5 Best Restaurants in St. Paul, Minneapolis-St. Paul

This ever-popular Grand Avenue haunt is three restaurants in one: a cafeteria-style deli, a pizza and wine bar, and a delectable patisserie—quite possibly the best desserts in town. Don't miss the turtle cake or one of 30 cheesecakes.

Tunes by Tony Bennett play over the speakers in this Chicago-theme restaurant whose walls are covered in brick and bright red paint. From your booth you have a clear view of the open pit broiler, where the juicy steaks are seared. There's live entertainment Wednesday through Saturday.

On the National Register of Historic Places, this quintessential 1930s diner is accented with lots of chrome and vinyl. Sit at the lunch counter or in one of the few tiny booths to enjoy stick-to-your-ribs fare; breakfast is the most popular meal of the day.

A floor-to-ceiling mural of the face of Botticelli's Venus overlooks this artfully designed trattoria, which manages to be busy and tranquil at once. Pazzaluna stakes its reputation on innovative dishes such as the fritto misto (fried calamari and vegetable strips) but brings panache to standards like handmade fettuccine in a Bolognese meat sauce.

In this romantic Victorian house, each dining room has a fireplace, Oriental rugs, and marble-topped tables. Country French and Mediterranean flavors predominate the cuisine. The menu changes seasonally.