ST. Louis for 2 nights

[cfisch]

Any good recs for downtown STL?

[inbiz]

There's nothing decent downtown but, Benton Park isn't far away and Niche is there. Bobo Noodle House is at Skinker and Olive and Trattoria Marcella is not to far away from The Hill.

[alan]

To suggest there is "nothing decent downtown" is ridiculous. As noted below, Tony's and Anthony's are both excellent. You didn't specify which meals you are seeking. Roosters makes a great breakfast--try the crepes. Schlafly Tap Room, while not a fine dining location, serves great locally brewed beer and good quality food. An American Place has lost its chef but is a spectular room to eat a meal in. It's definitely worth venturing south just a bit to Benton Park or Soulard for Niche, which features an acclaimed chef, or Franco, or Sidney Street, with the latter serving a non-adventurous but very solid menu. I've never had a bad meal there. You might want to check saucecafe.com for more information about these and other downtown, or near downtown, dining. Don't rely on Sauce for reviews, however. You might also do a search on this board for earlier discussions of the downtown scene.

[inbiz]

Anthony's is expensive and dated which does not make it excellent. Niche is not downtown and that we agreed upon. Rooster's is good, but do they serve dinner? I've only been there for breakfast/lunch.

[nosh]

Tony's is the preeminent St. Louis formal-service, high-priced restaurant experience for decades, now located caddy-corner to the ballpark on the bottom of an office building. They share a kitchen with Anthony's Bar, a more casual offshoot with excellent food and service. Won't go wrong either place, if that is the traditional experience you want. Another contender is Kemoll's, an Italian classic just recently relocated to a new home atop a lofty downtown office skyscraper with what should be amazing views -- I'm awaiting first reports.

If more avant-garde food is your goal, the best place in town is Niche, in Benton Park on the southern edge of downtown just past Soulard. Excellent fare, a nice cross between metropolitan tasting menu innovation and St. Louis big-portion simple hospitality. Another option nearby is Sidney Street Bar & Grill. To the north of downtown is the regentrified Washington Blvd. with the Lucas Park Bar & Grill in a wonderful converted bank building, An American Place in the bottom of the Renaissance Hotel, and a bunch of other places up and down the street. As you head out west you hit the Central West End, with old and renewed places, and then Forest Park, Washington University, and Clayton, where the biggest concentration of restaurants and customers work and live.

[SFLisa]

Kemoll's has excellent food and the restaurant is beautiful. We also has a fantastic meal at Niche - innovative and delicious.

[rweater]

I haven't eaten many places in downtown St. Louis, so I don't have a lot of means of comparison, and I'm not entirely sure what you're looking for in terms of price, setting, etc., but I had a great meal at the Dubliner (http://www.dublinerstl.com/) a few months ago. It's on Washington.

[Doug]

I like 410 Olive in the lobby of the Hilton right on 4th Avenue. Not spectacular, but comfy.

The Clark Street Grill at the Westin has impressed me.

Will you be having lunch on a weekday? Try Point Of View

[inbiz]

I know Mosaic has moved, but I think they're still on Washington. I had a good meal on a couple of occaisions.

[Pylon]

That was going to be my suggestion as well.