Address and Contact Information
Address: 721 Cleveland Ave S, St Paul, MN 55116
Phone: (651) 788-7009
Website: http://www.alterarestaurant.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
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Altera | American Restaurant in St. Paul, MN
We offer an extensive selection of share plates, entrees, and appetizing beverages, ensuring there’s something to delight every taste and preference. View Menus …
Altera Restaurant (@alterarestaurant) · Saint Paul, MN – Instagram
4.6K+ followers · 135 posts · American Restaurant located within Highland Park, St Paul! Reservations now Open!
First Look: Altera Restaurant in St. Paul – Minnesota Monthly
Altera is a restaurant for grown-ups, in a neighborhood that seems ripe for a sit-down, casual yet upscale spot.
Reviews
Ililta Midekssa
The restaurant is beautiful, very cozy good vibes.
We felt welcomed by the host/hostess when we first walked in. Service was good, our waiter was new but he did a good job.
The 2 star review is mostly for the food. We had the pok pok wings for appetizers and it felt like we were eating rubber.
I had the half grilled chicken and I give it a 6/10.
The rice that came with it was amazing.
My friend had salmon with cauliflower which was amazing, 10/10 highly recommend it.
The drinks were great.
… moreWe felt welcomed by the host/hostess when we first walked in. Service was good, our waiter was new but he did a good job.
The 2 star review is mostly for the food. We had the pok pok wings for appetizers and it felt like we were eating rubber.
I had the half grilled chicken and I give it a 6/10.
The rice that came with it was amazing.
My friend had salmon with cauliflower which was amazing, 10/10 highly recommend it.
The drinks were great.
Paul M
A great neighborhood restaurant with a good selection of pastas, pizzas, and other entrees and apps. This is a great date night or dinner with friends.
… moreSai Manukonda
I just visited Altera with a group of friends during their Restaurant Week special, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. The ambiance felt new and refreshing, creating a welcoming atmosphere that set the stage for a fantastic courses of meals. They offered a three-course menu special, which we took full advantage of by sharing dishes to try as many items as possible. Their regular menu also looked impressive, and I’m already planning to return to explore it further.
We began our meal with some cocktails, and I highly recommend the Black Sazerac, Claudel, and Sun Dream—each one was well-balanced and full of unique flavours, however one cocktail called self care felt more like some energy shot medicine rather than a cocktail. One of the highlights of dining at Altera is their commitment to making everything from scratch, which truly enhances the quality and depth of their dishes. For starters, the shrimp and pork mix gyoza were a delightful start, perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The arancini, was well cooked and maintained the temperature—especially with the romesco sauce, which was so rich and flavorful that I could have eaten an entire bowl of it on its own.
For entrées, the Pappardelle’s lamb was well braised in a tomato sauce that allowed it to melt in the mouth with an incredible depth of flavor. However, I felt that it could be more of a separated to side than mixed in the ribbon noodles and the quantity of meat was very less. 2.5/5
The Gemelli Verde was equally impressive, featuring a combination of ingredients that felt completely new and exciting to my palate; it could have been little more temperature hot but it wasn’t like ice cold. 4.5/5
The Lumache Pomodoro e Vodka was another standout, with the perfect balance of sour ricotta, chili oil, garlic, basil, and mint, creating a rich yet vibrant dish. 3.75/5
To finish, we indulged in dessert, and while the chocolate espresso cake was delightful, my favorite was the carrot cake with mango lassi sorbet—a refreshing and unique twist that made for the perfect ending to the meal. Overall, I highly recommend Altera for anyone looking to enjoy a meal that is both thoughtfully crafted and bursting with flavor. I will definitely be returning to explore more of their menu, especially the broiled miso salmon, which sounds like another must-try dish!
… moreWe began our meal with some cocktails, and I highly recommend the Black Sazerac, Claudel, and Sun Dream—each one was well-balanced and full of unique flavours, however one cocktail called self care felt more like some energy shot medicine rather than a cocktail. One of the highlights of dining at Altera is their commitment to making everything from scratch, which truly enhances the quality and depth of their dishes. For starters, the shrimp and pork mix gyoza were a delightful start, perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The arancini, was well cooked and maintained the temperature—especially with the romesco sauce, which was so rich and flavorful that I could have eaten an entire bowl of it on its own.
For entrées, the Pappardelle’s lamb was well braised in a tomato sauce that allowed it to melt in the mouth with an incredible depth of flavor. However, I felt that it could be more of a separated to side than mixed in the ribbon noodles and the quantity of meat was very less. 2.5/5
The Gemelli Verde was equally impressive, featuring a combination of ingredients that felt completely new and exciting to my palate; it could have been little more temperature hot but it wasn’t like ice cold. 4.5/5
The Lumache Pomodoro e Vodka was another standout, with the perfect balance of sour ricotta, chili oil, garlic, basil, and mint, creating a rich yet vibrant dish. 3.75/5
To finish, we indulged in dessert, and while the chocolate espresso cake was delightful, my favorite was the carrot cake with mango lassi sorbet—a refreshing and unique twist that made for the perfect ending to the meal. Overall, I highly recommend Altera for anyone looking to enjoy a meal that is both thoughtfully crafted and bursting with flavor. I will definitely be returning to explore more of their menu, especially the broiled miso salmon, which sounds like another must-try dish!
Kaitlin Roche
Great vibes, excellent service, and the salmon was phenomenal. We had a Jonny cake too and it was delicious.
… moreGrant Herman
Pretty good. A few items needed salt. The server was excellent with the minor exception of correcting me about the origin of pok pok wings (I’ve been to the eponymous restaurant in Portland, but she claimed a Korean origin). Otherwise, a nice experience, if slightly pricey.
… moreDayana
I have been here twice for brunch and both times the food and drinks were so good!
My drink of choice is matcha and I can say you can’t go wrong with hot or iced here! I added some vanilla syrup to my iced one and it was so good. Still earthy but not bitter and definitely not watery.
The first time I had the kayanas, Irish chips (breakfast potatoes) and Johnnycake (corn pancake). All 3 were better than expected and the expectation was high for the Johnnycake. The sourdough in the kayanas was thick and sour. All the other ingredients worked so well together and my only critique is that the chili oil wasn’t spicy. We accidentally ordered too many Irish potatoes and didn’t finish them but they were good and the dipping sauces were varied. The Johnnycake was so good (trying to find a new corn pancake after the downfall of my previous favorite) but we couldn’t taste the jalapeno in the maple syrup (this time).
For my most recent visit we had the cinnamon roll (new item), Johnnycake and breakfast sandwich. Again, everything was better than expected. The Johnnycake was better (crispier edges) and you could taste the jalapeno in the maple syrup! The cinnamon roll was a nice surprise, the chai spices were there but not overpowering and it all tasted like a gentle apple pie without being too sweet. The breakfast sandwich was good but cinnamon roll and Johnnycake were my favorites!
I don’t know if it’s just the time we go, or if it’s a little underrated but it’s so chill in there. Both servers that we have had have been very friendly and super accommodating by answering any questions and letting us make small changes or giving options for drinks. Food always comes out at the perfect temperature.
… moreMy drink of choice is matcha and I can say you can’t go wrong with hot or iced here! I added some vanilla syrup to my iced one and it was so good. Still earthy but not bitter and definitely not watery.
The first time I had the kayanas, Irish chips (breakfast potatoes) and Johnnycake (corn pancake). All 3 were better than expected and the expectation was high for the Johnnycake. The sourdough in the kayanas was thick and sour. All the other ingredients worked so well together and my only critique is that the chili oil wasn’t spicy. We accidentally ordered too many Irish potatoes and didn’t finish them but they were good and the dipping sauces were varied. The Johnnycake was so good (trying to find a new corn pancake after the downfall of my previous favorite) but we couldn’t taste the jalapeno in the maple syrup (this time).
For my most recent visit we had the cinnamon roll (new item), Johnnycake and breakfast sandwich. Again, everything was better than expected. The Johnnycake was better (crispier edges) and you could taste the jalapeno in the maple syrup! The cinnamon roll was a nice surprise, the chai spices were there but not overpowering and it all tasted like a gentle apple pie without being too sweet. The breakfast sandwich was good but cinnamon roll and Johnnycake were my favorites!
I don’t know if it’s just the time we go, or if it’s a little underrated but it’s so chill in there. Both servers that we have had have been very friendly and super accommodating by answering any questions and letting us make small changes or giving options for drinks. Food always comes out at the perfect temperature.
Carolina Margaria
The cocktails and service were excellent. The food was ok, nothing was bad, but nothing was amazing either.
Overall I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again but I also wouldn’t avoid it, it just wasn’t worth the price point.
We ordered:
– Irish Chips (ok potato with great garlic aoili)
– Hamachi Crudo (overpriced for quality)
– Dan Dan Noodles (needed seasoning)
– Johnny Cake (best thing we ate, def recommend)
– Pok Pok Chicken Wings & Marinated Cucumbers (not bad, not great)
– Arancini (was gummy and lacked seasoning)
– Gyoza (lacked flavor, very little filling)
– Crispy Brussels Sprouts (just meh, needed more seasoning)
– Altera Cheeseburger (pretty solid burger)
… moreOverall I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again but I also wouldn’t avoid it, it just wasn’t worth the price point.
We ordered:
– Irish Chips (ok potato with great garlic aoili)
– Hamachi Crudo (overpriced for quality)
– Dan Dan Noodles (needed seasoning)
– Johnny Cake (best thing we ate, def recommend)
– Pok Pok Chicken Wings & Marinated Cucumbers (not bad, not great)
– Arancini (was gummy and lacked seasoning)
– Gyoza (lacked flavor, very little filling)
– Crispy Brussels Sprouts (just meh, needed more seasoning)
– Altera Cheeseburger (pretty solid burger)
temiloluwa adeyemi
I got the Dan Dan Noodles, and I was looking forward to it but was disappointed.
What i liked: the sparkling NA drink was good. the texture of the noodles and the food presentation. My server asked if she could get me a replacement dish, which I appreciated, but did turndown because I was already turned off by the meal and wasn’t interested in going through the menu again.
What i didn’t like: the food was too salty. Very salty. Both the noodles, bok choy and the meat. I could not eat past five spoons. I hate wasting food and really tried eating as much, especially since I was very hungry, but I couldn’t just get myself to eat that salty of a dish. My friend got the oxtail dish which I tried but it was kind of mehhh. If you just had the dish without seeing the name, you won’t know it was an oxtail pasta dish. Again, there was a lack of flavor.
—
I really hope there is improvement in the future because it’s a nice spot. I won’t be going out of my way to visit again though.
… moreWhat i liked: the sparkling NA drink was good. the texture of the noodles and the food presentation. My server asked if she could get me a replacement dish, which I appreciated, but did turndown because I was already turned off by the meal and wasn’t interested in going through the menu again.
What i didn’t like: the food was too salty. Very salty. Both the noodles, bok choy and the meat. I could not eat past five spoons. I hate wasting food and really tried eating as much, especially since I was very hungry, but I couldn’t just get myself to eat that salty of a dish. My friend got the oxtail dish which I tried but it was kind of mehhh. If you just had the dish without seeing the name, you won’t know it was an oxtail pasta dish. Again, there was a lack of flavor.
—
I really hope there is improvement in the future because it’s a nice spot. I won’t be going out of my way to visit again though.
Linda Xiong
Went there for a friend’s birthday. Drinks, apps, and every one else’s dish was good until when it came to mine.
I ordered their chicken dish and the dark meat wasn’t fully cooked. They took it back, cooked, reheated, or whatever they did and brought it back. Still was not fully cooked so I had decided that I’ll just take it home and fully cook it myself, that way, my money won’t go to waste (mind you, the chicken was cut in pieces and I only had Three cooked pieces of chicken). What had happened instead of me taking it home, our server brought the chicken back a second time to show the manager and then never returned. I had asked what happened to the the rest of the chicken bc I was going to bring it home and cook it, was told that they threw it out already. Manager came out and said, we don’t compensate anything so what would I like for them to do. I asked the manager what do THEY think would be a good compensation because I didn’t even eat half of my entree and it got thrown out. They did offer to cook up another chicken but really, who has time to wait for a whole nother chicken when everyone was done already. So I didn’t take them up on that offer bc I don’t know how long the wait time of them cooking the chicken would be. What they did was give us two Johnny Cakes for the table instead. Receipt came, we got charged for one of them as well. Had to get it corrected.
Overall, was I satisfied with the outcome of how the problem was addressed, no not all. Dessert to fill me up instead of an entree that I paid for, scoff. The food however was still good. The edible part of the chicken was very flavorful.
… moreI ordered their chicken dish and the dark meat wasn’t fully cooked. They took it back, cooked, reheated, or whatever they did and brought it back. Still was not fully cooked so I had decided that I’ll just take it home and fully cook it myself, that way, my money won’t go to waste (mind you, the chicken was cut in pieces and I only had Three cooked pieces of chicken). What had happened instead of me taking it home, our server brought the chicken back a second time to show the manager and then never returned. I had asked what happened to the the rest of the chicken bc I was going to bring it home and cook it, was told that they threw it out already. Manager came out and said, we don’t compensate anything so what would I like for them to do. I asked the manager what do THEY think would be a good compensation because I didn’t even eat half of my entree and it got thrown out. They did offer to cook up another chicken but really, who has time to wait for a whole nother chicken when everyone was done already. So I didn’t take them up on that offer bc I don’t know how long the wait time of them cooking the chicken would be. What they did was give us two Johnny Cakes for the table instead. Receipt came, we got charged for one of them as well. Had to get it corrected.
Overall, was I satisfied with the outcome of how the problem was addressed, no not all. Dessert to fill me up instead of an entree that I paid for, scoff. The food however was still good. The edible part of the chicken was very flavorful.
Michael Kelly
Originally came in for Winter Restaurant Week; I had heard some great things about Altera in an Esquire magazine’s travel section while I was at the airport. Also this is local to me in my hometown of Saint Paul so I couldn’t wait to try it! For RW we had the Hamachi Crudo (fresh but little too sour with the lime), Johnnycake (best thing I’ve had in a minute), Gemelli Verde (crazy flavorful but shrimp forward), Pappardelle (hearty pasta with tomato braised lamb shoulder), Carrot Cake w/ mango sorbet (it was alright), and finally the Chocolate Espresso Cake (dry dry dry). Initial thoughts were 4/5 stars but came in for dinner a second time tonight and was impressed by just about everything we tried!
Tonight my friends and I split a bunch of appetizers. We had another Johnnycake (one of my favorite things on the menu, comes with whipped honey butter, maple syrup, chives and choice of regular maple or jalapeño maple syrup), Arancini (not as flavorful but relied heavily on the romesco to add depth), Crispy Brussel Sprouts (unique with mojo verde, ricotta salata, pepitas), and Pok Pok Chicken Wings (savory and drenched in fish sauce in the best possible way). We also had Hugo Spritz’s (Prosecco, St Germaine, and mint).
The interior is a little loud but a fabulous well decorated space for happy hour drinks and elevated eats with friends! This is one of my new favorite local spots, 10/10 recommend a try. Probably skip on dessert, it’s not their strong suit, however everything else, fantastic!
… moreTonight my friends and I split a bunch of appetizers. We had another Johnnycake (one of my favorite things on the menu, comes with whipped honey butter, maple syrup, chives and choice of regular maple or jalapeño maple syrup), Arancini (not as flavorful but relied heavily on the romesco to add depth), Crispy Brussel Sprouts (unique with mojo verde, ricotta salata, pepitas), and Pok Pok Chicken Wings (savory and drenched in fish sauce in the best possible way). We also had Hugo Spritz’s (Prosecco, St Germaine, and mint).
The interior is a little loud but a fabulous well decorated space for happy hour drinks and elevated eats with friends! This is one of my new favorite local spots, 10/10 recommend a try. Probably skip on dessert, it’s not their strong suit, however everything else, fantastic!