A true warehouse district classic, James Beard Award-winning chef Isaac Becker’s 112 Eatery serves sophisticated but accessible dishes in a cozy bistro setting. It’s an older sister to Becker’s Bar La Grassa and Snack Bar. Try the octopus with avocado puree or the tagliatelle with foie gras, and save room for the famous tres leches cake.

At Billy Sushi, the self-described “three ring performance” of the sushi bar, sake bar, and dining room starts with a unique Japanese cocktail menu. Fans of local music will appreciate the monikers — Billy’s Live Bait is a favorite. Specialty rolls (like the Oh Em Gii, a tempura and spicy tuna roll topped with a sheet of 24-karat gold). Billy Sushi is typically quite busy — a reservation is a wise move. Or head to Billy After Dark for a speakeasy experience.

Right above Sanjusan are three connected, equally seductive dining experiences: Kado no Mise serves fine Japanese dishes on a omakase prix-fixe tasting menu, while Kaiseki Furukawa features an immersive 10-course seasonal tasting menu at the chef’s counter. Across the dimly lit hall is Gori Gori Peku, an intimate bar serving premium Japanese whisky. 

Chef Dani del Prado’s new steakhouse, Porzana, serves an array of Argentinian and classic American cuts (think pincanha and vacio alongside ribeye and flat iron) in the former Bachelor Farmer space. The menu spans from $19 hangers to $290 44-ounce tomahawks, and also includes pastas, snack-like small dishes, vegetable sides, salads, and a seafood cold bar. The Flora Room is Porzana’s adjoining, low-lit cocktail bar.

James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen’s urban-chic dining room at Spoon and Stable has a glass-encased, floor-to-ceiling wine “closet” and an open, bustling kitchen. The menu changes often, keeping pace with Midwest seasonality (think cappelletti with butternut squash and tamarind-glazed pork chops). From the dessert menu, try the honey and cream cake, served with beeswax ice cream.

A throwback to a by-gone era, Monte Carlo has barely changed in decades. Belly up to the glossy polished bar for an ice-cold martini, or settle into the dining room for a plate of Monte Carol wings, which come coated with a carefully guarded secret spice rub. The expansive patio is an ideal spot for a cocktail in fair weather.

Guacaya Bistreaux, a Latin-Caribbean tapas bar and restaurant by chef Pedro Wolcott, serves dishes like tender orange-marinated skirt steak skewers, empanadas, and Louisiana-style house boudin sausage. Grab a seat at the tropical-mod rum bar, or in the warmer months, try a tap cocktail like the Leche de Tigre, made with orange, ginger, and chili.

Chef Yia Vang first started Union Hmong Kitchen as a roving pop-up around the Twin Cities — now it has two locations, this one in Graze food hall. The menu highlights at UHK are the zoo siab meals — which means “happy meals” in the Hmong language. They’re made with proteins like chile-glazed pork shoulder and Hmong sausage, all served with purple sticky rice, pickled veggies, and sides like chilled khao sen noodles. Vang’s much-anticipated restaurant, Vinai, is on the horizon.

Black Sheep’s coal-fired pizzas are delicately charred and crispy. There’s a broad range of toppings — spicy salami is tempered by mild anise notes in fennel sausage; salty, buttery olives counter bright bites of onion. The bacon and chili pepper pineapple is one of the best. Storm King’s smoky wings are served here too.

The North Loop Galley food hall has been an incubator for a number of buzzy Twin Cities restaurants. Stop by for gooey Detroit-style pizza from Wrecktangle, chicken katsu from Ono Hawaiian Plates, or steaming bowls of tori ramen from Ramen Kawae.

Borough is fancy enough for date night, but casual enough for a post-work meal. The patio is ideal for warm evenings, while the dining room, finished with lush fabrics and metal accents, is a cozy respite in the fall and winter. Pair a duck fat shortbread with braised lamb spaghetti, served with preserved ramps. Sneak downstairs for a cocktail and a burger at Parlour Bar after dinner.