Nouvelle Kitchen & Brewery Robbinsdale, MN
- 4 Paws Marketing
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago

Upon entering, I knew this place was a winner. I loved the cute, small diner vibe you get when you walk in the door, and loved the fact that it was the type of place where you seat yourself and check out from your phone, so there’s no waiting for a server to come back to your table. There was plenty of seating to choose from, no cozy, sofa-like options, but there are stools where you can belly up to the bar. Located in downtown Robbinsdale, it has a nice, small-town charm but yet is just a stone’s throw away from the heart of Minneapolis.
We went on a Tuesday night, and it was relatively busy—enough people to give it a positive energy, but yet still easy to find a table. I brought the kids (teens and up) along this time, and they loved it. They all echoed my “this place is cute” sentiment (at least the girls did) and thought it was some of the best pizza they’ve ever had.
Drinks:
By far the best sour selection I’ve seen in one place. With 23 taps and 3, YES… THREE, sours on tap, I was genuinely impressed. Of course I started with a flight so I could sample all 3 before committing to a full pour of just one! Here’s how they stacked up, in order of preference:
Fruity Gushers: So Good! It’s got tartness that I enjoy and a great balance of fruity flavor. 5 stars from me!
Electric Dragon: This was ok, not my first choice, it’s quite sweet. It tasted a lot like traditional fruit punch, not much bite and a little too fruity. I’d order it again, but only if it were my only choice. I’d give this one a 3 out of 5.
Painkiller: My least favorite of the 3, but still one I could do if there weren’t any other options. Tropical and somewhat creamy, and very pineapple-coconut forward. It wasn’t horrible, but it did have a weird aftertaste that I couldn’t quite get past.
Overall I'm giving them a 4.5 out of 5, simply for the fact that there were 3, all decent, options!




Food:


5 star place for wood-fired pizza, it’s worth the visit on its own. This spot used to be known as “Pig Ate My Pizza” and though they are now under the ownership of Travail Kitchen & Nouvelle, the pizza quality is top-notch. The menu is not limited to pizza. It also includes a number of other options from sandwiches, pasta, and a selection of ice cream that was hard to resist.
We started with their truffle fries, which were amazing I might add and ordered a couple of pizza options. Thanks to a kitchen mix-up, we actually ended up with 3, so we had some to take home. They were all great, no complaints!
Manhattan Pizza. Mozzarella, whipped ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Unique, yet interesting and very tasty.
Margherita: Classic and everything a margherita pizza should be, their sauce is to die for.
Pepperoni: A standard, but good all the way around.
In case you’re wondering, the leftovers were just as good reheated in the air fryer the next day! I'm going all out and giving them a 5 out of 5 in this category!

Dog Friendliness:
No dogs allowed since this is more of a restaurant than a taproom. That (and their not-very welcoming bathroom) was the only real let-down from this visit. No dogs, means no bones from me...have to go with a 0 out of 5. I'll have to go back this summer and see if they're allowed on the patio!

Atmosphere:
Love it. It’s bright and welcoming, with light wood tables, lots of greenery and an open concept, making this an enjoyable place to visit. It definitely feels more like a casual restaurant than a brewery, so it’s not the type of place I would find myself pulling out the cribbage board. Since it's more of a dine and go type location, I'll give it a 3 in this category.
However - there is another brewery just a few steps down the road (Wicked Wort) where you can stop in and play all the games you desire after dinner. More on that in another post.

Merch & More:
I didn’t notice any merch, though the branded glasses were nice—something to ask about next time, perhaps. They do have growlers to-go. I did consider taking home some Fruity Gushers, but self-control won out, at least this time. Unfortunately I have to rate them a 0.5 of 5 here.
The bathrooms are gender neutral and leave a lot to be desired. Nothing else worth noting.

Overall:
Nouvelle Kitchen & Brewery was a great find. Between the flavorful pizza, solid drink options, and laid-back atmosphere, it’s a spot I’ll absolutely return to. It’s casual, friendly, and full of character. I will definitely be going back again, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great selection of drinks and good, handmade pizza! You can’t go wrong here! However, because of the lack of merch, and no dogs allowed, the rating average drops to 3.5.


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