"What's your favorite restaurant in St. Louis?"
It’s the question you ask us at Sauce Magazine the most: when we’re out for drinks, when we bump into each other at a party, when you need a restaurant for a special birthday or anniversary, or when you’re visiting town for the weekend.
If we pause for a few moments before answering, it’s because we think about this question constantly. And the answer changes often, because the St. Louis restaurant scene doesn’t rest. The restaurateurs, chefs, cooks, bakers and servers who set the standard for dining in St. Louis are always aiming higher and exploring new ways to delight and challenge us, whether their restaurants have been open for one year or three decades. For every fresh-faced newcomer on this list, like Sado, Telva at the Ridge or Bagel Union, there are restaurants like Brasserie by Niche, Sidney Street Cafe or Louie that remain the benchmark for quality many years after they served their first meal.
You don’t need us to tell you about all the St. Louis classics: You know so many of them already. Instead, the Sauce 75 is your guide to the essential St. Louis restaurants right now. That includes old favorites who keep innovating, venerable institutions whose standards never, ever drop, and newcomers bringing thrilling new ideas to the table. These are the restaurants and bars we're excited to eat at in 2024, and you’re invited.