Hi Twin Cities ERA! I will be in Minneapolis next month for five nights and wanted to ask about some recommendations for the following items:
- Brunch places
- Dive bars
- Cocktail lounges
- Fancy/swanky restaurants
- Bars or clubs with great music (preferably without cover)
- Must-try city specific food items
Also, I'm totally down for a meet up while I'm in town (June 11-16). Let me know!
Here are some recs
Brunch: Hell's Kitchen, Birchwood Cafe, French Meadow, Lake Elmo Inn, Victor's 1959 (delicious Cuban joint)
Dives: 331 Club is probably my fave, music most nights no cover, CC Club, The Dubliner (has Irish music pretty often no cover), Vegas lounge, Palmers bar, nomad world pub
Cocktails: Young Joni has an excellent back bar/speak easy, Volstead's Emporium also a speak easy, Prohibition bar on top of the Foshay tower, Marvel bar
Restaurants: Popol Vuh, Animales BBQ (not fancy, actually a food truck at a brewery but they have 2 huge smokers, hands down best BBQ in the city), Capital Grille, Oceanaire, Kaiseki Furukawa, NE Social, Hai Hai is super fun, Bachelor Farmer, Meritage
Music: have covers but gotta check out First Ave (prince's old stomping grounds), Turf Club recommended, more fancy check out the orpheum, Guthrie theater is a nice tour as well with great views of the river valley coming into the city
Clubs: I'm not going to be the most helpful here as I'm not much of the clubbing type. Maybe Honey in NE or some stuff in the warehouse district aka north loop. If you're into ultimate dive bar karaoke check out Vegas lounge on a Friday or Saturday. Nomad world pub does have some DJs. Oh Kitty Cat Club does too (and a lot of live stuff) and is super cool like art deco loungey
Specific food: try a juicy Lucy at Matt's bar, and some fried walleye I suppose.
I don't know if you like beer but imo these are the best breweries: Dangerous Man, Inbound, Pryes, Indeed, Sociable for cider
Recommended cool stuff: You have to check out the stone arch bridge and waterfront area as well along St Anthony main. University of Minnesota mall area is a nice spot to check out as well for old buldings. Walker Art Center is a cool modern art Museum with the classic cherry on a spoon in the sculpture garden. Also uptown and lake bde maka ska, and lake harriet pavilion and rose garden. St Paul you could maybe check out like Rice Park, landmark center, St Paul hotel. Meritage is an excellent restaurant right there. Keg & Case market off west 7th is cool too.
I'd also recommend jaunts over to Lake Minnetonka and Stillwater if you have the time (those are like 30 min trips). Duluth/lake Superior if you have more time. 2.5-3hrs from the cities.
That about covers it I think. June 11-16 I think I'm around far as I know but things pop up.
