Restaurants >>

• Best New Restaurant
  JaBoni's
  Few restaurants achieve the kind of smash-hit-from-moment-one success that has graced JaBoni's, the little bistro that opened earlier this year. Not only are weekend reservations mandatory, but to accommodate demand management was forced to convert the upstairs space from a low-toned,... More >>
• Best Local Chef
  Steve Gontram
  It's only fitting that Steve Gontram earn accolades with the word "local" in them. First, he's a native St. Louisan who trained at the California Culinary Academy and worked at Wolfgang Puck's Bay Area restaurant, Postrio. Second, when he returned home to launch Harvest in 1996, Gontram built... More >>
• Best Restaurant trend
  Dreams fulfilled
  Yes, the Cheesecake Factory opened here this past year, and its prime location (in the Galleria) and gi-normous portions will ensure that the chain prospers just fine in the 314. The real excitement in restaurants, though, is being brought on by the little man: individually owned ventures that... More >>
• Best Chain Restaurant
  Yia Yia's Euro Café
  Deep in our hearts, we know chain restaurants are not a good thing for local restaurateurs. We hate those chains that disguise themselves as homegrown and part of the neighborhood when all they're peddling is mediocre fare in a homogenized setting. We also know that chains are growing in... More >>
• Best Outdoor Dining
  King Louie's L'Etoile d'Or Grille
  During a rare cool eve in New Orleans, we found a restaurant tucked away off the French Quarter that perfectly embodied everything good about outside dining: an open-air brick patio, lush plants and a huge, wood-burning brick oven where racks of golden-brown chickens and ducks rotated slowly... More >>
• Best Diner
  Courtesy Drive-In
  There are certain things you come to expect in a diner that you might not tolerate anywhere else. A true diner is apt to be one big smoking section, and there won't be anything on the menu (certainly not the chili cheese fries) that won't clog an artery. Carcinogens and cholesterol boosters... More >>
• Best Lunch Counter
  Spencer's Grill
  Time stands still at Spencer's Grill. Literally, as the clock (a designated landmark) on the sign outside this old-fashioned diner hasn't worked in who-can-remember-how-long, and figuratively, as walking into this one-room establishment is like stepping into a Thornton Wilder play, or at least a... More >>
• Best Soul Food (1 Comment)
  Del Monico's Diner
  It's almost not right to categorize the cafeteria-style offerings at Del Monico's as "food." That word tends to imply something in solid form, whereas everything at Del Monico's goes down the gullet like heavenly mush. Of course that's how it should be with soul staples such as mashed potatoes,... More >>
• Best Seafood Restaurant
  R.L. Steamers
  R.L. Steamers hasn't lost any of its whimsy since moving from its small Dogtown location (now Spaghetteria Mama Mia) to the hinterlands of Chesterfield. In fact, the same damn signs with puns that made us moan before ("Frankly, Scallop, I don't give a clam") are still sprinkled throughout the... More >>
• Best Steak House
  Citizen Kane's
  If a major Midwestern city doesn't have a good steak joint, it's time to call in the Department of Agriculture for a full-scale investigation. There are about 40 steak houses listed in the St. Louis Yellow Pages, give or take a few. But there are only a handful of really good, genuine ones. Most... More >>
• Best Vegetarian Restaurant
  Tangerine
  Finding truly vegetarian restaurants in any city -- let alone a Midwestern meat-and-potatoes city like St. Louis -- is a daunting task. Fortunately, it's a lot easier than it used to be for non-meat eaters to find something more appetizing than an off-the-menu plate of rice and steamed... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant (Cheap)
  Spaghetteria Mama Mia
  When you think cheap Italian, you often think soggy, bland garlic bread, watery marinara, pasta primavera made from frozen vegetables or Tony Soprano after his waste-management business has suffered an off month. And you certainly don't think authentic Irish neighborhood, though Dogtown is where... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant (Not Cheap)
  Giovanni's on the Hill
  Giovanni Gabriele's restaurant is one of those places you go to when you're in the mood to dress up and splurge. Once the valet whisks your car away, the doorman will point to the beautiful dining room where the host will greet you and lead you to your table. Your path is lit by the soft glow of... More >>
• Best Indian Restaurant
  India Palace
  You just got off a four-hour flight with nothing more for sustenance than Beer Nuts and a soda. Take the money you saved on that cut-rate airline and head for India Palace. The sign out front is neither obvious nor fancy, but the food and the setting (on top of the Bridgeton Howard Johnson... More >>
• Best Vietnamese Restaurant
  Mai Lee
  St. Louis is blessed with exceptional Vietnamese cuisine. This year the nod goes to Mai Lee, one of the area's longer-lived Vietnamese joints. Start with the pho tai, the cheap-as-dirt beef soup that's a meal in itself. Mai Lee's version is as good as it gets, with plenty of fresh mint leaves,... More >>
• Best Thai Restaurant
  Thai Country Café
  Many a meeting has been spoiled when someone said, "Meet me at Thai Café in the Loop." Did she mean Thai Café, Thai Country Café, Thai Seafood Café or Thai Gai Yang Café? Surely the owners know the difference, given that all four restaurants are run by the same... More >>
• Best Chinese Restaurant
  In Soo
  In Soo creates the Chinese food that all others in this category should aspire to offer. Don't let the modest digs fool you; this is no ordinary St. Louis strip-mall Chinese. Devotees, of course, have followed the peregrinations of proprietor In Soo Jung as she trundled her Shu Feng operation... More >>
• Best Dim Sum
  Lu Lu Seafood Restaurant
  Everything that makes dim sum such a dining delight (particularly for weekend brunch) can be found in abundance at Lu Lu, the seafood-favoring restaurant that opened last fall where Chaney's barbecue joint used to be. There are more than 100 items to choose from, an awesome range of choices that... More >>
• Best Sushi
  Sekisui
  A sad fact about sushi restaurants: Even when the fish is fantastic, the surroundings often feel icky. There's almost always a weird, hushed quality to the room -- kind of like how people muffle their speech and behavior in a bookstore even though it's not a library, it's a bookstore.... More >>
• Best Spring Rolls
  Vietnam Palace
  Never let it be said that St Louisans lack access to a wide array of variations on the spring roll. Seemingly endless combinations of lettuces, herbs, noodles, vegetables, sprouts and tofu produce the perfect lead-in to a meal of Vietnamese or Thai origin. Some are steamed, others tightly... More >>
• Best Eggplant Caponata
  Adriana's
  In St. Louis there are basically two places you can go to find caponata, the Italian eggplant-spread appetizer: in a can and boring at a specialty grocer, or fresh and decadent at Adriana's. Co-owner Diana Guimbarda's secret is the marinating process. Guimbarda combines fried eggplant, jumbo... More >>
• Best Caesar Salad
  Zinnia
  Chef David Guempel's Zinnia is a sweet spot in an improbable locale: a former gas station on Big Bend, just north of Laclede Station Road. The place is painted an unlikely color -- bright purple -- and its kitchen turns out a terrific Caesar salad. Traditionalists may quibble that the greens are... More >>
• Best Tapas
  Modesto Tapas Bar & Restaurant
  The popularity of tapas in St. Louis seems to ebb and flow. Seems it's on the upswing again, with several restaurants either featuring tapas as their main focus or offering Spanish-influenced tapas-like dishes. Which is fine with us; what's mystifying is why its popularity ever fades: What could... More >>
• Best Guacamole
  Pueblo Solis
  So important was the small but mighty protein-packed avocado that the Aztecs called it ahuacatl, or "testicle." And when they mashed it to make guacamole, they did it right, tossing in tomatoes, onions, chiles and maybe some coriander leaves. At the court of Montezuma, agave worms were included.... More >>
• Best Mexican Restaurant
  Arcelia's Comida Authentica
  Arcelia's has a few quirks. For instance, they charge for separate checks and for that second basket of chips. But that's not a bad tradeoff for the casual feel, the Lafayette Square ambiance and the food. We do love the food. Arcelia's serves superb Mexican food, not the Tex-Mex variety (well,... More >>
• Best Greek Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Olympia Kebob House & Taverna
  In a city that doesn't pay much attention to Mediterranean cuisine, Olympia mounts a nightly one-restaurant crusade toward Greek-eats awareness. First and foremost, of course, are the gyros, which are the best in town by far (perfectly charred meat, pillowy pita, rich tzatziki) and come to the... More >>
• Best Bosnian Restaurant
  Grbic
  St. Louis foodies should consider themselves incredibly lucky to live in a city with one of the nation's largest Bosnian populations (and, hence, a good number of Bosnian restaurants). Yet when was the last time you went out for goulash? For that matter, has there ever been a time when you... More >>
• Best Ethnic Restaurant Row
  Olive Boulevard between North & South Road and Interstate 170
  The Vietnamese on South Grand is grand and, despite a drop-off in Mexican eateries, Cherokee Street's still muy bueno. But for sheer volume, not to mention exotic edibles, spend a day hopscotching along this stretch of pan-Asian storefronts: Nobu's Japanese Restaurant; East East Oriental... More >>
• Best Restaurant for a Power Lunch
  SqWires
  In terms of stone-cold requirements for qualification in this category, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay has been spotted at SqWires -- and, occasionally, ambushed by civic-minded customers. But more to the point, as SqWires has become the midday destination of choice for downtown workers looking to... More >>
• Best Place for Late-Night Dining
  DeMun Avenue
  If Renoir lived in St. Louis, here is what he would paint: A decadently textured oil on canvas, the rolling grounds of Concordia Seminary to the left, the scape of DeMun's sidewalk eateries to the right, the dramatic Missouri sky fading to black above. The northern end of DeMun is a block to... More >>
• Best Coffeehouse
  Meshuggah
  Meshuggah is also both the best new coffeehouse and the best old coffeehouse. A few months ago, loyalists were shaking in their Docs when owner Patrick Liberto moved his shop off the unbeaten path, just off Delmar, and resettled right on the Loop's main drag. Would Meshuggah become the Blueberry... More >>
• Best Sunday Brunch
  The Café at Marty's Baking
  There's an inherent tension in an all-you-can-eat brunch, at least for those of us simultaneously watching our girlish figures and runaway finances: The food and the drink are already paid for, so the more indulgent you are, the thriftier you seem. If you only have one plate of food at the... More >>
• Best Restaurant When Someone Else Pays
  Tony's
  The food is terrific, the atmosphere elegant (if a bit over the top), the service superb -- even if the busboy does hover over your water glass. But you don't eat at Tony's for any of those reasons. You eat at Tony's because when you eat at Tony's you're made to feel as if you are the only... More >>
• Best Wine List in a Restaurant
  King Louie's
  King Louie's owner Matt McGuire describes his list as the work of someone with ADD. It's all over the place, and it's constantly changing, owing to McGuire's evolving palate and enthusiasm for odd varieties and combinations. Just when you fall in love with that spicy Ramsay pinot noir, you... More >>
• Best Décor
  Iron Barley
  What's wonderful about Iron Barley's interior is that it looks like the food tastes: Southern-fried with a sense of humor. Just as chef and proprietor Tom Coghill refuses to take his menu too seriously -- hot dogs are smeared with jelly, grilled cheese sammiches (yes, "sammiches") are paired... More >>
• Best Service in a Restaurant
  Blueberry Hill
  You were thinking Tony's or Giovanni's for this category. Well, while we wholeheartedly coo over the levels of attentiveness and care at those two fine eateries -- see "Best Restaurant When Someone Else Pays" and "Best Italian Restaurant (Not Cheap)," respectively -- time and again the help at... More >>
• Best Desserts
  La Bonne Bouchée
  Don't let the frou-frou name fool you. While the sweets purveyed at this storefront bakery and light-bite eatery are un peu français here and there -- mousse lining a layer cake, some éclairs and napoleons on the pastry menu -- La Bonne Bouchée is all about big, tall,... More >>
• Best Restaurant to Die in the Past Year
  Hungry Buddha
  How highly were hopes pegged on this storefront stir-fry establishment. Blake Brokaw's lunch-only, vegan-friendly restaurant, opened in the winter of 2000 adjacent to Tangerine (Brokaw's loungelike bar and restaurant that pretty much gave birth to Wash. Ave. nightlife), was supposed to cast a... More >>