City Market on Saturdays, Le Fou Frog on the corner, Thou Mayest at River Quay, Strange Days Brewing on Oak. The riverfront food hub since 1857.
Le Fou Frog in Kansas City's River Market is Mano and Barbara Rafael's French bistro on the corner of 5th and Oak, with Provencal classics since 1996.
Signature: Steak au poivre, Sole meunière, Crème brûlée
Order: Steak au poivre with frites and a Pinot Noir from the list.
Tip: Open Tue to Sun for dinner; reservations recommended. Bring cash for the tip cup. Mano makes the rounds nightly.
Mano and Barbara Rafael's French bistro in Kansas City's River Market has run Provencal classics on the corner of 5th and Oak since 1996. The wine list is the city's deepest French selection.
Tip: Tue to Sun dinner only. Mano works the room nightly; tip the line cooks in cash.
Habashi House in Kansas City's City Market runs a family-owned Middle Eastern counter with halal meats, including beef shawarma and falafel platters from lunch only.
Signature: Beef shawarma, Falafel platter, Combination plate
Order: Beef shawarma platter with rice, hummus and salad.
Tip: Open Mon-Tue 10:00 to 14:00, Wed-Fri 10:00 to 17:00. Cash works fastest; takeaway is the move at peak lunch.
Carollo's Italian Grocery and Deli on 3rd Street in Kansas City's City Market has run since 1989, with Mike Carollo serving specialty subs and imported Italian goods.
Signature: Romano sandwich, Original Philly steak, Italian sub
Order: The Romano sandwich on house bread, with a side of imported olives from the case.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 17:30. Counter sandwiches go fast at lunch; pick up groceries while you wait.
Thou Mayest at River Quay on Delaware in Kansas City's River Market acquired the former Quay Coffee in 2019 and pours Thou Mayest's own roasts on the corner.
Signature drink: Espresso, single origin
Tip: Bo Nelson's roastery is the Kansas City coffee-scene anchor; the River Quay shop is the weekend hub.
Jackie Nguyen's Cafe Ca Phe on 5th Street in Kansas City's Columbus Park is the city's first Vietnamese coffee shop, with Vietnamese-American specialty drinks and pastries.
Signature drink: Vietnamese iced coffee, ube latte
Tip: The Hella Good with ube is the signature; the cafe operates as a community hub on weekends.
Carollo's Italian Grocery and Deli on 3rd Street in Kansas City's City Market has run since 1989, with Mike Carollo's imports plus a daily run of cannoli and Italian breads.
Tip: Pick up imported tomatoes and olive oil; the deli builds sandwiches on the same bread out front.
Worth the queue: Filled cannoli
Bo Nelson's Thou Mayest has been the Kansas City small-batch roaster since 2012, with the River Quay flagship on Delaware and a wholesale programme through the city.
Tip: Sister Thee Outpost inside Collective Ex on East 18th is the satellite shop with gluten-free pastries.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Wholesale
Jackie Nguyen's Cafe Ca Phe in Kansas City's Columbus Park is the city's first Vietnamese coffee roaster, importing Vietnamese beans and brewing them through phin filter.
Tip: The Hella Good with ube is the signature; bag the Vietnamese roast for home.
Sources from: Vietnam
How they serve: Vietnamese phin filter, Espresso, Whole bean retail
Le Fou Frog's wine programme in Kansas City is the city's deepest French selection, with Mano Rafael's three-decade cellar focused on Provence, the Rhone and Burgundy.
Signature pour: Cotes du Rhone, Cremant
Wine focus: French, Provence and Burgundy
Food: French bistro plates
Tip: Sit at the bar for the wine pours; tip Mano in cash if he comes round.
Harry's Country Club on Missouri Avenue in Kansas City's River Market is the neighborhood bar with a long bourbon selection and Boulevard beer on draft.
Signature drink: Bourbon and Boulevard
Food: Bar food, burgers
Tip: Live music nights are the draw; the back patio fills first.
Strange Days Brewing on Oak Street in Kansas City's River Market has served globally-inspired beer since 2018, just north of the City Market with a casual taproom.
Signature drink: IPAs, hazy ales, fruit beers
Food: Pop-up trucks
Tip: Mon 16:00 to 21:00, closed Tue, Wed to Sun varied. Food trucks rotate; check the calendar.
Pigwich at City Market in Kansas City's River Market is the sandwich-and-burger counter that began as a butcher shop. The Jalapeno Popper BBQ sandwich is the signature.
Try: Smoked pork sandwich, dry-aged burger
Tip: 6.5-ounce dry-aged beef burger is the second order. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Habashi House in Kansas City's City Market is the family-owned Middle Eastern halal counter since 2000, with shawarma, falafel and combination platters.
Try: Beef shawarma, falafel
Tip: Cash works fastest at peak lunch; takeaway is the move.
Carollo's Italian Grocery on 3rd Street in Kansas City's City Market has run sandwiches and imported groceries since 1989, with Mike Carollo at the counter.
Try: Romano sandwich, Philly steak
Tip: The Romano on house bread is the canonical order; pick up tomatoes from the case before leaving.
Vietnam Cafe on Campbell Street in Kansas City's Columbus Park is the pint-size institution that serves the city's most-praised pho, with generous portions and rich broth.
Try: Pho, banh mi
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. The banh mi is the second order; cash works fastest.
Strange Days Brewing on Oak Street in Kansas City's River Market has poured globally-inspired beer since 2018, just north of the City Market with rotating food trucks.
Tip: Sun 12:00 to 19:00; the small taproom is best for a Saturday afternoon market walk.
City Market on East 5th in Kansas City's River Market has been the riverfront food hub since 1857, with the region's biggest farmers market on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Tip: Saturday is the busy day; Sunday is the quieter walk. Carollo's deli and Habashi House are the City Market lunch picks.
Habashi House in Kansas City's City Market runs the city's cheapest halal Middle Eastern lunch counter, with beef shawarma and falafel platters under $14, Mon-Sat only.
Try: Beef shawarma platter
Tip: Cash works fastest; the combination plate is the value.
Vietnam Cafe on Campbell Street in Kansas City's Columbus Park is the city's most-praised pho counter, with generous bowls of broth and noodles under $15.
Try: Pho bowl
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Banh mi is the second order; cash works fastest.
Carollo's Italian Grocery and Deli on 3rd Street in Kansas City's City Market has run since 1989 with specialty subs and imports. Romano sandwiches under $14 are the move.
Try: Romano sandwich
Tip: Buy imported olives and tomatoes for home while you wait for the sandwich.