St. Louis is proud of its culinary history and with good reason. First, the city is full of entrepreneurial types who let their passion for what they do motivate them to go into business. Second, they are great at riffing off of favorite food and drink from the past while putting a contemporary twist on them. After numerous trips to St. Louis, Missouri over the years (it draws you back), here’s my list of tried-and-true places for St. Louis food and drink for Real Food Travelers.

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Editor’s Pick: Tried-And-True Places to Enjoy St. Louis Food & Drink

The food and drink scene in St. Louis is varied and abundant. In this list, I’ve identified some listings with “Neighborhood Gem” because they are like a surprise you come upon, in the heart of some of St. Louis’ full-of-character neighborhoods, in and amongst homes and apartment buildings. The experience of going to those restaurants is just enhanced by being able to enjoy the architecture, huge trees, gardens and homey feeling.

Florentin, an Israeli-inspired restaurant that pays homage to Tel Aviv’s iconic street foods is a delicious culinary adventure. Whatever else you order, Shakshuka, Spinach Feta Borekas, Eggplant Toast, Greek Salad, etc., make sure you also order BOTH the Hummus Abu Omri and Baba Ghanoush. They are dreamy and the pillowy pitas that accompany them are soft, puffy and airy. You’ll be thinking of them long after you leave the restaurant and St. Louis. Like I am right now.

At Florentin, get Spinach Feta Borekas, marinated vegetables, hummus, and other delicious Tel Aviv street food-inspired dishes.

NEIGHROBHOOD GEM Ices Plain & Fancy is located on the corner, deep inside a St. Louis neighborhood, near Tower Grove Park. What makes them really unique is that each flavor is flash-churned, freezing the ice cream at -320 degrees which forms very small ice crystals which, in turn, creates a silky, creamy texture. Going there is an event because you get to see each ice cream made to order with nitro clouds rising from each mixing bowl. It takes more time to get your order than a normal scoopshop but the “show” of it all keeps you occupied. I can vouch for Dreamsicle, Cinnamon, Butter Pecan and my favorite, Peanut Butter Chocolate flavors. But they also have “fancy & seasonal” flavors and boozy ice cream and drinks. Gild the lily with their hot chocolate sauce. The patio out front is a great place to enjoy your treats on a warm evening.

A must for the St. Louis food experience is a trip to Ices Plain & Fancy.

Hungry for more? Here are recipes from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

NEIGHROBHOOD GEM John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden, in the Soulard neighborhood, was once named one of America’s Most Authentic Irish Pubs by National Geographic. You certainly get that vibe from the exterior and interior with brick, dark wood and heavy furnishings. When musicians are playing, you’d swear you’re in a pub in the heart of Ireland. But in the courtyard outside is a surprise of a multi-level garden with trees, a fountain, waterfall and flowering landscape. Don’t miss their beer battered onion rings, housemade pretzels, chicken wings, Guinness Stew, Fish & Chips and our personal favorite, Herb Blazed Salmon.

John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden is a favorite with the locals for hearty food, authentically Irish live music and their beautiful garden courtyard outback.

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria has three restaurant locations. The one I visited is at Ballpark Village, perfect for before or after a game. The place is elegant and expansive, filled with architectural and garden follies. As the name demonstrates, they are known for their pizza and pasta (plus sauces), which can be purchased through the website. I implore you to start your meal with the Beets & Whipped Ricotta with mandarin oranges, shallots, candied walnuts, wildflower honey and mint. I don’t like beets but I loved this dish. You can’t go wrong with any pasta or pizza but the 4-course Tasting Menus are a great way to have an appetizer, salad, dessert and either a pizza or a pasta option. The candied ginger on the ends of the cannoli’s take them to a whole other level.

Enjoy items such as Arancini topped with slices of truffles, fried calamari, pizza, pasta and my personal favorite, the colorful Beets & Whipped Ricotta at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria.

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant is named after the first month of the Ethiopian calendar which ends the long rainy season and starts a new year. Open since 2007, as many locals dine in as order out, judging by what we saw each time we ate there. Start with an order of either the Lentil or Beef Samosas, seasoned and stuffed in thin, fried dough. They’ll tide you over until the Meskerem Combo for One comes, with spoonfuls of various chicken, lamb and beef dishes plus yellow lentils and potatoes. We like to get that and a Vegetarian Combo for One for additional vegetarian and legume options, all served over a thin pancake of Injera bread. Rolls of spongy Injera accompanying the platters are your utensils; tear off a piece and pinch up fragrant and tasty mouthfuls. Save room to nibble some of the base Injera too, which is saturated with all the delicious sauces and juices.

More of our favorites places for St Louis food and drink

NEIGHROBHOOD GEM Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza in the Soulard neighborhood somehow manages to simultaneously feel like a place to go with friends and a place to go for a date. Service is warm and the pizza is hot, coming right out of the oven in the front room (you walk right past it to go into the dining area). They have creative starters like Pom Pom Nuggets (Lion’s Mane Mushrooms tossed in potato starch, fried in coconut oil, served with two sauces). Or Tallow-Fried Wings in a few variations including Sweet Tea Glazed. The House Salad has greens, red onion, grape tomatoes and a maple balsamic vinaigrette with a ridiculous mountain of shaved parmesan (unless you love parm, ask them to do just a dusting, not a blizzard). You can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas and just reading the names is fun: Heat Stroke, The Gabagool, Lumberjack Snack, Butterbird, and others. The best part? Pizzeoli uses local ingredients whenever they can, stating the purveyor in the menu so you know. And they pay homage to the city and its traditions like the Mayfair Wings, a salute to the former Mayfair Hotel with a Caesar-style sauce with anchovies, lemon juice and parmigiano Reggiano.

On a corner, in a charming neighborhood in St. Louis is Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza. Watch your pizza being made and enjoy it with a variety of salads, wings and desserts.

NEIGHROBHOOD GEM Soulard Market is a covered farmers market that was established in 1779 thanks to Julia Soulard who owned a large amount of land in the area. She gave two blocks to the city of St. Louis with the stipulation that it be used as a public market. Locals do their weekly shopping there and it’s a great place for visitors to get some fresh produce and other local goods. The Soulard Market is open Wednesday-Saturday with the most vendors present on Friday and Saturday, carrying flowers, produce, fresh eggs, soaps, arts and crafts and much, much more. In the center of the sprawling building are some permanent brick-and-mortar businesses including a spice shop, a butcher shop, a Cajun food stall, and a place that specializes in the must-experience St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake! Get one to enjoy during your stay in St. Louis and another to take home and freeze for later.

Shop with the locals at Soulard Market, a 5 times/week place to get very fresh food and a variety of goods.

StilL 630, in an unassuming building off a busy highway area, and not far from the St. Louis Arch, is one of those places you might drive past and not notice. But that would be a mistake because inside, you’ll find a place owned and operated by a team who loves to geek out about whiskey, bourbon and rum and how to make all of them really, really well. The “St” and “L” are a salute to St. Louis, Missouri and the 630 refers to 630’ of both the height and width of the Arch. Schedule a tour, take a cocktail class, or go every Friday from 5-9pm when they serve their choices of cocktails or a flight. There might even be some homemade baked goods to nibble, too. Note all of the small bottles of ingredients and experiments around the outer windows. They are more than fun décor – they are a record of the creative process.

A visit to StilL 630 puts you in the heart of the creative process at this local distillery.

Sushi Ai is a local favorite with two locations. Go from 10:30am-3pm Monday-Saturday for the $14.99 All You Can Eat Lunch deal with one appetizer (get the miso soup!), any two rolls (shrimp tempura is my favorite) and any two sushi.

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is such a fixture in St. Louis, and has such a history, it has its own Gift Shop just across the parking lot from its Chippewa Street location. You can’t miss that location either, what with white house aglow with neon yellow fluorescent lights above its windows, casting the tint onto the sidewalk outside. For more than 95 years, and through four generations, the order-from-the-window operation has been serving goodies like hot fudge sundaes or their signature, super-thick, “Concrete” which you can get as a malt or shake. As traditional calls for, it’ll be served upside down to prove that thickness. In the warm weather, customers gather around the outer edges of the property, at their cars or on a bench to enjoy.

Enjoy Ted Drewes Frozen Custard treats under the signature yellow glow.

Hungry for more? Discover St. Louis’ 350 year-old Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier.

The Elsworth Supper Club, located in the backyard of the home of a charming cheffing couple, hosts periodic dinners in their beautifully-converted, screened in garage. The multi-course meals include cocktails and wine and a homey, yet elegant vibe. They are currently planning their 2025 dates and told me they encourage those interested to follow their Instagram page and DM them if interested in attending a dinner party. Their homemade bread and butter (decorated with edible flowers and herbs) is addictive.

The Elsworth Supper Club takes place in the homey setting of the chefs’ backyard.

The Fountain in the Delmar Maker’s District, the second of its locations, offers a stylish place to have an Affogato, hot espresso poured over vanilla ice cream. They serve it, and many other coffee drinks, all day. The business is owned by the very hospitable Danni and “Ike” Eickenhorst. If they’ve baked any of their addictive Gooey Butter Cookies that day, get one. Or three.

Danni and “Ike” Eickenhorst own The Fountain, a stylish place in St. Louis for cocktails, ice cream and coffee drinks including the Affogato.

Turmeric Street Style is one of the 17 mini-restaurants inside the City Foundry STL’s Food Hall. Their Katti Roll filled with Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite, prompting such an audible “mmmm” from me that it made my table-mates ask “Wow! What IS that?” A close runner up for me is Fordo’s Killer Pizza. Each pizza is made to order and that dough alone is worth the wait.

Turmeric Street Style is one of many tasty restaurant choices within what was a foundry and is now the City Foundry STL Food Hall.

Winslow’s Table is another favorite with the locals. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they also have provisions you can buy to go. Order anything that comes with a side and make that side the potatoes. They were the favorite of our table.

St. Louis is a real foodie city with restaurants that have been around for generations and new ones popping up all the time. Use this Editor’s Pick list start discovering your favorites. Let the Explore St. Louis website assist with their suggestions (and to help you plan every other aspect of your visit). Stay tuned for our upcoming Editor’s Pick article on free (and fee-based) things to do in St. Louis.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, Real Food Traveler

Hungry for more? Check out food and drink recommendations from nearby Columbia, MO.

Please note: As is common practice in our industry, I was hosted for several of the St. Louis food and drink opportunities listed here. However, as is our policy, all opinions are honest and based on my opinion for the purpose of informing our readers.