Prima

Every time I come to Prima, I am greeted by a woman with curly hair and beautiful smile. She is always so kind and gives great service. Today was no different. I ordered crab cakes and a pasta with sausage dish would was delicious. I remembered to take pics this time but I highly recommend this place. FYI - I did have multiple glasses of red wine.

This is our go-to Italian restaurant in the Cities. The food is always AMAZING especially the bruschetta. Tonight they had a scallop special that was cooked to perfection. We have tried almost every dish on the menu and each one is absolutely wonderful. The staff is always very attentive and friendly. They have accommodated our groups from. 4 to 8 and, no matter the size, they have been top notch. If you are looking for a hometown, family feel with great food and service that always exceeds expectations, THIS IS YOUR PLACE!

This was a nice place to have our first real night out while visiting the city. The pasta dishes were delightful. I wish I had chosen the one that my wife did, although mine was still fine. Definitely a great place to take your wife out on a date and enjoy a few modest spoils. A bottle of red, a bottle of white, whatever kind of mood you’re in tonight.

Our first time here and I have to say it was delicious. It was really busy Monday evening. I think they were short handed, but even though it was busy they were attentive and made sure our drinks were always full and let us know they would be with us when they could. Based on the food I can see why they are so popular. I would come back and try new things for sure.

We came here for dessert and it was amazing. The crème brûlée and tiramisu were delicious! The staff were attentive and amazing as well!

This is our go to place for delicious food and amazing service. Each dish is carefully prepared. The tastes and textures are what makes it so great. We tell everyone we know this is the place to go, never disappointed and always creative dinner specials.

Did pick up tonight, but have eaten here many times. The wait staff is absolutely friendly and attentive. I had the Chicken Picatta tonight. It was fantastic!! The lemon, capers, and garlic sauce was the highlight of the whole meal. It pulls everything in the entree together. Love this place!

I personally don’t think this place is worth the money. We felt a little rushed to order, but the food did come quickly. The meal itself was nothing special, but fine. With that being said, it was a super cute restaurant and I liked the vibes. It’s a small place so it feels more intimate.

The food here is so good! They are specialists when it comes to making their food. I have eaten here so many times and it is excellent every time. If you are new to this place just go and order the special. Whatever it is for that day you won't be disappointed. The inside is a nice and relaxed atmosphere, very cozy for these up coming cold nights.

I love this restaurant: the food is outstanding, the wait staff are excellent, it has a lovely ambience...it's the whole package. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the dessert was disappointing. We had the flourless chocolate torte and it had obviously just been pulled out of the freezer. It was crumbly instead of smooth and fudgy and the taste was bland. However, the rest of the meal was incredible.

A10 from me, Audrey was our awesome server today, but everyone is so friendly in this hidden gem. Always a pleasure to take family and friends! Photos follow . . Love their homemade pasta dishes and specials!

Can't go wrong with a solid pasta spot!!! I got their bucatini zucchini and it was so fresh and delicious. The noodles tasted homemade. We also got their roasted pear salad and that was fantastic. Definitely on the more expensive side but nice if you're looking to treat yourself!

Came on a Wednesday night. Place was packed, that's a good sign. Despite the crowd, it wasn't too noisy. Service was slow at first, but then it seemed we had three or four staff taking care of us. The Caesar salad was a little under dressed. The beet salad needed a little more balsamic glaze. The entrees were all amazing. Thanks god for the bread to sop up all the sauce.

My sister and I dined here for a Saturday dinner. The ambiance was nice and cozy, and the servers very friendly. The Caesar salad was just how I like it-- good size, just the right amount of garlic in the dressing, croutons. The Bucatini Amatricana was also quite good-- the noodles were incredibly fresh, the sauce not too heavy, and a great mix of flavors. I definitely would rank this among the greats of Italian restaurants in Minni!

What a lovely place for dinner. This is one of those places that I could eat at once every few weeks. The staff is friendly and gracious. The bread looks unassuming - just some baguette with foil-wrapped pats of butter. But there's something so fresh and tasty about it. It's an intangible kind of yumminess that makes you want to keep eating more. The chicken and mushroom Marsala linguini was nice and al dente, with big slices of king oyster mushroom and a tangle of leeks and spinach. The capellini pomodoro was also nice and firm, with bits of tangy tomatoes. I will definitely be back again to the their other pastas

We returned to Prima with family hoping to have as wonderful experience as our first visit just over a year ago. We were not disappointed. The staff are engaging, attentive, knowledgeable and fun. The space is long and narrow with entrances both front and rear. It was comfortable and easy to chat, lighting was soft but adequateLyndale was parked full so we used the lot in the rear. Since there was 6 of us we were seated at a family style oval table near the server isle. For the most part everyone had something different, ravioli, chicken Marsala, etc. I had previously had the lamb and loved it. This time our waitress mentioned a pork loin special, and it was excellent. The night was spent sharing the excellent food, laughter and a special time with loved ones. Everyone loved our time with Prima and I'm confident you will too.

Had a really great dinner here. The food was amazing, very fresh and well prepared. Good amount of choices for meals, salads, appetizers and deserts. Their wine list was nice as well. The service was spot on, very attentive wait staff. It was small but very nice dining room, I would highly recommend making reservations. You will not be disappointed in dining at Prima.

Food was okay, nothing really impressive. Service was very good. Shame the food was not as I was expecting.

Flavorful cozy pastas and warm inviting ambience! We may have just found our new neighborhood Italian go to spot we came here for our birthday and got take out - both dishes were clearly made with love and were perfect portions for full bellies without feeling too heavy! I loved how many pasta options there were and can't wait to come back and try more. Service was great and I appreciate the big parking lot in the back of the complex !

We met friends here for dinner and loved it! We had excellent service, great wine and fantastic food. I live out of state and cannot wait to go back. Beautiful little place for family, friends, work get togethers.

Fantastic. Why am I just now trying this place? We got lucky enough to get a table without calling ahead. OK parking behind the restaurant which is great because not a ton of on street parking. Place is so beautiful when you walk in. Service was great and the food- oh the food! Fresh and super flavorful. Can't wait to go back!

This place is DELICIOUS. We have the Gnudi, and Bruschetta as appetizers, which were divine. I had the chicken fettuccine Alfredo as my main course. It had this delicious hint of lemon in it and I could have had a whole extra bowl! I would definitely recommend this place to someone who's craving Italian food. I will say my only complaint is that the seating was kind of uncomfortable, other than that, great service and food!

Great service in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The food is good comfort food . And it's family owned and operated. Not many of those left in Minnesota after the pandemic.

The food was excellent. Our group shared the gnudi, pear salad, pork pasta and bolognese with added meatballs. Everything was delicious with the pastas clearly handmade. We need to come back. There's so much more on the menu I want to try!

We went to Prima this evening. Everything was fantastic. From the very nice lady that greeted us, I assume the manager to the super attentive waitress (please forgive me. I forgot her name) to the wonderful appetizers (tomato bruschetta, Leinenkugel Battered White Cheddar Cheese Squares, roasted garlic with pear chutney and cheese). Then we get to the entrees, many of which were standard Italian dishes but with their unique twists. Linguine Alla Marsala with a light Marsala sauce, Penne Con Pollo Alla Gorgonzola, Braised Pork Pappardelle, Risotto with freshly grilled chicken & peas, the special Italian sausage with pasta in a red pepper sauce. Perfect portion sizes. Usually pasta dishes are super heavy but all of these were not. Very flavorful though. We even had room for crème brûlée, flourless chocolate cake and malted caramel cookie dough ice cream and they gave our son tiramisu for graduating today. You will not be disappointed.

Walking w friend Wendy and we passed by Prima. She said she had been there and it was quite good. Met w friends Party & Del. We decided let's do this. Well... The food was all good from calamari appetizer to the main course and scrumptious beet salad. Oh... The bread they give you is pretty tasty. The problem is you will want to dip it in all the sauces and the cheeses!

We were in the mood for some fine Italian dining and Prima Pasta did not disappoint. We started with the Roasted Beet Salad and it was quite tasty. Our first time here so we wanted to try a few different dishes. Both of our favorites was definitely the Squash & Pumpkin Ravioli, it was really amazing. We then proceeded to share the Roast Duck Confit Ragu which was also really good. Lastly, we had the Lamb Pappardelle which was our least favorite simply because we had over did it with the other dishes first. The service was amazing and they were quick to seat us, attend to us and overall a great experience. We will be back for those Ravioli's soon.

Excellent Italian food for a small neighborhood restaurant. We've been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. Their food and service has always been excellent. My favorite dish is the Penne Con Pollo Alla Gorgonzola, enough to split if your not to starving. A must have is the Crispy Fried Herb Gnudi. Not only is the Gnudi amazing, the garnish and sauce is to die for.

Wonderful! We made a reservation for our party of 6 and upon arrival we were seated immediately. Started with bread and olive oil. Wow! Bottle of Dogajola red wine. Double wow! And had spritely conversation as a group and forgot to order antipasti. We didn't need it. The portions are robust and the flavors layer beautifully as you bite into your aldente pasta PERFECTLY DONE. The shrimp were flavor forward, the acid from the tomato focused the flavor and the angel hair pasta bound it all together. Becky's service timing was absolutely spot on: checking in with us not too often but also not MIA. Water was always topped off, and attentive to whatever were our needs. Of our group of 6 (5 entrees) all were very please with the food and appetites satisfied! I will definitely be back (Thank you Becky for a wonderful evening) (Make sure you try the tiramisu!!!)

Best Italian food in Mpls. Loved everything about this place. Friendly staff, great service, all of our main dishes and salads were excellent. Make sure to have the house made desserts which were also fabulous. This is where we will go from now on when we want Italian food.

Always on the search to try a new place out for date night and craving Italian. Such a gem and surprised have never heard of them before. Service was awesome starting with the hostess " Amy Diane" she was welcoming and even thanked us for stopping in when we walked out. The provide a bread basket with butter I wish the bread would of came out warm but that is personally preference. Started with the gnudi 5/5 loved the veggies that were paired in the sauce and dipped our bread in. Both dinner portions were large sizes and took half for leftovers a the bucatini 4/5 cooked Al dente served with pancetta but not enough to suffice protein portion and was suggested by our waitress to add sausage on the side- was nice but sausage was cooked a little to done. The spicy Italian sausage great flavor 4/5 wish sauce was thicker and needed more heat very MN hot and not spicy at all. If in the area highly suggest stopping in

Have been coming to Prima's since they opened in the old Boulevard Movie theater space. It has been 10 years since our last visit and their attention to quality and detail is perfect. Prima's has a perfect size menu covering all flavors. The atmosphere is excellent and cozy while adhering to current COVID rules. Kudos to the owners for keeping their restaurant quality on track. While I have seen quality go down hill after a number of years at other restaurants, Prima's feels like the just opened and want to maintain perfection.

The food was top notch. I especially liked the goat cheese spinach ravioli with basil and palm hearts in a spicy tomato sauce. Service was fantastic.

Debated on posting a review because this place was Awesome! I don't want it to become overcrowded:). Such a great experience. Staff is top flight and the food was to die for. It feels like a little neighborhood restaurant where they know your name. In fact, we heard the greet several customers by name. Hope I'm one of them soon!

A friend recommended Prima for a nice night out and a good meal - it was by far one of the top 5 meals and experiences that I have had in the twin cities. We had a later Saturday night reservation and when we walked in and saw nearly every table full of presumed "regular locals" we knew it was about to be a great evening. The owner was so welcoming and clearly familiar with many of the patrons. Our waiter was fantastic, made wonderful recommendations and ensured that we had a lovely meal/experience. The food was heavenly - everything made from scratch and clearly "with love". As someone who's not a meatball person, Prima's unique three meat combo meatball was divine! We also had the white chocolate and raspberry tiramisu (not pictured) that I'm still dreaming about. We cannot wait to return!

Prima is hands down my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities! Their food is always incredibly fresh, staff is top tier, and prices are reasonable. This is our go-to spot for date night, having family in down, etc. I often get the daily pasta special and have been wowed every time. Could not recommend this place enough!!

The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the fettuccine chicken alfredo which tasted so amazing! The little bread was also delicious that comes out before the meal. The service was second to none from the time that I called to make a reservation to walking into the restaurant. Such a nice setting for a date night, casual dinner with friends, or as I did, solo meal! The service from the server was great as well and they packaged the leftovers which was nice. Thanks for the great experience!

We arrived at 8:35 unsure if they would still be able to serve us. When we got there one of the servers told us they were close and couldn't sit us down. BUT the owner saw us and asked the kitchen if they can still serve us and they said yes! The ambiance was nice and the service was great! The server Emma, got everyone to write recommendations since we were visiting! The food was also amazing and it came super fast! So glad the owner let sit because we will definitely be back to this restaurant!

Still LOVE this place. Service is amazing...sometimes they try to hurry you along at busy times to turn their tables-and I get that...but you might want to gaurd your plate if you want to sop up the last bit of yummy sauce before they try to wisk it away. This place is very popular with what seems to be a "regular" local crowd- I want to be a regular.

Great food Great staff I have been going there almost since they opened years ago. Always good.

Tonight we ordered takeout and we live about 45 minutes away so it was about an hour before we ate the takeout. They really need to add more sauce for takeout orders as the Spaghetti and Rigatoni were very dry by the time we ate it. Hand Made & Pan Seared Potato Gnocchi Spanish chorizo, spinach, tomato & basil sauce, local micro greens, Pecorino Romano - this was very good. I just wish they offered the gnocchi in other configurations as red meat sauce is not my personal favorite. Squash & Pumpkin Ravioli Fresh hand made pasta, toasted almonds, caramelized pears, sage brown butter - one of my favorites and it traveled well. The butter sauce kept it from drying out. Spaghetti Alla Vodka Rustic spaghetti pasta, Vodka sauce, sliced meatballs, arugula, basil, Ricotta Salata - average but mostly because the noodles just had a hint of red sauce by the time we ate it. Rigatoni Bolognese Beef and veal ragout, mushrooms, herbs, parmesan - very flavorful and my husband didn't even notice the mushrooms. He also had added meatballs. Nolan's French Silk Pie chocolate-graham cracker crust, Grand Mariner & chocolate sauce - my husband liked it a lot but I thought it was average. Chef Eliot's Butterscotch Budino creamy butterscotch custard, salted caramel, creme fraiche - excellent Mocha Espresso Tiramisu Almond brittle - more chocolatey than most and the brittle was amazing. Serviced was excellent and they brought it right out when my husband pulled up. So easy to order over the phone.

On a chilly Sunday evening, eight of us went to Prima on a "why not?" after our preferred restaurant told us they were closed because they could not get staff to work. I feel badly for that restaurant, but am very grateful to have found Prima! It was dinnertime, and it was busy. But the staff graciously accommodated our large party, seating us at a table and chairs similar to what one would have in one's house, not a restaurant. And that was telling. The decor, staff and general feel of the place felt more like "home" than a restaurant. And we lingered for hours, enjoying great food and wonderful company. Prima gathers their ingredients from their own farm and makes everything (or almost everything) from scratch. And it shows in the offerings. Everything we sampled was delicious. Here's a rundown: Beef borsht --yes, beef borsht. We, too, wondered what a Eastern European soup was doing in an Italian bistro. The server couldn't provide an answer but we were compelled to try it, and it was as good as any borsht offered at a Jewish deli. And perfect for a chilly Fall evening. Italian chopped salad, that included chicken, ham and chic peas along with the usual assortment of veggies. The vinaigrette dressing was flavorful and not overwhelming. While it came with Asiago, I asked for Gorgonzola as well, which was a nice acidic addition. The Fettuccini Alfredo was a rather small portion, but the thickness of the Alfredo sauce made the portion a perfect size. Butternut Squash Tortellacci were fabulous, and the pears added just enough sweetness to make the dish sparkle. Last, but not least, the Crab Cakes with a small green salad, was very good. We're always concerned about crab cakes being greasy, but these were crisp and crunchy with no oily taste, and a tender interior. Oh, the warm, fresh from the oven bread was so good we had to order several helpings. Prima serves great Italian with a homey, family touch. We can't wait to return.

Quickly becoming my favorite place for pasta. They have the curbside pickup down to an art, you have to call and order versus an online option but literally just pull up and someone brings your food out. This might be the best bruschetta I've ever had, I don't know what it is. Maybe the brioche, fresh seasoned tomatoes, is it all soaked in some delightfully tasty garlicy goodness? I don't know but that shit is damn good! Gnocchi has been great, the texture is thick and creamy and wonderful. Braised short rib was amazing! Can be a challenging meat if there is too much fat, this was melt in your mouth goodness. Alfredo with chicken was super cheesy and satisfying like fettuccine Alfredo should be. Rigatoni, yep we loved it. Super flavorful and perfectly cooked pasta. Spaghetti alla vodka; love the fresh sausage and red sauce. It's becoming a weekend ritual...next on my list is the calamari, crab cakes and chicken risotto.

I've been coming to Prima for years! This is a special place for my family as it was a place we would always come to with my grandparents when they were alive. And visiting now brings back memories! I came in a Friday night with my family (mom, aunts, uncle & sister) the service here is always fantastic. The people are kind, helpful and fun. My mom and I split a 1/2 carafe of the house red for $22. It served about 3 glasses. It's nice to have that as an option, otherwise the house Red is $8.50 a glass. So you save a couple bucks. I ordered the Cappellini Al Pomodoro.. which is a favorite dish of mine I've been ordering for years. I always get the dish with shrimp. Which adds an additional $5+ dollars. This dish is always delicious. It never has let me down! BUT, I was kind of bummed this past visit, as there were 4 of us that ordered this dish. 2 people got it as is (no meat) and I ordered it with shrimp and my uncle ordered with meatballs. What disappointed me was the portion size! My uncle and I got half the amount of pasta as the others did, was it because we added protein? I don't know. But you'd think since we were paying more for the protein, that we would get the normal amount of pasta that the dish gets with the addition of the protein. That disappointed me. My mom really wanted to order the Butternut Squash Tortellacci - she has a severe nut allergy and asked for it without the almonds. A few minutes later (I think the owner?) stopped by and asked if indeed she just didn't like the almonds or it was a nut allergy, as there is a small amount of nuts in the filling of the pasta. THANK GOODNESS she asked as my mom would have been very sick. Instead she ordered the Grilled Chicken Risotto. Which had sweet peas & sun dried tomato risotto with a rosemary-balsamic demi-glaze. The flavors were delicious and the portion was great... but the risotto was extremely under cooked. It was almost hard. I was surprised by this, because I know risotto can be hard to cook, but you'd think the chef would try the risotto before serving it to make sure it is cooked right? Despite our hiccup of a visit, we will definitely come back because we really do love this place. Another wonderful go-to menu item that I love is the Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. It's AMAZING! And paired with the roasted beet salad is the perfect lunch or light dinner.

One of the few italian restaraunts in the Twin Cities area that truly does it right. Food is incredible (everything we tried was awesome)!! Service was impeccable. Friendly staff who care and know what they're doing. Intimate yet laid back vibe inside. This place is our new Italian staple, nothing else we have had in Mpls or StP is comparable (unless you are looking to have a $400 dinner). Our experience was *chefs kiss*

I was there to celebrate my birthday. The staffs are friendly and attentive. Especially the foods was amazing. I would comeback again.

Had a reservation for 7:30, but changed it to 7:45 due to a late member in our party. Hostess was very nice and got us all drinks while we waited for our table, which was ready pretty quickly. Once we sat, waiter was there promptly to take any additional drink orders and take any orders for appetizers. Food came out very quick, which kept everyone in our party of 5 very happy. Never felt rushed, and we were able to enjoy our delicious food while enjoying lovely conversations at the table. Waiter and hostess were awesome. Would definitely go back again for maybe a date night, or even a business meeting with clients.

Excellent food wonderful service and a fun environment to hang out with friends- love this place!

I was craving Italian food, with all the cheese and carby garlicky goodness that goes along with my brains image of such things. I was very much not disappointed. We had a roasted garlic appetizer that made me feel so happy. It had some sweetness from the preserve that it was served with. It had a crunch from the delicious bread. The was that savory creaminess from the cheese and the garlic-y smoothness from the whole head of roasted garlic. I don't even need anything else in that meal to exist but it was all really good. I have deep thoughts about that appitizer every few days.

Prima is doing an outstanding job with curbside take out. They have several reserved parking spaces in front of the restaurant on Lyndale. When you order by phone they ask for the make, model, and color of your vehicle and when you pull up some one brings out your order. You have to order by phone and be sure and use their current take out menu on their website which is understandably limited compared to their full menu. We had the calamari, pear salad, crab cakes, pasta Bolognese, and key lime pie. Highly recommend.

Prima is doing an amazing job with their curbside pickup services and the food is seriously OUTSTANDING! The lady was masked who brought out our fresh & hot food in a neatly organized bag to the car and even gave our little dog an organic treat - soo cute! We ordered the bruschetta appetizer, squash & pumpkin ravioli, lobster & scallop saffron shell pasta as well as the most amaaazing chef Eliot's butterscotch budino (dinner feature) - everything was to die for! If you're looking for some quality local Italian food, do yourself the favor and order from Prima.

If you like a good meal with great atmosphere and super friendly staff? Be sure to check into Prima located in Mpls 5325 Lyndale Ave so . Ooh by the way Italian Cuisine I forgot to mention . We had the Top Sirloin steak dish smothered in sautéed mushrooms garlic mashed potatoes with asparagus seasoned just right This was our first visit but not our last they even have off street parking to accommodate their guests John & Di T

I'm not a native to Minnesota. And this place was a great find! It has very good Italian food! Everything I tasted was homemade, from the bread to the main course and even the dessert! It was absolutely delectable! My server Karen is the PERFECT example of how everyone should present themselves in a service industry role. She was courteous, informative, friendly and smiled a ton! I appreciated everything about our interaction. She has a tremendous amount of potential to make it in bigger things someday!

Amazing food and service! Had heard good things about Prima for a couple of years (and that it was close to true authentic Italian pasta) and finally made it over for dinner. The menu has so many delicious options, we can't wait to go back and try new dishes. Our waitress was also incredibly bubbly and accommodating.

I enjoy your food but can no longer afford to order from your restaurant. I want to support local restaurants but many of them tack on additional service fees to pay their staff instead of being direct with their customers by raising menu prices. In this pandemic, who can afford paying these service fees on top of the cost of a meal? Hint: it is not the masking and vaccine requirements that are having a negative impact on dining out, its the additional service fees.

The food was nothing short of amazing. Fresh ingredients, delicious food, incredible service. Beautiful restaurant. I had just about lost hope that we would find a great Italian restaurant in the twin cities. Owners have a farm and use ingredients from the farm. Our group of 4 sampled appetizers, multiple entrees, dessert and coffee. We will be back soon.

This is our very FAVORITE local find. The farm to table food is beyond spectacular with a fun, varied menu. Wine offered by the glass is delicious! Staff is incredibly helpful and so nice. Highly recommended!