Pazzaluna Urban Italian Restaurant & Bar

My fiance and I love the Bolognese Pasta and Margarita Pizza at Pazzaluna. We went to Pazzaluna in June for her birthday and took advantage of their birthday promotion where we got a bottle of wine equal to her age...for free! The murals and the decor are fantastic. You feel like you are in New York with the large windows. more

We went on a Friday evening and thank goodness we have reservations otherwise there would be NO way we'd get in. We had a party of 10 and everyone ordered an appetizer, main entree, at least 4 drinks a piece and dessert at the end. The bill came to over $800 and the server acted as though he could care less. The food was such small proportions I kept wondering when the rest would come. I doubt they even know what a doggy bag is because the serving size is so small that no one would need one. I ended up getting the Grilled Veggie Pizza which was probably the best deal on the menu at $9 and it was HUGE! It was about average though. Everyone else got a meal priced $25-$30 and I didn't hear one good thing about anyone's dish. The veal was too salty, the fillet was too small and rare when asked for medium, the Caprice salad may as well have fed a mouse it was so small and the lamb was over cooked. The only thing that I can honestly say was a good deal and delicious was the calamari appetizer. At $13 you actually got a decent amount and it was very good. I would NOT come to Pazzaluna again, on someone else's dime or my own! You've been warned. more

I went here with a date on a week night. We ordered the crab cake as an appetizer.. My date - spagetti and meatballs, and me - scallops with the risotto. Maybe what I ordered just wasn't that good... The risotto was too salty and lacked vegetables, and the scallops tasted kinda rubbery and seemed rather overpriced for what it was (32 dollars?!) The spagetti and meatballs were okay - but it lacked sauce and the meatballs tasted kinda weird - like they had lamb in them.. (which I'm ethically against eating)... The crab cake was pretty good, but seemed rather overpriced at 13 dollars. The redeaming quality about it was the crab cake had a lot of crab in it, and the salad next to it was refreshing taste. All in all, I'm hesitant on going to this place again... due to the cost of food and the quality. Nice try Pazzaluna, but you won't get our dollars again! more

the server spilled water on me to start. then she waited 30 minutes to take my order and my drink was empty the entire meal without even an inquiry as to whether i wanted another. yet another reason i believe that older people need to stay out of the service industry. they are obviously burned out. leave it to the grad students! Pros: great food Cons: applebee's style of service at best more

IT WAS AN AWESOME DINING EXPERIENCE. I WOULD DEFINATLY EAT HERE AGAIN. MY HUSBAND AND I WENT OUT FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY AND HAD DINNER. ATMOSPHERE WAS PLEASANT, WAITRESS VERY KNOWLEGEABLE, AND FOOD WAS EXCELLENT.\r EVEN THE DESSERT WAS VERY GOOD!! Pros: BEST VEAL I'VE EVER HAD Cons: USE VALET PARKING/NO REAL PARKING AVALIBLE more

I enjoyed the meal, and so did my date. it was a risk because i have never been their, all i have done is read reviews on line like this one. i was satisfied and happy with the waitress and food. it was a little noisy, but not to loud to have a conversation. I did not use the valet service because of the reputation i have heard of them. we got out spending 60$. my date got a free dessert because it was her birthday, so that was nice. also, i went on a wednesday night at around eight oclock and it was pretty busy. i wonder what the weekends are like. Even though still busy, the service was wonderful and really injoyed my waitress. Pros: service, food, friendliness Cons: slightly noisy, valet bad rep more

We went to Pazzaluna on a busy friday night and we were pleased with the level of service, the great food and the fun atmosphere. The only thing we did not like was the valet service. It literally took 15 minutes to bring our car around. I understand it was busy, but 15 minutes was a long time. We would definetely go back. Pros: Nice Atmosphere , Good Food Cons: Valet Parking more

Wonderful food and great service. The appetizers's menu is perfect for a casual dinning experience. A pity that such a fine establishment places large tables ( with 8 or 10 guests) near tables for only two or four guests! As a suggestion, perhaps the manager should re-visit the seating options? Pros: Food Cons: seating more

I’ve been to Pazzaluna on many occasions ranging from romantic nights out to family meals to wine and... more

I’ve been to Pazzaluna on many occasions ranging from romantic nights out to family meals to wine and dessert with friends. Their pasta is terrifi... more

Great happy hour crowd, and dinner was wonderful as well. I loved the inside of this room, it has such cool vibe. The food was well worth the money we spent and I would certainly like to go back and try out some other options. The server helped me out a ton on the wine since I don't know much about italian wines, but the choice he made was perfect for my wife and I. Food was outstanding, I went with the classic pasta and meatballs and my wife had a shrimp and rice dish that looked beautiful. I will go back for sure! Pros: great happy hour, quick service Cons: overwhelmed by the menu more

On the way to Cabaret my cousin and I stopped for dinner. We were running a bit late but seating and service was exceptional at Pazzaluna. Wait staff was a very friendly, even those not serving our table. All I can say about the food is the Gnocchi with Bolognese was so wonderful I would not share with my cousin! Will absolutely return for this house specialty! more

Though this place is expensive it is worth it! I come here as much as I can! The Gnocchi is fantastic! The atmosphere is very beautiful and romantic. You can either dress up or wear regular day clothes. Love it here! Pros: Food, atmosphere. Cons: Some bad music. more

Just went to Pazzaluna for the first time, and I will definitely be coming back again! I was celebrating my birthday with five friends. We had reservations at 7:15 and were seated promptly upon walking in the door. Our table was in the back dining room, next to the window. The waitress was very attentive, congratulated me on my birthday, and then took our beverage orders. The menu looked delicious. It had several risottos, gnocchi, pizzas, pasta entrees, and meat entrees. I ordered the gnocchi (having eaten it in Italy last year my expectations were rather high) with pomodoro sauce. The bread basket with olive tapenade was excellent. Our entrees arrived in less than 30 minutes and were delicious. My gnocchi was fabulous. The consistency was spot on. A fellow dining companion ordered a pizza with barbeque style chicken that was also phenomenal. For dessert, we ordered tiramisu (mine was on the house for my birthday). It was slightly dry, but flavored well. \r \r Overall, it was a superior dining experience. As someone who always drives to Mpls for dinner, I was certainly be stopping back in St. Paul to visit Pazzaluna again. Also, we did the valet parking ($8) as it was -45 wind chill. The valet took less than 3 minutes to retrieve our car!!!!! Phenomenal service on such a cold night!!! more

I valeted my car with Pazzaluna last night before I had dinner there with some friends. After dinner we seen the Rocky Horror Show. The valet service said it was no problem to have our car in valet while we went to the show. When I came back from the play I gave the valet service my ticket for my car. It was about a 30 minutes wait to get my car. When they pulled my car up they were driving it to fast and slammed on the breaks. I got in my car and the radio was on KDWB instead of my CD which I was listening to. I thought that was very strange. I then switched my stereo back to CD wich to find out my STEREO DECK said DISK 2 EMPTY. I then knew right then and there that my new CD was stolen. I imediatley got out fo my car and asked the Valet that I wanted my cd back. They told me that they did not take anything and that I needed to check in my cd case. I told them that I do not own a cd case cause my stereo holds 6 CDs which I have full at all times. I even pulled out all of my cd to show them that I was missing one. I told them I even still had the reciept to prove I had boughten the cd. They did nothing. They took my number and name down, but they would not give me there names or a number to contact them. I called Pazzaluna and spoke to a manager and they said they will take care of the problem. I am now waiting to here back from PAZZALUNA. If they would like to keep a good name I would suggest that they hire a more reputable valet company. Pros: Good location Cons: Valet thiefs, more

This place has a lot of potential. Great spot, beautiful building, Excellent Food & Beverage menu's. Here is what I experienced though: Host was either really stressed or really rude or both. Waited 20 minutes beyond our reservation time to be seated......which really wasn't that big of a deal. However, we waited 15 minutes before the server acknowleged us and then had to flag her down all night. Above average plate presentation. Excellent flavor. Excessive wait for food..........30 minutes for App and 1 hour between app and entree'. Excellent port and grappa selection. Only took 10 minutes to get dessert and it was fabulous. Busy and LOUD restaurant. Not good for conversation. Overall, poor customer service, long wait, poor service and above average to excellent food. There are way too many restaurants out there for us to go to. I was dissapointed but will return and give it another try........but they do need improvements. Pros: Menu: Food, Port, Grappa, Wine, Location, Potential Cons: Wait, Service, Noisy/Loud, more

Pazzaluna is definitely has the best Italian food in St. Paul. Friday was my 2nd trip to the restaurant, and I was definitely not disappointed. The service was great and fast, especially considering the fairly large crowd of people who also seem to realize how extraordinary the food is. I ordered the Capallini alla Caprese, which was absolutely wonderful. My wife had the Saltimbocca di Pollo, and had the same to say about her dish. For dessert we Tiramisu, which is definitely the best I've had since I was growing up in New York with my Sicilian grandmother. I definitely recommend Pazzluna! Amazing food, great service! Pros: Food is wonderful! Cons: My wife won't let me eat there every night more

Dear Friends,\r \r This is a top notch upscale Italian restaurant. The Staff is impeccable. The restaurant is glamorous. The mangement are on top of each detail. I observe the suits on the floor, meeting, greeting and seating. One of the nicest things about the setting you feel comfortable and are treated like royalty wether you are dressed for the theater, a game or concert. \r \r If you think you have done it all, tasted it all, or it's just another piece of pasta, then you haven't dined at Pazzaluna in St. Paul. The Chef they have is not only highly skilled, he is just plain gifted. We observe him in front of the line inspecting each plate before it goes out to the dining room (Chef Ramsey style, without the rude comments of course) well, we know this guy really cares. I have never been dissappointed, never. I have tried a different menu item each time I visit and each time I have been amazed. The menu is diverse, traditional to trendy, but the flavors will tantalize your palate and always leave you wanting more.\r \r Pros: the food, the service, the food Cons: no room for dessert, does anyone want to split a pasta and an entree'? more

A group of 14 of us dined here on a Tuesday evening (12 June). Since my wife and I were at one end of a long table, I have no idea what the judgment may have been of the other end. For us, though, the entrees were excellent (gnocchi ai quattro formaggi) and transcendent (risotto with chicken and asparagus in a saffron broth). The latter was stunningly good; it had to be due to the broth itself. The first course calamari Genovese (not fried) was, alas, overdone and consequently tough. Another diner mentioned tough calamari in her cioppino. They should know the rule for cooking squid: 45 seconds or 45 minutes. A contorno - a ""side"" of broccoli rapini - could've been tenderer. A molten chocolate cake - increasingly common on menus, to which, as an unapologetic chocoholic, I have no objection at all - was very nice. Prices struck me as reasonable, as did the choices on the menu. The woman who was our server handled the large table with cheerfulness and efficiency, even splitting the tab among us. Aesthetically, this is one of the prettiest dining venues I've seen in the TC. (Our server raised the aesthetic level, too, I can't resist mentioning.) The decibel level was rather high but not annoyingly so. All in all, it was a pleasant evening with, as far as my wife and I are concerned, more pluses than minuses. If there are risotto lovers out there, I urge you to go to Pazzaluna and feast on theirs. I understand it's always on the menu. Pros: Attractive restaurant, wonderful risotto and gnocchi Cons: Overcooked calamari (at least this time) more

I ordered the Risotto and it came out looking like something you wouldn't dare eat and tasted terrible when the waiter said it was good. My friend try playing it safe and ordered a very expensive salad. It came out with a very big block of cheese, white in color, and some green leaves probably from Asia. My other two friends played it safe and ordered things like spaghetti and the other ordered fettucini and it came out ok.. but still very over priced. It looks like they tried way too hard but the favor was just lacking. Pros: Romantic atmosphere Cons: bad food more