The wait is nearly over: The much-anticipated Season 8 of Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” premieres on Valentine’s Day, set in none other than Minneapolis.
Courtesy of Netflix
The upcoming season of the hit dating show will follow 32 local singles (the biggest cast to date) on their quest to find love and get engaged—without ever seeing each other in person. Among the cast of 26- to 43-year-old Twin Citians are a handful of nurses and other medical professionals, realtors, world travelers, and former cheerleaders.
Season 8 was filmed around this time last year, as Minneapolis and St. Paul residents quickly noticed camera crews popping up at hotspots around the Twin Cities. So, what bars, restaurants, and other date-night favorites are confirmed (and speculated) to be featured on the show? Here’s what we know so far.
Confirmed Locations
365 Nicollet, a luxury apartment building in downtown Minneapolis, has had rumored involvement in the show since early last year, thanks to social media sleuths. But the Minnesota Star Tribune recently confirmed that the engaged couples moved into these apartments together during the season’s “real world” phase. Other confirmed filming locations include cycling studio The Grind MPLS and Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater, as well as St. Paul’s BlackStack Brewing and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.
Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis
Based on the Season 8 trailer, we also know the cast visited a ski-themed bar (Red Cow’s holiday Red Nose Room/Aprés Ski Chalet?), and an undistinguishable indoor ice rink.
Rumored Spots
“Just saw the film crew at Travail in Robbinsdale within the last few days,” writes one Reddit user on a thread about this season. These kinds of rumored sightings have taken local social media by storm in anticipation of the premiere. And while we can’t confirm or deny these claims, it’s exciting for die-hard fans and casual watchers alike to speculate on which of their favorite dinner, drinks, or hang-out spots they’ll be seeing on TV.
Other alleged locations mentioned by Reddit users include Luna & The Bear, STEPCHLD, Hai Hai, Sociable Cider Werks, Earl Giles, and Parcelle. According to Meet Minneapolis, fans have also spotted Cuzzy’s, Four Seasons Minneapolis, Hewing Hotel, NOLO’s Kitchen & Bar, and The Loop.
Courtesy of Hai Hai/Meet Minneapolis
Wishful Thinking
If we were planning out the filming locations for “Love Is Blind,” here are some local spots that definitely would have been included.
The cast and crew would be remiss not to visit Owamni, which is arguably one of Minneapolis’ most notable claims to culinary fame. Or they should’ve at least grabbed a Juicy / “Jucy” Lucy from Matt’s Bar and Grill or the 5-8 Club.
Photo by Kevin Kramer
We’d also love to see the “Pod Squad” try Minnesota’s favorite pastime: pickleball. The couples could hit the courts at Lucky Shots Pickleball Club or Minneapolis Pickleball Club—there’s nothing like some friendly competition to put a new relationship to the test.
The show should definitely send couples out on a date night centered around Minneapolis’ arts and entertainment offerings. They could catch a Broadway production at a Hennepin Arts venue, enjoy a romantic moment overlooking the Mississippi River from the Guthrie Theater’s observation deck, stroll hand-in-hand through the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), or see the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
Photo by Mia, Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis
And of course, we can’t forget Mall of America, the most quintessential Minnesota destination of them all.
