Sea Change

We ate here last night, ahead of attending a Guthrie play. We had a great meal, great service and a great experience. So why, I wondered, all of the Unilocal whining about Sea Change?
My best answer is, I don’t know; that wasn’t our experience.
First, a little background. At best, we dine out once a week but when we do, as its infrequent, we prefer fine dining. Consequently, I’m comparing Sea Change to its immediate, aspirational competitors. I have a lengthy list of overpriced, adequate restaurants. They all charge $ 2 – 3 too much per menu item. They’re good, not great places. And, that’s fine because determining value is, at the end of the day, a very personal decision. Just don’t charge me $ 15 for an $ 11 burger served in herd setting and expect my infrequent Unilocal posting.
A pre-​theater Saturday night at Sea Change is a phenomenal test for any restaurant. They executed with terrific food over each of three courses, attentive service and impeccable timing. We gave ourselves two hours ahead of curtain. Simultaneously, so did nearly every other table last night. The kitchen and front of house staff really need recognition for delivering on their fine dining promise. We departed at 7:15, pleased and satisfied.
To be fair, I haven’t eaten brunch or during a non-​show time but by any measure, Sea Change delivered. Seafood is a great culinary leveler. It cooks quickly, is easy to screw up and doesn’t generally have long-​simmered flavors to boost mouthfeel. The world is full of decent fish and chips for $ 10 – 14 but a deep fryer hides many more problems than it solves. Our $ 27 – 29 entrees were very well executed and appropriately priced. We’ll be going back and it bears explaining why.

We have been here several times and mostly disappointed. Last time a week ago we arrived an hour and a half before show. Service was painfully slow, perhaps more kitchen than waitress, but we were finally served 10 minutes before showtime!
Agree that prices are very high for portions.
We won’t be back.

They should change their name to Big Change. Because that is what they need. I made reservations for Sunday brunch because they offered bottomless Mimosas. I’ve been here an hour and am writing this while waiting for my second one.
Now, I’ll give the female server a break because she was alone. The host was busy hosting and the buser was busy busing instead of helping her. Service was incredibly slow. And the food…
I ordered the crab crake Benedict. I thought it was served on a potato cake because the English muffin was so thin and crunchy. Non traditional hollandaise sauce, which I wouldn’t frown upon if it was good.
I’m sure I’ll be sitting here finishing this review before I get my drink and another 20 minutes before my check comes. Highly disappointed and won’t be back.

People just have to find things to criticize when they experience excellence. I read a one sentence review of this place, stating that people travel from out of state to eat here. Now I see why. After experiencing about six different types of sea creatures in a single meal with probably the best table service I’ve had in a restaurant, I can’t think of anything wrong here. All of the food was deadly good, like come-​back-​seven-​days-​per-​week good. Wine was good. Location and parking were good. Décor was good. Look, you know what you’re getting into when you come to a high-​class restaurant like this — embrace it and enjoy one of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities.

My wife & dine out alot. This place has got to be the worst and overpriced restaurant we’ve ever seen in yrs. Portions are ridiculously small.
We came with a large party. Everybody paid an arm and a leg and left hungry. We brought a bday cake with us. They charged us $ 80 for cutting it!
What a joke…

Sustainable seafood done right. This would have been five stars but for the langoustines from the raw bar that were just okay.
Highlights from the starters (we went «family style») were the octopus that was perfection after being deliciously seasoned and slow cooked for three hours and the chicken fried oysters which had a much appreciated hot sauce kick.
From the entrees I’d recommend both the Arctic char and swordfish.
Finally — if you are doing dessert — be sure to go with the tort!

What great food and outstanding atmosphere.

Decent food, chic décor and good service earns a solid review in my book.
Food: The Langoustines were recommended and tasty but pretty small. I could’ve eaten 10! The Arctic Char entrée was delicious and filling. And I sampled my boyfriends trout with andouille sausage which had a nice kick.
The only item we didn’t love was the octopus unfortunately. We had high hopes based on other reviews but it had an odd taste to it. I feel bad for saying this!
Our cocktails, appetizers, and entrees were spaced out relatively nicely. We got there at 5:30 and finished at 7:00 in time for the play.
The waitress made good recommendations and was knowledgeable about the menu.
The main entrees seem to mainly consist of fish dishes and they had a nice selection to choose from.
This elegant place is definitely worth the splurge for a date night!

Despite the modern atmosphere and impressive list of fish on the menu, I’m not impressed by Sea Change. Please read on.
I applaud the restaurant’s mission to use sustainable fish, as well as offering a diverse list of raw items and other variety. However the portion is small, the price is high, and the flavor was lacking. What you do get however is freshness, but without any chef creativity or flavor dimensions.
We had ordered the cod, swordfish, and a variety of other fish items. We had also ordered chicken fried oysters, which were laughably small and underwhelming.
On the bright side, our waiter and bread were great — despite we having to get refills because we were still hungry from the little filet pieces. We won’t be back, and can’t recommend this place other than for show goers out of convenience.

I had a really nice meal before a show at the Guthrie. I had an octopus appetizer like I’ve never had octopus before… lots of interesting flavors. We also got some dumplings to share and they were delicious. I wish I would have gotten to eat more than one!
For a main course I had bouillabaisse. It was very good. The mussels were small, but the broth was delicious and the chunks of fish were very good!
Server was friendly. Nice view of the river. I will definitely come back again.

My husband and I had a great time at Sea Change for dinner before seeing the Music Man. Opentable recommended making reservations by 5:45 if seeing a show at the Guthrie, so we opted for 5:45. It definitely was not very busy so we may not have needed a reservation, but I always like to be prepared.
Our server was very friendly and helpful. Once he took our order, he really took care to pace out the food and make sure to get us through the meal on time. The wine list was pretty balanced and the server really helped with any questions we had.
The First Encounter oyster was fantastic. It was very fresh and I appreciated all of the accompaniments that came with it. While I’m pretty simple and tend to go with just lemon, the options were definitely nice to have. The tuna carpaccio was ok. The toppings took away from the flavor of the fish a bit, and it didn’t taste as fresh as the oyster. I was really excited about the uni mayo, but did not get much of it and didnt really taste it either. The salmon was good, nothing crazy, but well done. The show stopper, surprisingly, was the romaine salad (basically caeser). It was absolutely delicious and so well balanced. All of the components were well done and the soft boiled egg was just the icing on the cake.
My husband’s birthday was the day before and they gave him a little chocolate truffle at the end of the meal.
We would definitely be back before a show at the Guthrie, the location is pretty tough to beat!

A very poor value for the price paid.
My husband and I went here for the first time when we went to see The Music Man at the Guthrie. We each had a martini at the bar before dinner. Total cost before tip: $ 29.45. Inside, my husband ordered the trout which was good but very small. I gave him half of my cod and some of my sides and he still could have eaten a little more. The portions were VERY small. The food was tasty, but not worth the price paid. The service was fabulous! We could not have asked for a more appropriately attentive waiter (Tim). We are glad to have gone once but won’t be returning. There are too many other options from which to choose before going to the theater.

Don’t waste your time.
My wife and I went there last night. There were maybe a dozen people there with 2 waiters, a bartender and some other help working. Not exactly a busy night.
We were seated right away next to the bar … then ignored. The waiters just sat at the end of the bar talking to each other. After 10 minutes my wife went to the bar to place our order. Another 10 minutes passed, no one came to check on us and I still didn’t have my beer. The waiters just sat at the end of the bar chatting with each other and staring at us. I’m not asking for much, but I expect a bar that’s not busy to be able to serve a beer within 20 minutes.
This is such a great location, its too bad its run so poorly.

This review is for their event services only.
I had the chance to enjoy their outdoor space for an event last night and I have to say, the service was great by the staff and the Hors D’oeuvres were amazing bites!
Sea change is on the street level of the Guthrie theater and the outside area faces the Mississippi and I have to say on a summer evening, the view was gorgeous! Great place to hold an event. They had a table with some hors d’oeuveres set on the table and then they some servers passing some around. From that selection, I basically tried one of everything and I think I liked every single item! If you are planning an event here, I would recommend the following appetizers to choose from: their chicken satay, deviled eggs, beets and goat cheese. Oh and cannot forget about their desserts, they had some truffles and bite sized tarts that were amazing as well.
Great event space, will have to try the restaurant menu when I am back for a show in the next time at the Guthrie

We think Sea Change is over priced and simply not with it. The wait staff could gardly care less about us. We had guests from Japan and were really embarrassed. Food is marginal at best. Took forever. The waiter got our order messed up. Pretty much anything that could go wrong went wrong. I’m really surprised at the positive reviews this place gets on Unilocal.It was not our experience. Maybe they are just riding on their uppity attitude and when people stop to think this place will be out of business.

A stylish spot for pre-​theatre dining located on the first floor of the Gutherie complex. Since 99% of the diners are heading to the show, they do a great job of timing the meal to ensure everyone gets out on time.
As for the food, they offer a selection of sustainably harvested seafood served in small, elegant portions with a strong foodie proclivity toward less familiar ingredients. In fact, it’s pretty much opposite of Red Lobster comfort food. They have a nice wine selection and the serving staff is professional and speedy.
A good choice for a pre-​theatre meal.

Great place for gluten free diners! If you want either drinks or dinner before the theater, there are many choices. The wait staff are extremely knowledgeable about which items on the menu can be made gluten free, and it was at least half the menu. I selected the grilled octopus as a starter. The octopus itself was excellent, perfectly grilled and not tough or rubbery at all. There were three different sauces on the plate, which the waitress urged me to eat all together, with each bite, but I found they didn’t really go together that well, and actually overwhelmed the octopus.
For my entrée, I had arctic char with crispy skin. It is pan– fried, so safe for gluten free folks. It was really delicious, on a bed of white beans.

This restaurant has quite a few things working in its favor. It’s one of those ideal date restaurants. Let me explain why.
This restaurant is located in the Guthrie Theater. It’s an architectural beauty to behold. When approaching the restaurant which is located on ground level, you’ll start to notice a few interesting artsy intricacies even before you walk in. You’ll first notice the cool green lighting around the theater which creates this soothing ambiance. It wasn’t a cold color. Far from it actually. The green hue was a very calming color. It definitely set the mood for a New Years Eve dinner date. And surrounding this gorgeous building are pictures of directors such as Tyrone Guthrie are displayed on panels from top to bottom. It definitely has a theatrical feel to it, honoring the directors’ famed work. The floor to ceiling windows were great for peeking inside what seemed like a an ultra-​lush loungie type restaurant.
This restaurant itself has a nice décor continuing with the already green/​blue tone color reminiscent of the ocean. I can’t express how fluid the colors in setting the tone even before you enter the eating establishment. The high ceilings accompanied by the spotlights were pleasant. The glass pieces/​dividers really added to the stylish décor. The stainless steel in the kitchen was pure sex! I immediately noticed how airy it is. Most restaurants are stuffy but this one with its high ceilings breathes new life into a dining experience. The open kitchen was refreshing to see. The artsy work was on full display and the food that came out from that workshop was nothing short of amazing.
So enough with the exterior/​interior design. I’m sure you’re wondering how the food was. Sublime! The dining experience was filled with astonishing moments and just pure amazement. Me and my date tried 3 different oysters from the east coast and all were plump and juicy with different saltiness. Very refreshing with the different sauces provided in pipettes. The grilled octopus was one helluva appetizer. It was grilled to perfection and wonderfully seasoned! Flavorful and oh so tender. The sweet salsa verde worked with the octopus in harmony. The shaved abalone and bone marrow bits with rolled asparagus was also one of my favorites due to the simplicity of the dish but also complex. The sliced asparagus was rolled around the shaved abalone making it a sight to behold and taste to savor. My girlfriend had the bouillabaisse which was filled with all kinds of seafood. The amount of seafood was a bit lacking though. There could have been more of it. The neck clams were fresh and creamy. The bread piece that came with it was not clearly not enough for dipping. We wanted a whole basket of bread to dip in the rich, deep and intense bouillabaisse. The lobster special for the evening was also incredible. Moist, succulent and above all, tasteful. The lobster foam was delectable and playful, much like the rest of the plates. The lime cake pudding was not only appealing to the eye but was also scrumptious. My mouth is salivating from even writing this!!! Do not hesitate to come here. It’s work of art. Art that you can eat! If seafood is what you want, come here! The whole eating experience was fun.
So why just 4 stars… Sadly enough the service was not complete. It wasn’t complete because we were left behind for a good 15 minutes after we were seated. I get it, you are busy on NYE but there’s really no excuse for forgetting your patrons that you just sat down especially not on a night like this. I did not go out to eat on NYE to be forgotten. I had to eventually get another nearby server to see what the holdup was. After a few brief seconds, our server showed up in a apologetic tone stating there was a mix-​up. It was probably not her fault to begin with. Not sure if there was a miscommunication between the maitre d’ and our server but we were non-​existent regardless of the reason. Our server, however, was attentive during our 3 hour dining experience and was thorough in explaining the questions we had in regards to some of the dishes. She also displayed full understanding of the specials which she sold me on. I get it, I was server once and things happen but she definitely fixed it and went above and beyond after we were acknowledged.
Even with all the cooking going on, the kitchen ventilation was working its magic. I left the restaurant without smelling like food. Incredible feeling especially after a NYE dinner. After leaving this gem of a restaurant, we were once again treated to that cool lighting again on the outside. Somewhat magical because we just stood there gazing upon the night sky with the lights shining in the background.

The only reason I didn’t give Sea Change five stars is because the portions were VERY small and the price was very high.
The service was exemplary. Our server first showed up by giving a card to my mom and calling her by her name. Sasha knew about what was in each item on the entire menu, our water glasses were never less than half, and she ended by giving my mom a present (a box of shortbread cookies). With every course, dirty utensils were replaced with clean ones.
The scallops were fresh, tender, and melted in your mouth. I felt the same about the langostines-​my favorite. The grilled octopus was one of the best things on the menu (not chewy and flavorful) as well as the monkfish (perfectly cooked, opaque in the middle). We ordered an extra side dish (white beans) because the portions were so small. It turned out to be an excellent decision as well as the nectarine sorbet for dessert.

In town for a meeting and I found this place on some list on some food site and although it was a good walk from my hotel I think I would have walked twice as far to get there. First of all the location is just awesome, right next to the river with some great views.
Walked in and the space is gorgeous and I am trying to sneak back here to try some stuff at the raw bar since I only came for brunch. The hostess was quite friendly and I was sat immediately. The server was very nice and attentive and was very knowledgeable about the menu. I ended up getting the pastrami eggs benedict with charred poblano peppers and a side of strawberries and cream. Everything was fantastic, the pastrami is housemade and just awesome and the thing that really put this dish over the top was the poblano peppers, I might have to steal this idea. The strawberries and cream were very tasty as well and I enjoyed everything. The next time I am in town for a meeting I definitely make my way over here.