The Ultimate St. Paul Staycation Guide

In May, the New York Times published a 36-hour guide for Minneapolis, laying out a weekend itinerary of printmaking, jazz concerts, strolls across the Stone Arch Bridge, and plenty of eating, including local spots Marty’s Deli, Owamni, Kim’s, and Laune Bread, among others. But is St. Paul the unsung staycation capital of Minnesota? These tugboat B&Bs, unbeatable farmers market breakfasts, vodka lounges, and exceptionally chill music venues make a strong case. Here’s how to spend a 48-hour weekend staycation in St. Paul.

Where to stay

St. Paul is chock full of boutique hotels and B&Bs, but it’s hard to beat the Covington Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast in an old-fashioned tugboat moored on the Mississippi River. Other foolproof options include the stately, luxe St. Paul Hotel, if the weekend calls for a splurge, or the Davidson, a boutique hotel nestled in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill area, one of the city’s best neighborhoods for leisurely afternoon strolls.

FRIDAY EVENING

Two-birds-one-stone dinner and drinks

Friday evening calls for rest, relaxation, and a certain level of efficiency: After getting settled in, seek out a restaurant that doubles as a cocktail bar. Estelle, on St. Clair Avenue, is one such option — slip into the snug, low-lit side bar for yuzu-infused sangria or a Spanish G&T as a preamble patatas bravas, shrimp al ajillo, and pasteis de nata. Gus Gus, offering subterranean vibes, shimmering Aperol jello shots, and a stellar cheeseburger, is a lovely, low-key spot; Hyacinth, which feels like an East Village restaurant that sprung up on Grand Avenue, pairs its hyper-seasonal menu with an exceptional Amaro selection.

Estelle

SATURDAY

Early bird pastries

Start the day with an early-morning pastry run. This could be at any number of St. Paul bakeries, depending on where you’re staying: In Mac-Groveland, there’s La Boulangerie Marguerite’s little slice of France; in Frogtown, Ai Hues Bakery serves delicately sweet, light-as-a-feather coconut croissants; Marc Heu, a James Beard 2024 semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry chef, offers tarts, cakes, and beautifully laminated croissant-doughnut hybrids on Dale Street. If you’re in Lowertown, swing by SoYen Desserts for cream-stuffed brioche doughnuts in flavors like Ube oreo and pandan coconut.

A farmers market run

Post-pastries, swing through St. Paul’s farmers market in Lowertown. Vendors here vary somewhat week-to-week, but for a breakfast that will fill you up, head to Galvan Foods & Tortilleria for chorizo-and-egg breakfast tacos served on handmade tortillas. The other breakfast mainstay here is Golden’s Market Bagel Stand, where you can get a bagel loaded with eggs, cheese, veggies, and meat, plus a cold glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Golden’s Market Bagel Stand

A stroll through Como Park Conservatory

Como Park Conservatory is somewhat of a one-stop-shop for a blissful nature excursion in the heart of the city. If it’s a chilly day, slip inside and stroll through the greenhouses — the humid, fragrant air is a reprieve from unpredictable Midwest weather. But if it’s nice out, explore the Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden, a picturesque green space with an acclaimed bonsai collection.

Como Park Conservatory

Como Park Conservatory

Lunch in Frogtown

For lunch, head to University Avenue in Frogtown. Master Noodle serves fresh, hand-pulled noodle soups, like Taiwanese beef brisket in an acidic tomato broth; Mandalay Kitchen a new(ish) Karen and Burmese restaurant, offers Bangkok-style boat noodles and fermented tea leaf salad. Otherwise, there’s aromatic, anise-laced pho at mainstays Trieu Chau, iPho by Saigon, or Pho Pasteur — or, if it’s a pizza kind of day, swing by Slice Brothers for a big New York-style slice.

Happy hour in Cathedral Hill

Besides offering one of the best patios in town, Moscow on the Hill has a selection of more than 300 unique vodkas, the most famous of which is Referent horseradish vodka, distilled just a stone’s throw across the St. Croix River in New Richmond, Wisconsin. It’s a (delightfully) overwhelming list, but the bartenders at the vodka lounge will guide you through it. A small plate of pillowy deruny, or Ukranian-style potato pancakes, is a wise choice to temper the liquor settling in your stomach.

Moscow on the Hill

A laid-back dinner on the West Side

Head over to St. Paul’s West Side for a relaxing Saturday evening dinner. El Burrito Mercado, the restaurant and market Tomas and Maria Silva opened in 1979, is a lovely stop for a dinner of fresh ceviche, flautas, or nopales asados — on the weekends, you’re likely to catch live music (and maybe even dancing) on the breezy patio. Or, slip into Babani’s, a longtime Kurdish restaurant known both for its dowjic — a zesty soup made with lemons, yogurt, chicken broth, and basil — and its intensely sweet lemonade, which has a botanical bite to it. After dinner, pop into local ice cream shop Icy Cup for an affogato served with churros.

Catch a late-night show

St. Paul is home to two of the Twin Cities’ most underrated music venues: the Turf Club and the Amsterdam. Upstairs, the Turf Club’s main room welcomes a crowd of more than 300, but you’ll find smaller-scale, more intimate shows at the basement-level Clown Lounge. The Amsterdam, which is wonderfully laid-back and unpretentious, also has a killer menu of shawarma burgers, Belgian-style frites, and sandwiches.

First Avenue

SUNDAY

A very lazy brunch

Saint Dinette

Sunday morning calls for a slow, leisurely brunch. Saint Dinette keeps it simple with a succinct, bistro-like menu of croque Madames; delicate radishes with aioli; French toast with crème Anglaise; and Lyonnaise salads — add an order of sugar-dusted beignets for the table. Brunch revelers can also try the French Hen Cafe on Selby Avenue, where highlights include a savory crepe served with a sunny-side-up egg, a blackened catfish Benedict, and coconut lime French toast.

Midday shopping

For an afternoon of shopping, St. Paul offers more than a few gems. For books, head to SubText in downtown, where you can curl up on a couch with a new release in hand, or Black Garnet Books, which offers a curated selection by BIPOC authors and illustrators. Over on Grand Avenue, Wet Paint is a dream of an art store, offering every kind of pastel, leather-bound notebook, and watercolor set imaginable; while the Mall of the St. Paul is a local go-to for inimitable vintage finds.

A lakeside picnic

End the weekend with a takeout picnic on the shores of Lake Como or Lake Phalen. Brasa’s rotisserie-style menu of roast chicken, crispy cornmeal-breaded catfish, rice and red beans, and tender stewed collard greens is hard to beat — but Italian mainstay Cossetta is another great option. As is Bolé Ethiopian Cuisine: Order one of chef Rekik Abaineh’s veggie samplers with ample injera, an order of lean beef zil zil tibs, and, of course, a slice of tiramisu to round out the day.

Justine Jones