What are some St. Louis restaurants that seem to transport you to another place? —Sandy T. St. Louis
We love this question because it immediately conjures vacation-like vibes. While restaurants with memorable atmospheres came to mind first, the food also had to be outstanding to make the list. Whether our bar is set higher or lower than the average St. Louisan, we have no idea. Either way, it was an entertaining exercise, and we’re already compiling a list of former restaurants with the same theme in mind as well.
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Acero: A wall of wine is the appropriate pivot point for the nonstop activity inside this 16-year-old Maplewood mainstay. Boniface Adam Gnau has returned, assuring that the Italian fare is as good as ever. 7266 Manchester.
Akar: Step into Bernie Lee’s 12-seater, and step back into his memories of Malaysia and beyond. 7641 Wydown.
Bar Moro: At the former Billie-Jean space, restaurateur Ben Poremba has taken the black-walled, candlelit 34-seater for an authentic, dynamic tapas turn. It just might be the sexiest restaurant in town. 7610 Wydown.
Basso: Maybe it’s the winding terrazzo staircase. Or the flickering gaslamps. Or the consistent and affordable pizza and beverages. This rathskellar restaurant has been a “brag-about” since it opened. 7036 Clayton.
Bistro La Floraison: The former Bar Les Frères still has two cozy rooms, bistro tables, that non-pareil terraced deck, adroit service, plus excellent French food, wine, and 75s…everything but the accents. 7637 Wydown.
Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions: Food & Wine named St. Louis only whole animal butchery one of the best butcher shops in the country. They should have sampled the sandwiches and hung out for the weekend to try brunch. 2733 Sutton.
Bowood by niche: The former Café Osage space lives on as a breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant, where guests dine in the sun-drenched main room, within the Bowood Farms nursery shop, or outside among the plants and flowers. 4605 Olive.
Brennan’s: We can only call one place “the coolest bar in town.” Kevin Brennan’s two-room, checks-all-the-boxes-with-a-black Sharpie masterpiece gets the honors. 316 N. Euclid.
Broadway Oyster Bar: It looks, sounds, and tastes like New Orleans. 736 S. Broadway.
Bulrush: Everything about Rob Connoley’s restaurant deserves high praise: the unique culinary concept, the presentation and explanation, the all-inclusive payment method, even the whimsy (and the story) of the paint drips on the walls. Connoley’s been nominated for the “Best Chef: Midwest” James Beard award in 2023. He has to be a frontrunner. 3307 Washington.
Casa Don Alfonso: It will take several visits for all of the next-level design components to sink in. It’s perhaps the most visually striking restaurant in the metro area. 100 Carondelet Plaza.
Diego’s Cantina: Homages to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera abound. There are hanging gardens, a copper Mayan calendar, Mexican fishing baskets doubling as pendant lights, Mexican tiles lining archways… The bright blue, orange, and green color palette matches the one at La Casa Azul, Frida’s childhood home, and the food and margaritas are equally as much fun. 630 North and South.
Grafted Wine Bar: Located in a historic building in Belleville, Grafted is one of the metro area’s hidden gems. 310 E. Washington, Belleville.
Indo: The small dining room is in the rear of the building, but front and center is chef-owner Nick Bognar’s sushi program, which many believe is the best in the city. 1641D Tower Grove.
La Pâtisserie Chouquette: A semifinalist for “Outstanding Bakery” (a national category) in the 2023 James Beard Awards, Chouquette could have also contended in an “Outstanding Design” category if it existed. The themed afternoon tea service, offered by reservation only, is worth seeking out. 1626 Tower Grove.
Menya Rui: This beautifully designed and executed ramen shop comes from a young chef who “studied” ramen for three years in Japan. 3453 Hampton.
Nixta: Ben Poremba designs his restaurants to be “placeless,” so they can exist in any city. A perfect example is Nixta, where a salmon-colored garage door opens to reveal brighter colors within, both on the walls and on the plate. 1621 Tower Grove.
Nobu’s: Just off a small paseo in the Delmar Loop, the famed restaurant has been beautifully reimagined as an 18-seat sushi bar/restaurant offering a worth-the-splurge prix fixe omakase menu, reservable for two seatings per night (at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.) Tuesday through Saturday. 6253 Delmar.
Olio: A cleverly converted former Standard Oil station in Botanical Heights serves Middle Eastern fare, killer cocktails, and breads from its wood-fired outdoor hearth. 1634 Tower Grove.
Peno: Pepe Kehm cooks up fragrant Sicilian soul food in an intimate indoor space that’s reminiscent of Little Italy. Outside, the four-season patio is quieter and more spacious. 7600 Wydown.
Stone Soup Cottage: The restaurant outside of Cottleville officially closed in June 2022, but the occasional pop-up dinners and events are worthy of a special-occasion splurge. 5809 Hwy. N, Cottleville.
Tempus: Candlelit and wearing different shades of gray, one of the city’s most handsome restaurants boasts a design detail—appropriately, a clock—that transfixes eyeballs like “Magic Eye” art did in the ’90s. 4370 Manchester.
Tony’s: While some may favor the pomp-ulence of the ground floor, others prefer the slightly more casual vibe of Anthony’s Bar upstairs. Awash in warm cherry wood, it’s anchored by an energetic piece by the late artist LeRoy Neiman. 105 Carondelet Plaza.
Westchester: Forget the strip-mall setting. Remember the legit farm-to-table menu, polished wine and whiskey offerings, and that it’s open from 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. (See, you can dine late in St. Louis.) 127 Chesterfield Towne Center.
Woofie’s Hot Dogs: This place looks like it was plucked from somewhere in Chicago until you realize all of those former celebs on the walls are from St. Louis. 1919 Woodson.
Venice Café: We’re not sure where we are, or even what planet we’re on. 1903 Pestalozzi.
Vicia: The atmosphere is almost Nordic in feel. Architect and designer Sasha Malinich described the interior’s palette as “colorless color.” Nonetheless, it’s a striking space, where “the intensity is on the food experience.” Five years after Vicia opened, the recent addition of a terraced garden space, pavilion, and seasonal outdoor restaurant (Taqueria Morita) keeps the acclaimed restaurant top of mind. 4260 Forest Park Avenue.
Vicini Pastaria: Chef Dawn Wilson makes pasta in the front window. She’s already made several kinds of sauce. And her mom has decorated the tiny Lafayette Square shop with antiques. It’s an ideal addition to almost any neighborhood. 1916 Park.
Wright’s Tavern: At the 35-seat former I Fratellini space, Louie’s Matt McGuire has created a restaurant that’s every bit as memorable as its predecessor. (Note: Table reservations are tough, but snagging a seat at the bar early on is less so). 7624 Wydown.
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