Krystal R.

Love love love this place. The vibe the view the drinks and the food. All top notch. Even the bathroom is a cute corner on its own. The service was great, everyone was super friendly and welcoming! The Bronzino is probably the best I have ever had, the octopus was chewy and flavorful, and being a vegetarian lover you should definitely try the eggplant or the zucchini it's such a unique combination of flavors! Would definitely come back again!!!

Lindsay P.

We met up with friends here for their first experience and our 3rd! The service is always great, friendly staff that are knowledgable about the menu. Luckily the special was the mushroom lasagna, which has never been on the menu- and it was phenomenal! I have added a photo, unfortunately they said it takes all day to make and not normally offered. Great atmosphere as always, parking behind building.

Alicia I.

Here's a Yelp-ready version -- same story, tighter, more reviewer-style and easy to skim: Finally made it to Esca and it absolutely lived up to the hype. From the moment you walk in, the space sets the tone -- warm lighting, cozy seating, and a moody, intimate vibe that makes you want to slow down and actually enjoy the evening. It feels elevated without being stuffy. We started with the ciabatta and Esca butter, which was warm, crusty, and dangerously good. The beet + carrot salad was bright, earthy, and perfectly balanced, and the grilled artichokes were smoky, tender, and impossible to stop picking at. Because the appetizer list was so good, we also added the lamb meatballs al forno with milled tomato sauce, pecorino, and pangrattato -- rich, comforting, and beautifully done. For our main, we shared the branzino with olive-pistachio tapenade, which was crisp on the outside, flaky inside, and perfectly seasoned. The cocktail and wine list deserves a shout-out too -- really well curated, with interesting options that don't feel intimidating. And the hospitality here is next level. I casually mentioned that I wished there were more chocolate dessert options, and the bartender had the kitchen make fresh chocolate sauce so I could have a mini sundae. That kind of attention makes a place memorable. One of the most charming touches: while you're eating, they quietly box up anything you don't finish, give you a claim ticket, and you pick up your leftovers at the front on your way out -- like a coat check, but for food. I also can't wait to come back when the patio is open, because this feels like the perfect place for long, candle-lit evenings with great drinks and great food. Highly recommend.

Jami R.

I think this might be one of my new favorite restaurants! From the minute you walk by the heated patio and into this meticulously decorated restaurant, you know you are in for a treat. The cocktails were delightful( loved my Gin Fizz!) and the food was phenomenal. The branzino was crispy on the outside yet cooked perfectly on the inside. The light sauce with it was even more delightful. The waygu steak was flavorful and one of the best cuts of meat I have had. Definitely on the pricier side but will make for a memorable date night or celebration.

Wanda H.

Well, this place wasn't over-hyped! Our server was very helpful (we were clueless!) and friendly. We were a group of 4 and chose 2 items from the Snacks, Appetizers, and Grilled over Charcoal sections. We shared everything amongst ourselves and could have walked out at that point perfectly satisfied. BUT, we'd skipped picking from the Salads section so that we could try a Dessert or two??? We may have gone OVERboard here, because we shared THREE (Classic Tiramisu, Limoncello Tiramisu, and Chocolate Truffles. We needed wheelchairs after THAT! ALL the food was TREMENDOUS and the ambiance of the place is just AWESOME!!! I especially like that they include an almost 16% tip into the bill (and he was nice enough to remind me of that when he presented the check). I assume this is to give the workers more of a living wage. And our server was WELL worth that, plus more.

Andria C.

Everything was fantastic! The potato dish was flavorful, the ciabatta bread was incredibly fresh, and Ben's Vodka martini was strong and perfectly balanced. The tuna crudo was so fresh it practically melted in your mouth. Service was attentive and friendly, and the ambiance was top-tier. The outdoor patio was such a vibe. It was beautifully set up and perfect for a relaxed evening. We were bummed we chose to sit inside but it was a little too chilly unfortunately. Overall, an amazing experience. Highly recommend! And next time we will definitely be opting in to enjoying the amazing patio!

Angelina L.

I am officially obsessed with Esca. The vibe is immaculate. The service is top notch! The food is even better. You can tell they truly care about the ingredients, presentation and quality of the food. We sat at the bar since we only had 40 minutes before our event. The bar is gorgeous. They have a great cocktail menu and list of wines. Our bartender was a gem! I can't wait to come back.

Anthony P.

One of the best experiences my wife and I have ever had at a restaurant. From service, atmosphere to the food everything was 10/10. Family style meals is the way to go at this restaurant. We were celebrating my wife's birthday and our waiter informed us to get one or two meals from the "Snacks", "Appetizers" and "Entrees" section. Every meal was memorable and we have been talking about going back asap!!

Vivienne C.

WOAH! Extremely unexpected amazing food and service experience. I felt like such a VIP at Esca even though we just made a normal resevration. This was probably one of the best dining experiences I've had and the fact that it was in STL just made it crazier! About the food: - American Wagyu "Bistro Steak" - I think this the best steak I've had this year which is crazy because I've been to a couple of NYC steakhouses and it doesn't even compare. The steak was marinated so incredibly well as the flavor was so present throughout. The outside of the steak also had a slight crispy-ness to it while the inside was a perfect medium rare. I actually don't know how this dish could be better, literal definition of perfection. - Spanish Octopus, Marinated Chickpeas, Celery, Oregano, Calabrian Chili - This dish was also absolutely fantastic! It transported me back to the octopus dishes in Cancun where the octopus was incredibly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. I think in general, the meats here are done very well without it feeling overly heavy. - Lamb Meatballs Al Forno, Milled Tomato Sauce, Pecorino, Pangrattato - I think you could probably skip this appetizer. Although the lamb meatballs were very unique and flavorful, I think compared to the other entrees, I didn't feel like the flavor profile stood out a lot. - Ciabatta, Egg Butter - This could be skipped as well although the hot bread with the melted butter is always a nice welcome. - Tangerine Vanilla Shrub - I've never had a shrub before and this was such an interesting experience. This is essentially a flavor concentrate with soda water and you could definitely taste these parts of the drink. Although I would say that it's not quite a soda but almost had a mocktale like experience. - Tiramisu - Great tiramisu, although I felt like after all the entree, I didn't really need the dessert. The service was something else. They asked if me and my friend were celebrating anything and my friend had ran a half marathon that day so that's what we shared. They then were so excited to share her success as well and we went on to having a great conversation about running, love for food, great restaurants in NYC, etc. I feel like these experiences typically only happen when I sit at the bar so it was so cool to be able to connect to the waiters in that way while sitting in the main dining room and they were all so personal too. Then they surprised us with their homemade vanilla ice cream, olive oil, and sea salt to celebrate my friend which was so incredibly nice of them. I don't think I've had ANY restaurant celebrate something that was not the typical wedding anniversary, birthday, etc. It was so special to have them celebrate my friend's half marathon! The ice cream was so good as well! Then on top of THAT our waiter realized I had the same namesake as his grandmother who created a salad dressing brand after their name and he gifted us each a salad dressing bottle. Oh my gosh, wow. We are blown away by the hospitality and the nice-ness of all the waiters there. Thank you so much, we are so grateful to have had this amazing dining experience with you guys! Thank you Esca for the wonderful food and experience. I could not recommend it more and we will definitely be back!

Bryan R.

Brilliant cocktails and overall amazing food. Best waygu steak I have had. The meat literally melts in your mouth and no steak knife needed. Everything here was flavorful. Only negative was this restaurant was a bit noisy to hold a good conversation.

Madi L.

Upscale Mediterranean bar and grill off Delmar. As a spritz fanatic, the Esca spritz was one of the best I've had. Other notable items were the charred onion dip, the incredibly fresh whipped ricotta and lemon dip, and the lamb meatballs. My mistake was filling up too much on bread and appetizers, so we neglected to order anything from the "grilled over charcoal" section, though I'm dying to try their beef. Oh, and the ciabatta and Esca (mound of) butter are delicious. I don't recall the service being memorable so that is something that could improve.

Maleewan K.

One of the best group dining experiences we've had in St. Louis! Every appetizer we tried was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. I especially loved the La Escalivada, Zucchini, and Bruschetta--the ingredients were incredibly fresh and thoughtfully combined. For entrées, the branzino and Amish chicken were clear standouts. Our friends also commented on the well-curated wine selection. The atmosphere was perfect for group dining--warm, welcoming, and moderately lively. We're looking forward to trying the outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Service was attentive and friendly, rounding out a fantastic evening.

Jennifer C.

Overall a wonderful experience for dinner. The atmosphere is inviting and gives you sense of something not typical to the StL food scene. Service is impeccable here, all staff were friendly, welcoming and approachable. Patio dining is a must on a nice weather day and I appreciate that it's covered. Be careful on the cobblestone/brick type floor in terms of your seat and shoe heel placement. I appreciate that they offer a side purse table for ladies. The ciabatta bread and butter was delicious! Luved the grilled romaine caesar and take a moment to use some of your bread to dip the Caesar dressing and parm, it taste great. I opted for the Amish Chicken with Jus and the Baked Potato with Truffle Sauce. The chicken is meant for sharing, but feel free to have as a single meal the way I did. Cooked perfectly but the flavors were a bit lack luster as I had to add salt and pepper to help things out a bit. Nice options for dessert, but the Gelato wasn't available this evening. I opted for an espresso Martini to close things out and really enjoyed it.