We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Cafe, American
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
View all details
meals, features
Reviews (52)
Filter reviews
52 results
Traveller rating
29
17
6
0
0
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
29
17
6
0
0
See what travellers are saying:
Sort and selected filters
Sort FilterEnglish
Updating list...
Reviewed October 29, 2023

This cafe is a gem is St. Paul. It is a treat to get a legendary cinnamon or carmel roll and coffee here. I like to sit at the outdoor tables Spring, Summer, and Fall. In October, there were frosted pumpkin cookies which were wonderful....Delicious pasties and goodness. So refreshing. SHC is family-run and well worth supporting.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 19, 2022

A wonderful Father's Day breakfast--dark roast decaf coffee (not available everywhere), and filling and tasty breakfast quesadilla! Not a huge breakfast menu, but plenty of choices. Lovely outdoor setting!

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 11, 2021

Some friends wanted to take us out for breakfast, and we chose to try this place. It was PERFECT. Being the morning after a big snowfall, they were open with the outside walk shoveled and salted. The little shop where you order had specials and...their menu posted clearly and nice bakery displayed... they have lots of nice options, many of which are healthy (which I strongly prefer). They even let me have a salad instead of breakfast (I had had breakfast and then shoveled already). My husband had their special quesadia and it really exploded with flavor. Our friends had the chia-flax pudding and pumpkin waffles - both reportedly very good, too. They have a huge selection of drinks. I had the blueberry-lavendar lemonade and my husband had their chai. Both of these were delicious and we'll be returning to have them again! Our friends had the tumeric latte and London Fog with almond milk. We savored each bite and each sip. We sat in their upstairs area and mostly had the place to ourselves so it felt very Covid safe. Nice art displayed. Clean. Relaxed decor. This is going to be one of our new places to go!!!!!!More

Date of visit: December 2021
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 13, 2021

The place looks somewhat unassuming, but don't let that fool you -- their sandwiches are super tasty. And the staff are very friendly as well. I'll definitely eat there again!

Date of visit: June 2021
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 15, 2020 via mobile

This is a gem that is not expected. They put a lot of effort into their simple food. I had a ham and brea sandwich. The bread was a short bagget type of bread. The lettuce was fresh and stood out. The coffee was good...and had a nice shape created. I have eaten here a number of times over the years but it has been a little while. However the quality and details are still present. This place is worth the stop. . Note you bus for yourself.More

Date of visit: March 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 13, 2019 via mobile

This little place has some seating but limited. There food, service and bakery goods are all made from scratch. The prices are reasonable. As the weather improves they have a great outdoor seating area/patio. They have street parking and located on a triangle lot. The...food exposed brick walls add ambiance to the cozy atmosphere.More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 1, 2019

Swede Hollow Café is not in a hollow. It is on a gentle hill in an old refurbished building in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, overlooking downtown Saint Paul. The menu is very limited but there are lots of different coffees and teas. I would call...this place a coffeehouse rather than a café. Dayton's Bluff is a fascinating neighborhood. It is populated by blue-collar white folks who have lived here all their lives, Hmong, Mexicans and blacks who moved in more recently, and a sprinkling of Millennial yuppies who are buying homes here and fixing them up because the neighborhood is still affordable and it is close to downtown. Swede Hollow Café caters to this latter group, people who do not balk at paying six dollars for a slice of quiche. After you eat here, check out the neighborhood. Some houses are in sad disrepair, others have undergone $300,000 rehabilitation. It looks like the overall trend for the neighborhood is UP and Swede Hollow is one indication of this.More

Date of visit: April 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 18, 2019

I've been meaning to get to this place for years and finally stopped by today for breakfast. Located in a vintage old building in an old neighborhood, it feels cozy and old. Nothing fancy just good old woodwork, small tables and a great menu. FYI,...there are no free refills on the coffee but I think its only about .75 for a refill. I had the breakfast sandwich on a croissant with eggs, swiss cheese and bacon that was eggcellant ! Parking is on the street and the store front faces 7th St in St.Paul. Now that I've finally been there, I can't wait to go back.More

Date of visit: March 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed November 15, 2018

Why average. It should be, I like it. Everything is good. Food is delicious, coffee is great and service is wonderful. The place is small and reminds the French Cafes. BUT, the really bad thing is that you need to pay for dry cleaning because...one comes out from the place with a completely strong food smell in your clothing. It looks like there is no exhaust system. Pity!More

Date of visit: November 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed November 7, 2018

fun laid back atmosphere in Swede Hollow and enjoyed the coffee and bakery with my husband on our coffee shop date. The artwork on the walls was so sweet, and the artist was there having coffee so we met him!

Date of visit: September 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 5, 2018 via mobile

Excellent! Warm, friendly and casual. Prices were very reasonable. Coffee excellent. Staff was very nice. The patio looked fantastic. Alas it was cold and rainy today. We will return.

Date of visit: October 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 4, 2018

Swede Hollow Café has great food. My favorite is the creamy gorgonzola salad. The soups and sandwiches are delicious, too. They used locally sourced produce, are part of Urban Roots. Order your food at the counter, and they bring it to your table when it's...ready. Seating is limited inside and outside, but they do takeout, too. I highly recommend giving it a try!More

Date of visit: October 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 16, 2018

This is your St. Paul destination if you happen to be in the Dayton Bluff neighborhood and want to check out a locals only breakfast cafe.

Date of visit: July 2017
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 10, 2018

This is a quaint and cozy little place to eat offering sandwiches and salads. All are very good- place is small and can get quite busy... get there before the lunch rush.

Date of visit: October 2017
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 17, 2017 via mobile

My second time here. Food was tasty but the staff was not very friendly at all. Not helpful and seemed inpatient with me. As there are lots of good lunch options I’m not sure I’ll return again. And honestly I’m not an easily offended person...but geesh, smile and try a little!!More

Date of visit: October 2017
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
View more reviews
Best nearby
Best nearby hotelsSee all
Drury Plaza Hotel St. Paul Downtown
71 reviews
1.82 km away
SpringHill Suites by Marriott St. Paul Downtown
27 reviews
1.82 km away
Hyatt Place St Paul / Downtown
930 reviews
1.85 km away
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St Paul Downtown
1,154 reviews
2.13 km away
Best nearby restaurantsSee all
Yarusso Brothers
92 reviews
.47 km away
Eastside Thai
35 reviews
.96 km away
Yoerg Beer
18 reviews
.26 km away
Best nearby attractionsSee all
CHS Field
197 reviews
1.37 km away
St. Paul Farmers Market
58 reviews
1.50 km away
Gateway Trail
71 reviews
1.03 km away
Barrel Theory Beer Company
24 reviews
1.59 km away
Questions & Answers
Get quick answers from Swede Hollow Cafe staff and past visitors.
Note: your question will be posted publicly on the Questions & Answers page.
Submit
Posting guidelines
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing

SWEDE HOLLOW CAFE, Saint Paul - Dayton's Buff - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Swede Hollow Cafe

Yes, Swede Hollow Cafe offers takeaway services.

Swede Hollow Cafe is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4