This quite possibly was in the top 3 restaurant meals I've had. Started with the Mediterranean Octopus, OUTSTANDING!!! Seafood stew made me think I was sitting seaside. Service second to none. They love their patrons and have a very sincere love for the food served. Memorable dinner. Thank you Peno. read more

This place is AMAZING. Every last bite of food we ate was divine. It is a small spot so definitely have a reservation or take it to go! I can't recommend the octopus enough, it was so tender and the sauce it came in was so delicious that we asked for an extra serving to go. Our waiter was from Italy and he was so kind and helpful. Everything was definitely worth the price and I will absolutely be returning. read more

Favorite Italian Soul food place in St. Louis. Very down to earth staff and awesome food.

The food was delicious!!! I had the calamari to start and it's made in a broth and was so good. For dinner I had the seafood pasta and it was great. They have a nice wine selection too. I would of rated 5 had it not been for the fact that it seems like you need a reservation. They were accommodating and seated us but rushed us a little. However, the owner and servers were great!!!! read more

Absolutely adorable restaurant, the owner was there and so pleasant and kind. We got there early and they bent over backwards to accommodate even though they weren't even open yet. Food was fabulous and so was the staff! Highly recommend! read more

We made an early reservation for 2 at 6:30. There were tons of tables open when we arrived and they told us the table that was reserved for us was still occupied? Huh? There's no bar area so we were awkwardly standing there for a while. Nobody asked if we wanted to get a drink while we waited. We finally got another table. I think there was one waiter in the whole restaurant. It took over 10 minutes to get a glass of wine that was served in water glasses . Not cool. Nobody offered bread - which is supposed to be there speciality. I had a beet salad with arugula on the side that excellent! Then the gnocchi. Okay - not pillowy .... The service was so horrible- don't these restaurants know they make money on wine refills? Getting a drink was painful. If this place was organized and managed properly, I'd go back more often. Lots of people brought their own wine in- and I know why....highly suggested. read more

Terrible service! Good food. Cramped quarters and never removed our finished plates. Waitress argued with us the entire time.

We shared a number of items. The pasta was excellent and something I would get again. The pizza was great, but the chicken seemed like it was from a package and most of it was dark meat. We picked it off. The fish was unbearably salty - no one liked it as was the pearl couscous. The cauliflower hummus tasted mainly like garlic and we didn't eat that as well. Definitely disappointing, but might go back for a plain pizza or the pasta. Not worth the price we paid. read more

Charming, neighborhood Italian bistro. Very pleasant atmosphere. The food was excellent and there was a large selection of farm to table offerings. Outstanding service with a very attentive owner on premises. Extensive menu with delicious food, generous portions, reasonable prices, particularly considering the high quality of the food. The owners really know what they are doing. Great for lunch, dinner, and carry out. A hidden gem gaining in popularity as words spreads about what a great dining experience Peno offers. read more

Not impressed. I ordered the gnocchi which was tender and probably would have been good except they ruined it by smothering it in a heavy, spicy red sauce. My daughter ordered the chicken which was nothing special. Total check for the gnocchi, chicken, 1 side salad, and 2 ounces of wine (served in a water glass) was $92. Nope. read more

I always enjoy going to Peno. The staff is amazing and they even let me do a little wine tasting while I waited for my to go order. I usually order the Spaghetti Bolognese. The bread is also pretty good since it's sliced and dressed with olive oil. The patio is also quaint and relaxing for dinner with friends. read more

Great visit veal chop amazing! Cannoli crunch cake yummy. Definitely plan another visit.

We just had a fantastic meal, with great service AGAIN!!! The Fisherman Stew was outstanding, second to no one.

About the best restaurant in theLoo. Imaginative menu, extremely well prepared with an owner who is very interesting and innovative

Hmmm. Not sure how this place has so many stars. The food was utterly average and totally over priced. Service also leaves a lot to be desired. read more

Visited Peno for the first time Friday night. Our party of 4 was unanimous in declaring this spot an outstanding new find, with the perfect combination of unpretentious atmosphere and outstanding Italian food. For starters, we had the calamari (not fried) and eggplant appetizers, along with the house-made bread, which honestly would have been entirely satisfying without ever getting to the entrees. Nevertheless, we all moved forward with an entree we really loved. My Palermo Pasta was fabulous, and I finished it completely despite beginning with the intention of taking much of it home with me. Desserts were as delicious as the main meal, and all left completely satisfied and committed to return as soon as possible. read more

Peno was a very good meal. Had the cheese, mushroom, and spinach ravioli and cauliflower hummus. Both were very tasty and unique. The fresh baked bread and garlic bread was also nice touch. I'll definitely be back. read more

Very amazing food! Loved the service and the approach to the menu. We will be back and often!!

Rediscovered Peno's after several months away. Great to see the place full on three visits over the last three weeks. On our recent visits , we've have had several outstanding dishes including the Lamb chops , Palermo Pasta , king fish, Italian salad , and the thin crust pizza. All were outstanding and reasonably priced. Of particular value was the lamb chops $18 for the smaller portion ,which was actually very large,and nicely prepared and presented. This portion would have cost over $30 at most Resturants and would not have been nearly as good. Other menu items that we've seen look also worth trying in the future. The deserts we've tried have all been outstanding Particularly , the tiramisu ,the best we've had in St Louis. The serving was enough to share for two and have enough to take half home for the next evening. The Resturants space is European bistro , simple, casual, small , but friendly , and comfortable. I' d even call it unpretentious quant Romantic. Ok maybe a stretch. No pretense here just good food , service and value. Over the last several months we've tried many established and particularly new Resturants only to be disappoint repeatedly ,none met our expectations after the first visit , so we've come back to Peno's to find it was not only still good , but I think , actually improved in menu selection and execution. We shouldn't have stayed away so long. Good to be back and more than satisfied. Good Dinning , good food , good value. read more

This was by far one of THE BEST meals I've had in a while. Everything was perfect. We started with the eggplant bruschetta, escargot, and the veal meatballs. For our meals we had a pizza, squash ravioli, a rolled beef (can't remember the name) and a stuffed meat pasta (can't remember the name eairher). Everything was outstanding!!!! Next time we're saving room for dessert. read more

Have been so excited to try this restaurant and finally went last minute last night. I called at 6:30pm to see if we could get in and Tony asked if we had a reservation. Long story short, he called me back and said they had a cancellation - come on in! It's a small place with a permanent covered and insulated "deck" attached. Menu is on a big chalkboard and changes daily we're told. Service was lovely, I ordered the house made ginger basil lemonade-very good. For dinner my wife and I shared the Italian salad with white balsamic vinaigrette and the spaghetti bolognese. The salad was wonderful, fresh and full of flavor. It comes with provel, so if you're not from St. Louis, you've been warned. The serve a whole small round loaf of bread that they make in house. It's doused with a ribbon of olive oil and Parmesan and that could have been my whole meal. The bolognese was excellent, not sure if the pasta was made in house but they do make most of there pasta. The sauce was exploding with flavor and looked as if the meat was just chopped up meatballs, chunky and yummy. It had pea sized chunks of veggies, carrots that were perfectly cooked to be sweet and soft but not mushy. Overall, fantastic restaurant and I can't wait to return! read more

We got the worst table in the house (right by the front door where waiters congregate) but the food is EXCELLENT and our wait staff was terrific. It reminded us of restaurants we visited in Italy. The manager talked us through the menu, explaining each dish which is a rare level of service. We will definitely be back and highly recommend it. Terrific atmosphere and the food was excellent. Make reservations. read more

Have been here 2x and love this place. Every dish we have ordered has been awesome and the owner and waitstaff are all super friendly. This is our go to authentic Italian restaurant in stl. Here is what we have had 1) calamari appetizer - sweet red sauce and cooked to perfection 2) fisherman's stew - plenty of seafood and healthy portion 3) mushroom ravioli - daughters enjoyed 4) trout - delicious and healthy portion read more

Wonderful and cozy restaurant tucked into the Moorlands neighborhood. Friendly staff and spectacular food -- the meatballs, pizza, and spaghetti were awesome. Highly recommend read more

My wife and I have been to this nice, quaint restaurant in our neighborhood twice. The food has been excellent both times. Genuine southern Italian food, and having recently been to Italy, it has that Sicilian hometown feel. Local farm raised mixed with genuine imported ingrediants makes the frequently changing menu fun to try something new. Pepe, the owner, sometimes sits with regular guests, makes great suggestions, and really cares about the dining experience. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great Italian food with that small, intimate experience. read more

Amazing food in a hidden spot. Price point and taste outperform other local institutions

I'm going with a four and a half for food but only a three for service. The food was very good however they didn't have the urban chestnut seasonal beer so I went with a coke. The menu we had looked at online so we weren't too surprised to see no prices on the chalk board. I had the fisherman's platter and my mom had the shrimp pasta. We shared the meatballs which were very delicious. Everything is drenched in garlic but it's Italian so it was understood it would death for vampires. The bread was plentiful and useful to sop up the sauces. Service was adequate but not all star. I expected a little more for the prices. Might try again but will opt for the indoor seating since the patio attracted a lot of flies. read more

Incredible, creative, delishessly balanced food. Handmade pastas galore combined with rich broths and savory stocks arrive steamy with unique ingredients and killer flavors. Nightly specials based on seasonal meats fish and produce. The pizza is spot on with tons of available ingredients and a yummy house made crust. Homade desserts! Great staff cool vibe, Pepe is there most evenings. Make a reservation. read more

$$ -- We tried Peno, the new neighborhood restaurant for lunch today. The service was great. It seems to be a family owned restaurant and everyone was super friendly. I ordered a lunch special of salad and pasta. My husband and son both ordered pizzas. The salad was really nice with a lovely lemon vinaigrette dressing. It came with cheese sesame seed bread which was very tasty. The pasta was superb--corkscrew style noodles with an excellent meaty and flavorful sauce. I tried a piece of both pizzas. Each pizza was very different in sauces, cheeses and spices--both unique and equally delicious. After our meal, we ordered espressos which came with small lemon rinds in the espressos! This added so much flavor to the espressos--it was a really nice touch. My only complaint about this place is that the decor is a bit drab. The caliber of the food exceeded the caliber of the decor. Maybe tablecloths, table centerpieces, and lighting could give the restaurant some mood. The dinner menu looked great, so I'm sure we will be back for dinner soon. I'm hoping this place is here to stay. Seemed like a great crew and great food. read more

Peno - really nice oil selection at Peno! - Italian Near Me - Clayton, Missouri

This is our neighborhood go to for Friday night pizza carry out. Love dining in there as well! Food is always fresh and reminds me of being in Italy. A tad noisy, but added a covered patio that is fabulous! read more

Great and friendly staff and honors. The special truffle pizette was great. The owner takes lots of pride in his food and it was a good experience. read more

What a great neighborhood restaurant. Fantastic Italian food with a casual feel. People are awesome, I sat at the bar alone as I was traveling for business and Diana made me feel right at home. I will absolutely return on my next trip. read more

Fabulous menu. Fantastic service. The mushroom ravioli is divine! The best meal I've eaten in a long time. Absolutely recommended.

Excellent!!! If you think you are out of luck with no reservation, you are really lucky if the "first come, first served" bar is open. We had that experience last Saturday and I think it was best seat in the house. Wonderfully friendly owner/chef and equally friendly & efficient bartender right there to make us feel welcome. The terrific food just completed a very enjoyable experience. Highly recommend read more

This place is great and getting better. They are now making their own pasta. Makes all the difference.

This was a totally pleasant surprise - from unique salads and soups pizza, cannelloni-seafood pasta- all good. There was a mixup on arrival as to where we were to sit and 4 top up against chilly windows was distracting from an otherwise delicious meal. Only con is device staff are overly solicitous, but with a small restaurant, it opens just tone it down a notch and all will be well. read more

Amazing food and a personable owner make up for subpar service and cramped dining conditions. Everything is delicious; from the roasted beet salad, the Palermo pizza, Chicken Gremolata and the to die for Godfather Chocolate Cake. Just go in with lowered service expectations and you will thoroughly enjoy your meal. read more

This is definitely one of our favorite restaurants! We are lucky to live walking distance from this place. They are always very accommodating and the service is outstanding. Today, we had a large group and they offered us the most delicious buffet! THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS AS ALWAYS, but most importantly they went out of their way to make a simple Sunday lunch super special for our group. Our friends from West County were very impressed and hope to return soon! Thank you for a wonderful afternoon! You guys are the best!!! read more

We are from out of town and stumbled upon this little place. Glad we did ! We had the pepperoni pizza and spaghetti with meatballs, an extra side of meatballs and a side of house made sausage. Everything we had was delicious and made fresh in house. Give them a try! Plus very friendly staff that is there to make your dining experience pleasurable! read more

Had a great experience at Peno. Started by being able to walk to the restaurant. We entered the restaurant and the ambiance was great; nice music people laughing and a friendly greeting. We ordered salad and pizza and dessert and it was all good. I was looking at all the other food that was served at the other tables and the fish and pastas looked very tasty. Definitely plan on returning. Will be an excellent place to visit when it is warm enough to sit outside. The owner/chef also walks around and is clearly passionate about what he days. read more

Peno - Italian Near Me - Clayton, Missouri