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St. Louis' swanky after-work crowd heads to one of many wine bars for a glass of red or white, hand-picked from cellars carrying hundreds of bottles. On a nice day or happy hour evening, many of these bars and cafes accommodate outdoor seating, allowing customers to people-watch or simply enjoy the weather. For a nice dinner with friends, try sharing several small plates—several destinations like BARcelona and Remy's Kitchen offer tapas and dinner cuisine. University City's Riddles Penultimate Café and Wine Bar spices up the menu by offering seasonal selections in addition to its staple wine and beer offerings. Whether you prefer a crisp chardonnay or a more robust red, St. Louis' wine bars have something to satisfy every palate.
33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar
1913 Park Ave., St. Louis; Tel. 314.231.9463
Handpicked wines grace the menu at Lafayette Square's 33Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, and if wine isn't everyone's beverage of choice, they also offer a fair selection of beers. Right next to Bailey's Chocolate Bar, 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar is a pleasure for any wine or beer lover with the exquisite selections of both. For those who can't sit and enjoy their libations in Lafayette Square, most of the selections of beer and wine are also sold in their on-site market. If you decide to carry your selections out from the market, the prices are some of the most reasonable in St. Louis. |
BARcelona
34 N. Central Ave., St. Louis; Tel. 314.863.9909
The Spanish tradition of tapas—"tapa" literally translated as "lid"—of covering a glass of wine with a small plate of food has traveled to St. Louis. BARcelona is a tapas restaurant and wine bar that has been well received because of the novelty of being able to sample various flavors while enjoying a glass of wine. In addition to the many tapas choices, salads and sandwiches are also offered for those in the mood for something a little heartier. For a St. Louis bar, expect BARcelona to be a little out of the ordinary. |
Brennan's Wine, Food & Tobacco
4659 Maryland Ave., St. Louis; Tel. 314.361.9444
Not just a market, Brennan's Wine, Food & Tobacco offers St. Louis customers a place to sit and stay a while or a way to take their treats home. A patio is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine in nice weather or sit at a large wood table indoors to make friends with the employees. Wine drinkers who can't find a glass to try at the wine bar can select from over 200 bottles displayed on the wall or from the 100-bottle cellar. There's even a little lounge downstairs with leather couches and red walls. Brennan's offers snacks to go along with wine, or for those who are hungrier, upstairs is the Maryland House restaurant. |
Café Eau & Bistro
212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis; Tel; 314.454.9000
The Chase Park Plaza Hotel is the marker of the fashionable Central West End of St. Louis, and with the hotel comes the Café Eau & Bistro. The bistro and café—they're two different rooms across from each other—are colorfully decorated and the food strives to be just as colorful on your palate. The Eau Bistro serves up thought-out cuisine and offers a 300-bottle wine list to choose from while Café Eau features an ice bar to keep cocktails cold and a selection of lunch and dinner selections. A wine room is a definite pleaser for those in St. Louis who savor their wine and don't enjoy the din of diners. |
Copia Urban Winery
1122 Washington Ave., St. Louis; Tel. 314.621.7275
There's no reason to go on a search for a winery in the boonies when the wine is brought to you in the downtown St. Louis Copia Urban Winery. A modern style wine cellar made of glass and stainless steel reaches from floor to high ceiling as the center of attention in the dining room. Exposed brick, warm hues and darks woods make the bar and lounge areas comfortably St. Louis-urban. Progressive American cuisine is on the menu with St. Louis classics being touched up. The St. Louis Copia Urban Winery even ages their own wine in steel vats, which technically means, they really are a winery. |
Erato Wine Bar and Grand Market
3117 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis; Tel. 314.664.6400
Nowhere else in St. Louis can you find some of the wines on Erato Wine Bar's list that come from all over the world. The bar offers flights, wine by the glass and even occasional classes on how to become a wine connoisseur. A staff sommelier is always around to help you pick a wine at Erato Wine Bar, and if you stumble upon one that is exceptional, the Grand Market might even carry it so it can be enjoyed at home as well. Because wine isn't for everyone, the bar also offers seasonal cocktails and imported beer to go along with their cheeses, desserts and small meals. |
Remy's Kitchen and Wine Bar
222 S. Bemiston Ave., St. Louis; Tel. 314.26.5757
Remy's Kitchen and Wine Bar has won multiple awards for various aspects of their restaurant including the selection of over 35 wines by the glass. The Mediterranean influenced cuisine goes fabulously with their selections and is reasonably priced considering the high quality and care put into each dish. St. Louis crowds are drawn to the wine bar by a happy hour Monday-Thursday from 4:30-6pm and a late night happy hour Thursday night from 9:30- midnight. Tapas and wine keep the crowds happy and make Remy's one of the best bar and restaurants in St. Louis. |
Riddles Penultimate Café and Wine Bar
6307 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis; Tel. 314.725.1153
St. Louis' University City has had Riddle's Penultimate Café and Wine Bar as a staple since 1985, and they haven't failed to impress yet. The café sits right on the St. Louis loop that bustles with people and takes advantage of its location with outdoor seating in front of the restaurant so customers can people watch over a glass of wine. A "standing menu" is offered year round regardless of seasonal selections, but a "daily menu" takes advantage of the mid-west fresh selections by changing, as the name implies, daily. A fine selection of wine, and beer, spanning the world is also at hand. St. Louis couldn't do any better with Riddles Penultimate Café and Wine Bar. |
Sasha's Wine Bar and Market
706 De Mun Ave., Clayton; Tel. 314.863.7276
A few blocks away from St. Louis' Washington University, Sasha's Wine Bar and Market is one of the best places to enjoy a nice day in the St. Louis area. Everyone from young professionals to seasoned adults come to Sasha's to enjoy a glass of wine. The wine bar is inside and outside, but it's the ability to make the location open air that draws customers in warm weather. The wines are available by the bottle, glass or 1.5-ounce taste to accompany wine friendly snacks and entrees. On the other side of Sasha's Market, Jimmy's Café and Kaldi's Coffee complete the trendy ambiance of this section of St. Louis. |
—St. Louis Bar and Club Reviews by Alanna Lee and Ryan Osterbeck
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