Old warehouse blocks turned restaurant district. Spoon and Stable, Bar La Grassa and Borough anchor Washington Avenue North; the city's modern fine-dining row since 2014.
Gavin Kaysen's Spoon and Stable on North 1st Street has anchored Minneapolis fine dining since 2014. James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2018 winner.
Signature: Hand-cut pasta, Bone marrow
Order: The hand-cut pasta course and the wagyu bone marrow with sourdough toast.
Tip: Book six weeks out; the chef's counter seats four and goes fast. Bar seats hold space for walk-ins from 17:00.
Isaac Becker's Bar La Grassa on Washington Avenue has run the North Loop's defining Italian in Minneapolis since 2009. James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2011.
Signature: Soft egg and lobster bruschetta, Gnocchi with cauliflower
Order: Soft egg and lobster bruschetta and the gnocchi with cauliflower.
Tip: Bar walk-ins open at 17:00; the bruschetta menu prints 12 options daily. Order three to share.
Gavin Kaysen's Demi in the North Loop runs a 20-seat tasting-counter dining room in Minneapolis since 2017. James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur 2023.
Gavin Kaysen's flagship in the old North Loop livery has run modern-American fine dining in Minneapolis since 2014. James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2018.
Luke Shimp's Red Rabbit on Washington Avenue has run a North Loop Italian-American room in Minneapolis since 2017. Wood-fired pizza, cacio e pepe, full bar.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Cacio e pepe
Order: The pepperoni pizza and the cacio e pepe with toasted breadcrumbs.
Tip: Happy hour 15:00-17:00 weekdays runs $5 pizzas at the bar Walk-ins usually OK.
Fairgrounds Coffee on North 3rd Avenue has run a multi-roaster espresso bar in the North Loop since 2017. Beans from a dozen specialty roasters.
Signature drink: Pour over
Misfit Coffee on Humboldt Avenue North has run a quirky Minneapolis cafe with seasonal rotating specialty drinks since 2015. House roasts and an espresso bar.
Signature drink: Seasonal rotating specialty drink
Gavin Kaysen's Bellecour pours French viennoiserie at its North Loop bakery and cafe in Minneapolis. Kouign amann and morning pastries from 7am daily.
Worth the queue: Kouign amann
Spoon and Stable's bar on North 1st Street pours growers' Champagne in Minneapolis since 2014. Walk-in seats at the bar, snacks and oysters.
Signature pour: Champagne by the glass
Wine focus: Modern American by the glass, growers' Champagne
Food: Snacks and oysters
Public Domain in the North Loop builds bespoke cocktails with no printed menu in Minneapolis. Tell the bartender your mood and they pour to match.
Signature drink: Bartender's-choice cocktail
Food: Caribbean-inspired small plates
Monte Carlo on 3rd Avenue North has run a Warehouse District classic cocktail bar in Minneapolis since 1906. Long mahogany bar, Manhattans, steak frites.
Signature drink: Manhattan
Food: American
Cuzzy's on Washington Avenue has poured drinks in the North Loop Minneapolis since 1976. Dollar bills on the ceiling, the neighbourhood's enduring dive.
Signature drink: Pickleback shot
Food: Bar burgers
Parlour in the basement of Borough on Washington Avenue has poured cocktails in Minneapolis since 2014. Order the parlour burger and cocktail.
Signature drink: Parlour burger and cocktail
Food: Burgers
Modist Brewing on North 3rd Street has poured experimental beer in the North Loop Minneapolis since 2016. First fully mash-filtered brewery in the country.
Fulton Beer on North 6th Avenue has poured craft beer in the North Loop Minneapolis since 2009. At 414 N 6th Ave. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Minneapolis Farmers Market on East Lyndale has run the city's largest open-air market since 1937. Minnesota produce, flowers, Hmong farmers' rows.
Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience at Saint Paul RiverCentre has run an annual grand tasting in the Twin Cities since 2002. Local chefs, 150 wines.
Tip: VIP tickets at 16:00 give early access; general admission at 18:00. Sample plates from Spoon and Stable and other Beard-track chefs.
Cooks of Crocus Hill Minneapolis has run cooking classes for the Twin Cities since the 1980s. Pastry, knife-skills and pasta workshops in its North Loop teaching kitchen.
Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis runs downtown's defining all-day breakfast counter on 8th Street, with scratch biscuits and a 30-cocktail Bloody Mary list.
Order: Babe's Eggs Benedict with carnitas on jalapeno cheddar cornbread.
Tip: Arrive before 9am on weekends or join the waitlist on the loudspeaker; the bakery counter sells out the maple bacon cinnamon roll by 11.
Animales Barbeque in Minneapolis runs the Harrison weekend brunch on Fremont with brisket hash, smoked-meat tacos and a 12,500 square foot music room.
Order: The brisket hash with poached eggs and pickled jalapenos.
Tip: The Harrison room runs barbecue brunch only on the weekend; the live music stage gets going around 6pm on Saturday evening.
Pizza Luce Downtown in Minneapolis runs the city's anchor late-night slice counter on North 4th Street, open until 2:30am every night with late-night happy.
Try: Pizza by the slice and signature pies
Tip: Late Night with Lucé happy hour 22:00 to close Monday through Thursday cuts beverages and appetizers; the slice counter is open at the bar.
First Avenue in Minneapolis has been the downtown danceteria since 1970. The 1,550-capacity Mainroom hosted Prince's Purple Rain shows and still books.
Tip: Capacity is 1,550 on the Mainroom floor. The connected Depot Tavern opens at 16:00 most show days; the same building holds 7th St Entry.
Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis is the downtown EDM complex that holds The Loft, Bar Fly, Studio B and The Lyric across multiple floors with rotating Friday.
Tip: Bar Fly inside Skyway is the 300-capacity dance room geared toward electronic DJs; ticketed shows weeknights, table service available.
Cowboy Jack's in the North Loop runs an 11,000 square foot Wild West-themed barn with a large dance floor, free line-dancing lessons and live DJs on Saturday.
Tip: Closed Monday through Wednesday. Karaoke and live music kick off 21:30 Friday and Saturday; line-dance lessons in the Barn before the late crowd.
7th St Entry, the 250-capacity small room attached to First Avenue, opened 1980 and is where Soul Asylum, The Replacements and Husker Du played early sets.
Tip: The Entry has its own street door on 7th Street North; show wristband often gets you across into the Mainroom after the headliner.
Fine Line on First Avenue North opened 1987 on the main level of the Consortium Building and reopened in 2022 after a flood, with a 650-capacity room booked.
Tip: Doors usually 19:00 with show at 20:00. The balcony around the floor offers the cleanest sight line; main bar at street level.
Bunker's on North Washington has anchored Minneapolis funk and rhythm and blues since 1976, with a small stage and a Friday house band that has booked Prince.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Cover when bands play and the room is tight; arrive before 22:00 for a seat. Late-night kitchen serves through closing.
Union Rooftop on Hennepin Avenue runs the only year-round retractable glass enclosed rooftop in Minnesota, with skyline views over the theatre district.
Tip: Late-night dance floor opens 22:00 Thursday through Saturday. Brunch Saturday and Sunday morning is the easy walk-up entry point.
Brit's Pub on Nicollet Mall has poured British ales since 1990, but the draw is the 10,000 square foot rooftop lawn bowling green open mid-May through.
Tip: Reserve the lawn bowling rink an hour at a time from May through September. The rooftop bar stays open year-round; lawn closes in October.
The Rooftop at Hewing Hotel sits six floors above Washington Avenue in the North Loop with indoor and outdoor seating, a year-round heated pool deck and full.
Tip: No reservations, first-come, first-served. 21 and over only. The pool deck stays heated in winter; the bar runs all four seasons.
Crave on the LaSalle Plaza corner of Hennepin Avenue runs one of the largest rooftop patios downtown, with sushi, an American kitchen, drag brunches.
Tip: The rooftop is the patio half of the LaSalle Plaza location; drag brunches Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 are the easier reservation.
Prohibition occupies the entire 27th floor of the W Minneapolis at the Foshay Tower, the 1929 Art Deco landmark. 360 degree city views from what was Wilbur.
Tip: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 17:00. Reservations via the W Hotel site for the window seats; the bar walk-in works on weeknights.
Cobble Social House opened 2019 in a North Loop basement off the alley by Monte Carlo, marked by a blue neon eye above the door. Sushi and cocktail program.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Friday and Saturday run to 01:00 with a late kitchen; reservations via Tock for the small booths.
Billy After Dark sits below Billy Sushi in an 1887 building, with exposed stone walls, plush seating and a ceiling of pinholes lit by LED stars.
Tip: Enter via the back of the Billy Sushi building, ring the bell. Wednesday and Thursday close at 22:45; Friday and Saturday push to 23:45.
The Gay 90's on Hennepin Avenue is the largest LGBTQ complex in the upper Midwest, six bars and three dance floors across two buildings, with the La Femme.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. La Femme Lounge drag Wednesday to Sunday; Kinky Fridays and burlesque add to the calendar.
Berlin opened February 2024 across from Spoon and Stable as an 85-capacity European-style jazz and listening room, with state of the art sound and ticketed.
Tip: No reservations except for ticketed Friday and Saturday shows. Most weeknights run no cover. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Dakota on Nicollet Mall runs a seated jazz listening room with two sets a night, a chef-driven menu and headline touring bookings seven nights a week.
Tip: Two sets nightly. Reservations open by ticket purchase; the front row seats book first. Kitchen close varies by show.