Where should you go to eat? As a restaurant critic, I must answer that question every day. But over the past year, as my research for future reviews and next year’s edition of the STL 100 has taken me throughout the metro area — going farther than before, more often before — I realized St. Louis’ dining scene could use a reset of the big picture.
Neighborhoods long famous for their restaurant scenes have changed, sometimes dramatically. The suburban restaurant scene is exploding, with restaurants worth a trip across the Mississippi or the Missouri rivers. For 2025, here are the 10 neighborhoods — by which I mean the literal neighborhoods in the city proper and the many municipalities around the metro area — that should feature in your dining decisions.
Central West End: Transformed, but essential I could dwell on what the Central West End has lost in recent years, from neighborhood mainstays (Culpepper’s, Wildflower, Llywelyn’s, the latter two spots still vacant) to the great Juniper and its short-lived spinoff Sunday Best to the three restaurants heavily damaged by a 2022 fire (two of which should soon reopen, however). Take a step back, and you see a neighborhood transformed, but still vital. The Cortex area is home to one of St.
Louis’ very best restaurants, Vicia (4260 Forest Park Avenue), and the new blood of the past 15 years, like Brasserie by Niche (4580 Laclede Avenue) and Yellowbelly (4659 Lindell Boulevard) are now the anchors. Meanwhile, the belo.
