A plate of Monte Carlo dry-rub wings is a good way to get acquainted with this longtime Minneapolis restaurant-bar. The wings arrive sizeable, juicy and well fried, with a seasoning that is more interesting than the usual pepper-and-salt routine: cinnamon, cumin and paprika give the crust a warm, savory edge.
Monte Carlo has been associated with this setting since 1906, and its appeal comes partly from how comfortably it carries that age. There is old-school restaurant character in the dining areas, but the prominent copper-top bar keeps the place from becoming a period piece. The overall look lands somewhere between classic Americana and a cool, enduring New York supper-club mood.
The copper-top bar sets the tone
The bar is a destination in its own right, not just a waiting area before dinner. It suits a quick cocktail and wings as easily as a longer evening that turns into salads, steaks, pasta and dessert.
Martinis have a strong presence here. A blood orange martini, French martini, pear-and-espresso combination and Old Fashioned all give the drink list some range beyond the expected bar standards. Wine, dessert wine and fresh-made beverages broaden the options further.
The generous-pour reputation is especially appealing for a martini order. A French martini may be poured tableside, with the rest left behind in its shaker, a pleasingly unfussy little flourish that lets the drink linger through the opening courses.
Wings worth ordering first
The dry-rub wings are the signature order, and they make a persuasive shared starter for a table that has not yet decided how serious dinner will be. The spice blend has warmth rather than blunt heat, and the wings have enough substance to hold their own beside a cocktail.
They can also appear on the appetizer sampler, useful when the table wants to cover more ground. Shrimp cocktail, Szechuan green beans and calamari are among the shareable bites that have joined them on that larger spread.
The green beans deserve their own mention. They bring a more fiery, punchy note to the table, a nice counterpoint to the earthy sweetness in the wings’ cinnamon-forward dry rub.
A dinner menu that does not force a single mood
Monte Carlo is built for more than snacks at the bar. The menu moves through steaks, salads, pasta, ribs, chicken and seafood, so a group can include the person wanting a proper steak dinner and the person who would rather have a shrimp salad or Caesar.
The New York strip has been a particularly satisfying choice, buttery and served medium rare. There are also pasta directions to explore, including spaghetti carbonara and pasta with scallops, along with ribs, chicken, shrimp and liver with onions.
The egg salad sandwich is an appealing curveball on a menu with all these dinner options. It is served open-faced on bread with a homemade-tasting quality, the sort of simple lunch-or-light-dinner order that can be unexpectedly hard to stop eating.
Caesar salad comes up often as a reliable accompaniment, including alongside shrimp and pasta dishes. It is easy to picture a table starting with wings and green beans, then splitting off into very different entrées without anyone having to compromise much.
Rooms with different rhythms
The restaurant has several ways to settle in. The copper-top bar has its own energy, while the more traditional dining area can suit an unhurried meal and an easy conversation.
The back Red Room offers another interior pocket for diners who have become regulars or simply want a change of scene from the main room. Taken together, the spaces help Monte Carlo avoid the one-note feeling of a restaurant that is only a bar or only a formal dining room.
Sound levels can shift with the room and the occasion. A quieter dinner is possible, while a busy evening can be louder and livelier without necessarily making conversation impossible.
Patio season has its own appeal
When the patio is open, it becomes a natural place for the Monte Carlo formula: a cocktail, a Caesar salad, perhaps a plate of wings, and nowhere urgent to be. Outdoor seating gives the restaurant a more relaxed side without changing its old Minneapolis character.
The patio is seasonal, so it is best thought of as a warm-weather option rather than a year-round promise. During its season, it offers a distinctly different setting from the darker, more intimate rooms inside.
A useful address for celebrations
Monte Carlo has handled birthdays, business meetings, rehearsal dinners, welcome drinks and post-wedding dinners, which says something practical about the range of the place. It can take a couple out for drinks without making them feel surrounded by event logistics, yet it has room for an organized gathering.
An upstairs area has been used for private or semiprivate occasions and larger groups. That makes the restaurant a useful option when a celebration needs more structure than meeting at the bar but still calls for cocktails and a menu people will recognize.
Birthday meals have included a chocolate cake slice with a candle, though that is better viewed as a lovely occasion-specific touch than a standing promise. Dessert itself is worth saving room for: chocolate cake and an ice cream sundae with caramel sauce offer familiar, satisfying ways to finish.
A few practical notes
Reservations are a sensible consideration for a planned dinner, especially when the goal is a particular table, a group meal or a night when the bar is likely to be active. The restaurant’s mix of casual drinkers, diners and celebrations can make it feel busier than its composed atmosphere first suggests.
Monte Carlo is near Martin Patrick, making it easy to pair a meal or martini with nearby shopping. Parking arrangements have varied, with references to lots, street parking, garages and valet service, so current options are worth confirming directly before heading over.