Minneapolis, Minnesota, brings Hmong comfort cooking, regional Southeast Asian dishes and ambitious tasting menus into a restaurant scene shaped by its neighborhoods. A memorable meal might mean handmade pasta in the North Loop, a gathering in Linden Hills or modern Indigenous cooking at the Guthrie Theater. These best restaurants in Minneapolis feature 15 places within the city, with options for relaxed evenings and special occasions. Choose the format that suits your plans, from a generous à la carte dinner to a progression led by the kitchen. Use the restaurant links to confirm current menus and reservation arrangements before planning your visit.
#15 Indígena by Owamni
Cuisine: Modern Indigenous
Neighborhood: Mill District / Guthrie Theater
Price: $$$
Best For: Modern Indigenous cooking at the Guthrie Theater
Must Order: Bison adovada with Indigenous accompaniments
Why It Made the List:
Indígena by Owamni gives the Guthrie Theater a restaurant where Sean Sherman’s vision for modern Indigenous cooking connects ingredients native to the Americas with the work of Indigenous producers. Bison, hand-harvested wild rice and seasonal vegetable preparations offer several ways through the expanded repertoire, while the restaurant’s nonprofit connection to NATIFS makes the meal part of a wider effort to restore Indigenous food knowledge. Reserve for the current Guthrie location and choose the dining format that suits the occasion; this new chapter of Owamni has its own menu and setting, separate from the former riverfront address.
Known For:
- Sean Sherman’s modern Indigenous culinary approach
- Bison, wild rice and ingredients native to the Americas
- At the Guthrie Theater, supporting NATIFS and Indigenous producers
#14 Demi
Cuisine: Seasonal Contemporary / Tasting Menu
Neighborhood: North Loop / North Second Street
Price: $$$$
Best For: A tasting dinner at an intimate kitchen counter
Must Order: The nine-course WC Whitney tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Demi makes a North Loop dinner a focused tasting occasion, with Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant and current chef de cuisine Alan Hlebaen building a progression around seasonal ingredients and carefully chosen products. The nine-course WC Whitney menu is prepared and served by the chef team at the intimate kitchen counter, allowing diners to follow the meal as it develops rather than choose separate dishes from an à la carte list. Reserve for an evening when dinner can set the pace and discuss dietary requirements beforehand; optional wine or spirit-free pairings provide another way to explore the kitchen’s current sequence.
Known For:
- The nine-course WC Whitney tasting menu
- Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant, with Alan Hlebaen leading seasonal cooking
- An intimate kitchen-counter dining experience
#13 Tenant
Cuisine: Seasonal Contemporary / Tasting Menu
Neighborhood: South Minneapolis / Bryant Avenue
Price: $$$
Best For: A seasonal neighborhood tasting dinner
Must Order: Tenant’s seasonal dinner menu
Why It Made the List:
Tenant gives South Minneapolis a small restaurant where the open kitchen and a changing dinner menu make the preparation part of a relaxed neighborhood occasion. Counter seating lets diners follow the team at work, while traditional tables offer another way to enjoy a progression shaped by the ingredients available rather than a fixed collection of signature dishes. Reserve for the seating that suits the evening and consider a visit to the separate Next Door bar before or afterward; the dinner experience, optional pairings and supplementary bites let each table choose how much of the kitchen’s current repertoire to explore.
Known For:
- A seasonal dinner menu in South Minneapolis
- Counter seating overlooking the open kitchen
- A non-tipping restaurant with a separate Next Door bar
#12 Porzana
Cuisine: Argentine Steakhouse
Neighborhood: North Loop / North First Street
Price: $$$
Best For: Daniel del Prado’s Argentine steakhouse occasion
Must Order: Argentine-style entraña with chimichurri
Why It Made the List:
Porzana gives the North Loop a dinner shaped by Daniel del Prado’s interpretation of an Argentine parrillada, with Italian and Spanish influences adding other routes through the steakhouse repertoire. Entraña, grilled vegetables and substantial pasta preparations let diners choose between a focused steak occasion and a broader gathering around several dishes, while the dining room makes the setting part of the evening rather than merely a place to order one cut. Reserve for the meal that suits the table and choose full accompaniments with the main; the First Street address offers a distinctive expression of the chef’s Argentine roots.
Known For:
- Daniel del Prado’s modern Argentine parrillada
- Argentine entraña and a broad selection of steaks
- Italian-influenced pasta and substantial vegetable accompaniments
#11 Colita
Cuisine: Oaxacan-Influenced / Contemporary Mexican
Neighborhood: Armatage / Penn Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: An Oaxacan-influenced neighborhood gathering
Must Order: Beef lengua tacos with mole negro
Why It Made the List:
Colita gives Armatage a dinner where Daniel del Prado’s Oaxacan-influenced cooking connects tacos, rich moles and substantial vegetable or seafood preparations in a warm neighborhood setting. Beef lengua tacos with mole negro, tlayuda and octopus offer different ways to build a meal, allowing a gathering to explore several textures and accompaniments rather than rely on one conventional main. Reserve for an evening with time to enjoy the room as well as the food and choose a mix that suits the table; the Penn Avenue address gives South Minneapolis its own distinctive expression of this culinary approach.
Known For:
- Daniel del Prado’s Oaxacan-influenced cooking
- Beef lengua tacos with mole negro
- Tlayuda and seafood preparations in Armatage
#10 112 Eatery
Cuisine: Contemporary American / Global Influences
Neighborhood: North Loop / North Third Street
Price: $$$
Best For: An inventive neighborhood dinner in the North Loop
Must Order: Tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs
Why It Made the List:
112 Eatery gives a North Loop dinner the flexibility of a neighborhood restaurant with a broad culinary repertoire, connecting substantial pasta, carefully prepared fish and familiar comforts at the same table. Isaac Becker’s restaurant currently lists Anthony Foote as executive chef, and dishes such as tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs, eggplant ravioli and a cheeseburger let diners choose an occasion that suits their appetite rather than commit to a tasting sequence. Reserve for a relaxed gathering and leave room for dessert; the Third Street address offers several ways for an ordinary evening to become a memorable meal.
Known For:
- Tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs
- Eggplant ravioli and the 112 cheeseburger
- Isaac Becker’s restaurant, with Anthony Foote leading the kitchen
#9 Martina
Cuisine: Argentine-Italian
Neighborhood: Linden Hills / South Upton Avenue
Price: $$$
Best For: Daniel del Prado’s Argentine-Italian neighborhood dinner
Must Order: Cacio e pepe ravioli
Why It Made the List:
Martina gives Linden Hills a dinner shaped by Daniel del Prado’s Argentine background and Italian influences, with pasta, seafood and grilled preparations offering several ways to gather around the table. Cacio e pepe ravioli, oxtail tagliatelle and substantial fish or meat plates let diners move between comforting flavors and a more considered occasion, while the neighborhood setting keeps the restaurant connected to its corner of Minneapolis. Reserve for the meal you want and explore more than one preparation; the menu makes Martina a flexible choice for friends, an anniversary or a longer evening devoted to dinner.
Known For:
- Daniel del Prado’s Argentine-Italian cooking
- Cacio e pepe ravioli and oxtail tagliatelle
- Seafood and grilled mains in Linden Hills
#8 Hai Hai
Cuisine: Southeast Asian / Regional Street Food
Neighborhood: Northeast / University Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: Christina Nguyen’s regional Southeast Asian cooking
Must Order: Water fern cakes and a regional Southeast Asian main
Why It Made the List:
Hai Hai brings Christina Nguyen’s interest in Southeast Asian street food and family traditions into a Northeast Minneapolis restaurant where herbs, contrasting textures and regional preparations give dinner its direction. Water fern cakes, Balinese chicken and Vietnamese crepes offer different ways through the repertoire, while the bright, tropical room makes a gathering feel lively without requiring a formal tasting sequence. Reserve for an evening with time to explore the dishes and consider a mix of preparations for the table; Nguyen’s 2024 James Beard Best Chef: Midwest award recognizes the cooking associated with this particular restaurant.
Known For:
- Water fern cakes and Vietnamese crepes
- Regional Southeast Asian cooking by Christina Nguyen
- Christina Nguyen: 2024 James Beard Best Chef: Midwest winner
#7 Khâluna
Cuisine: Southeast Asian / Lao Roots
Neighborhood: South Minneapolis / Lyndale Avenue
Price: $$$
Best For: Ann Ahmed’s Lao-rooted culinary journey
Must Order: Massaman brisket curry
Why It Made the List:
Khâluna gives a South Minneapolis dinner the appeal of Ann Ahmed’s Lao-rooted cooking and a composed room designed to make the meal feel like an occasion. Sakoo, curries and substantial noodle preparations connect familiar ingredients with herbs, textures and influences from across Southeast Asia, while the adjacent shop extends the restaurant’s connection to Lao artisans and the chef’s interest in cultural exchange. Reserve for a meal that allows time for the setting as well as the food, and choose the preparations that suit the table; the Lyndale Avenue address offers several routes through this particular kitchen.
Known For:
- Ann Ahmed’s Lao-rooted Southeast Asian cooking
- Sakoo with mushrooms, nuts and tapioca pearls
- A resort-inspired dining room and shop supporting Lao artisans
#6 Bar La Grassa
Cuisine: Italian / Pasta
Neighborhood: North Loop / Washington Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: A lively North Loop pasta evening
Must Order: Gnocchi with cauliflower and orange
Why It Made the List:
Bar La Grassa gives the North Loop a convivial Italian dinner where Isaac Becker’s restaurant and executive chef Max Loesch’s current kitchen offer a broad selection of pasta and antipasti. Gnocchi with cauliflower and orange, soft eggs with lobster and substantial meat or fish preparations let a table move beyond one familiar pasta dish, with desserts providing another reason to leave time for the meal. Reserve for a gathering that welcomes several choices across the menu and enjoy the room’s lively rhythm; the Washington Avenue address suits an evening when cooking and conversation can develop together.
Known For:
- Gnocchi with cauliflower and orange
- Soft eggs and lobster bruschetta
- Isaac Becker’s Italian restaurant, with Max Loesch leading the kitchen
#5 Diane’s Place
Cuisine: Hmong American / Pastry
Neighborhood: Northeast / Food Building
Price: $$
Best For: Diane Moua’s Hmong cooking and pastry craft
Must Order: Eggroll-stuffed chicken
Why It Made the List:
Diane’s Place gives Northeast Minneapolis a restaurant where Diane Moua connects the comfort recipes of her Hmong heritage with the pastry experience developed in kitchens such as La Belle Vie and Spoon and Stable. Eggroll-stuffed chicken, Hmong sausage and substantial rice or noodle preparations give dinner its own character, while the bakery repertoire offers another route into the chef’s combination of sweet and savory craft. Choose the service that suits the occasion and confirm the current dinner arrangements before reserving; the Food Building setting makes the restaurant part of a wider community of local food businesses.
Known For:
- Diane Moua’s Hmong cooking and pastry background
- Eggroll-stuffed chicken and Hmong sausage
- Inside Northeast Minneapolis’s Food Building
#4 Alma
Cuisine: Seasonal Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Southeast / Alma restaurant, café and hotel
Price: $$$$
Best For: A seasonal tasting occasion at Alma
Must Order: Alma’s six-course seasonal tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Alma gives a Southeast Minneapolis dinner a seasonal restaurant experience within Alex and Margo Roberts’s combination of dining room, café and boutique hotel, with executive chef Maggie Whelan leading the current kitchen. A six-course progression brings together vegetables, seafood, meat and a final sweet course, while the separate three-course format offers another way to let carefully chosen regional ingredients shape the evening. Reserve specifically for the restaurant and choose the menu that suits the table; the café and hotel have their own arrangements, so a dinner here should be planned around the full dining experience.
Known For:
- Seasonal three-course and six-course dinner menus
- Maggie Whelan’s kitchen and relationships with regional producers
- A restaurant alongside Alma’s café and boutique hotel
#3 Kado no Mise
Cuisine: Japanese / Edomae Sushi
Neighborhood: North Loop / North First Avenue
Price: $$$$
Best For: An Edomae sushi evening led by the chef
Must Order: The Take omakase menu
Why It Made the List:
Kado no Mise makes a North Loop dinner an opportunity to explore Edomae sushi through a progression shaped by Chef Furukawa’s early cooking career in Tokyo. The Take omakase combines opening preparations, carefully selected nigiri and accompanying courses, while the second-floor counter and dining room give diners different ways to enjoy the attention paid to each stage of the meal. Reserve for the exact experience you want and discuss dietary needs in advance because the restaurant has specific limitations; Kado no Mise, Kaiseki Furukawa and the neighboring whisky bar are separate formats at the same address.
Known For:
- Chef Furukawa’s Tokyo-rooted Edomae sushi
- The Take omakase with ten pieces of nigiri
- A second-floor chef’s counter in the North Loop
#2 Bûcheron
Cuisine: French-American
Neighborhood: Kingfield / Nicollet Avenue
Price: $$$
Best For: French-American cooking with Minnesota character
Must Order: Red Lake walleye with wild rice
Why It Made the List:
Bûcheron gives a South Minneapolis dinner the warmth of a neighborhood restaurant and the precision developed through Adam Ritter’s work in kitchens including Joël Robuchon’s restaurants and Demi. Red Lake walleye, seasonal vegetables and meat preparations connect French-American cooking with Minnesota ingredients, while the convivial setting makes the occasion approachable without reducing it to one signature plate. Reserve for an evening with time to explore the menu and leave room for dessert; the restaurant’s 2025 James Beard Best New Restaurant award recognizes this kitchen and hospitality experience, rather than transferring accolades from the chef’s former workplaces.
Known For:
- French-American cooking shaped by Minnesota ingredients
- Red Lake walleye with wild rice
- 2025 James Beard Best New Restaurant winner
#1 Spoon and Stable
Cuisine: Contemporary American / French Technique
Neighborhood: North Loop / North First Street
Price: $$$
Best For: Gavin Kaysen’s seasonal North Loop dinner
Must Order: Halibut with tom yum broth and sticky rice
Why It Made the List:
Spoon and Stable gives a North Loop dinner the character of a restored former horse stable and Gavin Kaysen’s interpretation of Upper Midwest cooking through French technique. The current kitchen lists Mason McDaniel as chef de cuisine, and substantial fish preparations, heritage-grain pasta and seasonal vegetables provide several ways to build a meal without committing to a tasting sequence. Reserve for a considered evening and leave room for the pastry team’s desserts; the setting and broad repertoire make this an address where an anniversary or gathering with friends can find its own rhythm around the table.
Known For:
- Upper Midwest ingredients and French culinary technique
- Heritage-grain pasta and substantial fish preparations
- A dining room inside a converted horse stable
How we chose
We selected these restaurants for distinctive cooking, a clear sense of place, and a dining experience worth seeking out. Our editorial review considered current menus, official restaurant information, and local dining coverage, with attention to both special occasions and everyday meals. The ranking reflects editorial judgment rather than a numerical score.
Planning your next meal
Menus and seasonal preparations change; use the restaurant links to check the latest offerings and make reservations where available.
More dining advice
For help choosing a bottle with dinner, read our guide to ordering wine at a restaurant.
