the first event they have held, having only been open about 7 months. It was fantastic! Everything ran so smoothly, was so well organized, and the food was delicious! With a good-size crowd there, they had made sure there was plenty of help. All the food and wines arrived in a timely fashion, water was refilled often, dishes cleared quickly, and everyone smiling and helpful. It was so much fun. If you have a chance to go to one of their specials events, do it!. We will head back there to enjoy the great food on their regular days too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great to have a South American fine dining option like this in St. Paul! The seabass was amazing as others have said, and the chicharon as well. I also enjoyed the rabbit paparradelle. Cocktails were delicious and made with fine touches like shaved toasted coconut and flowers embedded in ice cubes. Service was great as well. They charge a 22% service fee so tipping is not necessary which I appreciate. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicharon
Absolutely amazing. We stopped in here Feb 2, 2024 after a BCL ballet performance at it exceeded our wildest expectations. We had 11 people in our party and the host was so nice about helping us figure out how to get seated despite no reservations (they sat 8 of us right away and then a few of us waited at the bar until another table finished up and left so that all 11 of us could sit together). They also told us about the health and wellness charge before we were seated in order to make sure we were ok with it - which was impressive. Once seated, our waiter assessed the situation and realized we were there to celebrate our dancers and he made the evening SUPER fun. Our whole family talked about how they felt like he made it a party for us. The food was out of this world and we will definitely be back for their event evenings. We had a guest from El Salvador and she said it is by far the best food she has had in the US. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Tannat on the wine list - which is an amazing South American grape. It is not an inexpensive night out, but totally worth it.
AMAZING experience and even greater food. Came for Valentine's and it was beautiful. (Pics for evidence). As a Venezuelan myself, the flavors are quite an experience. Brings me back to my childhood... Will come again in the future, and so should you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tequenos, Empanaditas, Tequeños VG Venezuelan Cheese Sticks Cilantro Aioli
The food was fresh and delicious. The ceviche with red snapper was very good. The ribeye was one of the best I've had. The only draw back was that bill included a 22% hospitality charge. We asked our server if that all went to him and he said no it gets dispersed between the staff. I've seen 2%-5% for a hospitality charge in restaurants but this was way too much. I appreciate great service but it's hard to justify tipping more after I've been charged $45 already for this higher than normal upcharge with no transparency from staff about the charge or on the menu about the charge prior to ordering. For this reason I probably won't be returning. Again server was great so I still tipped $30 but won't continue to do it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ceviche