Nathaniel Reid Bakery Has the No. 2 Croissant in the U.S., Yelp Says

St. Louis hotspot Menya Rui draws high national honors, too

Jan 24, 2024 at 10:20 am

Nathaniel Reid Bakery's classic croissant. Compliments of Nathaniel Reid Bakery

If you love a good flaky croissant, one of the best in the U.S. is waiting for you in Kirkwood.

A new Yelp list out this week names home-grown Nathaniel Reid Bakery (11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood) the second best in the entire U.S. and Canada, too. It follows Nathaniel Reid's inclusion on a 2019 Yelp list of the best bakeries in the country.

The honors are no surprise to us at the RFT: The 7-year-old bakery, founded by the eponymous Reid and his wife Lee Lee, recently topped our critic's list of the five best croissants locally.

Nathaniel Reid Bakery isn't the only St. Louis spot on Yelp's radar this week. Ramen hotspot Menya Rui was also named No. 2 — in this case, No. 2 on Yelp's list of "Places to Eat in 2024." That list draws on user submissions, with Yelp staffers sussing out "the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions, and finalized the rankings with the expertise of our Community Managers." It's yet another honor for Menya Rui chef Steven Pursley, who recently made Food & Wine's list of Best New Chefs.

In other words, whether you're into croissants or ramen, it's a great time to be eating in St. Louis. Eat up!

5 Top Croissants in St. Louis, Chosen by Our Critic: Our weekly roundup of some of our favorite St. Louis dishes

Review: Menya Rui Dishes up a Brilliant Universe of Ramen: Chef Steven Pursley honors his roots with a stunning tribute to Japanese noodle shops

Menya Rui's Steven Pursley Makes Food & Wine's Best New Chefs List: The magazine singled out the St. Louis restaurant's "tender, bouncy, delectably slurpable noodles"

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About The Author

Sarah Fenske

Sarah Fenske is the executive editor of the RFT and its sister papers. She is the former host of St. Louis on the Air and continues to host its Legal Roundtable, as well participating as an occasional panelist on Nine PBS' Donnybrook. She lives in St. Louis.