Alma occupies a corner building at 528 University Ave SE in Minneapolis’s Southeast Como neighborhood, a short walk from the University of Minnesota campus, and has built its reputation on seasonal New American cooking paired with a small inn upstairs.
The kitchen works from a menu that shifts with the growing season, leaning on relationships with Minnesota and Wisconsin farms for produce, meat, and dairy. Expect plates built around whatever is peaking that week — root vegetables and squash in fall, asparagus and ramps in spring — plated with restraint rather than excess. The bar program matches that same seasonal logic, with cocktails built around house-made syrups, bitters, and fresh juice rather than syrupy mixers. The dining room keeps things understated: warm wood tones, close tables, low lighting suited to a date-night crowd rather than large groups. Upstairs, Alma operates a handful of guest rooms, giving out-of-town diners the option to stay the night rather than cross the river back downtown.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Reservations matter here, especially Friday and Saturday evenings when the small dining room fills fast with couples and campus-area regulars. Weeknight dinners offer a quieter, slower-paced experience and a better chance to talk with staff about the evening’s sourcing. Metro Transit buses run along University Avenue, and street parking is available but limited, so arriving a few minutes early helps. Dress is smart casual, and given the tight seating, this suits two people far better than a large party.
