When it comes to dining in Minneapolis, the city offers the best of the best! Award-winning chefs, freshly farmed fruits and vegetables, hand-picked beef, responsibly raised poultry, Jalapeño Bloody Marys, beer with espresso, and delicious craft cocktails - it's all here. Whether you're looking for the perfect date-night spot or the best breakfast you will ever have, you can find it all in Minneapolis!
After studying abroad and working for Daniel Bouloud in New York City, James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen has come home to Minneapolis. His restaurant Spoon and Stable is the perfect place for date night. Located in the North Loop in a converted 1900s horse stable, the space is now comfortable and elegant. Owner/Chef Kaysen and staff strive to provide an incomparable dining experience and it shows. Fruits and vegetables come from local farms, beef is raised at a nearby sustainable farm, and poultry is obtained from Wild Acres where ducks, wild turkeys, quails and pheasants roam 500 acres. The menu offers sexy items like Farro Cavatelli and Grapefruit Pavlova, the ambience is intimate and beautiful, and you'd better call in advance if you want a reservation soon!
Spoon and Stable
211 North First St
(612) 224-9850
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 214 reviews
Red Cow serves delicious craft cocktails and 36 tap beers along with its amazing pub food and great variety of burgers including gluten-free. The beef is certified angus or grass-fed, and the burgers offer "a feast for all five senses!" Sliders, nachos, cheese curds, wings - all here and all good. However, you could be a little adventurous and order the Carmel Bacon Puffcorn - you'll be asking for more!
Red Cow-North Loop
208 N 1st Ave
(612) 238-0050
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 119 reviews
The first thing you need to know about brunch at the Red Stag is that they serve killer Bloody Marys. Or try the Wake-up Beer made with a shot of espresso - you'll wake up alright! Red Stag is committed to sustainable local farms so the menu will change depending on what's growing nearby. That means the food is always amazingly flavorful, whether you're in the mood for brioche french toast, veggie eggs benedict, or a good old-fashioned farmer's breakfast!
Red Stag Supper Club
509 1st Ave NE
(612) 767-7766
Yelp: 4 stars, 342 reviews
Saffron has long been at the top of the list when it comes to vegetarian restaurants in Minneapolis. Conveniently located downtown near the north loop, Saffron Restaurant and Lounge provides a unique Mediterranean-themed environment and menu. Chef Sameh Wadi blends fine-dining cooking techniques with ingredients from the Middle East to create unique, flavorful dishes you simply can't find anywhere else. He serves slow-cooked green beans like his Palestinian grandmother did - with tomato. He also created a knock-out vegetable tangine with legumes and seasonal vegetables.
Saffron
123 N 3rd St
(612) 746-5533
Yelp: 4 stars, 194 reviews
Technically in Minneapolis' twin city St. Paul, Mancini's is close enough to the edge to be considered in Minneapolis. Plus, you won't find a better steak anywhere. Only the finest aged beef is hand-selected to be broiled on Mancini's open-charcoal broilers. Whether you order the signature New York Strip or the 11-oz filet, you will not be disappointed. The menu is short, but the steak is always perfect!
Mancini's Char House
531 W 7th St
(651) 224-7345
Yelp: 4 stars, 106 reviews
At Bep in downtown Minneapolis, everything on the menu is $7.95. Granted the menu is limited, but the food is Vietnamese at its best. Your choices are soup, sandwich, salad and noodles. The best part is creating your own version of each. Add meat, tofu, jalapeños, citrus soy and more! Bep is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Bep Eatery
100 S 5th St
(612) 338-5189
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 30 reviews
Restaurant Alma could be a great place for date night - if it's a special occasion. Prices here are among the highest in Minneapolis, but they're worth it. The prix fixe menu starts at $55 per person. The restaurant has high ceilings, concrete flooring, exposed brick and soft lighting. The food is locally sourced, mostly organic and deliciously artisan. Try the sformato, a hazelnut-black truffle salad!
Restaurant Alma
528 University Ave SE
(612) 379-4909
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 271 reviews
Tilia is located in the Linden Hills neighborhood and is one of the best restaurants in Minneapolis. The atmosphere is fun and kids are always welcome. The kids' menu is full of fun foods like ants on a log, soda crackers with honey butter, and chicken and numbers soup. Menu items are just $3 each for little kids. Adults will love the varied grown-up menu including Cavatelli, Rainbow Trout, and meatballs-to-share!
Tilia
2726 W 43rd St
(612) 354-2806
Yelp: 4 stars, 422 reviews
No list of best restaurants in Minneapolis would be complete without mentioning Al's Breakfast, a true city institution located near the University of Minnesota. There are no tables at Al's, just a counter and stools situated just far enough apart for a little elbow room. Simply hang your coat on a hook and wait for your turn to sit down. They only serve breakfast at Al's, but what a breakfast it is! The flapjacks are great, especially when you add blueberries, corn or walnuts, and you must try the jelly omelet! Show up between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and wait for your turn!
Als Breakfast
413 14th Ave SE
(612) 331-9991
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 329 reviews
Source: facebook.com
What is lutefisk? It's a time-honored traditional "fishy" whitefish served for the holidays in areas populated by Swedes and Norwegians - like Minneapolis. Perhaps the only place to get good lutefisk in Minneapolis is Jax Cafe, a time-honored tradition itself. In case you don't have the nose for lutefisk, Jax also serves succulent prime rib, steaks, chops, fish, and other fine foods in a well-appointed 1930s setting.
Jax Cafe
1928 University Ave NE
(612) 789-7297
Yelp: 4 stars, 149 reviews
