Retreat Gastropub
6 N Sarah St
St. Louis - Central West End
314-261-4497
Retreat Gastropub presents as overly trendy, ticking just about every box in the list of contemporary dining trends. This is not merely a schtick, however. Behind the trendy exterior lies a solid bar that serves excellent, from-scratch cooking. True to the gastropub moniker, Retreat considers itself “more than a bar, not quite a restaurant,” though the food is good enough to stand on its own. Small plates, like beet carpaccio, smoked trout or pork toasts with goat cheese are made for noshing, while larger dishes like the porchetta with apple cherry chutney make for a fuller meal. The restaurant’s signature sandwich is its “Farmhouse Burger,” two patties of peppery smashed meat topped with candied bacon, a sunny-side egg and three cheese sauce. The trimmings are over-the-top, but they don’t cover up the fact that this is an excellent piece of meat. Another must-try is the chicken pesto flatbread, a thin-crust, spread with arugula and topped with chicken confit and Gouda cheese. It’s easy to fill up on the savory, but be sure to save room for Retreat’s bread pudding. The soft, vanilla cream infused bread soaks in so much caramel you’ll have to slurp it with a spoon. This is the best version in town.