Basso is such a hidden gem! The interior is warm and cozy with dim lighting and its of open flame…read more They had a fireplace going as well which gave a cozy bonfire feel. Our server was so sweet with giving us suggestions and ensuring we enjoyed all of our food. She checked back frequently and was so fun. We got the truffle fries, bread with dipping oil, and carpaccio to start. All of it was PACKED with flavor. Of the apps, the carpaccio was my fave. It was thinly sliced and the capers gave little bursts of extra flavor in each bite. For our entree, we got the lemon ricotta ravioli and the emo cover band pizza. The ravioli was an INSTANT fave. Super butter, fresh and light. A great place for a date night!

If you like carbs let me tell you about Basso. I would say with some serious thought behind the…read morestatement: best fries and potatoes ever. Yes. It's bold but it's true. If you like a gorgeous and unique bar area with amazing old school touches - yes. This is the place. If you like parking in a garage that was built before your grandparents were born- yes this place is for you. However- we had a lot of trouble with service. I don't know why but every time our waitress walked by our table, regardless of our "excuse us ma'am's " we were ignored. This is a real shame because we plan on eating dinner and having another drink, but after 45 minutes we had to leave and go somewhere else.

Such an underrated brunch spot!…read more The coffee press in itself makes the trip worth it but the service and the cozy Dogtown ambiance helps start off my Sunday mornings perfectly.

Inside out: as we were visiting it was easy to get dropped off in an uber here. The outside is…read morecharming but the inside is incredibly cute! I love the decor and the vibe over all. Service: we had a pretty large and varied group, they took fast incredible care of us and had amazing suggestions! Food and drink: smoked Bloody Mary. Just do it. Everything was amazing portions of food cooked to perfection, the salmon I still think about months later! So worth the price, so worth every single bite! Over all: worth it, I cannot say enough how great this place is!

If Sasha's on Demun were a person, it would be Donna Meagle from Parks and Rec. Versatile, knows…read morehow to treat yo' self, equally at home in yoga pants, ready for a backwoods adventure or dressed to the nines, and doesn't blink at any version of you that walks through the door. That's the vibe. We started on the front patio on a Friday night and quickly realized we'd made a mistake. The doors to the interior were open and the music -- a rock-forward playlist that night -- was loud enough that we considered bailing. Our server, was unbothered when we asked to move up to the rooftop. Where we met with a new bartender and server, London, who rolled with it, got us resettled, and from that point on the night was great. London was clearly handling the bar and most of the rooftop tables, but she was attentive throughout, and made eye contact, which seems a near miracle from many 20-something these days. Bumping the score up just for the flexibility on the table move alone. The food: crab cakes were genuinely good, not life-changing, but well above the weak-crab-cake bar that exists in most of the world, served simply with capers and a small salad. I went off-script and ordered the wagyu burger medium rare with fontina (London mentioned cheddar is the more common pick, but the Fontina offerd a great alternative). The burger was deeply flavorful and cooked exactly right, but here's my one real note for the kitchen: toast the brioche bun. Wagyu medium-rare puts out a lot of juice, and an untoasted bun loses its structural integrity about three bites in. A quick toast would let the bun keep some additional integrate and keep up with the perfectly cooked beef. The pom buff were great, the best elevated patato tots you may come by. Beyond what we ordered, the Greek salad is a longtime go-to -- chopped, with grape leaves and pita, available in a small or large, and easily dressed up into a light meal with or without adding some protein or can be share as a self-dress bruschetta appetizer for the group if you ask for extra bread. The cheese boards are also a reliable pick. The wine list is extensive (it's a wine bar, after all), but they don't sniff at cocktails -- I had a solid fine old fashioned, and my wife shared had a Malbec that paired well with everything. Lots of gluten-free options across the menu, too. What Sasha's gets right is that it has refused to become precious. "Wine bar" reads as pretentious to some people, but this place runs as a neighborhood spot. You'll see college kids dressed way down, couples on dates dressed way up, Hawaiian shirts, oversized sweaters, the full range. It's the kind of place where you can split a bottle with your girlfriends, meet a date for drinks and a quick bite without committing to a full dinner, or roll in for brunch on the weekend. Different times of day, different vibes -- always approachable. 4.7 stars. Loses a few tenths for the front-patio music situation and the weak burger bun, but more than makes up for it on flexibility, food, and overall hang factor.

Used to love this place, but today really changed my impression…read more We stopped in for a quick drink on a beautiful Saturday. There were a few open tables, but we were asked to wait by the door while they "got situated." Meanwhile, a walk-in who arrived after us was seated at a table we had been waiting for. When we were finally seated, we were placed in direct sun. I asked if we could move to a shaded table in the corner and was told it was only for parties of three. After explaining we'd just be there briefly for a drink, we were allowed to sit there, but the interaction felt dismissive. From that point on, the experience felt rushed. We were pushed to order quickly, our menus were taken right away, and the check came almost immediately. It made what should have been a relaxed stop feel uncomfortable and transactional. I understand how busy restaurants can get, especially on nice days, but a little more consideration and courtesy would have gone a long way.

Polite Society Polite Society set the tone for my entire St…read more Louis trip. If you know me, you know -- if I see octopus on the menu, I'm ordering it. And this one did not disappoint. It was perfectly cooked, flavorful, and honestly one of my favorite dishes from the trip. I also had a scallop dish that was just as good -- rich, well-seasoned, and beautifully prepared. On top of the food, they have a really strong wine selection, which made the experience even better. The overall vibe is polished and elevated without feeling too formal. Service was great, food came out on time, and everything felt intentional. Highly recommend if you're looking for a nice dinner spot in St. Louis.

Came because it was in the Yelp top 100. Enjoyed what I got but might need to come again and try…read moresome new things. They have a great cocktail menu but we opted for a bottle of wine instead. The waiter was super helpful in helping us pick out a nice red blend. We got the octopus as a starter, which I don't personally love octopus, but my friend thought it was the best in stl. I also got the apple dish, which was listed under the salads but the waiter was sure to explain it's not an actual salad. Since it wasn't a full salad I also got the soup. Both the apple dish and soup were really good. It's street parking but there's lots of spots in the area. The bathroom is super nice with hairspray and mints if needed. Nice place for a good meal.

Staying in the CWE area and happened to walk into this amazing place, unsure where to start! From…read morethe great vibe to the best tracks playing to the inviting staff - this place was off to a great start. Then comes the menu with some of the best cocktails I've had in bit, and onto the food, which was amazing, I highly HIGHLY recommend! I started with the 'one trick pony' cocktail, then had the citrus ginger salad, and wrapped up with the chili-glazed pork belly. That combo

Love me a night at the Lazy Tiger. Haven't been in a while but coming back was like coming home…read more Their new limited time drinks were amazing. My partner had the old fashioned inspired drink and it was honestly the best one I've ever had. I sipped the Urban Legend and it was fire! Perfect, not too sweet and not too alcohol forward. Food was delicious as always. While the mini lobster roll was loaded with lobster, I knew it wouldn't be enough to quell my appetite. The salad was a perfect balance. Fab time!

We ordered 3 small plates, wings were the highlight. Great wings. Good drinks. Place seems to be…read morekeeping a high standard. I had not been there in a few years. Just a nice place.

We went in for a late lunch on Saturday. The place was nearly empty -- only two other tables were…read moreoccupied, and we were the third. Despite that, the other tables seemed to receive constant attention while our waitress disappeared for long stretches of time. We were initially seated in the side room with a large industrial fan blowing so hard that it was moving the menus off the table. We waited for the waitress to return so we could request a different table, but she never came back, so we moved ourselves to another empty table away from the fan. She seemed unhappy about the move and told us we might have to relocate again because they were expecting a busy day. Honestly, the restaurant was empty, and we would have been finished long before any rush started -- which we were. I asked for ketchup with my burger, and it didn't arrive until after I had already finished eating. Overall, the service was very poor. Unfortunately, the food was also extremely salty -- and we're people who normally enjoy salt. I had the Farmhouse Burger with Brussels sprouts and mac and cheese, while my wife ordered the steak and fries cooked medium well. The steak came out medium rare, and both her fries and my burger and Brussels sprouts were overly salted. The one bright spot was the mac and cheese, which we took to go. My daughter tried some and said it was the best she'd ever had. To top it off, our bill came to an even $100 with tip, and all we had were waters and the items mentioned above. We had been wanting to try Retreat for quite a while, so this experience was very disappointing. Between the poor service and underwhelming food, we probably won't be coming back.

Finally got a reservation to this amazing restaurant and it definitely did not disappoint. Went…read morehere with a friend on Friday night. Got there a little early and I was seated quickly. Waiter suggested getting the bread and snacks so we could decided to try it. Bread and butter were tasty and fresh. The snacks were good too! I also really enjoyed my non alcoholic drink (can't remember what it was called). This is a 4 course meal, including dessert so we had to pick one item from each category. I chose the carrots to start and they were yummy and flavorful! For my second course, I had the rabbit, it was good too, but my friend had the trout and I really enjoyed it. For the 3rd course, I had the spare ribs and they were amazing! I ended my meal with a rubarb dessert, which was tasty too! Overall great meal, and just the right amount of food! Tables were a little tight together, but the atmosphere here is good. Not too loud. The light behind my friend was flickering a bit, which was a little annoying, but def not enough to take away from the yumminess of my meal! Def plan to go back!

I was very excited to be able to grab a reservation at Robin. I have heard many great things about…read morethis restaurant on the news and it's probably amongst the highest regarded restaurants in St. Louis. If you want to dine here make sure to book at least 1 month or 2 in advance. This is a tasting menu style so you will pay $75 for 4 courses, which is not bad in my opinion. There are snacks options for a small additional fare. I highly recommend ordering the snacks since the courses are in small portions. I got the 4-way appetizers and my favorites were the Onion Jam and Fava Goat Cheese and the Liver Corn cookie. They were definitely the stars of the night. I tried almost all the options for the courses. My recommendation would be White Asparagus Soup, Lamb and Garlic, Fresh Cheese Dumplings, Roast Chicken and Lemon Semifreddo. The vibe here is nice. Perfect for date nights. I knocked off a star because I wasn't blown away by some of the dishes.

Brisket toasted ravioli were perfect! Lightly breaded with generous portions of brisket. The…read morehomemade marinara is so tasty. We split an Italian chopped salad and it was plenty for the two of us. Spring mix was fresh, toppings of meat and olives were delicious. The rib eye and mashed potatoes were cooked perfectly to order and it was a good quality cut of meat. The grilled salmon with chili sauce was lovely. Honestly it was so good, it would have been amazing without the chili sauce! We finished with the port wine chocolate cake. Rich and delicious. Overall, the food quality to cost was very very good. High quality food for less than many other restaurants. Well done!

Very friendly staff. Service was excellent. The patio was a nice area to relax & enjoy a long…read moredinner with friends. The food was tasty. We loved the appetizers. Pastas were good & we had a favorite- the bucatini. The tomato sauce was delicious. We ordered for happy hour. Wine flight was $12. What an amazing deal. And the waitress brought the 2 of us flights with 8 different wines. Was a great way to try so many.

Get a reservation or get there early…read more I had a BEAUTIFUL Sunday morning here. I checked the reservation online and they had a 10 AM opening and a line before they were even open. We sat outside , our server was wonderful and they were so helpful and accommodating. First I ordered the Dive Bar Coffee which just wasn't for me so i got the Dottie (with the good crunchy ice) instead and it was wonderful! (They even took the first one off and i didn't even ask, thoughtful. ) Food was delicious. My Hashbrown was delicious and crispy and seasoned and mm. And the salmon was yummy. My date got the baked eggs and loved it as well (they make their bread so will be back just to have bread). We also got the ButterScotch Budino for dessert. As someone who isn't a fan of pudding , this was goooooood. Salty, sweet and crumbling that cookie into it (per their suggestion), worth it. Their menu is seasonal so check before you go, but definitely go.

Yet another restaurant that surprised me in St. Louis. They have good food here. Like, foodie food…read more So my next dinner lead me to Little Fox. A small plates restaurant that felt a little Italian. We make reservations and show up to this place that looks like a neighborhood pub. Quaint, in the corner, inviting light shining through medium sized windows. Inside, the vibes were a hybrid of someone's very nice dining room and an old western saloon. I know that's almost nonsensical, but the vibes were good. We felt right at home. Service was spot on. The server was very nice and new the menu pretty well. The food came out tapas style, so when something was ready, it just came right out. I like that. I like the periods where there are so many plates on the table at one time that it's overwhelming. What's what eating is all about. As for the food itself, it was good. I'll give a little blurb on each thing, as not to wear out your eyeballs. Crispy Artichokes (sauce au vert​). These were fun and nice and crispy. Don't see artichokes like these very often. The sauce was a little weak, though. Didn't exactly go well with these fried little morsels. 'Nduja Croquetas (bomba rice, spicy prosciutto, fontina, grenada pepper aioli). Wow, now these little flavor bombs cannot be missed. Spicy sausage arancinis with a nice peppery aioli to dip. An intensely flavorful little dish that I loved. Can't find it on the menu, maybe it was seasonal, maybe it was a special, but we had a bone marrow French onion soup that was nice. The soup was good good. Very well developed flavors. The marrow bone was a little sloppy, though, and we got a transverse cut of bone, leaving very little marrow to access. Next were the Mussels (green garlic broth, Spanish vermouth, pickled peppers, spring onions, grilled LF bread). Very well cooked mussels, sitting in a lovely broth to dip your bread in. Ask for extra bread. But do not ask for extra of that sauce. That was really bad sauce. Sauce work seems to be this place's only weak point. Probably the biggest dish of the night, the Bolognese Bianco (Newman Farms pork & mushroom bolognese, bucatini, gremolata, parmigiano reggiano). This was a really nice pasta dish! Love those big, thicc bucatini noodles. Flavorful bolognese, great texture from the gremolata, and just cheesy enough to make this probably the most complete dish of the night. Then finally the Sea Scallops (ramp soubise, morel mushrooms, house-cured pancetta). Scallops were scored and cooked to look like fine art. Light scallops paired with nice umami from the morels and the pancetta, all tied together by that nice soubise. You don't see that very often either. We ended the meal with a Sticky Toffee Pudding (apple & date cake, apple brandy toffee, crème chantilly, marcona almond tuile). Chef's kiss. Such a delicate sponge with a nice date flavor. Then boom, the sweet boozy toffee, the creamy chantilly, the texture from the tuile. Every element helped make this a great dessert to end a great meal. Overall, another very pleasant surprise. This was a very good dinner, and I'll definitely come back if I'm ever in St. Louis again.

I have to be honest with you. I didn't know anything about St. Louis before I visited here for a…read morefew days. I certainly wasn't expecting the food scene to be so excellent. I had my first dinner of my stay at Olive + Oak, and it blew me away from the moment I laid my eyes on it. From the unsuspecting street outside, the giant windows glow with the warm, sparkling light from within. An elegant dining room with a beautiful bar and a good amount of hustle and bustle. I felt like I was at an upscale New Orleans joint. Very cozy. Service was just as beautiful. Our server was extremely nice, new the menu backwards and forwards, and rattled off the nightly specials without hesitation. And on top of all of that, when we were getting some stuff to-go, she threw in more bread for us! You can't train that level of service. That's just a good person. Onto the food. We started off with the Blue Crab Gratin (calabrian chili, celery + pretzel bread). This was ooey, gooey, cheesy, delicious, had a fair amount of crab in it, had a nice little kick, and the sliced, crunchy pretzel bread dippers were exquisite. Something seasonal that isn't on their menu anymore, we ordered an Okonomiyaki, which is a savory Japanese pancake, basically, covered in sauce. Wow, this thing was done well. Very reminiscent of the authentic thing I've had in Japan. Very nice. Another dish that isn't on the menu anymore, the Catfish dish. It was slightly Asian and on top of some sort of risotto rice. I can't remember exactly, but I do remember that it was very well cooked, had a nice char. An eclectic dish that came together very nicely. I also got to try some of the Rabbit Crepe (port wine braised rabbit, blueberry, fennel, arugula + kenny's bleu gouda crepe). Some people might shudder at the idea of eating rabbit. Those people need to grow up. Rabbit is one of the most succulent, delicious meats out there, and in this wonderful flavor combination, in a crepe. This chef is genius. I could have downed two of these things. We finished off the night with the recommended Cloud Cake (vanilla chiffon cake, coconut pastry cream, coconut + whipped cream icing). This thing was de-ca-dent. A nice, thicc sponge, a very coconuty cream, and a whipped icing with lots of coconut pulp in it. So heavenly. Overall, my socks were blown off. Not only does St. Louis have good food, this was a better meal than I had in Nashville and Kansas City. Who would have guessed. I would love to come back.

Overrated, over hyped. Fun decor however ambiance is way too loud. Food took forever, at least 45…read moreminutes between appetizer and mains. Mains were oversalted and the crust on the burger tasted more burnt than anything. Brussel side was meh. Asparagus was ok. Rabbit main was oversalted and I bit into a bone fragment. Now I know why reservations are booked so far out, they can't turn over tables in a reasonable time because the service is so slow.