Demi — Restaurant in Minneapolis

An Unforgettable 10-Year Anniversary at Demi – A Culinary Symphony

Demi is more than just a restaurant—it’s a masterfully orchestrated experience that puts Minneapolis’ dining scene on par with the best in the world. My wife & I celebrated our 10-year anniversary here, from start to finish, it was nothing short of phenomenal.

Jessica warmly greeted us upon arrival, setting the tone for the night. Kelvin, the mixologist, started things off with aperitifs—mine was a gin-forward cocktail, while my wife enjoyed a tequila-based creation. From there, the experience unfolded like a symphony, each course meticulously plated and executed by an incredible team of artisans.

The Courses – A Culinary Journey with an Unforgettable Team

Sobacha Tea – A light, elegant start featuring dried pear and anise hyssop.

Island Creek Oysters – Briny yet subtly sweet, paired with umeboshi puree, cucumber, and shiso.

Regiis Ova Kaluga Caviar – Served atop a buckwheat tart with smoked whitefish and hen egg emulsion, blending crunch, silkiness, and umami depth.

PB & J – A playful take on a classic, with crispy sunchoke, mango compote, marigold, and toasted peanut.

Scallop Crudo – Delicately fresh, complemented by sea urchin, fennel, tarragon, urfa chili, and satsuma.

Grilled Sea Bass – Perfectly cooked, paired with baby bok choy, pickled wakame, toasted yeast, puffed rice, and sake.

Wild Rice Porridge – A Minnesota homage, enriched with broccolini, crispy duck confit, parmesan, and celery root.

Grilled Venison Loin – Cooked over a special charcoal grill that occasionally sent up glowing sparks, adding to the theater of the meal. Aaron handled the grill, ensuring the venison was served flawlessly with pickled black walnut, marinated beets, caramelized onion pierogi, and sauce vin de noix. The pierogi was selected by Alan, making this one of the most memorable moments of the evening.

Earl Grey Ice Cream – A refined, subtly floral dessert with cashew mousse, wild grape, and lime.

Chocolate Gateau – Featuring kumquat marmalade, Sicilian pistachio, and a cranberry-blood orange sorbet. Watching Micah plate the sorbet was mesmerizing—he reshaped it multiple times, refusing to serve anything that wasn’t perfect. His precision was inspiring.

Mignardises – We were too stuffed to enjoy these final confections, but we brought them home to our four-year-old daughter, Benedetta. She ran around the house, shouting her thanks for how delicious they were—an unexpected, joyful way to extend the experience into our home.

The Final Touches

One of the most unexpected delights of the night was the Turkish wine—a revelation in its distinctive character. And to close the meal, instead of the usual limoncello, we were served a mandarin aperitif, an intense burst of orange oil unlike anything I’ve tasted.

Beyond the food, the craftsmanship on display throughout the night was remarkable. George, with his hyper-precise tongs, plated every dish with mesmerizing intensity. Watching him work was like witnessing an artist at the peak of his craft.

Throughout the night, we saw the talent of Alan, Aaron, Micah, Nick, Gabe, Malcolm, and Jeffrey, as well as the entire team whose dedication made this evening unforgettable. Nick, the general manager, ensured the experience was seamless.

Demi provides each guest with a menu and pairing list at the end of the night—an invaluable touch. With so many complex flavors and sensory experiences (gustation and olfaction playing a dominant role), having the physical menu allows you to relive the meal and appreciate its intricacies long after leaving.

Tucked into the North Loop, Demi is just around the corner from my office at Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty—a spot I deeply appreciate having so close. Whether for a milestone celebration or a night of pure indulgence, Demi delivers a world-class dining experience that proves Minneapolis belongs on the global culinary map.

A sincere thank you to Gavin Kaysen and his entire team for an unforgettable night.

Humbly...

Gosh, where to start with Demi?! I want to be detailed as possible without fully disclosing the current menu so you're just as in awe as I was going into my dinner reservations here on Thursday at 8:30 pm ...

Let's start with the atmosphere: It's a beautifully detailed but small space in downtown Minneapolis. They can only seat up to 21 total guests so it was packed and lively. You're all seated around what appears to be a giant bar, where you're sitting directly facing all of the action in the kitchen. You're watching the meticulous detail that goes into every dish by the wonderfully vibrant staff at Demi (chefs and servers alike). Every waiter/waitress is extremely personable, the type of people that you want to instantly befriend. My personal favorites were Sara (Botchi), Sarah (with any h), and Teagan (fabulous mixologist who just doesn't miss).

Diving right into the food: As you probably guessed, it's a sensational 10-course prix fix dining experience. Every meal is as gorgeous as the next and each is described by the chef who made it down to a t, every single ingredient is narrated so you know exactly what is in front of you. I took some brief notes in my notes app on a handful of savory and sweet bites before stopping to fully immerse myself in the experience ("live in the moment") so here they are: (1) Similar to the flavor profile of a Filipino Sinigang soup as a starter; (2) Amazing with the goat cheese foam and a hint of salt, there are orange beets and I've never liked beets until this moment; (3) Caviar, so delicious I had no idea I would even like this, so creamy and the perfect balance of flavors; (4) Guinea Hen so freakin good, I want more, perfectly seasoned and moist. {I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves!}

Miscellaneous: *You can specify any dietary restrictions upfront (like my allergy to mushrooms). *There's a lovely woman named Teagan who takes your drink orders if you're not participating in the wine pairing program. If you don't know specifically what you want, leave it in her hands, she'll ask you for the flavor profile you're going for or simply the kind of alcohol you want and she'll concoct something wonderful. *The group of diners here are awesome, some have been coming back their 8th to 12th time, and this place is not cheap so that's true loyalty right there! *You have to practically make a reservation up to a month in advance because of dining availability and don't be afraid to take a time slot later than you normally would (we started around 8:30 and left around 11:00). *Be prepared to spend a pretty penny, for 4 of us in my group, we spent roughly around $260 per person which included all of our cocktails and the 10-course meal. *They automatically include 21% gratuity to your bill (but it's worth it trust me).

All in all, for this being my very first fine dining prix fix experience, I left feeling satiated. You can't get any better than this restaurant and I wish all of the success in the world for Demi and it's staff (truly a great group of people). If you're visiting the Twin Cities and want a really special dining experience or even if you're a local, you have to try Demi, it comes 100%...

We were lucky enough to score a reservation for demi's opening weekend to celebrate a birthday. Our dinner was phenomenal! Gavin (who was there and overseeing the evening) has absolutely nailed it in terms of bringing a world class tasting menu experience to the Twin Cities. The service was outstanding. The food was perfectly executed. The demi wine pairing was spot on. Without spoiling it for others, I will say we voted the cod or grilled octopus as our favorite stand alone course, the foie gras (aka church basement fruit salad) as the best pairing, and the Waygu as something that could very well get us to add red meat back to our regular diet! It was such a fun evening and a meal we will remember for a long time. We are already planning to return for our anniversary in August (assuming we can get a reservation as I am guessing this will quickly become a near impossible place to get a table!)

Some tips for those that may be interested: We found the 2 hour meal to be the perfect amount of food. We may try the 2.5 hour meal next time just to to prolong the experience (as it went by so quickly) but, food wise, the 2 hour experience was just right. We did the standard demi wine pairing (versus the Reserve) and can't say we felt it was subpar. They were nice pours with a new one for every course. They were unique and well curated to pair with the food. For us, Alma sets the bar for wine pairings and demi proved to be at or even above it. (The foie gras and French cider pairing was genius! The Rioja and Waygu was spot on!) It might be interesting to try the Reserve pairing some time but not because we felt the demi was mediocre. Our 19 year-old daughter joined us. We ordered the Temperance non-alcoholic beverage pairing so she could experience how food and drink complement one another. She loved it! They were each unique and thoughtfully created to accompany each dish. Each party is seated separately and at its own time which enables very personalized service. We did the first seating of the evening at 5:30 and would do this again. We were able to be surprised by each course whereas arriving later, this would not be the case as you would see fellow diners served. Service is second to none. Every member of the staff we encountered was friendly, engaging, and attentive. They even all individually wished me a happy birthday based only on the note in the reservation! The special doughnut and candy floss with a candle was a very thoughtful touch! It was an absolute privilege to meet and have Gavin serve us some of our courses. He is very personable and clearly loves what he does. He understands not only how to make great food but also provide superior service. He spent time with us answering some of our questions and sharing about his experience and background. He even took the time to sign our daughter's menu as she...