Japanese ramen$$Old MarketMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-00:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Ika San on Jones Street is one of Omaha's best late-night stops downtown, with a tonkotsu counter open until midnight at weekends and a full sake list.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Pork belly buns
Order: Tonkotsu ramen: the pork broth simmers for 18 hours and the kitchen stays open past midnight on weekends.
Italian$$DundeeWed-Sun 17:00-20:30; Mon-Tue closed
Avoli Osteria on Dundee's Underwood Avenue serves Northern Italian cuisine with house-made pasta and dry-aged Nebraska rib-eye, filling early each service.
Signature: House-made pasta, Dry-aged rib-eye
Order: House-made pasta of the day: dough rolled fresh each morning, shapes rotating with Nebraska farm season.
American steakhouse$$$Old MarketBreakfast daily 07:00-10:00; Dinner Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-23:00
Monarch Prime and Bar runs a house dry-ageing programme inside the Hotel Deco XV, with a bar menu that extends alongside the dining room into late evening.
Signature: Dry-aged steaks, House cocktails
Order: The dry-aged programme changes by cut and season: ask the server what came off the dry-age rack that week.
Cajun & Creole$$DundeeWed-Thu 17:00-22:00; Fri 17:00-23:00; Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:00-21:00; Mon-Tue closed
Herbe Sainte serves Cajun and Creole cooking in Aksarben Village with craft cocktails, locally sourced proteins, and a New Orleans-rooted weekend brunch.
Signature: Bananas foster French toast, Cajun seafood
Order: Bananas foster French toast on Saturday brunch: the kitchen starts early and runs out by early afternoon.
Mexican$$BlackstoneMon-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun closed
Mula on Blackstone's Farnam Street serves modern Mexican street food with a tequila and mezcal programme underpinning some of the district's best cocktails.
Signature: Street tacos, Mezcal cocktails
Order: Street tacos with a mezcal cocktail: the most extensive tequila programme in the Blackstone District.
Steakhouse$$$Little BohemiaWed-Sat 11:00-14:00, 16:00-20:30; Sun 16:00-20:30; Mon-Tue closed
Cascio's has anchored South 10th Street in Little Bohemia since 1946, with Italian-style steakhouse cooking in a room that has barely changed since it opened.
Signature: Italian-style steaks, House vinaigrette salad
Order: Italian-dressed salad: the house Polish vinaigrette, a recipe regulars drive to South 10th Street to taste.