Restaurants >>

• Best Local Chef
  Kevin Willmann
  What do you need to be a topnotch chef? A fancy, cutting-edge kitchen? A corps of a dozen line cooks at your beck and call? Prime real estate in a major metropolitan area? None of the above, if you're Kevin Willmann. In a kitchen that makes a freshman dorm room look expansive, in a restaurant a... More >>
• Best Place to Eat Out Alone
  Chez Leon
  "Are we dining alone?" boomed the maître d' from the doorway of a now-long-defunct café, as if we were concealing a copy of War and Peace under our coat with the intention of taking up residence. "Not here," we replied as we turned and departed. These days restaurants are more... More >>
• Best Place to Eat Out with Grandpa
  First Watch
  Granted, it's fairly easy to please Gramps — 'specially when you're around. Bring up a brunch date to First Watch and he's all ears. Even though in his day all restaurants served steaks and whiskey around the clock, he'll marvel at how tight this corporate ship is run on its 7 a.m.-to-2:30... More >>
• Best Restaurant for a First Date
  Il Vicino
  You've known the guy sitting across from you at Il Vicino for about ten minutes now, not counting the brief, slightly drunken conversation at another bar a week ago when you gave him your phone number, or the awkward handshake before the two of you walked in. You're seated on the surprisingly... More >>
• Best Power Lunch
  Mike Shannon's Steaks & Seafood
  A lot of St. Louisans, especially the kind who like to wash a Cardinals game down with Jäger bombs, think of Mike Shannon's as an after-party. Others, especially the kind who drive all the way from the county to see their beloved Cardinals, think of it for a pregame happy hour. But there's... More >>
• Best Ladies Who Lunch Restaurant
  The Zodiac (in Neiman Marcus)
  The runners at the Zodiac have a magical phrase: "Would you care for another popover, madam?" Because one popover at the Zodiac never, ever suffices. A pillow of warmth and egg accompanied by a ramekin of strawberry butter, the amuse-bouche — poof! — disappears as magically and... More >>
• Best Lunch Counter
  Shapiro's Market
  From the street, Shapiro's looks like any other neighborhood grocery store, save for one thing: a crusted propane barbecue that steams eternally on the sidewalk. Work your way through the sparse shelves to the back of the shop; there you'll find the cheapest, tastiest menu in the city.... More >>
• Best Breakfast
  The Kaffee Haus at Schneithorst's
  Let's face it. Breakfast is, if not an entirely dead meal, at least one that's on life support. Honestly, there are basically two times nowadays when people go out to breakfast. One, when you want to have a meal with parents (or grandparents) without eating into what little weekend there is; and... More >>
• Best Diner
  Tiffany's Original Diner
  Tiffany's Original Diner is a true diner: A little greasy and a lot smoky, equipped with an old-school jukebox, it's got a long and narrow counter, vinyl-covered stools and only a couple of tables and chairs. The menu is the best kind of diner fare, with hotcakes and tuna melts and... More >>
• Best Sunday Brunch
  La Dolce Via
  Although the decadent brownies and cakes sold at La Dolce Via ensure that the restaurant lives up to its name — translation: "the sweet way" — the corner spot's weekend brunch menu really hits the sweet spot. A bowl of peaches and cream is sublime; the tartness of the fruit only... More >>
• Best Dim Sum
  LuLu Seafood Restaurant
  When enjoying the dim sum at LuLu Seafood Restaurant, it's best to consider the philosophical musings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Wait! Come back! We promise there won't be a quiz. You see, Nietzsche was intrigued by the idea of eternal recurrence. Everything that happens, happens again and again,... More >>
• Best New Restaurant
  Pappy's Smokehouse
  Winning sports teams often cite "chemistry" among the players as a reason for their success. The metaphor works for restaurants, too. In fact, Pappy's Smokehouse can credit actual chemistry — you know, the subject you slept through in high school — for being named Best New... More >>
• Best Place for Late-Night Dining
  The U
  It is a universally acknowledged truth that a night owl with the munchies must be in need of cheese fries. Jane Austen said something along those lines, and who are we to argue? It is also a universally acknowledged truth that late-night diners aren't exactly gunning for salads and smoothies... More >>
• Best Spring Rolls
  Banh Mi So #1 — Saigon Gourmet
  Stop! Bite! Look! Three words for judging spring rolls. Stop! Don't dunk them in that over-sweet chili concoction. Cheap rolls are packed with vermicelli noodles — little mop heads soaking up sauce. Bite! The rice paper should be al dente; firm, but you shouldn't have to gnash your teeth... More >>
• Best Tapas/Small Plates
  Modesto
  Modesto might be big enough to hold a half-dozen authentic Spanish tapas bars, but it captures the tapas spirit nonetheless. The dishes are delicious, the drinks — the sangria, especially — flow with ease and the atmosphere is exceptionally laid-back. Modesto is about having a great... More >>
• Best Outdoor Dining
  Sasha's Wine Bar and Market
  With all due respect to the robin, we have another candidate for first sign of spring: the inaugural al fresco meal at Sasha's Wine Bar and Market. As soon as the mercury breaks 70 degrees, we snag a seat on this picture-perfect patio. The thoughtful wine list — with a broader and deeper... More >>
• Best Place to get Fatter
  The Juniper Grill
  The most popular appetizer on the menu at the Juniper Grill, the one that they always dish up each year for the Taste of Soulard festival, is the stuffed pasta shells. What this dish consists of is large pasta shells, stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese, crawfish and andouille sausage, all... More >>
• Best Desserts
  Niche and Veruca
  "Pastry chef" seems an inadequate title for Mathew Rice, who masterminds the desserts at the Benton Park restaurant Niche and its new, adjacent bakeshop, Veruca. "Mastermind" works — though that too seems to miss something essential about Rice's baking. His desserts plug into someplace... More >>
• Best Place to Wait for a Table
  Onesto Pizza & Trattoria
  Onesto has been open for barely half a year, and already it's well on its way to becoming a St. Louis favorite for tasty pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. Word quickly got out that the restaurant, tucked away in a residential area of the Southampton neighborhood, was a gem. On a weeknight a table... More >>
• Best Sushi
  Yoshi's Japanese Sushi Restaurant
  Those of us who love Yoshi's but live in the city were dealt a double blow this year: the closure of Highway 40 and the spiking of gas prices. No matter. We added an extra half-hour to our allotted driving time and skimped on the extras (electricity, water) to pay for fuel. Yoshio Aoki's... More >>
• Best Service in a Restaurant
  Gian-Tony's Ristorante
  You don't notice the best service. It is quiet, self-effacing. Your server recites the day's specials letter-perfect while uncorking and pouring a taste of your wine. You don't even realize that he has replaced your knife between courses until you see him walking away, your old, dirty knife in... More >>
• Best Soul Food Restaurant
  Sweetie Pie's
  Robbie Montgomery's mac 'n' cheese is better than your mom's, but you don't have to tell Mom that. What she doesn't know won't hurt her, and this isn't even the first time you've cheated on her with your newfound sweetie pie, and it won't be the last. You tried to resist the allure of this... More >>
• Best Restaurant to Die in the Past Year
  Big V's Burger Joint
  Cardiologists everywhere breathed a sigh of relief last November when Big V's Burger Joint closed its doors for good. Actually, Big V's didn't have doors. That was part of its charm. One of several small eateries inside University City's now-defunct indoor Market in the Loop, Big V's wasn't much... More >>
• Best Vegetarian Restaurant
  Raj's Rasoi
  For those who abstain from meat and dairy, spotting "vegan" on a menu in this city is a rarity. Yet open one at Raj's Rasoi, an all-vegetarian Indian eatery, and the word is listed more than a dozen times. Tucked in a corner of Maryland Heights, the humble environs might fool an out-of-the-loop... More >>
• Best Dining Destination
  Edwardsville, Illinois
  A pleasant drive from the city, Edwardsville is a picturesque college town that just happens to be home to one of the area's best restaurants. Erato (126 N. Main St.; 618-307-3203; www.eratoonmain.com) features the cooking of Kevin Willmann: inventive in design, beautiful on the plate and... More >>
• Best Steak House
  Sleek
  The steak house has experienced quite a resurgence in recent years. This shouldn't be so surprising. Americans love few things more than a thick, juicy grilled steak. What might surprise you is the look of the new steak house. The new steak house isn't the traditional wood-paneled,... More >>
• Best Restaurant When Someone Else Pays (2 Comments)
  Cielo
  Everything about the new Four Seasons Hotel is exceptional and elevated to new heights: the hospitality, the amenities and, well, the price. But dinner at Cielo is worth the hefty price tag. (And hey, you're not paying.) After all, you don't just go to Cielo, you ascend to it — through the... More >>
• Best Seafood Restaurant
  SqWires
  Obvious statement No. 1: Unless you count prairie oysters, the Midwest is not a region celebrated for its seafood. Obvious statement No. 2: We live in an age of speedy transportation and efficient refrigeration. Obvious statement No. 3: Too few restaurants in St. Louis bother to take advantage... More >>
• Best Chain Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Penn Station
  If you're sick of Jared and his eternal fat-gram count, head to any of Penn Station's sixteen locations in the St. Louis area. The chain was founded by a Buckeye who took a tour of east-coast sub shops and endeavored to bring home the best elements: sizzling Philly cheesesteaks and... More >>
• Best Decor
  Araka
  Want your restaurant to have that cosmopolitan sparkle? Hire a design firm from New York City. That's what the brains behind Araka, Clayton's terrific Southern European restaurant, did. And the Big Apple's David Schefer Design turned out one of St. Louis' most striking spaces since — well,... More >>
• Best Chinese Restaurant
  House of Wong
  In the past, the false promise of the ubiquitous $6 Chinese lunch would get us every time. Logically, we knew it was virtually impossible to get so much — entrée, soup and fortune cookie — for so little without cutting a few corners. And still, somehow, we'd be shocked when we... More >>
• Best Wine List in a Restaurant
  Starrs
  There is a wine list at Starrs, but you don't need to see it. This restaurant is attached to a wine shop (Starrs Market), after all. Arrive early for dinner and peruse owner Bud Starr's wide and deep retail selection, which covers the expected regions and varietals without looking like it was... More >>
• Best Greek Restaurant
  Spiro's Chesterfield
  Harry and Agnes Karagiannis have operated Spiro's in Chesterfield (the Karagiannis family empire includes another Spiro's in St. Charles, as well as various steak houses) since the early 1980s. The authentic Greek cuisine and hallmark exemplary service have reeled in regulars over the years. The... More >>
• Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant
  The Shaved Duck
  Where do you find the beer list in most St. Louis restaurants? On the last page of the wine list — if you're lucky. More often than not, it exists only in your server's brain. It's not too tough, after all, to commit to memory a "selection" of Bud, Bud Light and Bud Select. A server might... More >>
• Best Restaurant Trend
  Survival
  It would be easy to feel pessimistic about the St. Louis dining scene. The economy is in rough shape — thanks in no small part to the sharp rise in the cost of milk, corn and other staple foods — and if another year has seen more restaurants close, we don't remember it. Even such... More >>
• Best Mexican Restaurant
  Taqueria los Tarascos
  What's the easiest way to find great Mexican food in St. Louis? Well, first thing you do is head for the airport. That's not a punch line. Woodson Terrace, the small municipality located immediately south of Lambert Field — seriously: the runways are a brisk walk to the north — is... More >>
• Best Barista
  Eric Schaefer
  How many baristas can say they actually roasted the French roast being sipped by their customers? In St. Louis, Eric Schaefer of the Central West End branch of Northwest Coffee Roasters might be the only one. Three days a week Schaefer tends to the shop's antique German roasting machine, feeding... More >>
• Best Thai Restaurant
  Simply Thai
  The name is both a description and a revelation. There is nothing fancy about this small north-county restaurant. Blink as you're driving Florissant's commercial drag, and you certainly will miss it. A shame, because here, in a dining room that offers paper napkins and no booze, you will find... More >>
• Best Restaurant Neighborhood
  The Grove (Forest Park Southeast)
  Only a few years ago there was no reason to slow down, let alone stop, on the stretch of Manchester Avenue between Kingshighway and Vandeventer Avenue. But these days the area known as the Grove offers something for foodies of almost every stripe. Enjoy bistro fare featuring fresh, local... More >>
• Best Indian Restaurant
  Ruchi
  No restaurant could encompass the entire cuisine of India, a nation of 1.1 billion people and — it sometimes seems — nearly as many recipes. That said, Ruchi does a bang-up job showcasing the extraordinary range of this ancient fare, from the royal Mughal cuisine of India's north to... More >>
• Best Coffeehouse (1 Comment)
  Mississippi Mud House
  The Cherokee neighborhood has been working to make a comeback for a long time. At the heart of its most recent (and successful) arts-and-culture renaissance is a devoted group of gadflies, activists and community leaders who congregate at Mike and Cyndee Saunchegraw's Mississippi Mud House. Stop... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant (Cheap)
  10th Street Italian
  We could tell you about the meatballs. Oh, the meatballs. Tender, perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious in a fat sandwich with marinara sauce and provolone cheese. All that (and a bag of chips) for just $6.95. We could tell you about the other sandwiches, the twelve-layer lasagna or the... More >>
• Best Korean Restaurant
  Hangook Kwan
  Hangook Kwan doesn't draw much attention to itself. The Korean restaurant, a.k.a Korea House, is located near the back corner of a shopping plaza that is barely visible from bustling Olive Boulevard. Inside, the décor is modest, the music soft, the service unobtrusive. All of which makes... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant (Not Cheap)
  Lorenzo's Trattoria
  Osso buco translates literally as "bone hole." The next time you order osso buco, wait a moment before digging into the tender, braised veal shank — yes, it is tough to resist, but you need only a second or two — and consider this. Is there a hole in the shank bone? That's good. The... More >>
• Best Bosnian Restaurant
  Taft Street Restaurant and Bar
  Bosnia-Herzegovina stands at a crossroads of geography and history, and its cuisine reflects the region's many diverse influences from Europe's east, west and south. No restaurant better expresses this diversity than Taft Street Restaurant and Bar, where you can enjoy both hummus and potatoes in... More >>
• Best Middle-Eastern Restaurant
  St. Louis Coffee Oasis & Mediterranean Café
  "Hello, my friend." Belal al-Ramahi might not know you by name. This might even be your first visit to his Central West End restaurant and coffee shop. It doesn't matter. To al-Ramahi, "guest" isn't just a pleasant euphemism for "customer." He is your host, frantic but friendly, his booming... More >>
• Best Vietnamese Restaurant
  Banh Mi So #1 — Saigon Gourmet
  Look, Banh Mi So #1 has the best spring rolls in St. Louis. This paper has said so multiple times, and the restaurant itself has a neon sign in its front window proclaiming the truth. But don't overlook the rest of the tiny restaurant's menu: You won't find fresher or more delicious Vietnamese... More >>