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A tall, yellow-colored cocktail topped with a lemon slice and a straw on a metal bar.
Francis’s cocktail program is entirely vegan.
Francis Burger Joint

The Hottest Spots for Cocktails in the Twin Cities Right Now

New spots for late-night Palomas and corn tea highballs

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Francis’s cocktail program is entirely vegan.
| Francis Burger Joint

From subterranean bars to local distilleries, there’s no shortage of excellent cocktail bars to explore in Minneapolis and St. Paul. This heatmap highlights notable spots that have recently opened or reopened around the Twin Cities. Here are a few places to try as fall slips in: Sip juicy guava notes at Uptown’s newest dance lounge, or try palo santo-smoked rum in the North Loop.

Note that these bars and restaurants are listed geographically.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

The Camden Social

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Visit this new north Minneapolis hotspot for cocktails — or puff on a cigar from a selection curated by Kathryn and Alfonso Mayfield, the couple behind Allure Cigars. The Mayfields have teamed up with Brittany and Gerard Klass of Soul Bowl, with a kitchen led by Antonio Murray. Sleek and stylish, this cocktail list is matched by a menu of collard greens dip, charred broccoli Caesar salad, Guyanese filet tips, and smoked salmon croquettes, served late.

Dutch Bar

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Dutch Bar’s simple menu of cold cuts, cheese, small plates (think mushroom lentil duxelles with grilled toast) and entrees (jambon and beurre sandwiches; Spanish tortillas with eggs and potatoes) complements the cocktail list, which features a blood orange spritz, apricot Old Fashioned, and Fauxca Cola with rum, among others. The warm, pared-back interior feels like a hybrid wine bar/cafe — it’s well-suited for a casual date night or an evening spent alone with a book. Happy hour runs 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Francis

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Francis didn’t just add a compelling menu of vegan bar food to the scene when it opened in January — it added the Twin Cities’ first totally vegan cocktail program. You’ll find no animal byproducts in these drinks: No wine filtered with bone marrow, no syrups made with animal-sourced dyes. Francis consulted with local distillery and cocktail room Earl Giles to craft this menu, which includes a beet and Aquavit infusion and a vegan take on a Negroni Sbagliato, among other drinks.

A cocktail, a glass of beer, a salad, and two baskets of burgers and fries on a wooden table.
Francis’s bar is totally vegan.
Francis

Elusive - Botanical Bar by Dashfire

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Elusive, Dashfire Distillery’s cocktail room in Northeast Minneapolis, is a sleek space with a bit of a mad scientist touch — all manner of bitters, liquors, and elixirs are on display in eye-catching bottles, adding to the fun. The cocktails run herbaceous (this is a botanical bar, after all) though the sweet “Whole Banana” rum and cordial blend is popular. Pair a drink with a Vikings & Goddesses hand pie.

Zhora Darling

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Eric Odness and partners — who also own two Brooklyn dive bars — in Brooklyn, opened Zhora Darling in September, bringing a promising spot for late-night food, cocktails, pool, and live music to Northeast. The cocktail list leans into gin, citrus, and tequila, while the food menu offers small plates (charred shishitos and green pea falafel) plus bigger dishes like watermelon salad with shrimp. The kitchen stays open until 1 a.m.

Maison Margaux

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Maison Margaux’s dramatic basement bar is outfitted with red velvet and marquee lights. The cocktail list features two tequila drinks, an Earl Grey-infused sherry cocktail, and a bourbon drink mixed, in true Parisian fashion, with absinthe. A burger, short ribs Bourguignon, and piperade are on the food menu.

A long bar with marquee lighting on the ceiling, plush red velvet underneath the bar, and a long line of chairs.
Maison Margaux’s basement bar.
Tim Evans/Eater Twin Cities

Flora Room

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The Flora Room is the cocktail room component of chef Dani del Prado’s new Argentinian steakhouse, Porzana. Cane sugar daiquiris and palo santo-smoked rum are poured in the former Marvel Bar, now a low-lit cocktail room dripping with greenery.

An amber cocktail with smoke floating above it against a shadowy background.
Flora Room is open in the former Marvel Bar space.
The Restaurant Project

Billy After Dark

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Billy After Dark is the clandestine complement to chef Billy Tserentbat’s swanky North Loop sushi restaurant, Billy Sushi. Wander down the alley to the right of the building, and find the back door market with a neon sign. B.A.D. is both sleek and cavernous, the ceiling flecked with L.E.D. stars. Gaze on the collection of fine Japanese whiskies encased in an elegant, back-lit wall display. It’s best to make a reservation in advance.

Gai Noi

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Chef Ann Ahmed’s newest restaurant, Gai Noi, has a rooftop overlooking Minneapolis’s Loring Park. The extensive cocktail list, curated by Nick Kosevich of Earl Giles, highlights tropical fruits and spices to pair with Ahmed’s Luang Prabang-influenced menu. Try the Lao Hai, which pairs rum and the Chinese liquor baijiu with juicy notes of lime, orange, and orgeat.

A light orange colored cocktail with a slice of dried pineapple in it on a white menu on a wooden table.
Gai Noi’s glittering Mekong Mule.
Justine Jones

LITT Pinball Bar

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LITT Pinball Bar is finally open in the old Liquor Lyle’s space on Lyndale Avenue. Out with the jukebox and red vinyl booths; in with 40-some pinball machines, from a circa 1981 Eight Ball Deluxe to a Stranger Things-themed machine. The cocktail list is short and fun: tequila with cold brew and orange bitters; vodka with spicy basil palm syrup. There’s a menu of bar bites, too, like Bavarian pretzels, chili cheese dogs, and nachos.

Hi Flora!

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Hi Flora, a hybrid vegan restaurant and temperance bar, offers a totally alcohol-free bar program. These drinks still have state-altering effects, though: try a Hi Lemonade, tart and sweet and infused with kava; or the effervescent, highly caffeinated Livener Bubbles. Hi Flora’s “euphoric” menu offers a number of THC tinctures, which can be added to drinks or food as diners see fit.

Chef Ann Kim’s new Korean American restaurant, Kim’s, is now open in Minneapolis. Grab a seat at the bar for corn tea whiskey highballs and lychee tinis — or head downstairs to Bronto Bar, the basement speakeasy, which opens Thursday November 9. Bronto’s cocktail list is divided into three sections (savory, bright, and spirited) with full, low, and no-proof options for each. Order a burger, a scratch-made Spam patty, or egg custard on a pillowy hotteok bun.

Herbst Eatery & Farm Stand

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Herbst’s lovely curved bar, which welcomes walk-ins, serves cocktails in five flavor themes: mineral, bitter, funky, earthy, and seasonal. (Each theme has full proof, low-proof, and no-proof options.) Infused with fresh notes of jasmine, blood orange, sumac, and lemon, this cocktail list is well-matched with Herbst’s hyper-seasonal, farm-to-table menu.

A sunny restaurant with an assortment of small tables and chairs and a curved bar with high wooden stools in the background.
Herbst’s sunny dining area and bar.
Herbst

Emerald Lounge

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St. Paul’s chic Emerald Lounge follows up on the promise of its name, incorporating vivid green details throughout its cozy, living room-esque space. Here, cocktails range from a fall-spiced Old Fashioned to La Petite Mort, a low-proof, effervescent blend of orange aperitivo, cava, and absinthe. The bar also claims to make the coldest martini in town. Emerald Lounge offers food and desserts, too — curl up in one of the booths with a maple and clove creme brulee.

A foamy white cocktail in a delicate gimlet glass on a table set with glasses and white napkins.
Emerald Lounge in St. Paul.
Emerald Lounge

The Camden Social

Visit this new north Minneapolis hotspot for cocktails — or puff on a cigar from a selection curated by Kathryn and Alfonso Mayfield, the couple behind Allure Cigars. The Mayfields have teamed up with Brittany and Gerard Klass of Soul Bowl, with a kitchen led by Antonio Murray. Sleek and stylish, this cocktail list is matched by a menu of collard greens dip, charred broccoli Caesar salad, Guyanese filet tips, and smoked salmon croquettes, served late.

Dutch Bar

Dutch Bar’s simple menu of cold cuts, cheese, small plates (think mushroom lentil duxelles with grilled toast) and entrees (jambon and beurre sandwiches; Spanish tortillas with eggs and potatoes) complements the cocktail list, which features a blood orange spritz, apricot Old Fashioned, and Fauxca Cola with rum, among others. The warm, pared-back interior feels like a hybrid wine bar/cafe — it’s well-suited for a casual date night or an evening spent alone with a book. Happy hour runs 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Francis

Francis didn’t just add a compelling menu of vegan bar food to the scene when it opened in January — it added the Twin Cities’ first totally vegan cocktail program. You’ll find no animal byproducts in these drinks: No wine filtered with bone marrow, no syrups made with animal-sourced dyes. Francis consulted with local distillery and cocktail room Earl Giles to craft this menu, which includes a beet and Aquavit infusion and a vegan take on a Negroni Sbagliato, among other drinks.

A cocktail, a glass of beer, a salad, and two baskets of burgers and fries on a wooden table.
Francis’s bar is totally vegan.
Francis

Elusive - Botanical Bar by Dashfire

Elusive, Dashfire Distillery’s cocktail room in Northeast Minneapolis, is a sleek space with a bit of a mad scientist touch — all manner of bitters, liquors, and elixirs are on display in eye-catching bottles, adding to the fun. The cocktails run herbaceous (this is a botanical bar, after all) though the sweet “Whole Banana” rum and cordial blend is popular. Pair a drink with a Vikings & Goddesses hand pie.

Zhora Darling

Eric Odness and partners — who also own two Brooklyn dive bars — in Brooklyn, opened Zhora Darling in September, bringing a promising spot for late-night food, cocktails, pool, and live music to Northeast. The cocktail list leans into gin, citrus, and tequila, while the food menu offers small plates (charred shishitos and green pea falafel) plus bigger dishes like watermelon salad with shrimp. The kitchen stays open until 1 a.m.

Maison Margaux

Maison Margaux’s dramatic basement bar is outfitted with red velvet and marquee lights. The cocktail list features two tequila drinks, an Earl Grey-infused sherry cocktail, and a bourbon drink mixed, in true Parisian fashion, with absinthe. A burger, short ribs Bourguignon, and piperade are on the food menu.

A long bar with marquee lighting on the ceiling, plush red velvet underneath the bar, and a long line of chairs.
Maison Margaux’s basement bar.
Tim Evans/Eater Twin Cities

Flora Room

The Flora Room is the cocktail room component of chef Dani del Prado’s new Argentinian steakhouse, Porzana. Cane sugar daiquiris and palo santo-smoked rum are poured in the former Marvel Bar, now a low-lit cocktail room dripping with greenery.

An amber cocktail with smoke floating above it against a shadowy background.
Flora Room is open in the former Marvel Bar space.
The Restaurant Project

Billy After Dark

Billy After Dark is the clandestine complement to chef Billy Tserentbat’s swanky North Loop sushi restaurant, Billy Sushi. Wander down the alley to the right of the building, and find the back door market with a neon sign. B.A.D. is both sleek and cavernous, the ceiling flecked with L.E.D. stars. Gaze on the collection of fine Japanese whiskies encased in an elegant, back-lit wall display. It’s best to make a reservation in advance.

Gai Noi

Chef Ann Ahmed’s newest restaurant, Gai Noi, has a rooftop overlooking Minneapolis’s Loring Park. The extensive cocktail list, curated by Nick Kosevich of Earl Giles, highlights tropical fruits and spices to pair with Ahmed’s Luang Prabang-influenced menu. Try the Lao Hai, which pairs rum and the Chinese liquor baijiu with juicy notes of lime, orange, and orgeat.

A light orange colored cocktail with a slice of dried pineapple in it on a white menu on a wooden table.
Gai Noi’s glittering Mekong Mule.
Justine Jones

LITT Pinball Bar

LITT Pinball Bar is finally open in the old Liquor Lyle’s space on Lyndale Avenue. Out with the jukebox and red vinyl booths; in with 40-some pinball machines, from a circa 1981 Eight Ball Deluxe to a Stranger Things-themed machine. The cocktail list is short and fun: tequila with cold brew and orange bitters; vodka with spicy basil palm syrup. There’s a menu of bar bites, too, like Bavarian pretzels, chili cheese dogs, and nachos.

Hi Flora!

Hi Flora, a hybrid vegan restaurant and temperance bar, offers a totally alcohol-free bar program. These drinks still have state-altering effects, though: try a Hi Lemonade, tart and sweet and infused with kava; or the effervescent, highly caffeinated Livener Bubbles. Hi Flora’s “euphoric” menu offers a number of THC tinctures, which can be added to drinks or food as diners see fit.

Kim's

Chef Ann Kim’s new Korean American restaurant, Kim’s, is now open in Minneapolis. Grab a seat at the bar for corn tea whiskey highballs and lychee tinis — or head downstairs to Bronto Bar, the basement speakeasy, which opens Thursday November 9. Bronto’s cocktail list is divided into three sections (savory, bright, and spirited) with full, low, and no-proof options for each. Order a burger, a scratch-made Spam patty, or egg custard on a pillowy hotteok bun.

Herbst Eatery & Farm Stand

Herbst’s lovely curved bar, which welcomes walk-ins, serves cocktails in five flavor themes: mineral, bitter, funky, earthy, and seasonal. (Each theme has full proof, low-proof, and no-proof options.) Infused with fresh notes of jasmine, blood orange, sumac, and lemon, this cocktail list is well-matched with Herbst’s hyper-seasonal, farm-to-table menu.

A sunny restaurant with an assortment of small tables and chairs and a curved bar with high wooden stools in the background.
Herbst’s sunny dining area and bar.
Herbst

Emerald Lounge

St. Paul’s chic Emerald Lounge follows up on the promise of its name, incorporating vivid green details throughout its cozy, living room-esque space. Here, cocktails range from a fall-spiced Old Fashioned to La Petite Mort, a low-proof, effervescent blend of orange aperitivo, cava, and absinthe. The bar also claims to make the coldest martini in town. Emerald Lounge offers food and desserts, too — curl up in one of the booths with a maple and clove creme brulee.

A foamy white cocktail in a delicate gimlet glass on a table set with glasses and white napkins.
Emerald Lounge in St. Paul.
Emerald Lounge

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