Pioneer Press 2024 patio guide: Places to see and be seen

Jess Fleming, Jared Kaufman, Pioneer Press
Updated ·6 min read

Our picks for outdoor dining to see and be seen. See the rest of the Pioneer Press 2024 patio guide here.

CAFE AND BAR LURCAT, 1624 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, 612-486-5500; lurcatminneapolis.com: The elegant establishment features a patio with gorgeous views of Loring Park. For something more quiet and private, we’ll let you in on a secret: Lurcat also has a few outdoor seats in the back.

BLONDETTE, 527 Marquette Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-224-3750; blondettempls.com: Forget the patio, this entire, very elegant restaurant has a retractable glass roof that opens on nice days. It’s on the fifth floor, so when you look up, it’s blue sky and towering skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. There’s also a small, open-air terrace that wasn’t open when we visited, but I’d prefer the restaurant proper anyway. The food here is incredible, too. Oysters, mussels, poached lobster, wagyu steak, duck and even a buzzworthy burger are yours for the ordering.

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BOROUGH RESTAURANT AND PARLOUR BAR, 730 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-354-3135; boroughmpls.com: Be a part of the North Loop action at this contemporary restaurant with a spacious dockside patio with a bar. Or, grab one of the sidewalk seats out front.

BUTCHER’S TALE, 1121 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-236-4075; butcherstale.com: Downtown Minneapolis’ most magical outdoor space has reopened with a new owner and new name, but the original butcher (chef Peter Botcher) from Butcher & The Boar is back, this time helming the kitchen. The meat-centric menu is as good as ever, and the patio has new furnishings.

COLITA, 5400 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-886-1606; colitampls.com: Colita serves some of the best contemporary Mexican fare and cocktails around, and the hot spot comes with two patios to sit back and relax on. A few tables on the sidewalk are available, but the majority of the restaurant’s 46 patio seats can be found in an enclosed space on the east side of the building. Plants, wood accents and a pergola for shade add to the charm. Garage doors adjoin the indoor and outdoor dining areas.

EMBER & ICE, Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, 2611 Nordic Way, Eagan; 651-689-9800; omnihotels.com/hotels/viking-lakes-minnesota: The contemporary Ember & Ice, the Omni Vikings Lakes Hotel second-floor patio connected to Ember & Ice lounge, boasts several seating areas, firepits, its own bar and a great view overlooking the Vikings practice field. All this while being able to enjoy a great cocktail and food list. The vibe in the lounge takes on Icelandic culture of the North, and that philosophy extends onto the patio.

HANDSOME HOG, 173 Western Ave. N., St. Paul; 651.219.4013; handsomehog.com: It’s hard to believe that this patio was once a pass-through with a few parking spots. During the pandemic, Handsome Hog relocated from Lowertown to the former space of The Fitz on Cathedral Hill. The space has been transformed, including the addition of a 120-seat fenced-in patio decked out with a wrap-around bar, pergola, multiple seating areas, umbrellas, potted plants and flowers. And the food is great — you can’t go wrong with anything you order at this contemporary Southern restaurant.

HEWING HOTEL ROOFTOP BAR AND LOUNGE, 300 Washington Ave. N. Minneapolis; 651-468-0400; hewinghotel.com: Contemporary rooftop bar and lounge at the Hewing Hotel has a spectacular view of the city. Not only that, the food and drinks are always reliable.

THE LEXINGTON, 1096 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-289-4990; thelexmn.com: The 80-seat rooftop retreat offers plenty of choices for sun or shade. An upstairs bar and kitchen guarantee that drinks and food come out at just the right pace. A second-floor private event space seating up to 120 people is also available.

LOUIS RISTORANTE & BAR, 211 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, 651-222-3476; cossettas.com: Located off the third-floor sit-down Italian restaurant, the large terrace has its own bar, pretty Italian villa accents and flower beds. And then there’s the gorgeous view of the Cathedral of St. Paul. For something more low-key, the second-floor wrap-around patio is part of the more casual Cossetta restaurant.

MAISON MARGAUX, 224 First St. N., Minneapolis; 612-900-1800; maisonmargauxmpls.com: What might be chef David Fhima’s most personal restaurant yet, the stunning new Maison Margaux in Minneapolis’ North Loop has Parisian style in spades, including on its outdoor terrace, which sports a pretty pergola, classic bistro chairs and strings of lights for ambiance. The classic French cuisine here — they even have frog legs — is dynamite, as are the cocktails. There’s also a very eclectic, very large wine list.

MERITAGE, 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com: Bustling sidewalk terrace with brasserie charm aims to whisk you away. Spectacular French dishes, the freshest oysters in town and a stellar wine list add to the ambiance.

RIVA TERRACE on the Four Seasons Hotel rooftop, 245 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; fourseasons.com/minneapolis/dining/restaurants/riva: As you might imagine, this rooftop patio in the heart of downtown Minneapolis is full of fancy people drinking fancy drinks in a very fancy space with lots of flowers and greenery, an outdoor bar and a pool that’s accessible only to guests. It’s a great pre-theater option in the warmer months, and they even have a happy hour (they call it apertivo hour) where prices, though still not cheap, come down to a level that even the un-fancy among us can afford.

SMACK SHACK, 603 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-259-7288 or 3801 Minnesota Drive, Bloomington; 952-333-7722; smack-shack.com: Grab a seat on the long, 150-seat patio at this popular North Loop seafood spot and make sure oysters and lobster rolls are part of your group’s order. Retractable coverings can be adjusted according to whether you want sun or shade. Water-tight overhangs also make the patio a reliable option for dining al fresco even if it starts to drizzle. The new Bloomington location, in a former Fuddruckers, also has a new 120-seat paved patio with Edison lights strung everywhere, umbrellas for shade, and a bonus — parking there is a breeze.

W.A. FROST, 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-224-5715; wafrost.com: This perennial favorite on Cathedral Hill has long been a crowd-pleaser for its classy vibe, fancy stonework and abundant gardens. The spot is even more breathtaking when lit up at night, making it one of the most romantic — and popular, so don’t forget a reservation — spots around.

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