40 Best Cafes in Saint Paul

“What a cozy, cute place! It is cheery and full of sunlight.

I have never had a souffle pancake, but the texture is really nice! Sort of fluffy/chewy at the same time. The blueberries and lemon were a delicious combination.

What really stood out was the very kind staff. They waved goodbye when I left and were so wonderful and welcoming.“

“Great coffee and atmosphere.“

“It’s the first time. Nice place. Good coffee. Friendly staffs 🥰“

“The best breakfast and coffee in town..“

“Very kind and helpful customer service for my first time there. Absolutely delicious cinnamon roll with butter cream frosting! Made from scratch it was so gooey, warm, cinnamon and buttery delicious 😍 melted right in my mouth with every sweet bite! Great mimosas to go with as well with it!! Absolutely 10/10 will be returning sometime. Cheers! 🥂🍮“

“Jimmy the Server made our entire experience! We would come back to just visit Jimmy. Engaging, very polite, & accommodating to all our extra requests. FYI, highly recommend the hash browns & cranberry mimosa!! #teamjimmy“

“the blackened fish tacos and broccoli was superb, delicious and absolutely to come eat more!! the raspberry chocolate bar dessert make you wanna shout !!!“

“We stopped in with our Brazilian exchange student, and he loved it! He grabbed some snacks to take home and ordered lunch for us. Everything was fresh and delicious. Customer service was excellent, store is very clean, free parking right outside.“

“Friendly staff. Fast service. Food was very good. I recently moved to Saint Paul and will definitely return to this establishment. 😁“

“I’m having their quinoa shrimp salad which is delicious! I love their chili, soups & desserts! Such amazing food!“

“Got the savory crepe and sweet crepe and they were so so good. Also had the Strawberry mango smoothie yummm!!“

“We were looking for exceptional food for my 40th birthday party. I was able to try the brisket and pork belly and fell in love. It was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend both meats for any event, especially a gathering. Thanks again! Can’t wait to buy again!“

“Wonderful spot close to Mississippi Market in St. Paul. There is a beautiful small park (when weather permits) to sit outside. The building itself is old and very Swedish even though the history of Swede Hollow is long-past, lots of "hygge" inside (yes I know it's Danish but they did own the country, kinda). A few tables downstairs, one cozy one on the mezzanine, 6-7 upstairs and a neat "conference room" with a very comfy cozy reading armchair. Coffee really good (Americano, Cubano), great selection, had a studenty-feel, but we are close to MSU. The food looked very good. One of my new favourite "Third Places"“

“Fast friendly service. Food was good and hot. Will come again when I visit next time!“

“lost fox is my go-to for coffee on overnights, great breakfast, excellent servers. 10/10“

“Best coffee in the twin cities!“

“The best coffee and lovely space!“

“Good coffee shop; had the chai latte and a bread snack and it was nice and tasty. The space is seriously impressive though, as they have lots of space with ample seating, chandeliers, and a small replica of the Statue of Liberty. Will be coming back“

“To go window! Great for dog walkers!“

“Wow! We just had breakfast at the Uptowner; this place is our new favorite for many reasons! Everything we ordered: pancakes, omelets, eggs benne and hash browns were some of the best we’ve ever had served to us. Our server was also so genuinely kind and attentive! We hope to make it back soon… I have my eye on that Ruben.“

“Staff is friendly. I love the atmosphere. The bubble tea there tastes so good. <3“

“Wow, that’s the place to for breakfast (and it’s just a short walk from the Intercontinental hotel) with uber-friendly service, cooked to order meals, XXL espresso drinks and even a full bar. Cakes galore and look at those cinnamon rolls!“

“Protein breakfast bowl really hit the spot. 🥰“

“Embetito Dnish at Snelling Café

I keep coming back for this.

They call it Embetito Dnish—potato sandwich. Nothing fancy. Just warm sliced potatoes, fresh tomato, romaine, green senstro peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, all wrapped in toasted bread.

What makes it hit? The contrast.

The warmth of the potatoes and bread. The cool bite from the romaine and tomato. The salty edge mixed with olive oil. A slight heat from the green pepper. And that twist of lemon—it wakes everything up.

Then there’s the tea. Hot, simple, spiced with Aforki’s touch. You feel it in your chest.

No menu can explain this. You just know when it’s right.“

“The very pleasant server shared that I had a 50% discount available. She applied that to my order but the system would not let it go through went I went to pay. Did not get the discount today… not a people issue, this was a problem with the caribou system.“

“One of the best coffee shops in town. They serve only the highest quality coffee and they are experts at their craft. Stopped in today for a macchiato and it was spot on perfect and reasonably priced. And a bonus: they partner with Rustica for sundry bakery items. That gingersnap won’t last long. Snap.“

“Less of a coffee shop and more of a hangout place for Christians they only take donations and you don't have to pay anything for what you order, it takes a bit to get your drink but it's very good. I'm not religious personally but I find it very relaxing to just come in and study, work it just mess around on my phone. Don't come here thinking it's just a coffee shop, all the workers at least when I've been here have been very kind.“

“No problem finding a table at 9:00 a.m. Waitress was prompt bringing us good and taking our orders. Bacon was particularly delicious. I would recommend if you looking for a new breakfast location.“

“The food was very on point and the portion sizes was amazing also. good atmosphere and good employees.“

“Mim’s Cafe is a FIND! Great atmosphere, friendly workers and our schwarma was delicious! The mocha and chai were on point too. We will be back!“

“Shar’els is just a great local cafe. The food is excellent. The service is great. Highly recommend for a great meal!“

“Always delicious! A real treat.“

“Delicious chocolates & the staff was wonderful!“

“Normally a Panera fan - go regularly to St. Louis Park store. I stopped by the Highland Park store this week while running errands though and was sorely disappointed. I ordered a half-size strawberry-poppyseed salad for the first time ever. When it came it had only 2 strawberries in it! and about 8 blueberries. Really - did not meet expectations and hardly lived up to its name (unless "strawberry salad" meant I should expect only one strawberry.) I will think long before stopping at this store again. This e perience does prove that management makes a difference -- and this store needs some attention.“

“It has been years since my wife and I have dined in at DC2. The hype after its first opening seems to have died down. Usually when asked about DC2's food, folks seem to have mixed reviews. So because we were around in the area yesterday, we decided to give it a try to see what has changed.The menu seems about the same, with a few less items. The biggest change is the prices, which definitely is dollars more than it use to. Understanding with economy/inflation, pricing up is eventually going to happen. But is it worth really spending about $5-$10 on dishes where you can go a few blocks over to Hmong Village for cheaper?We ordered the combination pad thai (big noodles), papaya salad (Thai med spicy), and hli xiab (fried pork with tamarind sauce). I was always a big fan of the pad thai sauce from DC2, which seems to be the same as I remember it. However, the noodles are a bit thicker, like chow fun noodles. It was soft, feels homemade, and paired very well with the sauce & meats. The papaya salad was not overly sauced, and tasted very fresh. It had just the right amount of spiciness, sweetness, and sourness for both my wife and I. The hli xiab was a dish we have not tried before, and did very much enjoy. You pick a choice of meat which is stir fried with a sweet tamarind sauce accompanied with bell peppers and onions. There is an option to add spiciness, which we did do. We chose pork which was first fried, then cooked with the sauce and veggies. If you love sweet like in orange chicken, then this is the dish for you!The service was great, much better then I remember it. We were seated immediately, and the waiter was attentive. They also have a call system button now which you can click to ask for something or add things too.Overall, I was very impressed with DC2 and will come again. To go back on my question, I would rather spend few more dollars here then go to Hmong Village.“

“Very comfortable environment! Folks that work there are excellent with customers, they are kind, attentive and you can tell they want to be there, too.“

“They don't want you to go unless you agree with them politically. 😒 #PoliticalStandards #NoGoing“

“Love the atmosphere, perfect for our ladies time on Sundays. A good variety of boba tea. I personally love the cappuccino.“

“The cafe has reopened as a partnership between Lifetime and Med Box, a Mediterranean cafe. In addition to traditional LT items like smoothies, coffees and snacks, there are also Mediterranean wraps, bowls and salads. I had a Gyro wrap. Lovely tender spiced meat, fresh crisp vegetables and sauce. Very generous proportions.

The cafe is staffed jointly by Lifetime and MedBox staff. They were all very friendly and attentive.

I really like this new offering and highky recommend it.“