Travail Kitchen and Amusements

Travail is always such an incredible experience! The food, the drinks, the ambiance... All just amazing. Every dish is well-crafted and full of flavor, and the cocktails are all absolutely delicious. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and make every guest feel welcome. Plus, the space is so beautiful: it feels modern but also cozy, and the decor is very aesthetically pleasing.

I have been here a handful of times to celebrate special events, all in the basement bar, and each time has been so great. I most recently went to UMAMI. The decorations were beautiful and I loved that they had Spirited Away playing in the background. The food really brought those incredible umami flavors to life.

The attention to every detail is incredible and I'm always in awe each time I get to come here. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a unique and delicious food experience! It's a great place to celebrate a special night.

Wow! Had not been in years. Seven course tasting menu with cocktail paring option was both fascinating and delicious. Speaking with our primary server, Evan, was a delight. He was fully engaged in explaining each plate, referred cocktail questions to an equally interesting Cyrus. And our Jr. Chef was insightful in sharing why she was there. Celebrating 10 years with my wife was truly a memorable experience, with the food, cocktails and team making us feel at home, welcomed and intrigued. We cannot wait to go back!

I can’t recommend this place more - worth every penny. Amazing experience with friends/family and will provide extensive memories! Cocktailing, food galore, outstanding service and attention to detail. Bravo, Travail! We will be back! Hands down.

Thank you to Sam (emcee/hostess), bartender Graham, and the bartender upstairs with pink hair. I now love NA gin!!!

One of the most fun and interactive dining experiences I’ve ever had! The food was just as tasty as a fancy Michelin star but I’ll remember this meal so much more. And the staff was great. Can’t recommend enough!

My husband got us a reservation for the dinner in Christmas basement, and let me tell you, it was one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in the Twin Cities. First of all, the staff was amazing, from their Christmas cheer to their flawless service. The wine pairing and drink pairing were spot on. The courses ranged from very good to excellent, with both of us leaving with full bellies. I am not going to post pictures of the food because honestly, part of the experience is the element of surprise. Hands down, this place is a winner and we can’t wait to go back!!

Must try place!!! We just did the haunted basement and what an exhilarating experience complete with entertainment, delicious food and amazing drinks! Staff was top notch amazing. The food was prepared in small play style with lots of variety: the flavors of both drinks and food left your taste buds wanting more. The price is worth the experience for a special night out.

THANK YOU to Dave and his team for allowing us to add two more gals to our reservation, last minute on the day of, even though they were booked solid.

We had such a great time celebrating my birthday dinner with Travail’s Grand Lounge tasting menu located on the Sky Lounge rooftop patio. The team members immediately greeted us welcomely and service was top notch until the end.

The tasting menu—the food— truly an impressive experience. Each course was beautifully presented, incredibly tasty and satisfying. We didn’t accompany dinner with the wine or cocktail pairing, but the cocktails we ordered off the menu were delicious. The music may be considered a little loud for some, but we loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed our evening. You guys are amazing and I can’t wait for my next visit!

Wow.
This place is an awesome experience, the chefs truly know exactly what they're doing and the sommelier paired the wines perfectly with each dish according to my dad. I got the non alcoholic pairing which had very interesting drinks with flavor mixings I never would've thought about, and they fit each dish well too. The food itself was all very interesting and beautifully plated and cooked, and planned out very well for an incredible experience. I will definitely be coming back!

1st time, walked in and was amazed! Super friendly staff and more than accommodating. Lucky to have been invited to the basement bar, which had an impromptu singing session by staff which was like a Broadway experience but up close! Drinks were absolutely stellar, totally wowed for an unsuspecting stroll about DT Robinsdale.

We had a fabulous tasting menu, great service. My brother was visiting from Philadelphia, and this was a foodies' delight. Thanks for a memorable evening.

Roof top with steakhouse themed menu was perfection. All the courses were well flavored, unique and blended together to form a memorable experience for our entire party. Every time I return I am impressed all over again. Can’t wait for my next dining experience here.

This is our first return visit to Travail since the latest remodel. This new space is a big departure from the first and second iterations of this restaurant. The first was really "out there", while the second version, with the ticketed reservations, was a huge improvement. The third version is different still. The room is very modern and filled with light from the big windows.

We somehow had not made our reservations correctly, but they were very gracious and accommodating, so we were seated in the main dining room - which had been our intent.

As expected, there were multiple courses, and the first was a double. Per the usual Travailian way, the foie gras was served like a lollipop but coated in a cherry glaze and topped with pistachio. Very unusual, and very good. The second dish was a scallop ceviche, served with cucumber, pickled onion, and a house made sour cream. Very beautiful in its presentation, and very light and fresh.

The next course was all about tomatoes - bruleed heirloom tomatoes and marinated tomatoes on a coconut milk flavored broth and topped with a tomato flavored cracker. Very summery and again full of flavor.

We had two palate cleansers- the first was a cube of compressed watermelon topped with liquid nitrogen frozen bits of yogurt. Fun presentation, and indeed very palate cleansing.

All things zucchini was the next plate, with a sauteed loup de mer, zucchini "salad", and a squash blossom stuffed with shrimp. Again, the plating was very elegant. This was followed by a blob of frozen passion fruit fluff. They really love using liquid nitrogen here!

My favorite dish was elote agnolotti served with fresh sweet corn, pepper flakes, and a corn-flavored puddle for dipping your pasta into. It is quite lovely, and is, to me, the essence of summer yummy-ness.

I also loved the chicken course. It was super moist, stuffed under the skin, and served with asparagus. The flavor was fantastic,

The next meat course was pork- which came as a round slice of meat surrounded by beets, and a beet puree. Beautiful plating.

Then came palate cleanser 2, essentially a fizzy drinkable creamsicle. Yum!

The final savory course was beef, accompanied by eggplant caponata and dried eggplant slices, plus a fried potato puff stuffed with beef. This was my least favorite dish - the sour caponata did not go well with my husband's red wine, and my beef was really tough. Too bad really.

However, all was good with the world when the desserts arrived. The first was a mini ice cream cone of coconut ice cream with a fruity jam. The second was a lovely slice of what seemed like cheesecake, topped with fresh strawberries, cava jelly, and frozen bits of strawberry flavored crunch. It was a perfect summer dessert. I did say the love liquid nitrogen!

Gone are the beer boots and singing - a good thing to have eliminated. Gone was the "field trip" to a back room for a game and some unusual dish or two, and that is fine with me also. They still clearly have fun with plating your dishes while you watch. They still play games - we did a meal-long trivia game. And everyone is happy to talk about wines and the food, making the whole evening quite jolly.

I do miss the completely crazy serving style - food that looked like rocks or that you had to eat off a suspended string. Still, evolution in how you cook, what you cook, and how you serve is a good thing. I still left with a big smile on my face, and the food was excellent.

Their cocktail program has not kept up with the cooking. The small "specialty drinks" at the upstairs bar all had the same flavor profile - sweet. There were only 7 listed cocktails. My husband had their old standby Ron Burgundy, but it was smoked out of sight, and it was too sweet. Maybe they are in a transition?

So go for the fun and the food, a nice wine selection, but not the cocktails.

Do go into the bathroom...very modern and fun! And do look up when you check in...knives above. Very funny!

Cost: $155/person. There is a parking lot, but it was full. There is street parking and a lot down the street.

What an amazing experience! Delicately prepared food, presented with perfection... each bite was well balanced and delicious! We chose to have paired cocktails and each one was a delightful compliment to the dish. Highly recommended!

This was the second time I've been at their kitchen (I've also been in the basement bar and the rooftop bar). The food, service, atmosphere, and experience overall has always been amazing.

WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!

Very accommodating of food preferences.

We went for their cooking class and it was a wonderful experience. They started us off with some chicken wings and ribs. The ribs were perhaps the best I have ever had. My wife is a vegetarian and they were able to accommodate that.

They taught us how to make a hand roll and dumplings. They steak was exquisite and I personally don’t prefer steak.

The chef Mike was very funny and engaging and made the experience really fun. They also had a fun trivia night to go along with everything. The drinks pairing were great and recommended by the manager Tory.

The evening ended with a very fun pandan icecream.

Would highly recommend this place. A very nice family run place.

What a fabulous location, staff and food. The setting was absolutely perfect and we enjoyed an 11 course tasting menu of perfectly prepared French food. It was a very good value for the money spent as well. Will definitely be back and highly recommend!

Was treated to a night at Travail with my family for my birthday, and it did not disappoint! The table chefs were awesome (one slip up on pork being added to the breakfast in a cup— it was promptly remade just found it a bit off for this establishment). Trivia throughout dinner was a blast, and karaoke to cap off the night. The star of the show, the food of course. Brilliantly done, and most dishes were very innovative (deconstructed French onion soup!?) Will be creating a GoFundMe page so I can enjoy again… and again!

Everything you'd expect from a 5 star experience. The price matches the quality and it's expensive, but what you get for that price is a top of the line food and drink experience you won't find anywhere else in Minnesota. Perfect place for a big life event celebration, like an anniversary date night.

Fantastic food, boisterous and energetic, this is a fun place to eat! They can accommodate DF. The courses come at you and each one is unique and flavorful, highly recommended!

BASEMENT BAR REVIEW - Anyone thinking about doing the Umami tasting menu don't waste time get in there while it lasts! We had a party of 4 with a 545PM reservation on a Tuesday and not only was every seat taken but the service team was in full force to ensure the experience was fantastic! My wife and I have been at Travail 1 & 2 but their third iteration is on another level. Highly recommend it!