Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Twin Cities / St. Paul

OpenTable

Updated 05 March 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Twin Cities / St. Paul? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Crasqui

4.9

4.9 (103)

$50 and over

Venezuelan

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Crasqui is a lively Venezuelan restaurant in Saint Paul. Recipes are inspired in our chef-owner Soleil Ramirez childhood, family and friends in her home-country Venezuela.

For us Crasqui is more than just a restaurant—it’s a vessel for memories, dreams, flavors, and connections. We will keep infusing our passion, dedication and love into every dish to make every guest experience memorable.

Top review

Nate

Dined 3 days ago

Crasqui always delivers a high-quality dining experience. The flavors that chef Soleil and her staff create are always top notch. The servers do an incredible job taking care of all of the guests. The cocktails are refreshing and creative and the desserts are a great way to top off a delicious meal. Highly recommend!

The Lexington

4.8

4.8 (3042)

$31 to $50

American

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

The Lexington is more than a restaurant, it’s an institution. Located on the corner of Lexington Parkway and Grand Avenue, this St. Paul community was the most fashionable at the turn of the 19th century. The St. Paul elite lived just blocks away and the first electric trolley brought visitors up and down Grand Avenue. The Lexington opened in 1935, after the end of prohibition, and was a popular neighborhood bar to gather and socialize. Previously operating as a speakeasy, the expansive wood panels were perfect for hiding a little booze and one can only imagine the shenanigans going on beyond the hidden staircase behind the coat check. For decades following, The Lex, as it’s called by locals and enthusiasts alike, was the place to be seen; business dealings, cocktail hours, and milestone celebrations were a regular occurrence for St. Paul socialites.

Top review

Kendall

Dined on 27 Feb 2025

Impeccable, friendly, attentive service, scrumptious food, classic ambiance all made for a five star dining experience.

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4.8

4.8 (38)

$30 and under

American

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Parlour St. Paul is a casual diner and craft cocktail bar located blocks from downtown St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center. Try the famous Parlour Burger, a double patty smash burger with American cheese and pickles or one of our other unique and delicious items while having a craft cocktail. We serve lunch Wednesday - Friday, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 11 am and more eclectic dishes in addition to breakfast food all day. We offer complimentary Valet service before an Xcel game or event.

Top review

Jeff

Dined on 25 Feb 2025

Will did a great job as our server. We had a tight window to get to the Wild game and he managed it well so that we had a great experience and still got to the game on time.

The Handsome Hog

4.7

4.7 (191)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Southern

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Handsome Hog is a St Paul favorite nestled in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood. We serve contemporary Southern cuisine and boast an award-winning dinner and cocktail menu. Handsome Hog has a pig-centric menu our Chef Matt Green created an inviting variety of salads, appetizers, entrées, and desserts. The bar offers a curated bourbon menu and inventive craft cocktails and mocktails. The Handsome Hog has an elevated ambiance with a casual and friendly neighborhood vibe.
Come in and try our dry-rubbed wings, woodfire-roasted mussels, or crawfish hushpuppies to kick off your evening. Move on to the pork spare ribs, Carolina BBQ sandwich, or our mouth-watering smoked beef brisket. Our smoked creme brulee, banana pudding, or specialty cocktails are the perfect way to wrap up your evening at Handsome Hog. We are looking forward to seeing you at Handsome Hog!

Top review

JoAnn

Dined on 20 Feb 2025

First time at Handsome Hog and the food was delicious. We celebrated our son birthday and they did an amazing job. We will definitely go back.

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Popular dish

Chicken 'n' Waffles

Popular dish

Tennessee Hot Chicken Sandwich

Popular dish

Spare Ribs

Holman's Table

4.7

4.7 (669)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Intimate setting in a beautiful, historic building overlooking the runway of Holman's Field. Fresh, modern dishes complemented by a classic bar and beautiful wine list. Open to the public with no security checks required.

Top review

Kimberlee

Dined 4 days ago

Holman's Table is my favorite spot for a business lunch. It's in a convenient location with plenty of parking. The food and service is always top-notch. Highly recommend.

Kincaid's - St. Paul

4.6

4.6 (5054)

$30 and under

Seafood

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Artfully serving quality steaks, and fresh and innovative seafood since 1986. Enjoy lunch, dinner or perhaps a special business or romantic occasion in our warm and inviting dining room.

Top review

MikeVIP

Dined today

Due to traffic from Bloomington to downtown St. Paul traffic taking 45 minutes for less than 20 minutes, we were late for our 6 pm and we needed to wait for a table to be cleared. We asked our server to expedite our service to finish our meal by 7 pm so our guests with walkers could walk to the Ordway and find their seats for the 7:30 performance. We promptly ordered a beverage and an entree, ate our meal, received our check, were ready with our credit cards and left at 7 pm, a heroic performance by our server and the kitchen. Our guests with walkers were very impressed with the first experience at Kincaid’s downtown St. Paul. Many thanks!

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Popular dish

Walleye

Back Bar

4.6

4.6 (6)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Sheridan

About the restaurant

We like to keep the vibes relaxed and communal at Back Bar. To keep the vibes vibin’, we’ve decided to no longer offer reservations for Back Bar via OpenTable so that we can be your go-to for a spontaneous meet-up with friends or pre-dinner drink. We will honor all current reservations.

Look for the red light in the alley. When the light is on, the back bar is open.
We open at 4 pm Wednesday - Saturday.

Top review

Anders

Dined on 15 Feb 2025

Cozy and uniquely gorgeous little speakeasy. Lively, but not overcrowded at all, even on Valentine’s Day. Great spot for conversation, though it’s possible you’ll be seated close to others with some unconventional seating (not bad however). Pizza and cocktails are incredible. Music plays on film reels. The drink menu changes occasionally and always fun and totally unique.

1881 Eating House

4.4

4.4 (133)

$30 and under

American

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

A century and a half ago, Eating Houses transformed train stations into more than mere transit points—they became destinations. More than restaurants, they offered warmth, connection, and a taste of home. That’s who we are: a place where history lingers, bold flavors bring comfort, and every guest becomes part of the story.

1881 Eating House is a modern gastropub nestled in the heart of St. Paul’s historic Union Depot. Here, the building’s rich past meets a lively, contemporary atmosphere—perfect for any occasion. Our menu features bold, innovative dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and local brews, all served in a stylish yet welcoming space.

Whether you’re stopping by for a laid-back night out, a first date, or a quick bite before your train, 1881 Eating House is where you gather, savor, and enjoy.

The name "1881" pays homage to the year both the original Union Depot and our partner restaurant, Lake Elmo Inn, opened—reflecting the deep historical connection we proudly carry forward.

Top review

Roxann

Dined on 28 Feb 2025

Such a fun place for dinner with friends and family. Excellent food, service and a fun setting. Highly recommend it!

Bennett's Chop & Railhouse

4.3

4.3 (1364)

$30 and under

Steakhouse

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

In every city, there is a natural gathering spot for city folk and neighborhood people in the know. This place in Saint Paul is know as Bennett's Chop & Railhouse. Located on West Seventh & Victoria, it is the perfect meeting place of uptown and downtown, of quiet neighborhood and big city lights.

It's called a chophouse because it specializes in a casual steakhouse atmosphere with top-of-the-line cuts of the finest meats. It is a Rail-house because it is on the old railroad line serving the city and rail drinks (as well as top brands) are served in the convivial atmosphere of the horseshoe bar.

And of course Bennett's is Bennett's because owners Joe and Meghan Bennett ensure that welcoming hospitality is always served. They have taken their decades of experiences with leading hospitality brands and translated it into an intimate venue where you're not only a customer, but more importantly, a welcome guest.

Top review

Perry

Dined 2 days ago

Friendly, very good service - best fries in St. Paul!

Bullvino's Churrascaria St. Paul

4.3

4.3 (1306)

$31 to $50

Brazilian Steakhouse

Saint Paul

About the restaurant

Bullvino's Churrascaria is a family owned traditional Brazilian steakhouse located in Lowertown St. Paul, MN. Churrascaria, which translates from the Portuguese word "barbecue" is served all-you-can-eat. Roving waiters serve the barbecued meats from large skewers directly onto the seated diners' plates allowing each guest to enjoy a variety of options. Included in our flat rate pricing is our large self serve salad bar which has a wide range of salads, soups, meats, and cheeses.

Bullvino's Churrascaria was established in the spring of 2021 by two partners who each have a lifetime of experience working in churrascaria style restaurants. Through their experience they have assembled a dedicated team of service professionals who have perfected the art of churrascaria down to the finest detail.

Bullvino's Churrascaria is the product of a lifetime of hard work, dedication, and Brazilian pride. We welcome you to come visit and enjoy the heart o

Top review

Mike

Dined 2 days ago

The salad bar was ample, and the meat was plentiful, but there were hits and misses with both. The wait staff was good, but they seemed to share responsibilities. Which lead to occasional delays in service. The music was slightly louder than I would prefer. Which made it hard to understand staff. The meats were generally good to very good. My favorite surprisingly the parmesan chicken wing, followed by the bacon wrapped steak, ribeye and spicy sausage. The filet was disappointing in flavor the beef rib was very tender but lacked flavor. The doneness did vary between servers. I ordered medium rare and received rare medium and medium well. The first sausage was over cooked and dry. The second was wonderful. The creme broule was very good, but the chocolate mouse cake was just ok. I thought the price was reasonable.

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