Review on drinks only. The bar space: wonderful. The rest of the restaurant: leaves something to be desired. We love sitting at the bar and have entertained several guests here. But when we sat toward the rear of the building, our experience dramatically changed. The server we had was just not equipped to keep an eye on our table as well as the family next to us. He was busy serving them food and couldn't keep checking in with relative frequency. Most disappointing: wrong drinks to wrong people with no explanation. Maybe he wasn't very familiar with the drinks menu? Nonetheless, the bar is work the experience. Knowledgeable staff with quirky trivia. Comfortable making recommendations and modifications. Old-school technique.
(4)
Kate T.
I'd never been to Des Moines before, and when I recently visited I ended up going to Continental twice! It was delicious and such a lovely restaurant. I think if I lived in Des Moines I'd become a regular at this spot. Atmosphere: 3/5. I think the inside is a little dark, unless you're sitting near the front of the restaurant. But all the comfortable booths are in the back. Other than that, the interior is very nice. Service: 5/5. Excellent service! Both times we went I asked for recommendations and the servers gave excellent advice. The bartenders and wait staff here were so kind. Food: 5/5. Some things we had: the steak and egg sandwich, spicy meatballs, polenta fries, olive empanadas. We also tried a few of their cocktails. We loved everything! My favorite thing was the meatballs: they are scrumptious and pair so well with the spicy tomato sauce. Overall: Loved this place!
(4)
Monica S.
Really, really loved this place! Wonderful, tasty gin, vodka, and whiskey cocktails! I got the Cucumber Fizz, which was refreshing and just what I needed! On the pricey side, but the atmosphere is dim and lovely, and the drink itself is good size with quality booze! ;-) The customer service here was FANTASTIC! I unfortunately didn't catch the bartenders name, but she was SO lovely and helpful. I felt horrible for changing my drink order just as she was making it, but she assured me it was no problem, and that it was a good decision because the one I changed it to was a better drink, lol! She was extremely knowledgeable when we started talking about options in Gin, and checked on us throughout our hour there, and was sweet as could be. I would go back there just to be served by her again! This place was such a treat!
(5)
Yana W.
Good food, if I were 21 I would definitely be excited to try some of the drinks on the large drink menu! The food menu is quite a bit smaller than the drink menu, so I wouldn't bring your extremely picky friends here. The portions are smaller than I would have expected, but still overall good! The minimalist design of the menus is a nice touch!
(3)
Sarah S.
Food and drinks are amazing every time we come. Service is sub par at best. Three tables of two in the entire restaurant and the waitress was awful. You'd think she had 20 tables. She was missing for long periods of time.
(2)
Patrick T.
Bring your glasses its Dark in here!!! Setting the mood for sure, this place is a nice romantic type vibe. Candles and very dim lighting, this might be the perfect spot for a first date. Lots of drinks to choose from, in all sorts of price ranges, but they also have 1 dollar PBR cans (not on the menu) so that's what I choose. Only 2 things on the menu that were vegan, the very polite waitress checked for us, and they were both appetizers. So we got glazed mushrooms and hummus plate with pita bread. Both appetizers were really good. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection and had an amazing flavor and almost felt like they had been marinating in it all day. Totally awesome get those if you want a vegan option.. The hummus was great too, super garlicky but that's cool with me. I dig this place a lot, great vibe, friendly staff, maybe a little to dark for my eyes but I could see my reflection in my beer can so I was good!
(4)
Steve K.
It's a trendy-ish place in the East Village. Bar staff had their faces in their cell phones about 70% of the time. Our server was on task, but you could tell her head wasn't in it. Food was OK, not groundbreaking. Portions a little skimpy for the price.
(3)
Antonia S.
I wanted to like it, I really did, but the martini I explicitly ordered - straight up, extra dry, with a twist - was luke warm, full of vermouth and naked of any garnish. I asked the bartender to make it colder (in retrospect I should have asked for a whole new drink - remixed, but one hates to be negative!) and he did that, but it was hard to get down. Food average. Nothing special and I can't imagine I will return. Places like Centro or Django or Alba are dependably better. They maintain a higher quality and value.
(2)
Karla W.
This is my favorite place for cocktails in Des Moines! Chill atmosphere, excellent, friendly service and a wide variety of drinks make this a fun place for an outing with friends or a first date. The veggie burger is also delicious if you're staying for a meal! It's a big plus that they let you select healthy side options (like fresh fruit) instead of just fries. Try to time your outing for a night when they have live music. Always a treat!
(5)
Erica S.
I came here for my sisters bday dinner & the waitress was crappy & it took forever for our food. I rate the food a 5 out of 10! The service is sooooooooooo shitty! Crapppy drinks, service & atmosphere
(2)
Mike P.
THIS PLACE WAS MADE FOR ME. I've lived in Portland, Kansas City and Milwaukee in the past six years and The Continental reminds me of all three of these. It's unpretentious. It knows it is cool without trying hard. It has very small televisions above the bar - if you want to wear your CycloneHawkeye sports dork sun visor and cheer for your teamz you'll have to find someplace else. It has a black and white menu in a typewriter font that's four simple pages. It has a cocktail list that respects the history of the drinks. The service is cool, calm and cool again. This is my place, I've found my Des Moines Third Place. ORDERED: SAZERAC. I love the history of the Sazerac. I love the flavor of the Sazerac. I love that I can get a Sazerac with Peychaud bitters (although no mention of Absinthe rinse which I thought was the custom?) The food: Melon and Prosciutto Crostini (Imported prosciutto, fresh melon and chevre, drizzled with honey on toasted focaccia.), Polenta Fries (crispy fried polenta sticks served with remoulade dipping sauce.), Puerco Pibil Tacos (slow roasted pork marinated in citrus, achiote & patron tequila. Served on 3 corn tortillas with fresh pico de gallo) and Panko Crab Cakes (freshly baked cakes with crab and shrimp, encrusted in panko and parmesan. served with a remoulade sauce.). TASTED: The Melon and Prosciutto Crostini is the best appetizer I've had in Des Moines since my return, hands down. It's amazing. Salty sweet crunchy. Amazing. The polenta fries were good but can't compete with nearby Tacopocalypse's masa fries. Just being honest. The tacos were flavorful but the tortillas were either too dry or filled with stuff, they broke on the plate-to-mouth vector every time. A switch to flour tortillas would do these a favor. The crab cakes were lacking flavor sadly. Most recipes call for Worcestershire sauce, which adds a salt element. These were lacking. The spicy remoulade with the polenta and crab cakes is really great. POST: If you've made it this far into my review you may be asking how I can give the Continental five stars with my less than favorable food review. It's because the Continental is cool without trying too hard. It's simply a great place. CHANCE OF RETURN: 10/10
(5)
Jaquel S.
Popped in the Continental for a quick drink while in the East Village. Enjoyed a very delicious Cachaca Smash. The environment was pretty rad, good music pumping through the speakers and you did not have to wait for your drink to be refilled. If given the opportunity to return to the Continental and their food is just as bomb-ass as their drinks, this rating will quickly reach five stars!
(4)
Chris B.
The food that I have had there is good but sometimes the portion sizes are too small for what they cost. The place looks nice and has a sweet location in the east village but for some reason they keep the place super dark regardless of the time of day. Even the bathrooms are left dimly lit. One major frustration is that the service is really slow. I even mentioned that I needed to leave fairly quickly and asked for the check early. Despite that, it took our server a long time before she actually took my card. Before that she had completely disappeared for a while, so I couldn't even find her to flag her down. Basically if you are already in the area, then it is a decent place to go to. Especially is somewhere line Zombie Burger is crazy busy (as it usually is). Otherwise there is no real reason to head out of your way to stop here.
(3)
Doug C.
Coming to Des Moines from Chicago, my wife and I have been skeptical of the quality of food here, to say the least. In the previous 6 months here, we have found most restaurant food to be tremendously bland and uninteresting. Maybe luck of the draw, but it's been fairly consistent, even though we don't get to dine out as much as we used to. As our 10th wedding anniversary approached, we found ourselves with a rare night away from the kids and a chance to explore Des Moines' East Village. A few co-workers had a handful what they considered 5-star recommendations, and from there we closed our eyes and picked one based on the best menus on each restaurant's website. I know, very sophisticated. When I called to make a reservation, whomever picked up answered with a very high school, "hello." Bad sign, red flags. I had to clarify that this was actually a restaurant that I had called--once we had that established, I secured a table for 2 on a Saturday evening. Silly me, as it turns out, when we got there for our 6:30 table, the whole place was empty. More red flags. Panic is starting to sink my stomach. As informal as thing had been to this point, they continued with what appeared to be a manager asking us if we needed anything. We were then promptly greeted by our server, and the evening began to look up. A couple of glasses of their house red blend and a healthy selection of tapas were delivered in short order. We were happy with the atmosphere, music selection, our server's perky if mildly pretentious disposition, and the overall attention that we received. Yep, we were still the only ones in the joint. The food arrived and we began to sample the order. Remember, tapas are small samples of food, almost antipasto, so to complain about portion sizes is dopey. Order 3-5 selections for two people and you will be plenty full. We were thrilled to find out that everything we had ordered had--hold on to your hats--flavor! We were both thrilled with everything all the way around. The food was great, and the total bill with drinks and a decent tip was just north of $70. For a dinner like that in Chicago, you're easily into 3 figures. People complaining about cost might need to have some different perspective from other foodie cities. We both loved it, and consider it a hidden gem. We will be sampling other East Village restaurants when we have he chance, but wound not hesitate to go back again for a quiet, "date night" kinda dinner. And both of us still are in shock that the place was so empty for a Saturday night. Maybe it was our AARP dinner schedule. Maybe things get hopping later in the evening, but either way, The Continental should be on everyone's list for quality dining in Des Moines.
(5)
Michael R.
My first restaurant meal in Des Moines. I had the Cajun sandwich and fries. The sandwich was pretty good, but simple, fries were eh, I expected better. Portions were small, I expected larger being in the Midwest, maybe my expectations were off. The Bells winter ale wasn't great.
(3)
Ashley M.
I REALLY want to try this place, but my friend loves to look at a places menu and daily specials before trying it out, but since they have absolutely nothing on their facebook page or their website, I don't think I'll be able to convince my friend we need to go.
(1)
Emilie B.
I came to the Continental on a very snowy Saturday night with a group of 12 girls for a bachelorette party dinner. Although there were barely any people driving on the roads in Des Moines that night due to the weather, somehow the restaurant was completely full, which was a great sign of what was to come. We were seated at one of the large tables in the back of the restaurant, which was extremely private. The tables are HUGE which is great for big parties, but hard if you want to have a conversation with anyone not sitting directly across or next to you. Everyone ordered off of the small plates menu to start- I got the bruschetta and it was really tasty, but the bread was a bit soggy making it hard to eat without getting sloppy. I can overlook this though, because the flavors were fantastic. Others were mentioning how delicious the mushrooms were, and the bleu cheese crostini looked great too. Some of the small plates have teeny tiny portions, and others have portions easier for sharing. One of the cheese plates (maybe the goat cheese plate?) had like one tiny piece of cheese on it, we all had a laugh when it came out. Definitely not for sharing. For my entree, I got the polenta lasagna, which was a very generous portion size. The flavors were fantastic, but I wasn't too keen on the polenta in the dish, so I pretty much pushed aside most of the polenta and ate the cheese and sauce. If you are a big polenta fan, maybe you'd like the dish, but I thought the polenta was sliced too thick compared to a traditional lasagna noodle, so it was a bit soggy and odd, almost like a cheese and sauce layered cake. While we were eating, there was live jazz music playing in the front of the restaurant. It sounded great! I can definitely see myself coming back for a date night, the ambiance is really cute and I'd love to try more of the small plates options on the menu.
(3)
Lindsay E.
I have wanted to come here forever. It was not worth my anticipation. We got the pomme frites, scallops, and blue cheese crostini. This totaled about $25. I could have made each of these at home. Nothing spectacular. The scallops were a huge disappointment. You get 2 for $10. Reminds me more of college upscale bar food than anything. Definitely not worth the hype.
(2)
Jeff W.
I was pointed this direction by the hotel staff, and it wasnt a bad choice. Seems like a pretty low key place and wasnt a bad stop for a quick app on a Thursday night. The food didnt blow me away but it was good, I had the chicken chorizo app. The bartender was friendly and they had quite a few beers on tap.
(3)
Mark S.
Awesome night with good drinks and great tapas, the sauces were excellent! Just an appetizer each hit the spot with well made cocktails, my friends said the place looked and felt like an old speakeasy, jazz band and dimmed lights within an old brick facade accent wall. Everyone rubbing elbows and the spirits were high!
(5)
Melissa M.
Went back this weekend and have to increase my rating because it was just as fantastic the second time around. Everyone who works here is so nice and fun - people I'd want to be my friends. Especially since they know how to make a damn good drink.
(5)
Jon F.
Wow! Just amazing. The best meatballs I've ever had and the empanadillas were awesome. I'd definitely come back. Oh and the martini was good too. Service was good, friendly and prompt.
(5)
Emerson G.
Great food, fabulous craft cocktails and very good food! Go for a fun night out!
(5)
Stacy D.
Food was good but be aware that since they are tapas the portions are small. We were looking for a quick snack to tide us over and this place was perfect. I had the Maker's Manhattan and it was wonderful! The only issue was it seemed like only one person was running the bar and the tables so service (while not horrible) was a little slow. Not judging on that as the guy working was doing his best. I really liked this place as I've been wanting to try a "real" craft cocktail for a bit and finally had one. I will definitely go back!
(5)
Bgk S.
Best meal yet on my cross country road trip. Delicious tilapia tacos and friendly service. The tasteful atmosphere and decor made me feel like I was back home in the mission district of San Francisco.
(5)
Doug L.
Fancy, no. Good food, yes. I had the Italian sandwich and it was spectacular. Great flavoring. I really enjoyed the food. Nice beer and wine prices and the selection was nice. Jazz on Saturday night at 9 was relaxing to listen to. Not too loud, we could still have a conversation. A really nice evening.
(5)
Victoria T.
The food fine was, the service was the worst I've ever experienced. There was only one other table, took 30 minutes for our appetizer to come, we told the waitress we wanted to order sandwiches and she walked away from the table and didn't return for 45 minutes. She gave us our checks and walked away for another 10 minutes. In total, a two hour ordeal for hummus. And we ended up having to go to another restaurant for food.
(1)
Anna D.
Was very impressed with food and service. I knew it would be good, but did not expect great. It was everything I hoped for and more. I got white sangria and smoked diver scallops. Loved both. My husband had Puerco pibil tacos, chicken and chorizo brochettes and mochito. He really liked that, too. This is a great tapas place. You pay for quality vs quantity. Plates are small but every item is delicious and carefully crafted. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Mike T.
I had the Italian sandwich and Sazerac with Templeton rye. Service was a bit slow but I have never had such a great drink.
(5)
Phillip Y.
We came here for lunch to dinner hour. Kinda bad timing so we ordered from small dish menu. We had the blacken tilapia and the seafood Brie which were both good. Our waitress was super helpful and service was fast. We would come back here to try dinner next time.
(5)
Eric B.
My parents and I came to the East Village last Saturday afternoon to look around. There's a lot of "hip" promise for this area of town and the view of the golden dome of the State Capital down Locust is pretty fine. However, the neighbourhood needs to be filled in a bit and perhaps made more pedestrian attractive. My parents have historically been more prone to have drinks at places like the nearby Locust Tap. But at an average of 80 years old, I wasn't about to do a dive bar DYL with Mom and Dad (Unless they offered a Friday Night Fish Fry). Like Sally, the Continental is long and tall and has a nice drink and nibbles selection. We weren't really hungry, but we did have a nice time in the booth over beers. It also has a comfortable, upscale, yet casual vibe, and I'm sure I'll return here with Gayle as early as this summer. Our friendly service was a little slow on that overcast day, but we were happy to linger.
(4)
Linda S.
Highly recommend - has never disappointed! Great wine, a good pour and a reasonable price. The goat cheese appetizer is fabulous as is their roasted pear salad. The portions on the appetizers could be a bit larger - glad to pay a little more. Look forward to going there every time I am in the wonderful East Village!
(5)
Heather J.
One of my favorite places in the East Village to eat, drink and be social. I keep going back for this prosciutto, melon, & Gruyere cheese on bread with a little honey...my favorite tapas ever! I have never been disappointed by a wine selection yet!
(4)
Emily T.
I'm going to go ahead and round up and give this 3.5 star restaurant 4 stars because it is one of my favorite options in the east village.... I've been here twice now while back in my hometown visiting the rents, and the last trip this weekend was nice: Do It!: Bruschetta (it IS the perfect time of year for tomatoes, as my mother pointed out) Epanadillas- YUM Fried Goat Cheese Skip It!: Beef Carpaccio- Delicious, great presentation, but way too small!!! For $12 a few more pieces would be nice.. Cheese plate...meh. Dad took a hunk of the red pepper encrusted cream cheese ball and almost died. But he's dramatic. Finally, the crab cakes I think were ok. I had some, I know I did, but I've forgotten how they were, which means they were probably fine, but clearly unremarkable. I like what The Continental is trying to do, and for the most part, it succeeds. A few other serving hiccups can easily be fixed.... offering more plate and silverware changes, new glasses for a different white wine, picking up empty tapas plates as they sit in the middle of the cramped table.... oy. But overall, a nice experience and a really great addition to the urban DM dining scene!
(4)
Shawn B.
I come here to drink but never came to eat. I came here with two friends. We ordered drinks and then did not see our waitress for at least 30 minutes. She finally came back and took our food order and we had to inform her that my friend's mojito had no simple syrup in it, this was fixed. The waitress was no where to be seen a majority of the time and when she was around she was at the bar (she appeared to be drinking) and not checking on guests. I observed other tables looking for her and had to get her attention to get something. Once we got the food we ordered, it was quite underwhelming. For what you get the price is way too high. We waited to what seemed like forever for our check we paid and left. The drinks here are very good but I would go somewhere else for food, you can get better and/or more for the price you pay. I am convinced the wait staff isn't this bad but we were at the establishement for around 2.5 hours and the waitress (dark short hair, medium size) was either at the bar or nowhere to be seen. This was on a Saturday night at 7:30pm.
(2)
Liz A.
I went here on a Tuesday night with a friend and sat the bar. +1 for being moderately busy on a Tuesday and having a good mix of people. The bartender was friendly & willing to talk us through the menu and the variety of drinks (which were plentiful). I had the fish tacos & they were great - I loved that they were spicy! I also had the mushrooms with olive oil, fab! My bill was $14 for two tacos (special), mushrooms and 2 beers - I mean it doesnt get any more perfect than that! My friend had pork tacos, bruschetta & empanadillos, and some crazy whiskey drink with absinthe - she was very happy! I will totally be back to try more dishes!
(4)
Teri S.
Stopped in to get out of the heat and rest our feet after being at the art fair and then wandering the east village. Drinks, food, and service were excellent. My friend had the manchego and olive empanadillas with a mojito and I had the prosciutto/melon crostini with a honey drizzle and the sangria. Very good, perfect small plate to share from. The manager herself waited on us and had excellent suggestions, as there were so many excellent looking choices on the menu. Would love to go again if I ever make it back to Des Moines!
(4)
Nova S.
This is a decent place. Nice atmosphere. It just falls a little short of its aims. The menu is at first really promising. I ordered the fried goat cheese appetizer and the pan seared Tuna sashimi salad (medium rare). Both sounded really exciting and I applaud the place for aiming high. But the dishes themselves were disappointing. It just seemed like they weren't trying very hard, that good enough was acceptable to them. The goat cheese plate was almost pointless. There was almost nothing on it. It tasted ok. But they could have added a little more pita chips or complementing flavors. As for the salad. It was really promising. And the tuna would have been excellent if it wasn't so unfortunately heavily seasoned. You almost couldn't taste the tuna. And then all that seasoning clashed with the dressing for the bed of salad - which was just some bagged mixed greens. That's not really excusable at an establishment that's trying to be above the cafe level. On top of that, this place is also a bar and yet it had an appallingly small and inadequate wine selection. And they were pretty much all cheep wines. The Pinot Grigio I got was pretty much a disappointment. I know I'm sounding snobby here, but I have different expectations for establishments based on the image they portray. This place was supposed to be a little bit above the fray and I was in the mood for a nice dining experience, and it just disappointed. I want to feel like I'm not being take for granted. Having said that, the service was excellent and you can definitely do worse. It's not bad. But it has the potential to be better.
Good jazz, OK food, good mixed drinks, great atmosphere, meh service.
(3)
Amanda M.
The vibe is cool. The food is tasty, the drinks are fabulous, and the service is good. It isn't quiet, but if you are hanging with friends, it's great!
(4)
Adam P.
I am a big fan of this bar/restaurant since they opened i have been going. They have some really good specialty drinks give them a try some time. Every table has a list of them there are about 4 of them I get the Caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil). The brisket sandwich is my favorite thing to eat there and it is a good price. But what you must do here is go straight to the back of the bar right out the back door and sit on their deck! you do not even feel like you are in the city!! I am a big fan of the outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant and this is one of the best in DeMo. Be for-warned it is small and fills up fast.
(4)
Carlos C.
Wonderful tapas, awesome atmosphere and great drinks! Happy hour is cool, they have a special menu and I recommend to go early. If your solo (like I usually am), I recommend going to the bar and enjoy the people watching. Very comfortable and great place to hang out! yes, they take American Express!
(5)
Zane S.
The first place that usually pops into my head for a night out in Des Moines. A bar where you can actually have a conversation. A great place to reconnect with old friends. The atmosphere is tasteful/classy, yet relaxed. I've always had extremely good service here. However, tends to be busy on a late weekend night, go early if you can. Decent live jazz on weekends.
(5)
Bryant G.
I've eaten here several times over the last few years, and the experience never manages to rise above "just okay". Each time, our apps are forgettable (we wondered if the tomatoes on the bruscetta were canned). The bartender would occasionally go outside and smoke in front of the restaurant, which drew a few comments from patrons. If you're gonna smoke, go out back and do it. All in all, this could be a much better place with a few easy fixes, but apparently, that's not a priority. Also worth mentioning was the time I went here with my boss. They made her the wrong drink and when she mentioned it, the server said they couldn't comp her for it., that she would have to pay for it anyway. We left immediately.
(3)
Dan J.
Great bruschetta and roasted pear salad in a cool location. I recommend stopping by when in Des Moines.
(4)
DaVo W.
Over priced, pile it high and leave you hungry. Not impressed. Though it's been a few years since I've been there. The experience was so bad I refuse to go back. Food was dull, the service was OK but slow. 10 minutes for a draw beer when there was only about 10 people there?
(1)
Carlos C.
I visited with my wife and two young children while visiting Des Moines for a few days. We liked the casual vibe and the food was really good. There were no kids menus, but my kids found plenty to eat. They liked the chicken skewers, shrimp and the roasted potatoes. My wife liked the Cranberry Brisket sandwich and Sangria. The beer selection was excellent with many options from around the world and USA. We were definitely happy with our visit.
(4)
Ivan C.
I wouldn't go as far as to call it a traditional tapas restaurant but that doesn't mean the food isn't very (very) good. They have some traditional tapas but mostly items of the 'small plate' variety. The flavors are excellent and each item I had was well portioned and delicious. The albondigas (or meatballs as I had to order them) run a bit spicy but they do say that on the menu. The roasted pear salad was a big portion, more than I expected, and a great mixture of flavors. I've had some bad run-ins with bruschetta but this was not one of them. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy. Its a nice little joint with atmosphere that reminds me of places like DC and Boston. I'd definitely make a stop back in here on another trip to Des Moines.
(4)
Megan H.
I love, love, love the Continental. I've come here for drinks and for food many times. The small plate dishes are really inventive and fun - perfect if you have a family (like mine) that shares everything on th table. I've come here with friends many times and even came with my parents after a performance at the Civic Center (until recently, it was one of the only places downtown you could find food at 11:00 on a Saturday!). They have terrific live jazz playing on the weekends, but since the restaurant is so narrow, it's easy to find a table near the back if you're interested in a quieter atmosphere. Don't miss the house cocktail, The Continental, made with Chambord and muddled mint leaves. I have dreams about it, it's so delicious and fresh.
(5)
Sara P.
$5 happy hour special for sangria was an ok deal. You'll get a full to the rim wine glass. It seemed like the drinks took longer than they should to come out. For food, I can recommend the cranberry brisket sandwich. The bbq sauce served with it was great but I wanted a bigger cup of it. One the side I had Mediterranean chickpea salad which was fresh and not too vinegar-y. They also have a tapas menu but the choices aren't Catalan inspired. My friends seemed to enjoy their food as well. For vegetarians there's a lasagna with polenta that looked amazing.
(4)
Adam V.
Great food and wonderful environment. Fantastic plating and good service! Pricey, but to be expected for a Tapas place. I recommend the beef carpaccio or the smoked prosciutto wrapped scallops.
(5)
Courtney V.
The food is extremely over priced and not anything to write home about. Don't get the cheese plate. I love cheese and this was disappointing to say the least. Really a let down all around.
(1)
Jennifer S.
Vibey Des Moines East Village spot with good variety of food. I had a quick lunch there with a seared sushi-grade tuna salad served with spicy soy mustard. Loved the salad dressing and mustard, tuna was well seasoned -- the "salad" was just a bed of mesclun. I would have appreciated a few more veg, but whatever. Based on the vein that was throbbing in our otherwise lovely server's forehead as he cleaned up a mess left by kids up front, I'm going to agree with other posters who said it's not particularly kid-friendly. I imagine this would be a great place for cocktails and tapas after work. If I worked in Des Moines, that is.
(4)
Tony L.
I would say I'm a regular at the Continental. It's a place where even though I always sit at the bar, the servers still know what I drink. Usually at least one night after work every week I'll head down to the East Village and visit. The layout of the building is long and narrow, which I normally don't like, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable here, unless you come in around 10-midnight on Saturdays when a band is playing. Generally happy hour is pretty casual with a few people from the after work downtown younger professionals. It's a great place to drink a few wellmade martini's and enjoy their extensive tapas menu. The actual entrees can leave a little to be desired on consistency, but the tapas are always outstanding.
(5)
Jeremiah E.
I actually really like this place. And recommend it. However, depending on when you are there it can really reek. I don't know if I just happen to go there when there is a kitchen fire but sometimes there is a strong burnt food smell that can't be avoided and is overbearing. It will get into your clothes and you will smell like burnt fish all night. I really wish they would fix this. Other than that service, drinks, and food are solid.
(2)
Diane A.
recently relocating to DSM from California, I was crazy-happy to find a tapas joint in town. Tapas = Spanish, and yet there were NO sangrias. go figure. I'm an avid fan of beef carpaccio, and although I (somewhat) indulged my craving for it, I wasn't too impressed. Their goat cheese tapas, however, were pretty good. I ordered a cesar salad pita, and for its price - pretty decent. The only great thing I'd have to say that was exceptional on the menu was their seared duck. It was prepared to be really succulent. Aside from that, service was slow and the waitress would completely forgot about completing taking orders from some people at our table....there, was however live jazz by the time we left. I'd have to say I give the 1star for good company, and 2 stars for the restaurant itself. I would probably come back, just to give them another shot. Just make sure to order the duck when you go.
(3)
Dan M.
Continental has great tapas and a nice big full bar. It's an excellent place for socializing. Not a great place for kids, though.
(5)
Smith Von Q.
Went last week. Food still awesome, but tables were sticky, the drinks were so-so, the server spilled a couple of them without offering to replace them, and the whole place had a dying vibe to it. I'm not sure what's going on.
(1)
Stacy B.
I've been to the Continental several times, as it's a great place to hang out and relax with friends. The atmosphere is perfect for those looking for a laid-back, after-dinner drink. The tapas are interesting and fun, while the entrees are always solid. The portion sizes are somewhat small for the price, but I'll keep going back.
(4)
P H I L H.
The Continental is a great new little restaurant and bar near the Iowa state Capital. Be sure to visit there whenever you feel the weather is warm enough to visit Des Moines. They offer an upscale menu with good service and well dressed yet friendly patrons.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner, Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Eric G.
Good but overpriced big time.
(3)Christine L.
Review on drinks only. The bar space: wonderful. The rest of the restaurant: leaves something to be desired. We love sitting at the bar and have entertained several guests here. But when we sat toward the rear of the building, our experience dramatically changed. The server we had was just not equipped to keep an eye on our table as well as the family next to us. He was busy serving them food and couldn't keep checking in with relative frequency. Most disappointing: wrong drinks to wrong people with no explanation. Maybe he wasn't very familiar with the drinks menu? Nonetheless, the bar is work the experience. Knowledgeable staff with quirky trivia. Comfortable making recommendations and modifications. Old-school technique.
(4)Kate T.
I'd never been to Des Moines before, and when I recently visited I ended up going to Continental twice! It was delicious and such a lovely restaurant. I think if I lived in Des Moines I'd become a regular at this spot. Atmosphere: 3/5. I think the inside is a little dark, unless you're sitting near the front of the restaurant. But all the comfortable booths are in the back. Other than that, the interior is very nice. Service: 5/5. Excellent service! Both times we went I asked for recommendations and the servers gave excellent advice. The bartenders and wait staff here were so kind. Food: 5/5. Some things we had: the steak and egg sandwich, spicy meatballs, polenta fries, olive empanadas. We also tried a few of their cocktails. We loved everything! My favorite thing was the meatballs: they are scrumptious and pair so well with the spicy tomato sauce. Overall: Loved this place!
(4)Monica S.
Really, really loved this place! Wonderful, tasty gin, vodka, and whiskey cocktails! I got the Cucumber Fizz, which was refreshing and just what I needed! On the pricey side, but the atmosphere is dim and lovely, and the drink itself is good size with quality booze! ;-) The customer service here was FANTASTIC! I unfortunately didn't catch the bartenders name, but she was SO lovely and helpful. I felt horrible for changing my drink order just as she was making it, but she assured me it was no problem, and that it was a good decision because the one I changed it to was a better drink, lol! She was extremely knowledgeable when we started talking about options in Gin, and checked on us throughout our hour there, and was sweet as could be. I would go back there just to be served by her again! This place was such a treat!
(5)Yana W.
Good food, if I were 21 I would definitely be excited to try some of the drinks on the large drink menu! The food menu is quite a bit smaller than the drink menu, so I wouldn't bring your extremely picky friends here. The portions are smaller than I would have expected, but still overall good! The minimalist design of the menus is a nice touch!
(3)Sarah S.
Food and drinks are amazing every time we come. Service is sub par at best. Three tables of two in the entire restaurant and the waitress was awful. You'd think she had 20 tables. She was missing for long periods of time.
(2)Patrick T.
Bring your glasses its Dark in here!!! Setting the mood for sure, this place is a nice romantic type vibe. Candles and very dim lighting, this might be the perfect spot for a first date. Lots of drinks to choose from, in all sorts of price ranges, but they also have 1 dollar PBR cans (not on the menu) so that's what I choose. Only 2 things on the menu that were vegan, the very polite waitress checked for us, and they were both appetizers. So we got glazed mushrooms and hummus plate with pita bread. Both appetizers were really good. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection and had an amazing flavor and almost felt like they had been marinating in it all day. Totally awesome get those if you want a vegan option.. The hummus was great too, super garlicky but that's cool with me. I dig this place a lot, great vibe, friendly staff, maybe a little to dark for my eyes but I could see my reflection in my beer can so I was good!
(4)Steve K.
It's a trendy-ish place in the East Village. Bar staff had their faces in their cell phones about 70% of the time. Our server was on task, but you could tell her head wasn't in it. Food was OK, not groundbreaking. Portions a little skimpy for the price.
(3)Antonia S.
I wanted to like it, I really did, but the martini I explicitly ordered - straight up, extra dry, with a twist - was luke warm, full of vermouth and naked of any garnish. I asked the bartender to make it colder (in retrospect I should have asked for a whole new drink - remixed, but one hates to be negative!) and he did that, but it was hard to get down. Food average. Nothing special and I can't imagine I will return. Places like Centro or Django or Alba are dependably better. They maintain a higher quality and value.
(2)Karla W.
This is my favorite place for cocktails in Des Moines! Chill atmosphere, excellent, friendly service and a wide variety of drinks make this a fun place for an outing with friends or a first date. The veggie burger is also delicious if you're staying for a meal! It's a big plus that they let you select healthy side options (like fresh fruit) instead of just fries. Try to time your outing for a night when they have live music. Always a treat!
(5)Erica S.
I came here for my sisters bday dinner & the waitress was crappy & it took forever for our food. I rate the food a 5 out of 10! The service is sooooooooooo shitty! Crapppy drinks, service & atmosphere
(2)Mike P.
THIS PLACE WAS MADE FOR ME. I've lived in Portland, Kansas City and Milwaukee in the past six years and The Continental reminds me of all three of these. It's unpretentious. It knows it is cool without trying hard. It has very small televisions above the bar - if you want to wear your CycloneHawkeye sports dork sun visor and cheer for your teamz you'll have to find someplace else. It has a black and white menu in a typewriter font that's four simple pages. It has a cocktail list that respects the history of the drinks. The service is cool, calm and cool again. This is my place, I've found my Des Moines Third Place. ORDERED: SAZERAC. I love the history of the Sazerac. I love the flavor of the Sazerac. I love that I can get a Sazerac with Peychaud bitters (although no mention of Absinthe rinse which I thought was the custom?) The food: Melon and Prosciutto Crostini (Imported prosciutto, fresh melon and chevre, drizzled with honey on toasted focaccia.), Polenta Fries (crispy fried polenta sticks served with remoulade dipping sauce.), Puerco Pibil Tacos (slow roasted pork marinated in citrus, achiote & patron tequila. Served on 3 corn tortillas with fresh pico de gallo) and Panko Crab Cakes (freshly baked cakes with crab and shrimp, encrusted in panko and parmesan. served with a remoulade sauce.). TASTED: The Melon and Prosciutto Crostini is the best appetizer I've had in Des Moines since my return, hands down. It's amazing. Salty sweet crunchy. Amazing. The polenta fries were good but can't compete with nearby Tacopocalypse's masa fries. Just being honest. The tacos were flavorful but the tortillas were either too dry or filled with stuff, they broke on the plate-to-mouth vector every time. A switch to flour tortillas would do these a favor. The crab cakes were lacking flavor sadly. Most recipes call for Worcestershire sauce, which adds a salt element. These were lacking. The spicy remoulade with the polenta and crab cakes is really great. POST: If you've made it this far into my review you may be asking how I can give the Continental five stars with my less than favorable food review. It's because the Continental is cool without trying too hard. It's simply a great place. CHANCE OF RETURN: 10/10
(5)Jaquel S.
Popped in the Continental for a quick drink while in the East Village. Enjoyed a very delicious Cachaca Smash. The environment was pretty rad, good music pumping through the speakers and you did not have to wait for your drink to be refilled. If given the opportunity to return to the Continental and their food is just as bomb-ass as their drinks, this rating will quickly reach five stars!
(4)Chris B.
The food that I have had there is good but sometimes the portion sizes are too small for what they cost. The place looks nice and has a sweet location in the east village but for some reason they keep the place super dark regardless of the time of day. Even the bathrooms are left dimly lit. One major frustration is that the service is really slow. I even mentioned that I needed to leave fairly quickly and asked for the check early. Despite that, it took our server a long time before she actually took my card. Before that she had completely disappeared for a while, so I couldn't even find her to flag her down. Basically if you are already in the area, then it is a decent place to go to. Especially is somewhere line Zombie Burger is crazy busy (as it usually is). Otherwise there is no real reason to head out of your way to stop here.
(3)Doug C.
Coming to Des Moines from Chicago, my wife and I have been skeptical of the quality of food here, to say the least. In the previous 6 months here, we have found most restaurant food to be tremendously bland and uninteresting. Maybe luck of the draw, but it's been fairly consistent, even though we don't get to dine out as much as we used to. As our 10th wedding anniversary approached, we found ourselves with a rare night away from the kids and a chance to explore Des Moines' East Village. A few co-workers had a handful what they considered 5-star recommendations, and from there we closed our eyes and picked one based on the best menus on each restaurant's website. I know, very sophisticated. When I called to make a reservation, whomever picked up answered with a very high school, "hello." Bad sign, red flags. I had to clarify that this was actually a restaurant that I had called--once we had that established, I secured a table for 2 on a Saturday evening. Silly me, as it turns out, when we got there for our 6:30 table, the whole place was empty. More red flags. Panic is starting to sink my stomach. As informal as thing had been to this point, they continued with what appeared to be a manager asking us if we needed anything. We were then promptly greeted by our server, and the evening began to look up. A couple of glasses of their house red blend and a healthy selection of tapas were delivered in short order. We were happy with the atmosphere, music selection, our server's perky if mildly pretentious disposition, and the overall attention that we received. Yep, we were still the only ones in the joint. The food arrived and we began to sample the order. Remember, tapas are small samples of food, almost antipasto, so to complain about portion sizes is dopey. Order 3-5 selections for two people and you will be plenty full. We were thrilled to find out that everything we had ordered had--hold on to your hats--flavor! We were both thrilled with everything all the way around. The food was great, and the total bill with drinks and a decent tip was just north of $70. For a dinner like that in Chicago, you're easily into 3 figures. People complaining about cost might need to have some different perspective from other foodie cities. We both loved it, and consider it a hidden gem. We will be sampling other East Village restaurants when we have he chance, but wound not hesitate to go back again for a quiet, "date night" kinda dinner. And both of us still are in shock that the place was so empty for a Saturday night. Maybe it was our AARP dinner schedule. Maybe things get hopping later in the evening, but either way, The Continental should be on everyone's list for quality dining in Des Moines.
(5)Michael R.
My first restaurant meal in Des Moines. I had the Cajun sandwich and fries. The sandwich was pretty good, but simple, fries were eh, I expected better. Portions were small, I expected larger being in the Midwest, maybe my expectations were off. The Bells winter ale wasn't great.
(3)Ashley M.
I REALLY want to try this place, but my friend loves to look at a places menu and daily specials before trying it out, but since they have absolutely nothing on their facebook page or their website, I don't think I'll be able to convince my friend we need to go.
(1)Emilie B.
I came to the Continental on a very snowy Saturday night with a group of 12 girls for a bachelorette party dinner. Although there were barely any people driving on the roads in Des Moines that night due to the weather, somehow the restaurant was completely full, which was a great sign of what was to come. We were seated at one of the large tables in the back of the restaurant, which was extremely private. The tables are HUGE which is great for big parties, but hard if you want to have a conversation with anyone not sitting directly across or next to you. Everyone ordered off of the small plates menu to start- I got the bruschetta and it was really tasty, but the bread was a bit soggy making it hard to eat without getting sloppy. I can overlook this though, because the flavors were fantastic. Others were mentioning how delicious the mushrooms were, and the bleu cheese crostini looked great too. Some of the small plates have teeny tiny portions, and others have portions easier for sharing. One of the cheese plates (maybe the goat cheese plate?) had like one tiny piece of cheese on it, we all had a laugh when it came out. Definitely not for sharing. For my entree, I got the polenta lasagna, which was a very generous portion size. The flavors were fantastic, but I wasn't too keen on the polenta in the dish, so I pretty much pushed aside most of the polenta and ate the cheese and sauce. If you are a big polenta fan, maybe you'd like the dish, but I thought the polenta was sliced too thick compared to a traditional lasagna noodle, so it was a bit soggy and odd, almost like a cheese and sauce layered cake. While we were eating, there was live jazz music playing in the front of the restaurant. It sounded great! I can definitely see myself coming back for a date night, the ambiance is really cute and I'd love to try more of the small plates options on the menu.
(3)Lindsay E.
I have wanted to come here forever. It was not worth my anticipation. We got the pomme frites, scallops, and blue cheese crostini. This totaled about $25. I could have made each of these at home. Nothing spectacular. The scallops were a huge disappointment. You get 2 for $10. Reminds me more of college upscale bar food than anything. Definitely not worth the hype.
(2)Jeff W.
I was pointed this direction by the hotel staff, and it wasnt a bad choice. Seems like a pretty low key place and wasnt a bad stop for a quick app on a Thursday night. The food didnt blow me away but it was good, I had the chicken chorizo app. The bartender was friendly and they had quite a few beers on tap.
(3)Mark S.
Awesome night with good drinks and great tapas, the sauces were excellent! Just an appetizer each hit the spot with well made cocktails, my friends said the place looked and felt like an old speakeasy, jazz band and dimmed lights within an old brick facade accent wall. Everyone rubbing elbows and the spirits were high!
(5)Melissa M.
Went back this weekend and have to increase my rating because it was just as fantastic the second time around. Everyone who works here is so nice and fun - people I'd want to be my friends. Especially since they know how to make a damn good drink.
(5)Jon F.
Wow! Just amazing. The best meatballs I've ever had and the empanadillas were awesome. I'd definitely come back. Oh and the martini was good too. Service was good, friendly and prompt.
(5)Emerson G.
Great food, fabulous craft cocktails and very good food! Go for a fun night out!
(5)Stacy D.
Food was good but be aware that since they are tapas the portions are small. We were looking for a quick snack to tide us over and this place was perfect. I had the Maker's Manhattan and it was wonderful! The only issue was it seemed like only one person was running the bar and the tables so service (while not horrible) was a little slow. Not judging on that as the guy working was doing his best. I really liked this place as I've been wanting to try a "real" craft cocktail for a bit and finally had one. I will definitely go back!
(5)Bgk S.
Best meal yet on my cross country road trip. Delicious tilapia tacos and friendly service. The tasteful atmosphere and decor made me feel like I was back home in the mission district of San Francisco.
(5)Doug L.
Fancy, no. Good food, yes. I had the Italian sandwich and it was spectacular. Great flavoring. I really enjoyed the food. Nice beer and wine prices and the selection was nice. Jazz on Saturday night at 9 was relaxing to listen to. Not too loud, we could still have a conversation. A really nice evening.
(5)Victoria T.
The food fine was, the service was the worst I've ever experienced. There was only one other table, took 30 minutes for our appetizer to come, we told the waitress we wanted to order sandwiches and she walked away from the table and didn't return for 45 minutes. She gave us our checks and walked away for another 10 minutes. In total, a two hour ordeal for hummus. And we ended up having to go to another restaurant for food.
(1)Anna D.
Was very impressed with food and service. I knew it would be good, but did not expect great. It was everything I hoped for and more. I got white sangria and smoked diver scallops. Loved both. My husband had Puerco pibil tacos, chicken and chorizo brochettes and mochito. He really liked that, too. This is a great tapas place. You pay for quality vs quantity. Plates are small but every item is delicious and carefully crafted. We will definitely be back.
(5)Mike T.
I had the Italian sandwich and Sazerac with Templeton rye. Service was a bit slow but I have never had such a great drink.
(5)Phillip Y.
We came here for lunch to dinner hour. Kinda bad timing so we ordered from small dish menu. We had the blacken tilapia and the seafood Brie which were both good. Our waitress was super helpful and service was fast. We would come back here to try dinner next time.
(5)Eric B.
My parents and I came to the East Village last Saturday afternoon to look around. There's a lot of "hip" promise for this area of town and the view of the golden dome of the State Capital down Locust is pretty fine. However, the neighbourhood needs to be filled in a bit and perhaps made more pedestrian attractive. My parents have historically been more prone to have drinks at places like the nearby Locust Tap. But at an average of 80 years old, I wasn't about to do a dive bar DYL with Mom and Dad (Unless they offered a Friday Night Fish Fry). Like Sally, the Continental is long and tall and has a nice drink and nibbles selection. We weren't really hungry, but we did have a nice time in the booth over beers. It also has a comfortable, upscale, yet casual vibe, and I'm sure I'll return here with Gayle as early as this summer. Our friendly service was a little slow on that overcast day, but we were happy to linger.
(4)Linda S.
Highly recommend - has never disappointed! Great wine, a good pour and a reasonable price. The goat cheese appetizer is fabulous as is their roasted pear salad. The portions on the appetizers could be a bit larger - glad to pay a little more. Look forward to going there every time I am in the wonderful East Village!
(5)Heather J.
One of my favorite places in the East Village to eat, drink and be social. I keep going back for this prosciutto, melon, & Gruyere cheese on bread with a little honey...my favorite tapas ever! I have never been disappointed by a wine selection yet!
(4)Emily T.
I'm going to go ahead and round up and give this 3.5 star restaurant 4 stars because it is one of my favorite options in the east village.... I've been here twice now while back in my hometown visiting the rents, and the last trip this weekend was nice: Do It!: Bruschetta (it IS the perfect time of year for tomatoes, as my mother pointed out) Epanadillas- YUM Fried Goat Cheese Skip It!: Beef Carpaccio- Delicious, great presentation, but way too small!!! For $12 a few more pieces would be nice.. Cheese plate...meh. Dad took a hunk of the red pepper encrusted cream cheese ball and almost died. But he's dramatic. Finally, the crab cakes I think were ok. I had some, I know I did, but I've forgotten how they were, which means they were probably fine, but clearly unremarkable. I like what The Continental is trying to do, and for the most part, it succeeds. A few other serving hiccups can easily be fixed.... offering more plate and silverware changes, new glasses for a different white wine, picking up empty tapas plates as they sit in the middle of the cramped table.... oy. But overall, a nice experience and a really great addition to the urban DM dining scene!
(4)Shawn B.
I come here to drink but never came to eat. I came here with two friends. We ordered drinks and then did not see our waitress for at least 30 minutes. She finally came back and took our food order and we had to inform her that my friend's mojito had no simple syrup in it, this was fixed. The waitress was no where to be seen a majority of the time and when she was around she was at the bar (she appeared to be drinking) and not checking on guests. I observed other tables looking for her and had to get her attention to get something. Once we got the food we ordered, it was quite underwhelming. For what you get the price is way too high. We waited to what seemed like forever for our check we paid and left. The drinks here are very good but I would go somewhere else for food, you can get better and/or more for the price you pay. I am convinced the wait staff isn't this bad but we were at the establishement for around 2.5 hours and the waitress (dark short hair, medium size) was either at the bar or nowhere to be seen. This was on a Saturday night at 7:30pm.
(2)Liz A.
I went here on a Tuesday night with a friend and sat the bar. +1 for being moderately busy on a Tuesday and having a good mix of people. The bartender was friendly & willing to talk us through the menu and the variety of drinks (which were plentiful). I had the fish tacos & they were great - I loved that they were spicy! I also had the mushrooms with olive oil, fab! My bill was $14 for two tacos (special), mushrooms and 2 beers - I mean it doesnt get any more perfect than that! My friend had pork tacos, bruschetta & empanadillos, and some crazy whiskey drink with absinthe - she was very happy! I will totally be back to try more dishes!
(4)Teri S.
Stopped in to get out of the heat and rest our feet after being at the art fair and then wandering the east village. Drinks, food, and service were excellent. My friend had the manchego and olive empanadillas with a mojito and I had the prosciutto/melon crostini with a honey drizzle and the sangria. Very good, perfect small plate to share from. The manager herself waited on us and had excellent suggestions, as there were so many excellent looking choices on the menu. Would love to go again if I ever make it back to Des Moines!
(4)Nova S.
This is a decent place. Nice atmosphere. It just falls a little short of its aims. The menu is at first really promising. I ordered the fried goat cheese appetizer and the pan seared Tuna sashimi salad (medium rare). Both sounded really exciting and I applaud the place for aiming high. But the dishes themselves were disappointing. It just seemed like they weren't trying very hard, that good enough was acceptable to them. The goat cheese plate was almost pointless. There was almost nothing on it. It tasted ok. But they could have added a little more pita chips or complementing flavors. As for the salad. It was really promising. And the tuna would have been excellent if it wasn't so unfortunately heavily seasoned. You almost couldn't taste the tuna. And then all that seasoning clashed with the dressing for the bed of salad - which was just some bagged mixed greens. That's not really excusable at an establishment that's trying to be above the cafe level. On top of that, this place is also a bar and yet it had an appallingly small and inadequate wine selection. And they were pretty much all cheep wines. The Pinot Grigio I got was pretty much a disappointment. I know I'm sounding snobby here, but I have different expectations for establishments based on the image they portray. This place was supposed to be a little bit above the fray and I was in the mood for a nice dining experience, and it just disappointed. I want to feel like I'm not being take for granted. Having said that, the service was excellent and you can definitely do worse. It's not bad. But it has the potential to be better.
(2)Chuck M.
Shabby-Chic Inside and Great Tasting Food! This is NOT your white table cloth kind of place, but on this day the food was definitely Fine Dining ! On this hot July day their AC wasn't working; nevertheless we were marginally comfortable. I'm not fan of the dim hall-way arrangement, and the stark décor and overly used menus leave a lot to be desired, but for an East Village "Atmosphere" it was fine. What I really did enjoy was the background music when they were playing the original "Misty", and then all the other '50's easy listening vocals, to include the King, Elvis. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. I started my dining experience with two Crab Cakes sitting on a plate drizzled with a freshly made Tartar Sauce and two lemon slices. I found the cakes to be lightly breaded with plenty of crab meat which tasted absolutely delicious to me. Carol ordered the Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese Salad which was of good size with many pear slices which she enjoyed immensely. Next we shared two Cheese and Olive Empandillas with a flakey pastry containing the smooth Spanish Manchego cheese and the Greek Kalamata olives. We found them not to be salty with a wonderful flavor. We finished our meal with the only dessert available, which was a Baileys Cheese Cake on a Chocolate drizzled plate. Umm Umm Good !! I could have licked the plate. The quality is certainly worth the price paid and so The Continental will be among our future dining choices.
(4)Tamara H.
Good jazz, OK food, good mixed drinks, great atmosphere, meh service.
(3)Amanda M.
The vibe is cool. The food is tasty, the drinks are fabulous, and the service is good. It isn't quiet, but if you are hanging with friends, it's great!
(4)Adam P.
I am a big fan of this bar/restaurant since they opened i have been going. They have some really good specialty drinks give them a try some time. Every table has a list of them there are about 4 of them I get the Caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil). The brisket sandwich is my favorite thing to eat there and it is a good price. But what you must do here is go straight to the back of the bar right out the back door and sit on their deck! you do not even feel like you are in the city!! I am a big fan of the outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant and this is one of the best in DeMo. Be for-warned it is small and fills up fast.
(4)Carlos C.
Wonderful tapas, awesome atmosphere and great drinks! Happy hour is cool, they have a special menu and I recommend to go early. If your solo (like I usually am), I recommend going to the bar and enjoy the people watching. Very comfortable and great place to hang out! yes, they take American Express!
(5)Zane S.
The first place that usually pops into my head for a night out in Des Moines. A bar where you can actually have a conversation. A great place to reconnect with old friends. The atmosphere is tasteful/classy, yet relaxed. I've always had extremely good service here. However, tends to be busy on a late weekend night, go early if you can. Decent live jazz on weekends.
(5)Bryant G.
I've eaten here several times over the last few years, and the experience never manages to rise above "just okay". Each time, our apps are forgettable (we wondered if the tomatoes on the bruscetta were canned). The bartender would occasionally go outside and smoke in front of the restaurant, which drew a few comments from patrons. If you're gonna smoke, go out back and do it. All in all, this could be a much better place with a few easy fixes, but apparently, that's not a priority. Also worth mentioning was the time I went here with my boss. They made her the wrong drink and when she mentioned it, the server said they couldn't comp her for it., that she would have to pay for it anyway. We left immediately.
(3)Dan J.
Great bruschetta and roasted pear salad in a cool location. I recommend stopping by when in Des Moines.
(4)DaVo W.
Over priced, pile it high and leave you hungry. Not impressed. Though it's been a few years since I've been there. The experience was so bad I refuse to go back. Food was dull, the service was OK but slow. 10 minutes for a draw beer when there was only about 10 people there?
(1)Carlos C.
I visited with my wife and two young children while visiting Des Moines for a few days. We liked the casual vibe and the food was really good. There were no kids menus, but my kids found plenty to eat. They liked the chicken skewers, shrimp and the roasted potatoes. My wife liked the Cranberry Brisket sandwich and Sangria. The beer selection was excellent with many options from around the world and USA. We were definitely happy with our visit.
(4)Ivan C.
I wouldn't go as far as to call it a traditional tapas restaurant but that doesn't mean the food isn't very (very) good. They have some traditional tapas but mostly items of the 'small plate' variety. The flavors are excellent and each item I had was well portioned and delicious. The albondigas (or meatballs as I had to order them) run a bit spicy but they do say that on the menu. The roasted pear salad was a big portion, more than I expected, and a great mixture of flavors. I've had some bad run-ins with bruschetta but this was not one of them. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy. Its a nice little joint with atmosphere that reminds me of places like DC and Boston. I'd definitely make a stop back in here on another trip to Des Moines.
(4)Megan H.
I love, love, love the Continental. I've come here for drinks and for food many times. The small plate dishes are really inventive and fun - perfect if you have a family (like mine) that shares everything on th table. I've come here with friends many times and even came with my parents after a performance at the Civic Center (until recently, it was one of the only places downtown you could find food at 11:00 on a Saturday!). They have terrific live jazz playing on the weekends, but since the restaurant is so narrow, it's easy to find a table near the back if you're interested in a quieter atmosphere. Don't miss the house cocktail, The Continental, made with Chambord and muddled mint leaves. I have dreams about it, it's so delicious and fresh.
(5)Sara P.
$5 happy hour special for sangria was an ok deal. You'll get a full to the rim wine glass. It seemed like the drinks took longer than they should to come out. For food, I can recommend the cranberry brisket sandwich. The bbq sauce served with it was great but I wanted a bigger cup of it. One the side I had Mediterranean chickpea salad which was fresh and not too vinegar-y. They also have a tapas menu but the choices aren't Catalan inspired. My friends seemed to enjoy their food as well. For vegetarians there's a lasagna with polenta that looked amazing.
(4)Adam V.
Great food and wonderful environment. Fantastic plating and good service! Pricey, but to be expected for a Tapas place. I recommend the beef carpaccio or the smoked prosciutto wrapped scallops.
(5)Courtney V.
The food is extremely over priced and not anything to write home about. Don't get the cheese plate. I love cheese and this was disappointing to say the least. Really a let down all around.
(1)Jennifer S.
Vibey Des Moines East Village spot with good variety of food. I had a quick lunch there with a seared sushi-grade tuna salad served with spicy soy mustard. Loved the salad dressing and mustard, tuna was well seasoned -- the "salad" was just a bed of mesclun. I would have appreciated a few more veg, but whatever. Based on the vein that was throbbing in our otherwise lovely server's forehead as he cleaned up a mess left by kids up front, I'm going to agree with other posters who said it's not particularly kid-friendly. I imagine this would be a great place for cocktails and tapas after work. If I worked in Des Moines, that is.
(4)Tony L.
I would say I'm a regular at the Continental. It's a place where even though I always sit at the bar, the servers still know what I drink. Usually at least one night after work every week I'll head down to the East Village and visit. The layout of the building is long and narrow, which I normally don't like, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable here, unless you come in around 10-midnight on Saturdays when a band is playing. Generally happy hour is pretty casual with a few people from the after work downtown younger professionals. It's a great place to drink a few wellmade martini's and enjoy their extensive tapas menu. The actual entrees can leave a little to be desired on consistency, but the tapas are always outstanding.
(5)Jeremiah E.
I actually really like this place. And recommend it. However, depending on when you are there it can really reek. I don't know if I just happen to go there when there is a kitchen fire but sometimes there is a strong burnt food smell that can't be avoided and is overbearing. It will get into your clothes and you will smell like burnt fish all night. I really wish they would fix this. Other than that service, drinks, and food are solid.
(2)Diane A.
recently relocating to DSM from California, I was crazy-happy to find a tapas joint in town. Tapas = Spanish, and yet there were NO sangrias. go figure. I'm an avid fan of beef carpaccio, and although I (somewhat) indulged my craving for it, I wasn't too impressed. Their goat cheese tapas, however, were pretty good. I ordered a cesar salad pita, and for its price - pretty decent. The only great thing I'd have to say that was exceptional on the menu was their seared duck. It was prepared to be really succulent. Aside from that, service was slow and the waitress would completely forgot about completing taking orders from some people at our table....there, was however live jazz by the time we left. I'd have to say I give the 1star for good company, and 2 stars for the restaurant itself. I would probably come back, just to give them another shot. Just make sure to order the duck when you go.
(3)Dan M.
Continental has great tapas and a nice big full bar. It's an excellent place for socializing. Not a great place for kids, though.
(5)Smith Von Q.
Went last week. Food still awesome, but tables were sticky, the drinks were so-so, the server spilled a couple of them without offering to replace them, and the whole place had a dying vibe to it. I'm not sure what's going on.
(1)Stacy B.
I've been to the Continental several times, as it's a great place to hang out and relax with friends. The atmosphere is perfect for those looking for a laid-back, after-dinner drink. The tapas are interesting and fun, while the entrees are always solid. The portion sizes are somewhat small for the price, but I'll keep going back.
(4)P H I L H.
The Continental is a great new little restaurant and bar near the Iowa state Capital. Be sure to visit there whenever you feel the weather is warm enough to visit Des Moines. They offer an upscale menu with good service and well dressed yet friendly patrons.
(4)