Location: Minneapolis
Top Restaurants in Minneapolis
Minneapolis Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Minneapolis
With its gleaming skyscrapers set amid glittering lakes, Minneapolis makes for an attractive and fun getaway. A truly year-round destination, the city offers activities for every season. In winter, one can explore the downtown area through more than seven miles of glass-enclosed skyways. In addition to keeping you warm, they create a lively thoroughfare filled with specialty shops, restaurants and services. Whether you want to escape the winter cold or the summer warmth, the Mall of America offers shopping, dining and entertainment options for any time of the year and every member of the family. Art lovers have plenty to see at the Minneapolis Art Institute, Walker Art Center and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, which all house world-renowned collections. The theater scene is thriving. With more than thirty theaters, Minneapolis has more seats per capita than any U.S. city except New York. See a Broadway show and enjoy dinner and live jazz at a fabulous restaurant. With kids in tow, check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, where visitors can produce their own video, or come face to face with a shark at the UnderWater Adventures Aquarium. In summer, the action moves outside. Known as "The City of Lakes," Minneapolis has 22 lakes located within city limits and many more in the surrounding area. In town, hordes of locals and tourists in-line skate or stroll around Lake Calhoun, stopping for ice cream along the way. Just outside of town, Fort Snelling State Park offers outdoor recreational activities from hiking to biking and golf to boating. No matter when you visit, Minneapolis offers lots for everyone to enjoy.
Things to do in Minneapolis
1. The Capital Grille
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 709 reviews
Rich mahogany, sumptuous leather and cool marble set the stage for incomparable dining in the Hennepin Theatre District. Just blocks from the Target Center, you’ll finddry aged beef that’s always right on the mark. No wonder Zagat Survey wrote, “awesome steaks served by the pros are the order of the day.”
Reviewed By sana5000 - Doylestown, Pennsylvania
I’ve been here many times over the past few years it seems to be always busy And the restaurant is full of People excellent food although expensive highly recommend it it’s worth the price
2. Chimborazo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 243 reviews
Reviewed By PVVVV - Minnetonka, Minnesota
We found Chimborazo written about in a book of unique restaurants in Minneapolis. We are fortunate in the north land to have a number of really good restaurants and as amateur foodies, my wife and I have been fortunate to enjoy many of them, but we wanted to widen our perspective and experience.
We dined at Chimborazo on a cold Wednesday evening in mid February arriving at about 7:45 PM and the place was very busy. The food grabs your attention with delicious flavors and the diners all seem to be enjoying themselves and speaking loudly! It has a very Latin America flair and personality for Minnesota! I really liked everything about it.
To our surprise Wednesday night offers a date night special with two entrées and a bottle of wine for $35.! This is absolutely the best value in the Twin Cities! The QPV is off the charts! I had the beef and my wife had chicken. Normally we're good about sharing, but this night we really wanted to enjoy every bite of what was on the plate in front of us. We will definitely be going back many times! The tres leches was delicious too.
3. Pizzeria Lola
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 850 reviews
A Korean immigrant, inspired by the pure love of food, joy and her mother’s own delicious cooking, quits her day job, opens an artisan pizza pie place and names it after her dog. There’s no need to be overly patriotic here, but is there anything more American than that? Yep, sometimes dreams do come true. Welcome to Pizzeria Lola where we serve wood fired pizzas, shareable small plates, warm chocolate chip cookies, soft serve ice cream, wine, beer and fun! Don't forget to take a trip to our photobooth when you visit.
Reviewed By scottpE1718XT - Seoul, South Korea
Oh my! The Korean BBQ Pizza was amazing.... never tasted anything like it! Highly recommended. We had that with the Hawaiian Pie... alway fantastic. If you can, make a reservation with Open Table before going. Its very popular with a long wait. Worth the wait but even better with a reservation. Definitely going back! Oh yeah, the best home brewed beer also!
4. 112 Eatery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 945 reviews
Reviewed By nancy0901 - Minnesota
Loved it. Great selection of unique entrees and appetizers. Great wine list too. You can go cheaply and just order an appetizer or go all out and spend more. My pasta was awesome and I will be back. Great night out with girlfriends.
5. Holy Land Bakery, Grocery and Deli
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 193 reviews
over 25 years of excellence our award winning restaurant has been serving the twin cities with the best meddle eastern food using Mama Fatima original recipes , and providing them with the largest selections of fresh bread , olives , cheeses , olive oil and finest imported grocery items , our meat department offers all 100% grass fed lamb , goat and beef with the highest quality available in the market (best of the best ) all HALAL-ZABIHA CERTIFIED.
Reviewed By CoolLoon - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Every once in awhile I'll drop in for a fast and tasty lunch. I didn't see the usual lunch buffet but the place has been remodeled with a lot of the grocery area updated. I park in the back and on the way to the restaurant I'll check out the vast array of feta cheeses, olives, and the injera bread - made from tef although some wheat flour is added. The chef and cashier are so friendly and accommodating. Today I ordered take-out gyros salad. Simple and delicious. But they also have fantastic rotisserie chickens and other meats. I don't know if they have the luncheon buffet anymore, but the last time I was there I took a scoop of everything and the place was crowded customers. Today I came later in the afternoon and there were only a few customers eating in/ Plus a big snow storm was rolling in. The food and service reminds me a lot of my visit to Athens but the food is not just Greek, but from all over the Levant. And their baklava is fresh and to die for! Located in a mixed neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis, I always enjoy dropping in for a good meal!
6. Bar La Grassa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 645 reviews
Reviewed By Michael F
I went to Bar La Grassa in February 2018 for a dinner date and had a great experience. We shared a couple of half-sized pasta dishes. I have to admit it was some of the best pasta I’ve ever had. The service is also pretty good and the servers are all very knowledgeable of the menu. It was surprisingly well-priced for the quality. You will get great quality pasta and service for a very reasonable price. You probably should make a reservation because it gets very crowded.
7. Spoon and Stable
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 525 reviews
Reviewed By Omni99 - Ashland, Massachusetts
This is a wonderful restaurant. The staff is very attentive. They are are very knowledgable of the menu and the extensive wine list. I was there for a business/friendly dinner. We all had a starter and a crispy Orange wine. I had the potato raviolini (small raviolis). It was scrumptious, delicate and a smash of flavor in your mouth. It is a small portion so it is a light starter. My friends had the crab salad, which had large chunks a crab and a lovely dressing. For dinner, I had the steelhead trout, which was soft and buttery, with a light citrus-gender sauce. My two friends had the Fucilli and the Tamarind Glazed Pork Chop. Again all of us enjoyed the meal.
A couple things: 1) make a reservation at least a day in advance or you can probably walk in at 9pm on a weekday. 2) it is a bit loud so be ready. 3) although it can be a bit expensive (especially the pasta), I think for the quality of the food it is right there (think NYC or LA prices)
8. Broders’ Pasta Bar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 346 reviews
Since 1994 Broders' Pasta Bar has been serving house made and quality imported pastas and risottos, focusing both on Italian regional traditions as well as seasonal & local ingredients. We source from Midwest farms, when possible, and grow vegetables in our own parking lot garden (weather permitting, of course!) but really, it's about the pasta. Located across W. 50th Street from Broders’ Cucina Italiana, the original deli and specialty food shop, Molly and Tom Broder opened the Pasta Bar - to cook the pasta they were selling the way it was meant to be: fresh, al dente, perfectly sauced and thoughtfully executed. Still, and always, family owned and operated, Broders' continually strives to serve great Italian food and wine from our corner in Southwest Minneapolis. We hope to welcome you, whether at the Cucina, Pasta Bar, or the newest addition, Terzo, our contemporary Italian restaurant & wine bar. Saluti!
Reviewed By Leah D - Usa, Japan
There is two Broder's to choose from the listed above Broder's Pasta Bar and then a smaller deli/pizzeria/bakery café called Broders' Cucina Italiana across the street. Unfortunately I haven't eaten at the Broder's Pasta Bar due to the fact that they do not open until 4:00 PM, and I have only frequented this area during lunch time. This review is for the Broders' Cucina Italiana being that both of these establishments are related. This is a busy corner area where Broders' has the two restaurants and I would highly recommend the establishment Broders' Cucina Italiana and I look forward to tasting Broders' Pasta Bar in the future. Excellent in both regards of food and service.
Special note: You can park in Broders' Pasta Bar lot during the day and eat at Broders' Cucina Italiana and not get towed, plus parking can be hard in Penn/France and 50th area.
9. Cafe Lurcat
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 456 reviews
Reviewed By BrynMawrBK - Bryn Mawr, PA
We had a very good experience here on Super Bowl weekend. Our cheery server gave us good suggestions on what cocktails and dishes to try. The menu offered numerous unusual dishes, such as apple, manchego cheese and chive salad and a small dish with spicy Chinese sausage and rice which were terrific. My husband's crab cake, though, was just okay. Overall, we enjoyed our time here and would return.
10. Restaurant Alma
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 366 reviews
Reviewed By TryppAdams - Minneapolis, Minnesota
So I think I accidentally made reservations at the Cafe instead of the restaurant(my fault!) but once we were seated in the cafe I was a bit disappointed as it wasn't really the experience i was hoping for, I asked a waiter if there was a difference between the two and he explained the 3 course tasting menu at the restaurant and offered to see if there were any available seats next door and thankfully there were! He brought us around and we were reseated in the restaurant and I was feeling a bit high maintenance but they didn't bat an eye. We enjoyed the cheese and olives while reading through the menu of choices for each course. We both ordered a beer($6-7) and took some time to decide on our options and seeing what we could sample of each others as it all looked so good. I settled on the Salmon Tartare, the Swiss chard & Ricotta Tortellini followed by the Pork Loin & Smoked Shoulder(AMAZING!) the portions aren't huge, they come out perfectly timed and I left stuffed with dinner lasting around 2 hours. The tasting menu runs $59, and there is a benefit surcharge which they denote is not a tip - Personally I think they should just charge $61 and leave me out of their benefit business, but they must feel its worth making a point about. So, for dinner for 2, a beer each, tip and benefit surcharge ;) it came to $170 which given the atmosphere, quality of food and level of service seemed reasonable. I would definitely go back for a special occasion and will have to check out the Cafe sometime for a regular meal.
