Best New Restaurants

Places

2023 Best New Restaurants // No. 9 Levels Nigerian Cuisine

Ono Ikanone, co-owner of Levels Nigerian Cuisine, knew jollof rice was not to be played with: The rice at his restaurant had to be on point.

December 26, 2023

Places

2023 Best New Restaurants // No. 8 Kain Tayo

Randy and Sally Arcega’s Kain Tayo is the latest local eatery winning St. Louisans’ hearts and stomachs over to the cuisine of the Philippines.

December 22, 2023

Places

2023 Best New Restaurants // No. 7 Deli Divine

With Deli Divine, restaurateur Ben Poremba is filling the gap for an authentic Jewish deli in St. Louis city.

December 21, 2023

slinger at fleur stl in downtown st. louis

Places

2023 Best New Restaurants // No. 6 Fleur STL

Fleur’s menu contains echoes of its predecessor’s diner fare, but a more upscale approach is evident in everything from the classy renovation of the space to the food itself.

December 19, 2023

thali platter at black salt in chesterfield

Places

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 5 Black Salt

This year, Chesterfield’s Black Salt proved it has the chops to go toe-to-toe with the best, executing crowd-pleasing tandoori classics and serving up surprising fusion twists on staples.

December 18, 2023

Places

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 4 1929 Pizza & Wine

Informed by all their experiences and adventures, 1929 Pizza & Wine in Wood River, Illinois, brims with an industrious, infectious verve, serving food characterized by simple yet thrilling flavors.

December 15, 2023

from left: shaun martin, sous chef; ashley rouch, general manager; nick bognar, chef and owner and ann bognar at sado

Places

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 3 Sado

For all its many virtues, Sado still doesn’t quite feel like the peak of what Nick Bognar has to offer as a restaurateur – and that’s the most exciting part.

December 14, 2023

sasquatch special at bagel union in webster groves

Places

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 2 Bagel Union

After years of playing second (or 10th) fiddle to New York bagels, St. Louis is boiling and baking its way toward a bagel renaissance – and Bagel Union is leading the way.

December 13, 2023

wright's tavern owner matt mcguire and executive chef cary mcdowell

Places

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 1 Wright's Tavern

Whether it’s your place for special occasions, or a weekly haunt, Wright’s Tavern was the restaurant we all wanted to eat at in 2023, and there’s really no debate: It’s this year’s Best New Restaurant.

December 11, 2023

the classic ribeye steak with pommes purée at wright's tavern in clayton

Places

St. Louis' Best New Restaurants of 2023

These are the 9 restaurants in St. Louis that won our hearts this year.

December 6, 2023

menya rui, the best new restaurant of 2022

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 1 Menya Rui

Consistency and earnestness of execution are a running theme across any meal at this compact noodle shop in Lindenwood Park, habits that sit at the core of everything Menya Rui does.

December 22, 2022

yuca fries, ceviche and peruvian corn nuts at jalea in st. charles

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 2 Jalea

If one aspect of “new” is the thrill of discovery, Jalea is genuinely a revelation.

December 21, 2022

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 3 Bistro La Floraison

Take Root Hospitality co-owners Tara and Michael Gallina know a lot about opening a restaurant.

December 16, 2022

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 4 Bar Moro

Restaurateur Ben Poremba’s latest establishment, Bar Moro, ferries us across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain and Portugal.

December 14, 2022

the patio at bowood by niche in the central west end

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 5 Bowood by Niche

The challenge – and opportunity – of the restaurant space attached to aspirational garden store Bowood Farms is crafting a dining experience that matches the shop’s upscale-yet-cozy, au naturel vibe.

December 13, 2022

the staff at taqueria morita in st. louis

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 6 Taqueria Morita

Once you start eating at Take Root Hospitality’s Taqueria Morita, it is difficult to stop.

December 12, 2022

margherita pizza at fordo's killer pizza at city foundry stl

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 7 Fordo's Killer Pizza

For as much pizza as you can get in this town, Fordo's Killer Pizza has few rivals.

December 9, 2022

yue zhai and victor lai making dumplings at tiger soup dumplings

Places

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 8 Tiger Soup Dumplings

The centerpiece of the bright, minimalist dining room at Tiger Soup Dumplings is the large glass window into the kitchen, giving guests a peak into the meditative process behind the menu’s star dumplings.

December 5, 2022