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Join Duncan in the whiskey room at Constantine
Join Duncan in the whiskey room at Constantine
The Hotel Ivy

The Greatest Cocktail Bars of Downtown Minneapolis

Where everybody knows your name and your poison

by Eater Staff Updated
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Join Duncan in the whiskey room at Constantine
| The Hotel Ivy
by Eater Staff Updated

Downtown Minneapolis could probably use a drink. The area has weathered 2020 as much as anyone else. However, the pulled gates and deserted skyways are finally showing signs of workers returning. From events being scheduled at the Minneapolis Convention Center to weddings booking up the hotels, the city’s center of business is coming back. What better time, then, to schedule a happy hour or drinks with IRL coworkers? These are the best bets for cocktails in and around downtown Minneapolis.

All bars are listed in geographical order from North to South.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Parlour

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The dark, yet warm, wooden bar with a low and cozy seating area offers a comfortable atmosphere for libations. The bartender will offer a genuine hello, pour a well-balanced beverage. The Parlour Old-Fashioned is an obvious go-to, but try an improved sherry cocktail for low-alcohol and light-on-its feet cocktail.

730 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 354-3135
(612) 354-3135
Parlour Bar

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Spoon and Stable

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An internationally acclaimed restaurant deserves a cocktail program of the same caliber. With variations of such classics as the gimlet, old fashioned and negroni, this menu is unpretentious and impressively precise. Ask for the captain’s list for the top, top shelf treatment.

211 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 224-9850
(612) 224-9850
Joy Summers / Eater Twin Cities

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Hewing Hotel

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This sleek bar at the base of the new Hewing hotel is a perfect place to relax over a game of pool or linger with a Manhattan. The cocktail list is short, but order any classic and the bar staff here will render a flawless drink.

300 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(651) 468-0400
(651) 468-0400
Luke Marshall Johnson / Eater Twin Cities

Whiskey & Soda

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The refined Rand Tower hotel in downtown Minneapolis is filled with gilded art deco touches, including the gorgeous first level bar. Slide into a cush seat and order from the list of classic cocktails. The bar makes an excellent negroni.

527 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 224-3710
(612) 224-3710

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Constantine

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The larger of downtown's cocktail dens, Constantine offers a dark romantic temple of beverage with a vast library of spirits, liqueurs, and other ingredients for mixing a wonderful cocktail. The staff is hospitable and fun as hell. Visit for adventurous cocktails and fantastic bar snacks like a diner burger that makes for great one-handed eating.

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 886-1297
(612) 886-1297
The Hotel Ivy

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Monello

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Upstairs sibling to Constantine, the rooms couldn’t be more different. Monello is airy sophistication with excellent classic cocktails. Connected to the Ivy Hotel, you can valet for free when eating dinner here. However, the best seats in the house are the slim line of bar stools. Try the Settler’s Negroni for in intriguing mix of worldly and Minnesota’s backyard with Cappelletti Vino Aperitivo, locally made Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit, Punt e Mes, and Orange Bitters.

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 353-6207
(612) 353-6207
A cocktail refuge that’s walking distance to the convention center and orchestra hall
Monello/Facebook

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P.S. Steak

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The 510 Building is at the edge of downtown, but this phenomenal new bar demands inclusion. Pull up to the valet and step into the gilded entrance where there are two bars inside to choose from. One is bright, marble accented and come-as-you-are. The other, dramatic, Victorian room bar requires a reservation. Both serve classics and new inventions, like the savory-edged highball that’s an ideal, crisp accompaniment to a fat steak dinner.

510 Groveland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 886-1620
(612) 886-1620
Crisp, tall and plays well with charred meat: the Highball
Lucy Hawthorne/Eater Twin Cities

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Fhima’s Minneapolis

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This shimmering glass and light filled restaurant is an astounding feat of historical architecture that has been meticulously preserved. The curved bar at the front of the restaurant is the perfect vantage point to experience the room. Order a Telephone Call From Istanbul, an elaborate set up involving a flame and filling the glass with chai smoke. The smooth proprietary whiskey makes for a slow sipper for savoring the view and this balanced cocktail.

40 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 353-4792
(612) 353-4792
A closeup of a Tiffany light fixture inside the dining room at Fhima’s
An absolutely stunning bar that’s a must-see for out-of-towners and Minneapolis adventurers
Fhima’s/Website

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Parlour

730 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Parlour Bar

The dark, yet warm, wooden bar with a low and cozy seating area offers a comfortable atmosphere for libations. The bartender will offer a genuine hello, pour a well-balanced beverage. The Parlour Old-Fashioned is an obvious go-to, but try an improved sherry cocktail for low-alcohol and light-on-its feet cocktail.

730 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 354-3135
(612) 354-3135
Parlour Bar

Spoon and Stable

211 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Joy Summers / Eater Twin Cities

An internationally acclaimed restaurant deserves a cocktail program of the same caliber. With variations of such classics as the gimlet, old fashioned and negroni, this menu is unpretentious and impressively precise. Ask for the captain’s list for the top, top shelf treatment.

211 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 224-9850
(612) 224-9850
Joy Summers / Eater Twin Cities

Hewing Hotel

300 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Luke Marshall Johnson / Eater Twin Cities

This sleek bar at the base of the new Hewing hotel is a perfect place to relax over a game of pool or linger with a Manhattan. The cocktail list is short, but order any classic and the bar staff here will render a flawless drink.

300 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(651) 468-0400
(651) 468-0400
Luke Marshall Johnson / Eater Twin Cities

Whiskey & Soda

527 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55402

The refined Rand Tower hotel in downtown Minneapolis is filled with gilded art deco touches, including the gorgeous first level bar. Slide into a cush seat and order from the list of classic cocktails. The bar makes an excellent negroni.

527 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 224-3710
(612) 224-3710

Constantine

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
The Hotel Ivy

The larger of downtown's cocktail dens, Constantine offers a dark romantic temple of beverage with a vast library of spirits, liqueurs, and other ingredients for mixing a wonderful cocktail. The staff is hospitable and fun as hell. Visit for adventurous cocktails and fantastic bar snacks like a diner burger that makes for great one-handed eating.

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 886-1297
(612) 886-1297
The Hotel Ivy

Monello

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
A cocktail refuge that’s walking distance to the convention center and orchestra hall
Monello/Facebook

Upstairs sibling to Constantine, the rooms couldn’t be more different. Monello is airy sophistication with excellent classic cocktails. Connected to the Ivy Hotel, you can valet for free when eating dinner here. However, the best seats in the house are the slim line of bar stools. Try the Settler’s Negroni for in intriguing mix of worldly and Minnesota’s backyard with Cappelletti Vino Aperitivo, locally made Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit, Punt e Mes, and Orange Bitters.

1115 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 353-6207
(612) 353-6207
A cocktail refuge that’s walking distance to the convention center and orchestra hall
Monello/Facebook

P.S. Steak

510 Groveland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Crisp, tall and plays well with charred meat: the Highball
Lucy Hawthorne/Eater Twin Cities

The 510 Building is at the edge of downtown, but this phenomenal new bar demands inclusion. Pull up to the valet and step into the gilded entrance where there are two bars inside to choose from. One is bright, marble accented and come-as-you-are. The other, dramatic, Victorian room bar requires a reservation. Both serve classics and new inventions, like the savory-edged highball that’s an ideal, crisp accompaniment to a fat steak dinner.

510 Groveland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 886-1620
(612) 886-1620
Crisp, tall and plays well with charred meat: the Highball
Lucy Hawthorne/Eater Twin Cities

Fhima’s Minneapolis

40 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402
A closeup of a Tiffany light fixture inside the dining room at Fhima’s
An absolutely stunning bar that’s a must-see for out-of-towners and Minneapolis adventurers
Fhima’s/Website

This shimmering glass and light filled restaurant is an astounding feat of historical architecture that has been meticulously preserved. The curved bar at the front of the restaurant is the perfect vantage point to experience the room. Order a Telephone Call From Istanbul, an elaborate set up involving a flame and filling the glass with chai smoke. The smooth proprietary whiskey makes for a slow sipper for savoring the view and this balanced cocktail.

40 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 353-4792
(612) 353-4792
A closeup of a Tiffany light fixture inside the dining room at Fhima’s
An absolutely stunning bar that’s a must-see for out-of-towners and Minneapolis adventurers
Fhima’s/Website

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