10 Delicious St. Louis Restaurants You Should Try Right Now

Private Kitchen (8106 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-989-0283)

One of the city’s most sought-after reservations is a hidden gem in Chinatown. Private Kitchen is unlike any Chinese restaurant you’ve ever experienced. Photo by Mabel Suen.

When you make your reservation, you select your multi-course dinner for the evening, allowing chef Lawrence Chen to put together a customized affair grand enough to deserve a Michelin star or two. The mystique that comes from ordering slow-cooked pork knuckles, Peking duck or sea cucumber rice without ever stepping foot in the restaurant adds a level of intrigue to Chen’s fiercely authentic food. Photo courtesy of Instagram / michelle26ww.

Kounter Kulture (3825 Watson Road, 314-781-4344)

On first glance, this tiny, takeout-only spot may not look like a bastion of modern cuisine, but the folks behind Kounter Kulture want you to question your assumptions. Owned by longtime friends Christine Meyer and Michael Miller, this south-city gem serves some of the town’s most exciting cuisine. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Don’t let the passé term “Asian fusion” turn you off — Kounter Kulture has found a way to make the seemingly dated genre modern again, with dishes like a catfish po’boy steam bun that whispers Asian but screams Mississippi delta. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Nixta (1621 Tower Grove Avenue, 314-899-9000)

James Beard Award-nominated chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba may have cut his teeth on Mediterranean fare at his three other restaurants, but Nixta proves that he is just as comfortable with the flavors of the Western hemisphere. Photo by Jennifer Silverberg.

His latest concept, Nixta, is a culinary collaboration between Poremba and his former chef de cuisine at the elegant Elaia, Tello Carreon. A native of Guanajuato, Mexico, Carreon has mastered the art of updating traditional Mexican recipes with modern flavors and techniques. Look for dishes like sturgeon fajitas, duck carnitas and charred octopus. Finish with a nightcap in the adjacent Bar Limon, where Poremba has created a sultry atmosphere in hopes that his guests will get up and dance. Photo courtesy of Ben Poremba.

Olive + Oak (102 W. Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-736-1370)

St. Louis’ dining critics were unanimous in their verdict in 2016: Olive + Oak was the best new restaurant in the city. Led by veteran restaurateur Mark Hinkle and chef Jesse Mendica, the Webster Groves eatery checks every box that makes a great restaurant: thoughtful and impeccably executed cuisine, a contemporary bar program, an inviting atmosphere and warm service. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Whether you’re having cheese curds and a burger or blue crab gratin with a 32-ounce prime rib eye, this wonderful eatery will have you dazzled. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Público (6679 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-833-5780)

Seeing arepas and tacos listed on Público’s menu might make you think you’re at a conventional Mexican restaurant. Then they arrive, the former crowned with liver mousse, fried sage and maple syrup, the latter stuffed with roasted duck, salsa and duck fat mayo, and you realize this is a place like no other. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Run by the acclaimed and daring chef Mike Randolph, Público was thrust into the national spotlight last year when it was nominated for the Best New Restaurant award by the James Beard Foundation. One taste of Randolph’s food, and it’s easy to see why. At Público, he cooks exclusively over a wood fire, giving the place a feel of a South American post-sundown beachside barbecue. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Retreat Gastropub (6 N. Sarah Street, 314-261-4497)

From the Edison lightbulbs to housemade shrubs for the cocktails, this hip spot is a virtual checklist of every contemporary dining must-have. Photo by Mabel Suen.

However, the serious substance on display animates the trends thanks to the outstanding craft cocktail program and excellent cuisine, including beet carpaccio, feta mousse and one of the city’s best pork chops. An evening at Retreat ably demonstrates why this style of dining is so hot right now. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Sardella (7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-773-7755)

Gerard Craft’s flagship Niche may have garnered him national acclaim — including a James Beard Award, just two years ago — but he closed the restaurant last June because it no longer represented his vision. In its place, he opened Sardella, an upscale yet approachable spot that takes traditional comfort recipes and gives them a fresh spin for three meals a day. Photo by Kelly Glueck.

Though not explicitly Italian, Sardella takes its cues from the Mediterranean with dishes like uni risotto balls, miso and ricotta ravioli and stout-braised oxtail. Feast on those delights, or just take a seat in the shockingly lovely dining room and gorge yourself on homemade dinner rolls with black garlic butter. Photo by Kelly Glueck.

VietNam Style (6100 Delmar Boulevard, 314-405-8438)

If your idea of Vietnamese food is limited to pho and bánh mì, you’re in for a treat with VietNam Style. Photo by Mabel Suen.

This humble storefront on the eastern edge of the Delmar Loop is known for its sizzling steak, a searing hot platter of filet, pâté, a sardine and various accoutrements that is exactly what you might order at a modern Saigon café. Even if you’re not hungry for lunch, stop in for one of owner Thao Trung’s avocado smoothies and prepare to fall in love. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Vista Ramen (2609 Cherokee Street, 314-797-8250)

Here’s a secret that the folks at Vista don’t utter aloud: It’s not actually a ramen restaurant. Sure, you’ll find ramen on the menu — four different types, in fact. However, chef Chris Bork is not married to tradition. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Instead of carefully mimicking the masters, he uses the Japanese noodle soup as a jumping-off point for his own creations, including beef ramen with short ribs, pumpkin and kimchi or his out-of-this-world riff on pozole. Bork’s Asian-inflected assortment of small plates are as much of a draw as the soups, anchored by his crab caramel-glazed pork ribs. Delectable. Photo by Mabel Suen.

Guerrilla Street Food (3559 Arsenal Street, 314-529-1328)

Filipino food is the cuisine of the moment, and Guerrilla Street Food makes clear why. The casual south city eatery got its start as a food truck, garnering a loyal following for its modern riffs on Filipino fare, including the “Flying Pig,” a rice bowl topped with slow roasted pork asado, calamansi, hoisin, fried garlic, sriracha and a one-hour sous vide egg. Photo by Jennifer Silverberg.

Now that it has a brick-and-mortar spot in the bustling South Grand district, owners Brian Hardesty and Joel Crespo have expanded their offerings, including a pig roast every Saturday that turns this strip of South Grand into a festive kamayan. Photo by Jennifer Silverberg.