Italian food? I love it! You might even call it amore. It is definitely in my top 3 as far as cuisines go. So any excuse to eat “delicious Itailian fare” complemented by a “pleasant and inviting atmosphere” (says the website) well of course I’m there. My boyfriend actually picked this one out. We had been looking for a new place to eat and landed here.

Most Minneapolites (Minnenanapolians?) will probably remember Victoria as being the ex-site of Giorgio’s on the corner of Lake and Irving. However, the two look nothing alike on the inside. I was impressed by the decor, very cozy. Dim candle lit, dark woodwork, tiled floors, exposed (although me thinks faux) brick walls, tables and booths, a bar and a piano. So far so good. One thing to note however is the parking lot. Although free, it is not large enough to support all of the patrons and employees. You may have to park on the street (we did), but that’s no biggy right? Also, there is no standing room when you walk in, which isn’t a problem if you get seated right away and it’s not a Minnesota tundra outside. We had reservations so it wasn’t a problem.

Our host and our server were both pleasant. Our server was quick to get us our bottle of wine and make sure that we approved. She checked in just enough (wasn’t overly nosy) and so gets my stamp of approval, aka more than a 20% tip.

Our dinner started out with fresh bread served with olive oil and fresh grated parmesan for dipping. The bread is awesome! We also had the Bruschetta al Pomodoro app which included 5 pieces and greens drizzled with olive oil. The bread was cooked just perfect. I’ve often had bruschetta that is too tough. It’s hard to eat and does a number on the roof of your mouth. Needless to say this takes away from any sort of deliciousness it might have been able to provide you. But I digress…Victoria did a spot on job. Marinated diced tomatoes and fresh parmesan cheese topped it off. The entrees weren’t as good. We had the Mushroom Passion pasta which sounds good in theory and the white clam sauce pasta. Both were rather bland and not very exciting. However, the portions were huge. (See details below).

Pros: Awesome bread, friendly staff, nice ambiance, large selection o’food (spaghetti and meatballs to sea bass to gorgonzola stuffed veal), good date place, great wine selection, not overly spendy. Cons: Not much to nay about, but we didn’t really experience anything out of the ordinary. Also, compared to other Italian restaurants in Minneapolis Amore ranks on the low end of my scale. Not sure if I’ll be back anytime soon.

1/2 of select wine bottles every Sunday through Tuesday (I’m hitting that up!)
Happy Hour Sun-Fri 2:30pm-7:00pm including beer, wines, rails, cocktails, and apps!

We had the best experience the first time we went to Amore Victoria. An art fair was in session and we were having difficulty finding a parking spot. The owner offered to take our keys and park our car for us when a spot opened up. He actually took his own car out of the parking lot and parked our car right by the door and brought us our keys at the table! I have never received this kind of customer service anywhere! Not only was the customer service great but also the waitstaff was very educated on the wine list and menu. The food was outstanding. We were in love with everthing we ordered and was still craving it an hour after we left. If you are planning a trip to Minneapolis, you need to stop and eat at Amore Victoria, the atmosphere itself will make it worth it.

Our first time here. They have free parking behind the building, which is a BIG plus in Uptown. Parking lot was clean, not cluttered with butts or trash.

We were greeted as we entered, and seated right away.
hostess was very perky and nice. our server, Tyler, made some suggestions and took a cocktail order. He was back with our drinks in 3 minutes. He gave us time to look the menu over. They had great specials. My date had a Genoveva chicken salad. The chicken was very fresh and wasn’t drowned in dressing ( raspberry vin ) I had a Pescatore seafood soup that was more like a stew.

For our entrees my date had the Veal Carciofi which came with a mound of made there pasta, I had the Manicotti. Everything we had, except her salad, was on the specials menu. Everything was wonderful!! The seasoning on our dishes was excellent and not overpowering. our server was very attentive without being annoying. The timing for our courses was excellent
Nothing annoys me me more than having the second course arrive before the first is cleared.

Even the bathrooms were first rate

Always check out the specials menu.

I will be back.

Love the atmoshere…the bread here is amazing. We sat at the bar across from a big window and enjoyed being able to look outside at all the passersby around uptown. I had the Osso Buco which was delicious. My companion had a lobster ravioli dish with cavier which she much enjoyed as well. To finish was the rich, creamy Tiramisu…although I couldn’t enjoy it with my coffee, as it took forever to arrive. I will forgive this small error as the food was so good…

We went to Amore Victoria for a close friends rehearsal dinner here and had one of the most memorable experiences ever. Food was delicious, decor was lovely, and service was near perfect. I had the Chicken Rosa Verde, my husband the Tortellini alla Panna, and the Tiramisu is excelent. I can’t wait to come back.

Went with a large group… seated immediately but took 1.5 hours to get our food! (Yes, it was Friday night, but it wasn’t that busy.) Food was around Olive Garden level, soups arrived only lukewarm. We did get free desserts and wine since we’d waited so long, though.