brasserie zentral ⋆⋆⋆⋆

www.zentral-mpls.com • 612-333-0505

Location

505 Marquette Av., Mpls.

Hours

Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tue.-Fri. Dinner 5-10 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. Sun. Reservations recommended.

service

Effortlessly professional.

Price ranges

Soups and salads $8-$14, shared starters $12-$24, pastas $12-$23, entrees $20-$30, side dishes $5-$8, desserts $9-$10.

Recommended dishes

Mackerel, soups, pierogi, spaetzle, gnocchi, spaghetti, holishkes, turkey schnitzel, pork cheeks, foie gras terrine, kavalierspitz, lemon roulade.

beverage program

Wine director Nicolas Giraud shines a spotlight on the highly drinkable efforts of the winemaking regions of Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and southwestern Germany, a remarkable accomplishment with sometimes surprisingly affordable results (although the by-the-glass pours can feel a tad slight). Plenty of ingeniously crafted cocktails, and the requisite list of locally brewed beers is supplemented by nine German and Austrian options.