Starting today, Dave and Kara Bailey’s dessert and martini destination moves back to the first floor in the Lafayette Square building where it opened in 2004. The recent closure of POP Sparkling Bar & Restaurant made way for Baileys’ Chocolate Bar (1915 Park) to return to the ground floor, leaving the elegant upstairs space available for private events.
The Baileys are throwing a special anniversary celebration for their iconic chocolate bar from Thursday through Sunday, October 24–27. Guests ages 21 and over receive a complimentary tasting of the Signature Martini, a menu favorite since the restaurant opened. Visitors can also enjoy new items on the food and drink menus, including bubbly beverages, fall desserts, and select savory dishes from POP.
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Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
Over the past 13 years, pastry chef Amanda Jaspering has crafted legendary desserts, such as the Baileys’ Brownie (with caramel sauce, Irish cream ice cream, and almond toffee), the Chocolate Inebriation (with chocolate stout cake, bourbon ganache, and passionfruit), and the flourless hazelnut torte. Baileys’ Chocolate Bar will also continue to feature decadent ice cream, including such flavors as oban chocolate (a key ingredient in its Signature Martini), espresso, cinnamon, and combinations (classic banana split and a triple chocolate sundae).
This fall’s seasonal additions to the dessert menu include pumpkin cheesecake with cranberry mousse, blueberry clafoutis with lemon curd, chocolate-cherry biscotti tart, and caramel-apple pie with dried cherry ice cream. For $25, guests can also indulge in the Lover’s Plate, a smorgasbord of bourbon caramel corn, strawberry kisses, Chocolate Inebriation truffles, macarons, banana brûlée, a brownie, a blondie, and rich drinking chocolate.
Although Baileys’ Chocolate Bar is definitely the kind of place where you would be forgiven for eating dessert first, the savory items are equally tempting and luxurious. Flatbreads are topped with prosciutto, brie, fig jam, and arugula or duck sausage, caramelized onions, honey-roasted apples, and goat cheese. Grilled shrimp comes with harissa, apricots, cucumbers, and peanuts. Even the frites are a notch above, seasoned with garlic, Parmesan, and lemon aïoli. The Baileys say more savory dishes will be added in the coming weeks.
The beverage menu’s hot drinks, wines, beers, spirits are all perfectly compatible with the rich menu items. But the restaurant is especially known for its cocktails, starting with that Signature Martini (a blend of house-made Oban chocolate ice cream, chocolate vodka, and Irish cream). Guests can ratchet up the chocolate level with The Very Dark, ratchet it down with the Milk Chocolate, or spice it up with The Sexual. For the 20th anniversary, the restaurant’s also brought back the quintessential after-dinner favorite The Grasshopper. And there’s a collection of seasonal cocktails featuring flavors such as raspberry, salted caramel, chai, and dreamsicle.
The Atmosphere
When POP opened, the Baileys arranged for a brilliantly theatrical unveiling of its glittery gold décor—while the first guests were enjoying a meal at the space’s predecessor, L’Acadiane. Thus, the unveiling of Baileys’ Chocolate Bar’s new look, likewise happening during its opening night on October 23, feels very on brand.
Kara is known for a keen eye for design details, often working with her sister Brynne Rinderknecht (an interior designer based in New York). In this case, they have a 20-year legacy and a familiar eye-catching red logo to build upon.
The front dining room retains some of POP’s golden aura–notably in the pillows along the wooden bench and the wallpaper in the dining nook–but the rear dining room has a more subdued vibe, with charcoal gray walls and black leather upholstery punctuated by bright red roses. Guests still receive Baileys’ trademark chocolate chip cookies when they’re seated, and the staff continues to excel at the thoughtful touches that make the Choclate Bar a date-night favorite. Cocktail pours are generous, and dessert portion sizes are perfect for sharing if you’re so inclined.
The Team
The Baileys opened Baileys’ Chocolate Bar in 2004 “on a dime and a dream,” as the website puts it. Kara pitched in around her day job as an elementary school teacher, helping out Dave, her then-boyfriend, who eventually became her husband and business partner. Dave had always been precocious, enrolling in Saint Louis University at age 15 and graduating at age 19, working food-service jobs to make ends meet, and then diving into the restaurant industry wholeheartedly in his 20s.
Baileys’ Restaurants has grown to be one of St. Louis’ most distinctive hospitality companies, with a portfolio of diverse concepts that intentionally avoid overlap. There’s the hamburger-and-milkshake joint Baileys’ Range, the breakfast-centric eateries under the Rooster banner (including the newest one that just opened in Clayton), the vegetable-forward whiskey bar Small Batch, Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar, The Fifth Wheel catering, and two private event spaces downtown, Willow and Slate.
The vision for Baileys’ Chocolate Bar is still largely the same as when the intrepid team of 20 team members opened the doors: a chic and romantic atmosphere for marking intimate occasions or celebrating as a group with high-quality food and friendly service.
