The narrow dining room at Hyacinth feels like you’re spending dinner aboard a luxury passenger train with delicious pasta. Start the evening off by sharing the flatbread with the jiggly burrata add-on or fried olives stuffed with sharp provolone. If it’s available, order the bucatini cacio e pepe for textbook al dente noodles tossed with exactly the right amount of cheese and pepper—it’s so good you’ll throw a death glare at anyone asking for a bite, even your soulmate.

After cooking at Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC for years, Chef Rikki Giambruno brought his big-city pedigree back home and opened Hyacinth: a tiny-but-mighty Italian spot that proved that not only can you come home again, but you can make it a better place than it was before. Hyacinth’s vibes are distinctly Brooklyn, with marble tables packed close together and chill but personal service from servers in Warby Parker frames. Cozy, quiet, and romantic, Hyacinth is the perfect spot for a special date night or reconnecting with a friend.

This intimate eatery is beloved by Grand Avenue neighbors, and easy to visit on the regular, with a seasonally evolving menu. At Hyacinth, produce of the moment has a way of being elevated to stunning star attractions that soon become cravings. Snag a reservation for a transformative night out with fresh pasta made right in the centrally-located, open kitchen.

Relatively new, this little Italian joint has taken the neighborhood by storm. Reservations are hard to come by, as the space is small, but once you're there you'll feel like you've been transported to the Mediterranean with the crisp white walls, antique dishes, and pops of blue. The food is really very good, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

There is a downside to Hyacinth, though - it can be pretty cramped inside. Even before the pandemic, sometimes you had to yell to have your server hear you on a busy night, and the tables are closer than normal in a pretty tight space. Pre-pandemic, we preferred to go weeknights when it was less busy - not sure how it is these days.

Hyacinth Restaurant is a cozy, romantic Italian restaurant located at 790 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN. It has a wide selection of wines, many of which are from Italy itself. The restaurant also offers vegetarian options if you want something other than pasta. Plus, you can discover an awesome bar while enjoying your fabulous dish.

Chicken liver crostini at Hyacinth consists of liver mousse, grape spread, spiced cashews, and scallions on Sept. 27, 2022. While the first half of the meal felt innovative and inspired, our food writer was disappointed by the second half. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Hyacinth just so happens to be Grand Avenue’s only James Beard Award winning restaurant. After our first visit here, we were singing the praises too. In the quaint, tiny location, Hyacinth’s talented chefs whip up some of the city’s most amazing pasta dishes.

Up next from the Twin Cities, returns to Tenant and Hyacinth. Before all of that though I’ll have my last report from our New York trip in August.

Items come and go by the season at the Mediterranean-inspired gem serving the likes of grilled prawns and fresh pasta.