Thrifty Hipster

The food, drinks, patio, and waitstaff are all great. However, their parking lot is not monitored by any kind of security. We noticed glass from a car window on the pavement when going into the restaurant, and thought little of it, until our car was broken in to. Careful of where you park, no one is watching, except the theives.

-- Thatgirl gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 15:34 04.21.10

Here's the deal: I don't live in St. Paul, and rarely crossed the river until I went to the Gnome for a friend's birthday. Since then I have become a 2-3 times a month regular. The beer selection is incredible. 70 taps and 1 cask that rotates weekly beer prices range from $4 specials, to $9 super rare 1 keg per year type stuff. Wine list is good, cheap, about $6 - $12ish. And if you like scotch or whiskey, they have about a 6 page list ranging from $6-$700 or something, Food is incredible. I'm not much for bar food, and I think their chef does it well by hand making everything, and keeping it seasonal. They even make their own ketchup! $10-$15ish. Dinner menu is fantastic, There is always something different that I've never thought to try, and they run weekly tasting menus. Yes, it's not cheap, but it's not super spendy if you've ever eaten somewhere other than Applebee's you're not going to faint over pricing. I think the price is well worth thoughtful, fresh, well plated food. $19-$28ish for entrees, tasting menus are usually $35ish, but are 4 courses. Patio is gorgeous, recently redone. Upstairs is a bit quieter, and good for bigger groups. The staff since I started going there (2years ago) is knowledgeable, and honest, and efficient, and have worked there for a long time. I rarely see a new staff face. I was reading some other people's comments, and I think some of them are ridiculous. Yes, they have a parking lot, but they seem to share it with another business, and it's just not that big. So what? it's the twin cities, parking sucks unless you're in the 'burbs. Take a cab, or walk a couple blocks. Yes, it's busy, so make a reservation! They are busy because it's great there. Just like anywhere else, if you want to be ensured a seat in a timely fashion call first. Yes, they don't really do specials. So what? I like not having specials because it keeps cheap people looking for chicken fingers and Bud Light away from me. They only have two TVs, so it's not filled with sports fans, it's mostly filled with 25 and up people like me, who like good food and drink, and aren't afraid to pay for it.

-- sarahj gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 19:31 04.18.10

The Happy Gnome is great for beer drinkers or hard liquor drinkers (like myself). The prices are very reasonable, the drinks are well made, and I've never had anything but great service. The food is a little highbrow, but there are some good standard items on the menu as well. It's a great place to go if you're looking for more class and sophistication than the average St. Paul pub. It draws more of a 30's+ crowd, but being in my mid-20's, I think it's great for a mellow night out when my friends and I just want to get dressed up, have a good drink, and avoid jocks/skanks/ghetto trash...

-- Leather&Lace gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 12:30 02.26.10

Let me start this by saying I don't give out even 3 star ratings very often, so when I give a place a 4 star, it's because the place is something special in my book. Here's the deal with the Gnome: - Location / Atmosphere - Pretty good, but IMO it tends to be a bit crowded. This was probably the main thing that kept me from giving the Gnome 5 stars. I think they should scale back on the number of walk-ins they allow and focus on those who bother to make reservations. Even though we had reservations (for 2) it took 15 minutes to be seated and then we had to be asked to be moved as the MD placed us right next to a table that was being set for a group of 16 even though there were plenty of other tables in the upstairs. This is the kind of think-on-your feet service that I'm constantly harping about. Don't seat a couple that's out for their anniversary next to a group of 16 if you have other choices. Think! As with most St. Paul restaurants, parking in their lot is limited. Get over it suburbanites! Parking on the street and walking a block won't kill you unless you whine yourself to death. Beer and Wine - Top flight beer list. Since I've been to the Gnome only about 6 times, I don't really feel I'm qualified to comment beyond saying that the 10 or so beers that I've tried thus far, both tap and bottle, have been in fine condition and well served. The wine list is above average so if we translate that to Minnesotan what I mean is "damn good". Better yet, it's not overpriced although some wines were on the high end of what other places are charging. Food - Now we get to the good stuff. This place is being run by a chef who's using his head! Last visit I had bison short ribs and they were awesome. A fantastic dish, seasonal ingredients, and well prepared and presented. My companion's tuna dish was also perfect and that's saying something. Far too often I've had improperly cooked tuna, either over or under done. This was perfect. Overall a very good choice in St. Paul. Good beers and wines, good food, and decent service. Waitstaff, watch the details and management don't let walk-ins overwhelm the staff and give a sub-par experience to guests who have reserved. Well done, Gnome!

-- The Famous Grouse gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 15:38 01.04.10

Wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be after reading reviews. Went with a large group (10) for a birthday. Drinks were good; had a fantastic chocolate martini! Food wasn't as good as I expected. Probably would try one more time though since many people rave about it. Could have had a bad night.

-- Jessica gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 18:16 07.31.09