Downtown St. Paul and Lowertown run on proximity: to Mears Park, to the Xcel Energy Center, to the Saints at CHS Field. The rooms here range from a French bistro built for a birthday to a Thai and Lao kitchen working delivery orders as hard as dine-in tickets, and the identity of the neighborhood is that both belong equally.
№ 01
Bullvino's Churrascaria St. Paul
St. Paul $$$
289 5th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16514933397
Photo via 
Rodizio service anchors this St. Paul room: servers circulate with skewers of picanha and other cuts until the table signals stop. It reads as the neighborhood's pick for group celebrations, where the format itself, unlimited meat, controlled pacing, does the entertaining. Reservations are worth confirming directly rather than trusting the online system. Parking downtown takes planning, but the churrasco format rewards a full table and an appetite.
What to orderchurrasco, picanha, rodizio
№ 02
The Bulldog Lowertown
St. Paul $$
237 6th St E, St Paul, MN 55101 · +16512210750
Photo via
A burger-and-wings bar built for Mears Park's calendar: the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, the MN Yacht Music Festival on Harriet Island, any night Lowertown fills up. The patio and outdoor seating make it a staging point before or after an event, and the kitchen keeps a straightforward American bar menu moving even when the lunch rush hits early. Casual, dependable, built around what's happening outside its door.
What to orderburger, wings, fries
№ 03
Ruam Mit
St. Paul $$
367 Wabasha St N, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512227871
Photo via
The pad Thai sauce is the reason regulars order it twice: made to order, balanced, not muted for a general audience. Fried tofu and mango sticky rice round out a menu that covers both Thai and Lao cooking, a distinction St. Paul's food scene draws carefully. Portions run generous enough to split. A strong choice for takeout near downtown hotels as much as for sitting down.
What to orderpad thai, mango sticky rice, fried tofu
№ 04
The Buttered Tin
St. Paul $$
237 7th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16512242300
Photo via
The Pig's Eye Breakfast, two eggs, a meat choice, hash browns, sets the tone for a counter-service bakery built around weekend brunch. Cinnamon rolls and the breakfast burrito are the standing order for regulars, and the kitchen leans on locally sourced ingredients where it can. Ordering at the counter takes a beat to figure out on a first visit, but the payoff is a St. Paul brunch spot with real range.
What to ordercinnamon rolls, breakfast burrito, Pig's Eye Breakfast
№ 05
Dark Horse Bar & Eatery
St. Paul $$
250 E 7th St, St Paul, MN 55101 · +16514787139
Photo via
Reopened in 2025 under new ownership, this Lowertown bar and eatery has widened its burger, sandwich and salad lineup since the relaunch. The patio draws a crowd before St. Paul Saints games at CHS Field, and Lowertown's brewery-heavy blocks make it a natural stop for dinner between stops. Street parking and surface lots nearby ease the logistics on a busy night.
What to orderburger, sandwich, salad
350 N Market St, Saint Paul, MN, 55102 · +16512247455
Photo via
Blackened beef and a well-built Old Fashioned anchor a St. Paul room that has held its ground near the Xcel Energy Center for decades. The steak program is straightforward rather than showy, and the bar alone justifies a stop for those not staying for dinner. A dependable pick before a concert or game, and a fixture of downtown St. Paul's dining identity regardless of what's on the marquee.
What to orderBlackened Beef, Steak, Old Fashioned
St. Paul $
400 Wabasha St N, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16518882168
Photo via
The Chicken Fantastic and Veggie Fantastic are the two orders that built this counter's following, Somali and Mediterranean cooking served fast and priced low. Hummus and the vegetarian option make it one of downtown St. Paul's more reliable stops for a plant-based meal that doesn't feel like an afterthought. Some regulars have noted the veggie sauce has grown lighter than it once was, worth ordering with that in mind.
What to orderChicken Fantastic, Veggie Fantastic, Hummus
410 St Peter St, Saint Paul, MN 55145 · +16512225670
Photo via
Wednesday's steak frites night, thirty two dollars for the frites, unlimited fries and a house salad, is the standing reason locals return to this St. Paul French room. The dining room's Parisian bones make it a default for birthdays and anniversaries, and servers who ask about the evening's plans signal a kitchen used to pacing a celebration. A steady, unshowy French kitchen that has earned its regulars over repeat visits.
What to ordersteak frites, French fries, house salad
Frequently asked
What's the best restaurant near me in downtown St. Paul and Lowertown?
It depends on what's nearby and what you're after. Near Mears Park, The Bulldog Lowertown and Dark Horse Bar & Eatery cover casual and patio dining; near the Xcel Energy Center, The St. Paul Grill and Meritage handle a dinner with more occasion to it. Each restaurant here carries an Insider Score built from its actual review record, not a paid placement, so check the score alongside the writeup for the one closest to you.
Which of these restaurants is best for a special occasion?
Meritage and The St. Paul Grill are built for it: a French bistro with a Parisian feel and a downtown steak room with a long-standing bar program. Bullvino's Churrascaria works well for a larger group celebration given its rodizio format. None of these placements are paid; the Insider Score reflects the review record for each room.
Is there good Thai or Lao food in downtown St. Paul?
Ruam Mit covers both. It's a made-to-order kitchen serving Thai and Lao dishes, distinct culinary traditions that the restaurant keeps separate rather than blending, with the pad Thai and fried tofu as the standouts. Its Insider Score is based on its actual review history, and no restaurant on this list paid for placement.
Where can I get a casual meal before a Saints game or a concert?
Dark Horse Bar & Eatery sits close to CHS Field and draws a pre-game crowd, while The Bulldog Lowertown works well before events at Mears Park or Harriet Island. Both are casual, moderately priced, and scored on their real review record rather than any paid listing.
ƒ
The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Marit Solheim
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Marit Solheim is the Food Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born and raised in the Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis, she spent six years on the line in downtown kitchens before she started writing. She covers the institutions and the chef tier in both downtowns and holds the desk to one standard: know which city you are standing in.
