The Best Restaurants in Excelsior: A Water Street Guide

Three destination restaurants sit within a single block of Water Street, which is what makes Excelsior worth a special trip:

- Layline, 301 Water St — seafood-forward New American fine dining, dinner Mon-Sun from 4pm. Opened in 2024 in the former Gary's First Class Car Care building. - Mirabelle, 200 Water St — elevated American comfort food in a historic Water Street building, dinner nightly plus weekend brunch Sat-Sun 10am-2pm. - 318 Cafe, 318 Water St — cafe and coffeehouse by day, live-music listening room by night, (952) 401-7902.

You can park once and walk the whole row. That is unusual for the lake corridor, where most of the notable spots are spread across separate towns.

Because the talent behind these rooms is the same talent behind some of the Twin Cities' most talked-about restaurants. Layline is a collaboration from InnerBloom Hospitality and chef Daniel del Prado, whose group also runs Macanda and Josefina in nearby Wayzata.

Mirabelle comes from Jester Concepts, a Minneapolis restaurant group with a serious downtown track record. When groups at that level pick a small lake town, it is a credibility signal — they are betting the demand is here, not just downtown.

For anyone weighing a move to the west metro, that shift matters. A few years ago you drove into the city for a restaurant like these. Now they are a walk from the Excelsior docks.

Maynard's, at 685 Excelsior Blvd, is the lakefront anchor. Established in 1998, it's a lakeside American restaurant with boat slips so guests can arrive by water, and it's known for patio views of Lake Minnetonka. Phone (952) 470-1800.

It stays open late in season, which is rare out here: Mon-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm. If you want the classic pull-up-by-boat, patio-and-a-view dinner, this is the one.

If you'd rather push farther onto the lake, Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge in Spring Park (established 1968) docks roughly 100 boats and seats about 500 on its wharf — a bigger, older lake institution a short cruise away.

318 Cafe at 318 Water St is the answer for coffee and something lighter. It pours Dogwood coffee and runs a day-to-night format — a cafe and coffeehouse during the day, a live-music listening room at night.

The food leans toward shareable and fresh: the menu includes prosciutto flatbread, avocado toast, and a roasted beet and goat cheese salad. It's the spot that works whether you want a laptop-and-latte morning or a low-key evening with a band.

That day-to-night flexibility is part of why Water Street holds people longer than a single meal. You can start with coffee at 318 and end with dinner two doors down.

Start with what you want out of the evening. For a seafood-forward special occasion, book Layline (301 Water St) after 4pm. For refined comfort food or weekend brunch, choose Mirabelle (200 Water St). For the lake and the patio, it's Maynard's (685 Excelsior Blvd).

Because Layline, Mirabelle, and 318 Cafe are all within a block, you can build a full evening on foot — coffee, dinner, and live music without moving your car. Add Maynard's when you want the water view.

In summer, reserve ahead. The same buzz that drew these restaurant groups also fills their tables on weekends.