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Finally, an ask about a Midwest city!
Sights: The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is small and a must, the Nelson-Atkins is sizeable but also excellent. Both free and within blocks of each other. If the weather is nice, take a beat to sit and enjoy the N-A's lush park β there's an Andy Goldsworthy walking wall. And drive up to the top of the WWI museum at sunset to watch the skyline.
Food: Succotash is a tasty, beloved breakfast/lunch joint that immediately feels like home. I go to Novel or the Antler Room for dinner any time I'm in town.
Drink: Oddly Correct is top-tier coffee. Lucky Boys is the spot to get a cheap drink and feel like a hip local.
Jun 26, 2025
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πfood recs include grand pied for breakfast, balkan treat box for lunch (has been listed as one of the best restaurants in the country), tamm ave bar/nomad for burger + beer, and milagro azteca for casual mexican food/margs. sado or lucky accomplice are good for a nicer dinner. bars include venice cafe (drinks are meh tbh but vibes are great), the vandy, or golden hoosier. if you're into beer, side project in maplewood has some crazy stuff and there are some cute local shops on the same strip. clementine's is maybe the best ice cream ever and if you go you have to get their gooey butter cake flavor
i second the zoo/art museum recs, followed by a walk in forest park. city museum is also fun, or the botanical garden. tower grove or soulard farmers market are a nice weekend activity
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π₯Minneapolis definitely punches above its weight (especially when you add in St. Paul). Here are some of my faves in various categories:
Non-fancy eats:
- Wrecktangle Pizza (best pizza in mpls imo)
- Francis Burger Joint (bomb plant-based food)
- Nicos tacos (solid drinks and Mexican food)
- Boludo (good Argentinian-style pizza)
- French Meadow (great large and reliable selection of reasonably priced food and one of the first organic restaurants from back in the day)
More expensive eats (might be hard to get into these without a reservation, but if you go on the earlier side you can usually get in): - Oro (delicious high-end mexican) - Young Joni (fun pizzas and a speakeasy in the back) - Gai Noi (high end Laotian) - Sanjusan (Japanese Italian fusion with good cocktails) - Owamni (native food that will make you stop and think about alternative realities devoid of colonization) - Guacaya (tapas style latin food that's delicious and good cocktails)
Divey bars: - Meteor (more trendy dive) - Dutch bar (more trendy dive) - Anywhere in the northeast for old and legit dive bars
Cocktails: - Elusive (good cocktails and usually not very crowded) - Billy After Dark (trendy basement bar where you order purely on mood/vibes) - Back bar at young joni (chill classic speakeasy vibes) - Bronto Bar (more packed but fun) - Flora Room (trendy and expensive) - Berlin (have live music and is a new, trendy, and fun spot)
Bakeries: - Black Walnut (delicious pastries, and only place I know that has a chocolate banana croissant) - Savory Bakehouse (only open friday - sunday, great treats that change by the week, but get there early because they sell out) - Patisserie 46 (huge and reliable selection) - Edwards Dessert Kitchen (open late and also has cocktails)
Coffee: - Dogwood (specialty, third wave, delicious) - Mojo (wooden, cluttered with vibes) - Duck Duck Go (good community and comedy on sundays)
Activities: - Walking around on Nicollet Island and Boom Island Park, you can also cross and walk along the Mississippi on the downtown side and can then walk to pryes brewery - The lakes - Tons of bookstores (personal favorites are bookhouse in dinkeytown, eat my words, and uncle hugos) - Breweries and cideries galore - art studios in northeast - Art Museums (Weisman is free and associated with the university)
Weekend pop ups: - Dahlia (delicious brunch and pastries) - Mogi (great bagels)
More expensive eats (might be hard to get into these without a reservation, but if you go on the earlier side you can usually get in): - Oro (delicious high-end mexican) - Young Joni (fun pizzas and a speakeasy in the back) - Gai Noi (high end Laotian) - Sanjusan (Japanese Italian fusion with good cocktails) - Owamni (native food that will make you stop and think about alternative realities devoid of colonization) - Guacaya (tapas style latin food that's delicious and good cocktails)
Divey bars: - Meteor (more trendy dive) - Dutch bar (more trendy dive) - Anywhere in the northeast for old and legit dive bars
Cocktails: - Elusive (good cocktails and usually not very crowded) - Billy After Dark (trendy basement bar where you order purely on mood/vibes) - Back bar at young joni (chill classic speakeasy vibes) - Bronto Bar (more packed but fun) - Flora Room (trendy and expensive) - Berlin (have live music and is a new, trendy, and fun spot)
Bakeries: - Black Walnut (delicious pastries, and only place I know that has a chocolate banana croissant) - Savory Bakehouse (only open friday - sunday, great treats that change by the week, but get there early because they sell out) - Patisserie 46 (huge and reliable selection) - Edwards Dessert Kitchen (open late and also has cocktails)
Coffee: - Dogwood (specialty, third wave, delicious) - Mojo (wooden, cluttered with vibes) - Duck Duck Go (good community and comedy on sundays)
Activities: - Walking around on Nicollet Island and Boom Island Park, you can also cross and walk along the Mississippi on the downtown side and can then walk to pryes brewery - The lakes - Tons of bookstores (personal favorites are bookhouse in dinkeytown, eat my words, and uncle hugos) - Breweries and cideries galore - art studios in northeast - Art Museums (Weisman is free and associated with the university)
Weekend pop ups: - Dahlia (delicious brunch and pastries) - Mogi (great bagels)
Mar 5, 2024
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And here's what I'd do:
Eats: - young joni or Kim's (Ann Kim is a genius) - you probably won't get into Owamni but you can try - seward cafe if you want some classic mpls progressive crunchy vegan options and brunch - 112 eatery and sit at the bar - centro or anything on eat street (check out eat street diner's club comic linked- my partner draws it)
Otherwise: - go to the MIA - it's free and kinda like a mini-Met - walk around a lake even if it's chilly (Isles is great for first timers) - See some live music (First Ave/Entry/Berlin/Zhora Darling) - Walker sculpture garden and see the Jenny Holzer benches & the cherry and spoon. museum is between shows so I wouldn't pay full admission(keith haring is on its way) but it's an A+ museum
Eats: - young joni or Kim's (Ann Kim is a genius) - you probably won't get into Owamni but you can try - seward cafe if you want some classic mpls progressive crunchy vegan options and brunch - 112 eatery and sit at the bar - centro or anything on eat street (check out eat street diner's club comic linked- my partner draws it)
Otherwise: - go to the MIA - it's free and kinda like a mini-Met - walk around a lake even if it's chilly (Isles is great for first timers) - See some live music (First Ave/Entry/Berlin/Zhora Darling) - Walker sculpture garden and see the Jenny Holzer benches & the cherry and spoon. museum is between shows so I wouldn't pay full admission(keith haring is on its way) but it's an A+ museum
Mar 5, 2024
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