The Noble Crown (300 N. Euclid) fills a long-vacant centerpiece in the Central West End, serving American dishes conceptualized by John Perkins, as well as chef de cuisine Matt Daughaday, executive chef Adam Gnau, and executive sous chef Dan LeGrand.
The restaurant—which will eventually include a wine bar called Underground Crown, as well as private dining spaces—is a collaboration between restaurateur Kevin Brennan and the Saint Louis Chess Club. Many of the club’s dignitaries, including president and chairman of the board Rex Sinquefield, were on hand for the June 10 ribbon-cutting, ahead of The Noble Crown’s opening-day lunch service. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Atmosphere
Within minutes of opening, The Noble Crown felt like it had always been a neighborhood hangout. A trio of women came in to chat over a leisurely lunch. The owner of a nearby business dropped by for a burger. Customers claimed seats at the bar, their conversations floating over the soft music, as the staff mixed the first cocktails under the newly minted liquor license.
The bar is a visual magnet. Framed by a striking blonde wood arch against a black-tiled background, it mirrors the design of the light fixtures throughout. The adjacent wall features another key visual element: a long rectangular window where diners can get a peek into the kitchen.
The dining room seats 55 at tables and banquettes arranged to maximize the view onto Euclid and Maryland through floor-to-ceiling windows. Visible directly across the intersection is another concept coming soon from Brennan, an old-school sports tavern called the Marvel S. Fox (2 Maryland Plaza).
Passersby can look inside as well—which Brennan says is intended to mirror the integration of the restaurant and the local community.
HOK and toot toot design helped dramatically reimagine the dining room and are working with Brennan and company on the lower level, which is expected to be open in the late summer or early fall.
As culture and experience director, Perkins has set high goals for hospitality, and he praises general manager Chad Bertelsman for creating an environment where service is emphasized from the moment a customer enters to their final goodbye.
The Menu
In the kitchen, Perkins likewise lays out expectations and then steps back to let the culinary team take the lead.
“There is very little micromanagement in the kitchen,” he says.
Daughaday conceptualized the menu in the dining room, which currently serves lunch and dinner (and will eventually expand to a dedicated afternoon happy hour, as well as Sunday brunch). In a nod to Juniper, the Southern restaurant where Daughaday worked under Perkins’ ownership, the lunch menu includes the Sunday Sandwich (fried chicken thigh, red pepper jelly, smoked mayo, and pickles on a brioche bun, with the option to “make it hot”).
Another throwback dish is the Culpepper Dip sandwich (shaved prime rib, caramelized onion jus, garlic butter, and horseradish cream).
From Day 1, customers were buzzing about the West End Smash, a double smashburger with all of the fixings, plus a proprietary crown sauce. A vegetarian version features lion’s mane mushrooms, pickled tomato, lime crema, and white cheddar.
Word spread quickly about other lunch dishes as well: the crispy Brussels sprouts appetizer, the mushroom toast on a towering slice of focaccia, and the Cobb salad.
On the dinner menu, Perkins says, the sleeper hit from the soft opening was the trout (with farro, bacon, shiitakes, and spring onions). Other word-of-mouth favorites include spring pea soup with crispy prosciutto and crème fraiche, the Sally Lunn toast with foie gras butter and basil-cherry jam, the shrimp fregola with preserved lemon and tarragon, and the Jonah crab gratin with furikake and fried saltines.
The cocktail that had everyone buzzing is simply labeled No. 1 on the “Modern Cocktail” section of the beverage menu, but it has already earned the nickname Caprese Martini. The drink is based on vodka infused with burrata, thyme, and balsamic vinegar, then combined with tomato water, Italicus liqueur, and fresh lemon. Perkins says the crowning touch is a floater of basil oil on top. (Insider tip: Soak the cherry tomato and mozzarella ball garnish in the cocktail to infuse them with all of the flavors.)
There are five other “Modern Cocktails” in what Perkins promises will be a growing menu of specialty drinks, featuring intriguing flavors such as cilantro-peppercorn syrup and jalapeño grenadine. Customers can also choose among classic cocktails like a sidecar, amaretto fizz, sazerac, or martini, as well as mocktails, dessert cocktails, and Kaldi’s Coffee.
In keeping with the American bistro menu, the wines in the dining room are all American vintages. Perkins explains that Underground Crown will have a more international wine focus to go along with the Italian-influenced menu that Gnau is developing.
The Future
The Underground Crown will feature antipasto-style dishes, plus a “burrata bar” where guests can choose from a selection of small plates that require minimal prep before being served. It will be nestled in the lower level alongside two private dining areas, one with a six-seat chef’s counter and the other featuring 13-foot arched ceilings where up to two dozen guests can gather.
A “Guest Chef Dinner Series” will utilize some combination of those spaces when it launches later this year. Perkins and Brennan have each hosted dozens of dinners, and they look forward to collaborating with a rotating list of select chefs and staff from the Chess Center and The Noble Crown’s own team of sommeliers and mixologists.
Perkins encourages customers to keep an eye out for such additions as budget-friendly oysters—which will be available exclusively on the late-afternoon menu—and special brunch dishes on Sundays.
And, of course, keep an eye on the Marvel S. Fox space across the intersection for details and an opening date to be announced soon.
The Noble Crown
📍300 N. Euclid, Central West End
⏰Open daily for lunch, a limited late afternoon menu, and dinner
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