With creative small plates and an unbeatable wine list a mile long, Mercy Bar & Dining is a major perk to staying at the swank Le Méridien hotel in downtown Minneapolis. During the winter, cozy up at the bar with a drink during happy hour and get the Old School Cheeeseburger: laden with a house “special sauce,” molten gouda, and all the fixings.

Located on the fourth floor of the Loews Hotel, this sleek, modern restaurant offers beautiful views of the Minneapolis skyline, including U.S. Bank Stadium. Vegan and vegetarian visitors will find a wealth of options here, with meat and cheese alternatives sourced from the country’s first vegan butcher shop, The Herbivorous Butcher. Late night diners can also find small bites and creative cocktails at the hotel bar, Relevé.

With a fresh, local, sustainable, motto that’s visible from appetizer to dessert, this l restaurant is the place to experience creative takes on Minnesota classics. Housed lobbyside at the Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown, FireLake showcases the work of local farmers and fisheries—like crisp walleye fritters with a jalapeno tarter sauce, or Peterson Farms prime rib served over a rotating selection of locally sourced vegetables.

Stay and dine a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of downtown—sprawled across the ground level in the North Loop’s Hewing Hotel, the burnished wood, crackling fireplaces, and low-slung couches of Tulibee’s dining space echo the “upscale Scandinavian-inspired” dishes found on the menu. The best choices here are dishes that come from the spectacular wood fire grill situated in the center of the kitchen: wood-fired trout, dry-aged steak, roasted squash soup.

Just off the side of the W Hotel, this longtime Minneapolis steakhouse offers staples done simply and well, from appetizers all the way to dessert: freshly cut fries tossed in truffled sea salt; wedge and caesar salads; dry-aged, center-cut beef; and bread pudding drenched in whiskey caramel and served with vanilla-flecked cream.

This Tuscan eatery may be located four blocks away from U.S. Bank Stadium, but its floor-to-ceiling windows and hearth-centric menu can turn even the most hectic downtown weekend into a lazy sunlit meal in the Italian countryside. Situated in the recently opened boutique hotel, Elliot Park, the all-day menu showcases the work of a wood-burning stove, where the restaurant makes gorgeously chewy, fragrant breads and pizzas.

Restaurant Alma is one of the most decorated restaurants in the entire city, with chef/owner Alex Roberts a recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest. Staying in the distinctly Scandinavian styled rooms makes it easy to pop down to the restaurant for a bite or world-class glass of wine. Or, order breakfast in, each room comes with fresh pastries from the downstairs delivered to the door in the morning.