This charming bistro located just off Hennepin Avenue in Uptown offers creative cuisine for a reasonable price. The Duplex serves a variety of imaginative entrées from wild rice risotto to pork tenderloin with blackberry demi-glaze.

The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner and has an undeniably great brunch available on Sunday mornings. Meals are moderately priced, most of the choices ranging from seven to fifteen dollars.

The ambiance is exactly what you would expect of an old Victorian house-turned-restaurant: comfy and welcoming. The charming red walls are accented with beautiful paintings of modern art and the lighting creates an intimate feel–perfect for a first, or fiftieth, date.

Their outdoor seating in the front yard is very popular, and tables on the second floor provide a nice view of the buzzing Hennepin Avenue, as well. The restaurant is cozy but not cliché, and the quirky decor and homey atmosphere definitely compliment the look.

That said, the service is just average. From my first experience, the food came on time, everything was still hot, and nothing was missing. Although the server was timely, she was less than knowledgeable and quite unfriendly.

Aside form the less-than-adequate staff of servers, the Duplex still has a lot to offer. Serving up countless innovative meals to choose from paired with a comfortable atmosphere, upside seem to outweight any drawbacks. All in all the Duplex is not a must-try, but always a good option.