Cathedral Hill St. Paul Restaurants on Selby Avenue

Cathedral Hill St. Paul restaurants cluster along Selby Avenue in the shadow of the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and a short walk covers Russian dumplings, Italian pasta, a long-running patio and a French brunch cafe. Explore Minnesota calls the neighborhood the city's most European-feeling, and the dining rooms suit a slow evening.

This guide describes four kinds of place that both Visit Saint Paul and a second source write about, and explains what each is known for.

Where are the best Cathedral Hill St. Paul restaurants for a first visit?

Start on Selby Avenue between the cathedral and Western Avenue, where the restaurants sit within a few doors of one another. Old brick buildings, historic mansions nearby and a hill that makes the street feel enclosed give the walk its character. You can see four kitchens from one sidewalk, so choose by mood and let the menu decide.

Make a reservation only if the place takes them and your group is large. For two people, a short wait on a weeknight is normal.

What is the Russian restaurant on the hill known for?

A Russian restaurant on Selby serves Russian comfort food. Explore Minnesota names beef stroganoff, chicken Kiev, borscht and blini with caviar, and Visit Saint Paul adds pelmeni and vareniki, the filled dumplings, and a long vodka list. Check its current hours before you go.

Order dumplings to share. They suit the dining room, which feels more like a European cafe than a restaurant on a busy avenue.

Which Selby Avenue restaurants suit a special dinner?

The landmark is a restaurant in a former pharmacy building from the 1880s, which Meet Minneapolis says has served diners since the mid-1970s. Explore Minnesota says its patio may be the best outdoor dining space in St. Paul, and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine notes burgers on the patio in summer and tasting menus in winter.

An Italian trattoria with a garden patio is a quieter alternative. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine lists tenderloin carpaccio, gnocchi and ravioli as the traditional dishes in places like it.

Where can you find Selby Avenue brunch in St. Paul?

A French-inspired cafe in the same block as the other Selby restaurants is known for brunch and lunch. Visit Saint Paul lists a banh mi Benedict among its breakfast dishes, and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's listing mentions a good croque monsieur and sturdy omelets.

The cafe also has an evening pizza operation behind it. The magazine's best new restaurants pointed to a pizza with oyster mushrooms and pickled okra. Confirm the days before you go, as pop-up hours change.

When is Cathedral Hill dinner at its best?

Weeknights are calm, and Friday and Saturday evenings are lively. If you are visiting for a show downtown, eat early and leave time to walk back. In summer the patios fill first, so book a patio table where a place allows it, and keep an indoor option in your plan for a rainy evening.

The hill is steep for a few blocks, so allow extra time with a stroller or a wheelchair.

What does St. Paul historic neighborhood dining feel like?

St. Paul's historic neighborhoods reward a slow pace. Cathedral Hill pairs 19th-century buildings with kitchens that change with the season, and the Historic Saint Paul neighborhood guides describe Selby as a street that rivaled Grand Avenue as an eat street. Dress for the weather, because most of the evening happens on the sidewalk between doors.

If you want a second neighborhood, the Grand Avenue guide covers the avenue to the west.

How should you walk Cathedral Hill and what should you book?

The restaurants named above sit along a short stretch of Selby Avenue, so there is no need to drive between them. Park on a side street, walk the strip once and read the menus in the windows before you commit. A short loop also lets you see which rooms are busy at your hour, which is often the best advice a street can give.

Book ahead for a patio table on a warm evening or for a group of six or more, and ask whether the kitchen takes walk-ins on the night you plan to go. For a quiet dinner, choose Tuesday to Thursday. For atmosphere, choose a Friday or Saturday and accept a short wait.

How do you rate and tag a Cathedral Hill meal?

Rate the dish, not the room. Stroganoff, gnocchi and a croque monsieur each deserve their own score. Tags such as Date Night, Group Dining and Celebration describe the occasion, and a line about noise, the patio or the wait helps a stranger decide.

Tags earn badges and help people find a place. They are a rater's note, never a guarantee, so check hours and menus before you travel.

How do you plan a Selby Avenue evening?

Choose a first stop for a drink or a starter, a second for the main plate and a third for coffee or dessert. Put the three in a list, add a note on why each belongs and invite the friends you are meeting. If a table is full, the next stop is already waiting.

For the rest of the city, the Hmong food and University Avenue guide covers the other side of St. Paul, and the Payne Avenue guide covers the East Side. In January, the Winter Carnival food guide adds a cold-weather plan.

More in the US food guides, and across the state in the Minnesota guides.

Open the Mosey app after your next Selby Avenue dinner, rate the dish you shared and add it to a list for the friends who ask where to go.