7 new bars in St. Louis we love

We’ve seen some great bars open in St. Louis over the past year, ranging from swanky dives to high-end speakeasies and a Midtown brewery. We have a beer bar that focuses on lagers, a cocktail bar that serves great burgers, an Asian fusion bar serving some of the best cocktails in Soulard, and even a lock and key shop slinging drinks every Thursday night. These are seven of the best new openings of the last 12 months.

 

 

Blue Jay Brewing Co.
Blue Jay Brewing Co. opened in January and joined Urban Chestnut’s Midtown location, Wellspent Brewing and Schlafly Tap Room to make this part of the city a destination for beer lovers. Jason and Nicole Thompson’s lager-centric brewery carries eight beers on tap along with a small selection of wine, ciders and NA options. The beer selection includes four consistent offerings and four on rotation, with all eight brewed in-house. Their Marzen, named Therese, is highly recommended, but you can’t go wrong with anything here. When the weather is good, the shared biergarten is a perfect space for friends to gather, while Blue Jay is a convenient, three-block walk from CityPark, making the bar a perfect pregame option for soccer fans. Farm Spirit is now running the kitchen, offering smash burgers, a schnitzel sandwich, a vegetarian mushroom and Swiss melt on Union Loafers sourdough, sides like crispy potatoes with chive salsa verde, and snacks like tempura vegetables.
2710 Locust St., St. Louis, bluejaybrewing.com

Good Company
If you frequent local cocktail bars, you’ll probably be familiar with Good Ice’s perfectly formed, perfectly clear custom ice cubes. The Good Ice team brings the same passion to this Grove cocktail bar, which offers handcrafted cocktails created with premium spirits, fresh juices, housemade syrups, and – naturally – good ice. The bar’s 12 house cocktails include the citrusy, well-balanced Groovy Lion, made with bourbon, orange and apricot, or the Good Pals, their take on a Manhattan. While we’re on the subject of classic cocktails, Good Company also offers a list of 10 iconic drinks that includes margaritas, Old-Fashioneds and gimlets. Good Company’s trademark rigor is extended to the kitchen: My personal favorites from the menu include the Brussels sprouts Caesar with lemon-pecorino dressing and the green chile cheeseburger. From the complimentary welcome drink and excellent service to the well-balanced cocktails and delicious food, Good Company is a valuable addition to the Grove’s offerings.
4317 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.405.8333, goodcompany-stl.com

 

 

Stews Food & Liquor
At Stews, Nate Burrows has created a cocktail list that not only highlights classics like the Manhattan and Old-Fashioned, but also introduces in-house specialties like the lychee gimlet or the seasonal Liquid Swords (gin, shochu, honey, lemon and akvavit). Chef Brent Petty is creating food that people go out of their way to recommend to friends, like the edamame "hummus" with wonton chips or the housemade longganisa sausage served on a baguette with kimchi-bacon relish, pickled Anaheim peppers, cabbage slaw and sriracha mayo. Most importantly, keeping front and back of house operating as one is Kristin Leahy, a.k.a. Stew. Stews recently updated and expanded their patio to make way for additional seating, but this remains a small, intimate space where the tables can fill up fast. The good news is that service is quick and any wait for a table is usually a short one – a perfect opportunity to grab a cocktail and experience the “free morale” provided by Nate and his crew.
1862 S. 10th St., St. Louis, stewsstl.com

Little Lager
Little Lager is a beer bar that, as you may have guessed, specializes in lager and lager-adjacent beers. They offer a rotating selection of beers on tap and a great variety of Pilsners, Helles and lagers in cans and bottles. Little Lager is out to prove that a foamy head on your beer is actually a good thing: Their side-pour taps allow the bartender greater control over the flow of beer and, ultimately, the ratio of foam to beer. Their pouring style favors the traditional Czech method, which creates a heavier, wetter foam cap that provides a fuller flavor to your beer. Besides beer, you can get a small handful of shots such as the Bitter Bear — a Malort-soaked gummy bear served with a shot of grapefruit soda — or the Split Ferrari, which is equal parts Fernet Branca and Campari. They even serve a nitrogen-infused shot of Malort, and a guest favorite drink is the Spaghett (a Miller High Life with Aperol, orange bitters and lemon slices). Little Lager also regularly collaborates with local breweries like BlueJay Brewing Co., Millpond Brewing, and Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. to create its own original beers.
5848 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, littlelager.com

 

 

Kenny’s Upstairs
Kenny’s Upstairs is part-dive bar, part-cocktail bar, part-lounge, all rolled up into a great neighborhood bar. The entire space feels comfortable, with pool table and booth seating throughout and a curved corner bar with red lighting to wrap it all up. The house cocktails include Kenny’s World Famous Pickle Martini, which is based on a homemade pickle recipe, and a nonalcoholic drink called Before the Dawn, made with NA amaro, lemon, hibiscus and cinnamon foam. The bar also has a full assortment of spirits for making classic cocktails along with beer and wine. Speaking of classic cocktails and beer, during the 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour, an Old-Fashioned, Manhattan or daiquiri will only set you back $5.99, while a can of Hamm's or NA Old Milwaukee is just $1.50. Amid all these delicious cocktails and great deals, however, the most popular drinks at Kenny’s Upstairs are the “baby beer” shots of Licor 43 topped with heavy whipping cream. They look like little beers served in tiny mugs, but they taste like ice cream. There is no food available here, but stop in for happy hour before venturing out to any of South Grand’s plethora of restaurants — then come back to finish the night at Kenny’s.
3131 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, kennysupstairs.com

None of the Above
Reservations are recommended at this speakeasy located in the old tunnels beneath City Foundry STL, but walk-ins are available and usually result in a seat at the bar – arguably the best seat in the house. The bartenders here possess a wealth of knowledge and readily relay the stories behind the drinks, cocktail recommendations and even advice on spirits and techniques for mixing cocktails at home. Their ability also shines through in the bar’s housemade syrups and shrubs, not to mention the finely curated cocktails. The cocktail list takes the classics to another level: Their version of a New York Sour is made with clarified Earl Grey, tart cherry, black lime, yuzu and whiskey, all topped with red wine foam. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the None of the Above cocktail. This bartender’schoice cocktail is created after you answer a 10-question survey to establish your favored flavor profile. My survey resulted in a delicious cocktail made with mezcal and reposado tequila with an ancho-and-bay-leaf syrup and celery root liqueur. The menu also contains a small selection of beer, wine and NA offerings. A small snacking menu includes marinated olives, charred scallion dip and a chocolate ganache sandwich cookie.
3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, 314.656.6682, notastl.com

 

 

Clements Lock & Security
Perhaps the most unique bar on this list, Clements Lock & Security originally opened in 1973 as a key and lock shop. Five decades on, it specializes in everything from modern keysets and rare, hard-to-find parts for historic locks to, perhaps unexpectedly, great cocktails. In late 2023, the shop was approved for a liquor license, which means you can stop in during regular business hours and enjoy a beer while having a key made or, more importantly, after business hours on Thursday nights, when Clements transforms from key shop to neighborhood bar. This transformation makes the vintage shop feel more like a speakeasy, with the keys and locks forming part of the decor. The drink selection includes a limited variety of beer and wine along with whiskey and prebatched cocktails from Switchgrass Spirits, while entertainment ranges from DJs to live performances.
2626 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.865.2242, clementslock.com