St Louis invented toasted ravioli, puts Provel on its pizza, and finishes with gooey butter cake, and for decades that local canon was the whole story. It is not anymore. Vicia, where Food & Wine Best New Chef Michael Gallina cooks a vegetable-forward menu at 4260 Forest Park Avenue, was a 2026 James Beard finalist for Outstanding Restaurant; Gerard Craft and Kevin Nashan have both won Best Chef: Midwest; and Rob Connoley reconstructs pre-1850 Ozark cooking at Bulrush. The Hill still pours Chianti over red sauce the way it has for a century, but the Cortex, the Grove and Botanical Heights now hold some of the most interesting cooking in the Midwest. You come to St Louis for a James Beard kitchen at half the coastal price, and for the toasted ravioli that started it all.
How St Louis Eats
Start with the local canon, because you will be offered all of it. Toasted ravioli, breaded and deep-fried, was created on The Hill and shows up as a starter citywide. St. Louis-style pizza is cracker-thin and topped with Provel, a processed cheese blend that locals defend and visitors puzzle over. Round it out with gooey butter cake, frozen custard from the Ted Drewes window, and pork steaks off a backyard grill. This is a beer town too, the home of Anheuser-Busch, with a craft scene that has grown up around it.
The serious cooking has migrated to a few specific neighbourhoods. The Central West End and the adjacent Cortex innovation district hold the city's best steakhouses and Vicia; the Grove and Botanical Heights hold Indo and Bulrush, where the city's most adventurous chefs work; Benton Park keeps Sidney Street Cafe; and downtown holds the old-guard Italian fine dining at Tony's. The Hill remains its own world of red-sauce institutions.
For a city its size, St Louis carries a remarkable depth of James Beard recognition: Gerard Craft of the Niche Food Group (Best Chef: Midwest 2013), Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Cafe (the same award in 2017), repeat finalist Rob Connoley of Bulrush, and Nick Bognar of Indo. The upside for a diner is that these tables cost a fraction of their coastal equivalents and are far easier to book.
On manners: tipping is the US standard of 18 to 22 percent, and dress runs casual to smart-casual, with even the fine-dining rooms welcoming good jeans. Book the top tables a week or two ahead, especially around Cardinals home stands; most of the city seats walk-ins midweek, which is part of its charm.
Best Neighborhoods for Dinner
Central West End & the Cortex. The city's upscale dining core, anchored by Vicia at 4260 Forest Park Avenue and the leading St Louis steakhouses. Walkable, leafy, and the natural base for a special dinner.
The Grove & Botanical Heights. Where the most adventurous cooking lives. Indo and its sibling Nixta, both from chef Nick Bognar, and Bulrush, Rob Connoley's foraged-Ozark tasting room, sit in these blocks.
The Hill. The historic Italian-American neighbourhood and the home of toasted ravioli. Charlie Gitto's on The Hill and Zia's pour the Chianti; this is sit-down, old-school red sauce, not modern fine dining.
Benton Park, Soulard & Clayton. Benton Park holds Sidney Street Cafe; Soulard keeps the Creole and brunch energy; and Clayton, the upscale suburb, has Louie and a cluster of polished rooms a short drive west.
The St Louis Top 10
Ranked by the strength of the case each room makes, not by a single composite number.
- 1ViciaMichael Gallina's farm-driven, vegetable-led cooking earned a 2026 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant nod; book it for a milestone.
- 2Sidney Street CafeKevin Nashan's chalkboard-menu room won Best Chef: Midwest in 2017; the city's classic special-occasion table.
- 3IndoNick Bognar's sushi-and-Thai room is the city's most exciting cooking; sit at the counter for the omakase.
- 4BulrushRob Connoley reconstructs pre-1850 Ozark and foraged Missouri cuisine; a repeat Beard finalist worth the tasting.
- 5Tony'sVince Bommarito's longstanding AAA Five Diamond Italian institution; the old-guard choice for a formal night.
- 6AceroA Niche Food Group room of handmade pasta in a small Maplewood storefront; a relaxed but serious Italian dinner.
- 7The Benevolent KingBen Poremba's Mediterranean room of mezze and live-fire cooking; go for a shareable, convivial group dinner.
- 8LouieMatt McGuire's neighbourhood Italian with wood-fired pizza and a buzzing room; a reliable date in the suburbs.
- 9Annie Gunn'sA West County institution for steaks, chops and a deep wine list; the suburban choice for visiting family.
- 10Charlie Gitto's on The HillThe room that claims toasted ravioli, serving red-sauce classics since the 1970s; go for the ravioli and the history.
Best for the Night You Are Planning
Special Occasion
St Louis's celebration tables split between the new vegetable-led guard and the old-guard institutions, all of them gentler on the bill than a coastal equivalent.
Vicia and Sidney Street Cafe are the modern milestone choices; Tony's downtown holds the formal, white-tablecloth Italian register for a black-tie night.
Impress a Client
For a business dinner you want polish and a wine list, and the Central West End delivers both within a few blocks.
The city's top steakhouses are the dependable client choice; Vicia is the move when you want to show off something more current.
Adventurous Date
For a date with a talking point, head to the Grove and Botanical Heights, where the city's boldest kitchens sit.
Indo's counter and Bulrush's foraged tasting both make for a memorable, conversation-rich night; The Benevolent King is the looser, shareable alternative.
St Louis Dining FAQ
What is the best restaurant in St Louis?
Vicia, at 4260 Forest Park Avenue in the Cortex district, is St Louis's standout. Chef Michael Gallina, a Food & Wine Best New Chef who trained at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, builds a vegetable-forward, farm-driven menu that earned Vicia a 2026 James Beard finalist nod for Outstanding Restaurant. Sidney Street Cafe and Indo are the strongest alternatives at the top of the city.
What food is St Louis known for?
St Louis has its own distinct local canon. Toasted ravioli, breaded and fried, was invented on The Hill, the historic Italian neighbourhood. St. Louis-style pizza is cracker-thin and topped with Provel, a processed cheese blend locals love and outsiders question. Add gooey butter cake, frozen custard from Ted Drewes, and pork steaks off the grill. The Hill is the place to eat the Italian-American roots of all of it.
Which St Louis chefs have won James Beard Awards?
Several. Gerard Craft of the Niche Food Group won Best Chef: Midwest in 2013, and Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Cafe took the same award in 2017. Rob Connoley of Bulrush, who cooks foraged historical Ozark cuisine, has been a repeat James Beard finalist, and Nick Bognar of Indo and Vicia's Michael Gallina have both drawn national recognition. For a city its size, St Louis punches well above its weight.
Where should I eat on The Hill in St Louis?
The Hill is the city's historic Italian-American neighbourhood and the birthplace of toasted ravioli. Charlie Gitto's on The Hill claims the dish and serves classic red-sauce Italian; Zia's and the area's delis round out the lineup. It is a sit-down, old-school district rather than a tasting-menu one. Come hungry for ravioli, pasta and a bottle of Chianti, and skip it if you want modern fine dining.
How far in advance should I book dinner in St Louis?
Book the top tables a week or two ahead. Vicia, Sidney Street Cafe, Bulrush and Indo fill on weekends and around Cardinals home stands and big events. The Hill's Italian institutions and the casual neighbourhood rooms usually seat walk-ins midweek. Bulrush in particular runs a limited tasting service, so reserve early. Most of the city, though, is far easier to get into than a comparable coastal town.
Which St Louis restaurant is best for a special occasion?
Sidney Street Cafe, in Benton Park, is the classic special-occasion room, with chef Kevin Nashan's chalkboard menu and a James Beard pedigree. Vicia suits a celebration built around vegetables and seasonality, and Tony's downtown is the old-guard Italian fine-dining choice with longstanding AAA Five Diamond status. All three reward booking ahead for a milestone dinner.
Where can I find the most innovative cooking in St Louis?
Head to the Grove and Botanical Heights neighbourhoods. Indo, chef Nick Bognar's Thai-Japanese room, and its sibling Nixta push the city's most adventurous flavours, while Bulrush reconstructs pre-1850 Ozark and Missouri cuisine from foraged ingredients under Rob Connoley. Vicia in the Cortex district anchors the vegetable-forward end. Together they are where St Louis's cooking is moving beyond its red-sauce and steakhouse roots.
Nearby in the Midwest
Keep planning the trip: Kansas City dining guide, Chicago restaurants, and Memphis dining guide.
By cuisine and approach: best Italian restaurants worldwide, top steakhouses worldwide, and what makes a great restaurant.
The St Louis Directory
Restaurants we have reviewed in St Louis. Browse the grid, or read the full guide above.
