Small Hours

“Small Hour” is a hidden gem tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Minneapolis, and I finally had the chance to visit after meaning to stop by for quite some time. That evening felt extra special — my friend was performing music, so it almost felt like an invited night out, and I went with my girlfriend and another close friend. Unlike many wine bars in the Twin Cities, this one felt much more casual and approachable. You don’t feel the pressure to dress up — it’s the kind of place where you can come to unwind, share a good bottle, and enjoy the moment. We ordered a bottle of rosé wine, which was well-chosen and perfectly chilled. The wine selection overall was thoughtful and balanced, with options for both casual drinkers and those who appreciate something unique. The food was simple but satisfying, complementing the wines nicely without overcomplicating things. The whole experience felt minimalist and modern, allowing us to focus more on conversation and atmosphere than on pretense. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t try too hard — and that’s exactly what makes it charming. Here, you order at the counter — it’s self-service, and the staff doesn’t hover over you, which actually gave us the space to talk and relax comfortably. The owner had a warm, genuine smile, and you could tell they care about creating a space that feels both local and intentional. It wasn’t too crowded when we visited, but the vibe was cozy, stylish, and quietly vibrant — perfect for a low-key evening with friends or a special date night. I wouldn’t call it an everyday stop, but for the right occasion or a meaningful meeting, Small Hour is absolutely worth the visit. I love seeing more places like this opening in Minneapolis — a modern, minimalist wine bar with heart, soul, and a sense of calm sophistication.

Small Hours gives great refined Euro wine bar vibes. Minimalist design is incredibly thoughtful and restrained and the experience is well thought out. Wines here are not entry-level — don’t pop by for your first-ever glass. Rather it’s ideal for getting outside your comfort zone, trying something totally unknown and not minding a little uncertainty. I’ve never seen another spot with anything close to the tinned fish menu here either, even overseas. It’s lacking on proactive service engagement, but I look forward to coming back for more wine adventures soon.

After an evening at Small Hours we were left wanting and underwhelmed and with a very large bill. There were just three of us and our bill was $360 (including 18% gratuity) for just a couple glasses of wine each and an assortment small plates. Small Hours wants to charge fine dining prices but serve food in a room temperature tin and only offer four glass servings of wine. I mean $30 for a “grilled” octopus that comes in a shelf stable fluid and tin at room temp? They have a bottle list of over 150 wines, yet you are stuck buying a bottle or overpaying for a glass of wine from their small glass serving list. The portions are very unbalanced, we were served such small amounts but it came with 4-5 slices of bread for each plate. There is little to no service at this establishment, you have to go to the counter to order and we had to bring glasses up to the counter because our table was full. When we asked some basic questions on the menu the server said they did not know and didn’t ask anyone to get an answer. The included 18% gratuity on the bill stings with this kind of service. This is a great atmosphere but it just feels out of place in a random NE Minneapolis neighborhood. Overall the value was just not there. Way too expensive for a very small amount of food and drink for essentially a self server establishment.

Such a cozy spot for a cold January night. The wine list is impressive and the atmosphere is perfection. I wish there were a few more options of wine for single glasses rather than bottles, but I’d definitely go back.

Gorgeous space and incredible atmosphere. Great concept and super well executed, and just what Minneapolis needed! I could chat wine and music with the owners for hours — both are super knowledgeable and friendly. Love everything about it and can’t wait to go back!

I was very excited to check out the space as a hifi lounge and to try some great wine. I'd read exciting things about it online: thoughtful design for sound immersion and a sommelier that had curated a great list. It was disappointing on both fronts. Definitely not worth the trip to visit as it's set up now. Hopefully they'll take some time to learn and adjust. Or maybe there is enough clientele that won't mind the poor sound experience and want to drop a lot on a bottle. Their sound set up was pretty bad. The ceiling had sound treatment, but the walls had nothing. The space is essentially a box, so all the conversation bounced around on the walls making it difficult to hear music. Convos overpowered whatever was playing. Their two (or was it one?) speaker is at the front of the space, which didn't help either. Definitely not a hifi experience, and it's a shame they're marketing it as such. The wine list was long, sure. But the cheapest bottle was around $50. And the cheapest glass was $15+. They need to think about catering to a wider audience instead of creating an expensive and inaccessible wine list. And then a $20+ surcharge for counter service?! Because it was counter service, there were people coming in, (no waiting list for entry/a table) getting wine, ad there were no seats, folks were standing right outside the bathroom door downing their wine and leaving. Only redeeming quality was the guy at the counter (co-owner) was friendly.

I want to love this place so much, and with a few tweaks it could be great. The food and wine are excellent, this alone is enough reason to return. I could make a habit of showing up for happy hour and just getting whatever tinned fish is on that day. The service was also lovely, everyone was friendly and knowledgeable, though note it is counter order which isn't super obvious until you notice other people going up. The real problem is the "listening bar' aspect. The music is a touch too loud, the speaker are placed too close to several tables making it impossible to carry on a conversation there. We got seated at one of these tables, asked to switch, and watched as a game of musical chairs happened as they seated couple after couple there each on asking to move until it was the only table left and the last to arrive got stuck. The Klipse speakers are amazing, but they don't work in the space and you could easily trade them in for several sets of JBL L100's that would give you the same vibe, 95% of the quality, at a third of the real estate, meaning you could put them in better places. Also the tables and chairs have left something to be desired. They are a bit tippy, not super comfortable, and just seemed cheap. I get it, the business is hard and you've got to save where you can... But we didn't want to stay and longer much to enjoy the music as it wasn't comfortable seating. Purse/coat hooks would also be helpful. Put some additional sound proofing on the walls, even some second hand drapes would go a long way towards quieting the room down and making conversation easier while still hearing the music Also play music people actually know and want to hear. I texted a friend I finally made it there and his first question was "what are they spinning"? I had to respond that it was some low key electronica that all sounded the same. Maybe let customers bring things in? You'd get some awkward conversations if they bring in nonsense, but at least it would be interesting. It's a listening bar, boring shouldn't be the goal. I think this is the longest review I've ever left on a restaurant... But I want to love this place and it's a few tweaks from being somewhere I try to get back to every chance I get.

Love this place!! Delicious food 🥘 good music, perfect customer service, we will be back again soon!