Cosmos at Le Meridien Hotel: Among Minneapolis' Best Restaurants

The Le Meridien Hotel in Minneapolis, home of Cosmos restaurant, might be hard to find for those out of town but if you will remember that the locale's new name is the Graves 601 Hotel, you find it quickly at 601 First Avenue North in Minneapolis, Minnesota (55403).

A stone's throw away from the Target Center and in close proximity to shopping and the airport, the former Le Meridien Hotel is a favorite of convention attendees who love the gratis newspapers, complimentary shoe shines and, of course, high-speed Internet capabilities.

Travelers especially love the fact that pets are welcomed guests-for an additional fee, of course. Containing Cosmos, one of the premier Minneapolis restaurants, residents of and visitors to the Twin Cities have put the former Minneapolis Le Meridien Hotel on their list of places to attend frequently.

Open for business daily from 6:30 AM until 10:00 PM (11:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays), Cosmos sets itself apart from other Minneapolis restaurants not only through its location within the former Minneapolis Le Meridien Hotel, but much more because of its renowned chefs (Stephen Trojahn, Håkan Lundberg and Therese Favre) and their commitment to excellence and extravagance in the culinary arena.

Dress up, get in your car, and head to Cosmos. The first thing you experience is the valet taking your car keys ($10-20) and allowing you to leave parking worries to someone else for a change. Hopefully you made reservations, because this upscale Minneapolis eatery only seats 80 guests in the dining area and 40 at the bar. A private dining room offers space for 10 guests and the chef's table experience offers room for two, four or six culinary aficionados. This is not the kind of place to take the kids, unless they are older and appreciate the chic of this fashionable and elite restaurant.