One Night in Uptown, Minneapolis: Itinerary

Upton is full of character, BUT you have to know just the right spots to go. These are four vintage spots that will make you feel nostalgic for the hipster days and before. Use this itinerary for an incredible night in Uptown Minneapolis.

Uptown Bryant Lake Bowl Bar — The authentically vintage Bryant Lake bowl is a cornerstone of Uptown. Everything from the lights to the seats are so evocatively retro.

1.) Start at Bryant Lake Bowl, Uptown

Go early to Bryant Lake Bowl, and try to get a lane. Bryant Lake Bowl at 810 W Lake Street The place is so fun and hip, it is often hard to get to bowl. It is a legit vintage bowling alley with tons of character. Bryant Lake Bowl also has a mini theater attached with so many fun acts. Try to time it out so you can get a couple of stand up acts too. Even if you can’t bowl, grab a drink and enjoy the people watching. Uptown Minneapolis gained its fame as a hippie enclave and this hipster bar is from that era.

Drink at the bar — Drink it all on and don”t miss a single detail from the restaurant, to the lanes to the theater. You could spend a happy night here, but you have to keep going!

2.) Next, Eat at Victor’s 1959 Cafe

The food at the Cafe is worth the little walk off the strip — The food at Victor’s 1959 Cafe is authentic Cuban and it is well worth the little walk off of the main drag in Uptown to visit this gem

This is a must do restaurant in Uptown Minneapolis. Victor’s 1959 Cafe is only eight blocks directly south at 3756 Grand Ave S, and a great walk. You don’t need your car at all for this whole night, even though there is easy parking close to the cafe. Victor’s feels 100% like you are in Cuba when you eat there. The sounds, the sights, the smells, and especially the taste of the amazing Cuban food. This is such a unique place, it simply can’t be missed. They have a really big menu for such a little place, but my favorite is Picadillo a la Cubana because I love their creole sauce. Victor’s has won all kinds of awards including Best ‘Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives, for which it certainly qualifies. While there are unique restaurants in Uptown Minneapolis, nothing compares to Victor’s.

Victors 1959 Cafe table decorated like a roadside stand in Havana — Victor’s 1959 Cafe is decorated like a roadside cafe in Havana Cuba with sights smells and tastes to match

3.) Next, walk back to Up Down, Uptown Minneapolis

Up Down Arcade bar with lots on tap — Besides being a fun place to get competitive oon their hundreds of games, Up Down is a really, really good bar. The beer on tap is impressive and the bartenders are friendly, and efficient.

Up Down Arcade Bar will bring you right back to the 1970’s and 1980’s when Uptown Minneapolis was getting its groove. This arcade bar is located at 3012 Lyndale Ave S, one of the two main intersections in Uptown This is the most fun you will ever get out of five bucks in quarters. All the games are 25 cents so you can play for hours on all the games you grew up on (or you saw in the movies your parents made you watch). UP Down Arcade Bar has great pizza, and burgers, but really it’s an Uptown Minneapolis bar. Whatever you get to drink here, make sure it will go well with a Craft Cocktail at the next stop. Up Down has all of the old video games, skeeball, pinball and so much more.

pinball at Up Down — Pinball machines glow and ask for a quarter at Up Down in Uptown. All of the games are still 25 cents and you can play for hours in an incredible fun and friendly place.

4.) Last stop is Volstead’s Emporium, Uptown

This picture says it all. Secret seating — This picture says it all. Everything is not as it seems at Volstead’s Emporium. Winner of best atmosphere for a bar, and you can see why.

Volstead’s Emporium is the coolest Speak Easy you will ever see, and of course it is in the evr creative and edgy Uptown Minneapolis. It is in the alley right behind Up Down. You have to find the door with the red light bulb over it, knock on the door and ask to come in. You are ushered to an underground lair that is right out of Prohibition. There are secret doors and secret panels, flapper girls and phone booths. You have to walk around to take in all of the incredible details. Sit down at a booth and the mirror on the wall will open and your server will appear. The cocktails and bartenders are some of the best in Uptown Minneapolis. Don’t order wine or vodka. Prohibition drinks are their specialty. If you show up on a weekend, you will usually get some great live music too.

incredible speak easy space with stage and secret rooms — Bands on stage churn out tunes every weekend, but they are the sideshow. The real reason for coming to Volstead’s is the ambiance, and the top level craft cocktails.

5.) Back Home to 300 Clifton

The gorgeous grounds at 300 Clifton B&B looking over the English water gardens to the veranda — The veranda has a stunning view of the English water gardens at 300 Clifton Bed and Breakfast, but there are four other gardens around the estate, as well as stunning interior rooms and spaces

Now that you have seen the best of Uptown, it is time to collapse onto the most comfortable beds in Minneapolis. 300 Clifton B&B is on the edge of Uptown Minneapolis and is the most unique place to stay in the Twin Cities. If you are looking for a romantic getaway, or a luxury hotel in Minneapolis, 300 Clifton Bed and Breakfast is the answer. Your stay or staycation in Minneapolis will be unforgettable. Check out this amazing Inn by clicking here.

300 Clifton

Historic Mansion & Gardens | Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places