Overall, we had a fantastic experience at Esca. We were seated a bit late for our reservation but it gave us a great opportunity to sit on their heated patio and enjoy a cocktail before being seated. I had the milk punch to start and it was delicious. We ended up ordering the zucchini, bruschetta, vitello tonnato, mortadella and stracciatella apps to start once we were seated. There wasn't a slouch in the bunch. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably have to lean to the mortadella or bruschetta, but you can't go wrong. As an entree, I ordered the octopus and it was perfectly cooked and had great wood fired flavor. The rest of table either had the steak or branzino. I tried both and they were both nicely done. Between the food, the beverages and the vibe, I can't recommend Esca enough. read more

Let me start with the food was delicious. I would recommend everything I ate but I was more impressed with their starters than the mains or sides. Our side, a baked potato, was pretty cold upon arrival. For the starters you cannot go wrong with the stracciatella. It's advertised with strawberries but came with grapes and I imagine was just as good. I would describe the onion cheese dip as a delicate treat. It comes with veggies and is pretty refreshing. I have been to most of Ben's restaurants and this is probably one of my favorites. The wait staff was attentive and pleasant. Ben was running around the restaurant but we did not get a chance to thank him. Aside from being in a remote area, the ambiance was comfortable and inviting. read more

Esca - Fire baked potato and Amish chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Another great restaurant from Ben and team. Fantastic service food and ambience! We will be back.

Had an amazing time at Esca - when in doubt order the espresso martini - it was to die for! The ambiance is very cozy - perfect for a rainy day or cold night in. The service was spot on with helpful recommendations from the waiter. read more

A long hair string was found between lasagna layers. Waiters tried to cover the fact and let it go. Racist arrogant manager. :) read more

This new place needs to be on top of your list. The atmosphere is low key sophistication. Service is attention without being pushy. The food is top notch with unique offerings- they even make greens/veggies delish....:) read more

We had a birthday dinner, special occasion and wanted to try Esca. It was ok, not great for the money. We had a glass of wine, about a 3 oz pour, and when we asked the server pointed to a place on the glass they pour to, ours was not anywhere near that. She never made it right. We had the tomato bruchetta and lamb meatballs appetizer which were both good, not woowzer and shared the gnocchi. 1 coffee and the lemon tiramisu for the bday girl. Ambiance is very nice. Limited menu and VERY pricy for what we got. 135.00 I probably will not return. read more

This new place should be on top of your list. The atmosphere was low key sophistication. The service was tentative but not pushy. Menu was varied and quite unique- they even manage to make greens/ veggies delish..... :) read more

Absolutely loved!!! The food was incredible and the vibe is so great inside. Incredible decor!!

Such an amazing addition to St. Louis. The food is so delicious with all of the flavors coming from the wood burning grill. The vibe is moody and perfect. The service is next level with Luciano guiding you through the wine list. Can't wait to get back. read more

I wanted to like this place and we might give it a second chance. The branzino and the bread were good. The Amish chicken was mediocre and lacked ooomph, as did the scampi. But the most infuriating thing of all was, when you order a glass of wine they give you a 4 oz pour. When I said , excuse me this looks like a 4 oz pour, the waitress said yes, that's our wine serving. I'm sorry, I've been dining for over 40 years and have never been served a 4 oz pour, unless the menu specifically stated: 4 oz/6 oz/9oz. Such a bummer of a way to start an evening. read more

Great ambiance even better food. And the cocktails are ridiculous! Will be back many times in the future!

Everything was so wonderful! The patio is covered, small and intimate. Perfect for date night, and the food was amazing! The tiramisu was so delicious. It is a more on the pricey side so expect to spend but worth every penny! Will be back read more

Esca - I had the onion dip, Basil gimlet, Branzino, and tiramisu - Mediterranean Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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This new spot is amazing! The ambiance is spectacular. Food is top notch. Please order the branzino. You will absolutely cry! I've never had a better one! From the moment we walked in, we were mesmerized. read more

Esca - Esca is the "pot of gold"! - Mediterranean Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Another hit from Poremba and team. Familiar flavors executed to perfection, and holy cow is this place dripping with ambiance!

i haven't been awed by any restaurant in long time in St. Louis, but Esca checked all the boxes with a well designed restaurant with cool vibe, stellar service and truly a restaurant that could could compete with some best of the Michelen rated restaurants in the U.S.. We cant wait to go back! read more

Where to start...we sat on the patio which is lovely. The entire staff were so welcoming and friendly. Then there is the food. We started with the zucchini carpaccio which was flavorful and delicious. Make sure to save some of the crusty bread to soak up some of the lemony olive oil from the dish. We had the shrimp oreganata and "pork steak" along with the broccolini which was all so flavorful. My dining mate did say the pork was a little fatty for his liking but overall very good. They treated us to some vanilla gelato since it was our anniversary, for two people that were full and normally not into sweets we demolished that gelato. We have already talked about how we would order for the next visit. Great addition to the STL food scene. read more

I started with their version of an old fashioned. It was outstanding. Next I had the warm caesar salad which was off the charts delicious. For entree, I tried the seafod pasta special. The fish was a different combination in a good way. The noodles and sauce were just okay. Our service was outstanding and the restaurant had a nice vibe. For seating, try to face the interior. read more

The branzino was really good but that's about it. The bread was stale and burned on the outside but ice cold on the inside. The cheesy rice grits had no flavor. The eggplant and the sausage were ok but very expensive for what they were. We got the limoncello tiramisu which was downright bad--tasted like something from a budget grocery store pasty aisle. The food took a pretty long time and the server couldn't really explain the menu other than reading the description to us. The table was wobbly. Finally the owner and his friends were singing extremely loudly and slamming their table for about a half hour, totally disrupting all the guests. Maybe an off night but probably won't go back. read more

We dined at Esca with a party of 8. The service was great. We had no complaints about the atmosphere or service. We all had signature cocktails to start. We weren't impressed with them. The menu was quite different from what we had previewed their website which disappointed us. We started with a tinned fish appetizer. Nothing special there. We all ordered different entrees and none were exceptional. It may have been an "off night" . I doubt any of us plan to return. read more

Amazing! Good luck getting in soon‼ Phenomenal addition to the LOU! Hope this new District is a winner for all.

Have been to Esca 3 times and have been blown away every time. The service is the absolute best and the food is unique and off the charts delicious! It's pricey, to be sure, but it's like going on a mini vacation and is worth every penny. Love, love, love it! read more

Our evening last night at Esca is one we will not soon forget. The atmosphere and attention to detail were both top notch. The food and cocktails were absolutely delicious. Please try the tiramisu! What made the evening so memorable was the outstanding service from Sydney and Will. They were absolutely great! read more

The perfect package of Amazing Food, Great Service and an Atmosphere that grabs you as you approach the front door and gives you a BIG hug once you cross the threshold. It is clear the staff are well trained and work together as a team. This is driven by the very talented Ben Poremba who is hands-on working the floor. Ben was personally managing the dessert cart and served the most amazing cookies with zabaglione. The cocktails were impeccable; Old Fashion, Washed Negroni and Vesper. We could see the bartender creating cocktails with such care. Everything on the menu is cooked over an open flame. Our party of 4 are all foodies so we shared everything thank goodness as it was hard to choose. We started with the Straciatella - DO NOT miss this, amazing flavors and textures - imagine a burrata-like cheese with roasted fruits and almonds - YUM! We then had the Fire Roasted beet salad - another winner of taste & texture. We then moved onto the La Escalivada - roasted vegetables and we added the special tuna. They suggested scraping the flesh out of the perfectly roasted eggplant but we enjoyed the eggplant skin as well. We then moved onto Mains and had the Branzino and Steak. Both Mains were good but the appetizers offered much more variety in flavors and textures. We ended the meal with the cookies which I highly recommend and the dairy-free ice cream. Service was impeccable and the atmosphere is simply delightful. Cannot wait to go back. read more

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Had a great first experience at Esca. We sat at the bar and Will was fantastic. Cocktail list was really well curated. We didn't do wine, but that looked very promising as well. We enjoyed everything we ordered. The coastal Mediterranean focus was evident. Everything was unique, but familiar (in a good way) at the same time. Service was elevated and professional. So many places in STL try to rapidly turn tables these days, and it was so nice to not feel that at Esca. Overall Esca seems like a great add to the STL dining scene. read more