St. Louis Bar Guide
30+ bars across St. Louis's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
St. Louis quietly runs one of America's best cocktail scenes. Planter's House has carried a James Beard semi-finalist nomination most years since 2013. The local rye-and-bourbon culture is older than the cocktail itself — Anheuser-Busch's brewery has shaped St. Louis drinking since 1852, but it's the small bars in Soulard and the Central West End that define the city now.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the scene. Soulard is the heritage-pub-and-whiskey-bar district. Central West End is the polished cocktail-room spine. The Grove is the new-creative district. Lafayette Square holds the boutique cocktail rooms. Downtown covers the after-game crowd.
Cocktails run $12 to $15. Pints $5 to $7. Tipping is 20 percent. Most bars run to 1am, weekend bars to 3am. Reserve Planter's House on Friday and Saturday — small-format and locally famous.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in St. Louis
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in St. Louis
Skyline drinks
Date Night in St. Louis
Romantic spots
After Work in St. Louis
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in St. Louis
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in St. Louis
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in St. Louis
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in St. Louis
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Planter's House
St. Louis's most awarded cocktail bar. James Beard semi-finalist. Long marble counter, classics-leaning menu, and a tight rotating cocktail list. Reserve.
Sanctuaria
Cocktail-and-tapas bar with one of the longest tequila lists in the Midwest. Skews late-thirties dressed-up. Best for an after-dinner drink.
Bar Les Frères
Heritage French-influenced cocktail-and-wine bar. Marble bar, classic-cocktail menu, and a polished evening crowd.
Yaquis on Cherokee
Boutique cocktail-and-pizza bar in a converted storefront. Brick-walled, candle-lit, and the most low-key serious room in St. Louis.
Small Change
Cocktail bar inside a former corner shop. Long bar, rotating cocktail menu, and a neighbourhood-feel evening crowd. Best on a Wednesday.
Venice Cafe
Eccentric mosaic-tile bar that has been a St. Louis institution since 1989. Live music every weekend, art-everywhere interior, and the most photogenic bar in the Midwest.
Neighbourhood Guide
Soulard
The heritage neighbourhood south of downtown. French-Quarter-style streets, heritage pubs, and the densest concentration of historic bars in the city.
Central West End
The polished cocktail-room spine. Boutique cocktail rooms, hotel bars, and a dressed-up evening crowd. Walk Maryland Plaza.
The Grove
The new-creative district. LGBT-friendly bars, cocktail rooms, and the most adventurous food in St. Louis.
Lafayette Square
The Victorian-era residential district. Boutique cocktail rooms, brownstone-front restaurants, and a quieter evening pace.
Downtown
The central business district. Sports bars near Busch Stadium, hotel cocktail rooms, and the post-Cardinals-game crowd.
The bars worth going to, weekly.
One email every week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 72 cities worldwide.
Editorial on St. Louis
Reach bar-goers in every major city.
Sponsored listings, newsletter placements, and city guide partnerships across 72 cities. Contact us to get your bar in front of the right audience.