Have you ever read a menu and everything sounded delicious- but when the food came it was tasteless? Well that was our experience. The salad sounded great bacon peas arugula eggs. Ah basically a pile of lettuce that needed salt. And the seafood pasta- tasteless. And it was expensive. Marked it off my list! read more

It's been two years since I ate here and the fact that I still think about speaks volumes about how good it was. We got the prix fixe dinner with the wine pairings. In all honesty, the latter half of the meal is a little blurry because of the wine, but I remember the raviolo perfectly. And it was amazing. Everything I ate that night was tasty as hell and you should all go here. read more

OMG! As Italian as it gets. We couldn't be more pleased withe the food and the service. Our waiter had intimate knowledge of the menu and described the food perfectly, just exactly how it actually tasted. This place is on our short list! read more

Acero offers a $25 four-course tasting menu, which is really a pretty astounding deal, although many of the options on the menu require supplements of unspecified value. I tried the Acero salad, polenta with bolognese, braised oxtail, and semifreddo. My own dishes were each pretty tasty, but the food didn't really set itself far apart from other Italian dining in the city, and it didn't blow me away. An absolutely excellent value for $25, though. I also tried a few of my companions' dishes: the house bruschetta (delicious!); the marinated olives (disappointing); orechiette (pretty good; anchovy played a subtle foil to broccoli raab); porchetta (nothing special); jumbo sea scallops (delicately citrus-flavored, which was nice, but the scallops were not of great quality). Service was good: we had an attentive, extremely friendly, but slightly unpolished waiter. The food came out at a fine pace. The space was nice, and quiet for its size due in part to the use of foam sound insulators as wall decor. read more

Holy cow, folks. Holy. Cow. I thought I knew Italian cuisine, but I was wrong. I don't even know what menu selection to point you to because everything I've tasted has been a religious experience. My only regret in life is I'm not flush enough to eat every meal at Acero. In a perfect world I'd live in their pantry, but for now I'll have to stick to treating myself at Acero every once in a while. Acero is enlightenment. Acero is love. Acero is life. read more

Italy comes to STL, as cuisine is served in the country itself. As a traditional Italian red sauce joint fan, this is a break from the what really is Italia. Tasting menu is where it's at! Walk in, hand the waiter your menu and go on an adventure of fine real Italian cuisine and how it is served there. Hats off for such a Devine experience and atmosphere. Timeless and authentic. Bravo! read more

One of the best!! Busy busy Friday night as Art Festival was at adjacent venue but managed to grab a couple seats at the bar. Began with a glass of wine each that was so good we bought a bottle. Shared a tasting plate of soup of the day (tomato and leek-ish), bruschetta, entree sized mushroom tagliatelle and chocolate torte. Everything was absolutely delicious...could not imagine eating it all on my own. Both bartenders (one of whom was GM) were slammed but still managed personable and pleasant service. Look forward to next time!! read more

Had a wonderful time at Acero with their multiple course dinner! The Egg Raviolo was my absolute favorite -- wonderful flavors and fun to eat. The service was also incredible. Our server had great wine suggestions to pair with the food and was friendly to talk to the entire time! read more

Absolutely one of the best meals we have had in the St. Louis area. The service was phenomenal - the chef even delivered the wine to our table and took the time to visit with us prior to our meal. We started with a round of cocktails - sparkling lemoncello for me and a black Manhattan for my fiancé. Both were fantastic! The Mixed Green Salad was so fresh and light, with a unique herb taste that I have not had anywhere else. My fiancé did the four-course tasting menu and really enjoyed the Gnocco Fritto. The combination of flavors was so different but very good. I had the Spaghetti Alla Chitarra, and it was incredible. The bread was fresh and soft. My fiancé had the Beef Ribeye and said it was perfectly cooked, tender, and the pesto sauce was awesome. We finished with the Warm Chocolate Torte, which was unbelievably decadent and rich. We will undoubtedly be back very soon. read more

By far, the best modern Italian restaurant in the city. There are plenty of old school, traditional Italian places, whose menus have not changed since the '80s. Adam, Jim, and Eric truly know taste and trends and keep everything on the menu fresh and exciting. Put the egg raviolo on your bucket list. Unbelievably good. We are lucky to have so many great chefs in town; I just wish more restaurants understood the need to refresh every so often, like Acero pulls off so successfully. read more

Amazing food and service. Meat and cheese plate, egg ravioli and the grass fed steak. The wine pours are very generous. I would reccommend to anyone in the area or visiting as a top place to go. Haris is the best server in town. Delicious food and great experience! read more

i went with a friend to acero and we sat at the bar (YAY SAM !!!!!) and we each ordered the '4 course tasting' and oh man, so good. i'm not trying to promote heart problems, but i could have at least 4 of their egg raviolo which was definitely my favorite part of the meal by far (i love an egg). i'm not sure how they made it so damn perfect, but it was and i am sad that i can't have it once a week. i also tasted the chicken liver mousse after hesitation and i don't know why i was scared - it delivered! their house salad was tasty, the halibut was on point as was the trout. pretty much the entire meal was great and i have nothing bad to say on this place. the decor is nice, staff is friendly and it's not pretentious. price was good for what they offer. i will be back for you my precious, egg raviolo! read more

Our visit for my mother's 80th birthday was very disappointing. They wrote happy birthday on the back of a brochure and brought it to the table. The food was subpar and high priced. I had the $48.00 4 course option, which is half portions. The soup was tasteless, salad consisted of lettuce and a few nuts with bland dressing, the steak was extremely tough. The only redeeming items were the bread and cheesecake. It was very loud making it hard to talk. Much better choices in Stl for Italian food. read more

Another visit a week or so ago. Once again we went with the 4 course tasting menu which is one of the best values in St. Louis. The highlights were that night's crudo preparation- tuna served simply with olive oil and sea salt and the spaghetti alla chitarra amatriciana which I made decadent by adding a fried egg. The tuna was of great quality and was a great start to the meal while the pasta was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Service was very good as we were in a large group which they handled in an organized, friendly manner. The quartino offerings on the wine list make pairings easy and always offer something new and interesting. My favorite Italian restaurant in St. Louis. read more

I've been here a billion times and had an amazing meal every time. Service is always perfect, with servers balancing the line between being friendly and letting us enjoy our meal alone perfectly. The food? Fantastic. The egg raviolo is to die for-- one large raviolo stuffed with, I believe, ricotta cheese and a perfectly poached egg yolk, surrounded by the most decadent butter-based sauce. This, my friends, is what dreams are made of. The specials always sound good, and when I can lure myself away from my favorites, they never disappoint. Sure, it can be a bit pricey, but they also offer a four course tasting for $30. Supplemental charges apply for the pricier plates, but for the quality of food it's completely reasonable. I'm an industry person and can be the the first to nitpick. Acero is my place for a reliably great experience. read more

We came here for dinner on a Friday night. I got the 4 course tasting for $35 with +$5 for the Egg Raviolo, and +$3 for the lamb, I also chose the tuna crudo for starters and the spiced cheesecake for dessert. To start, the Tuna Crudo was good, lightly seasoned, and the tuna was fresh. The Egg Raviolo however was rather disappointing. The pasta was barely above room temp and the pasta was doughy. Beside the runny yolk, the rest of the single raviolo was stuffed with three cheeses including ricotta and parmesan. It was rather heavy has others had described, but the glob of cheeses was just that, heavy with little flavor. For entree I got the lamb, which, as a tasting menu, comes with 2 pieces served with lentils. One piece was cooked as I asked medium-rare and flavorful, but the other was essentially rare. The small (size of a roma tomato) spiced cheesecake was good, not too heavy and served with ginger-poached pear cubes. For the variety, the total price was ok, but in my opinion, the quality did not meet the value or the hype. My other dining companions had the butternut squash ravioli which was good, the pasta was al dente and the filling was rather flavorful without bring too heavy. We also got the off menu pasta special of stracci pasta with chicken confit and spinach. The stracci was also perfectly cooked, al dente, however it was served at just barely room temperature. The shreds of chicken confit was also rather tasty. Overall, for me, it was a lacklustre experience, perhaps overhyped. read more

Some of the best food I've ever had. I never finish meals, and I ate every bite of my food at Acero. I opted for the tasting menu, which allowed me to select one item from each of four courses (salad/appetizer, pasta, entree, and dessert). This option starts at $30, more than reasonable for the quality of food served. I especially enjoyed the scallops (so tender! I had to slow down so I could savor them more) and pasta with pesto sauce (simple, yes, but the best I've ever had). Everyone in my party marveled over the food and we passed many of the plates around to share. We enjoyed the ravioli with mushroom, salad, gnocci fritto, strip steak, and strawberry bread pudding. This is a wonderful place to take a date or group of friends. Don't miss out! read more

Farm to table Italian flare restaurant with homemade pasta, decadent entrées (ribeye steak was delicious and melted in my mouth) and inspired desserts. I mean, blueberry mint cannoli with a hint of spiciness (maybe cinnamon?) Sea salt on a chocolate torte that was warm and moist. Four course option a good price for a great meal. read more

This place was a fantastic all around experience. A small but cozy little place with a very modern look to it. Service was fantastic. Although it is pricey, it was well worth it. They have a course option where you can sample multiple dishes for a flat rate, which I highly recommend since their menu has so many great dishes to offer. Wine choice was great too! They also have patio seating out front during the summer. I can't wait to go back! read more

Came here for the tasting menu after arriving at Lambert after work on a Friday. We made reservations for 8:30, but we were not able to be seated when we arrived, despite there being tables open from the moment we walked in the door. We waited about 20 minutes at the bar before being seated, where we shared a quartino of wine. We both decided to do the tasting menu (you definitely should, if you're considering it! It was a solid deal and a great way to taste a variety of things. Portions were pretty large, and you will not leave hungry.) Basically everything on the full menu is available as part of the tasting menu, and there's a lot of flexibility regarding courses- if you prefer an appetizer to dessert, great! Or if you prefer antipasti and dessert and no salad or soup, perfect! I started with the insalata mista, which was actually very good. The portion was large, and I enjoyed starting my meal with some greens, since I knew I was going to eat something indulgent later! The salad was not overdressed, which was nice. I then had the orechiette, on the recommendation of the server. This was the highlight of the meal for me- the breadcrumbs and the roasted cauliflower were delicious, and I'm not typically a huge pasta fan, so this is high praise. For my entree, I was choosing between a few options, but went with the porchetta. I regretted this choice- the meat was moist, but not particularly flavorful, and the sweet potato was pureed to a baby food consistency before being spread on the plate, under the pork. I had never had porchetta before, so I can't say if this is a good representation of the dish, but I would definitely order a different entree if I were to come back. My friend ordered the scallops and really enjoyed them, so I'd be inclined to get them instead. I finished with a maple cake, which was serviceable but not the best I've had. Next time, I think I would go with the cheese plate, but I'm glad I tried one of the sweet options. The service here was good (once we got seated, at least- our waitress was great!) and we were never lacking for water or attention. Acero's tasting menu is a good value for a nice meal, and this was a nice experience overall. read more

we made our second visit to acero a few weeks ago, and had another wonderful meal. there are pics of all the courses in my blog, and descriptions below. for our first courses, my wife and i each went with the acero salad. the salad consisted of romaine lettuce, egg, onion, salumi, and a herb vinaigrette. paired with the salads was our first wine quartino of the evening, a white wine made from the falanghina grape. this was a nicely balanced wine, being not too dry or too sweet, and was great with the salads. along with the salads, we also supplemented a dish entitled gnocco fritto. these were basically pastry puffs topped with prosciutto. we really enjoyed these, and could have probably eaten another plate full of them! following the salads was the pasta course. we added one extra item, and shared all three selections. pictured above is the egg raviolo. this dish is a single pasta pillow stuffed with cheese and an egg yolk, and topped with a cream sauce. the raviolo was incredibly rich and delicious, and eating more than one of them would have been difficult. our second pasta choice was the tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, shallots, and parmesean. this was probably my favorite dish of the night. the thin tagliatelle noodles were wonderful in both taste and mouthfeel, and the mushrooms, although small, had a nice full flavor. finally, our last pasta selection was the ricotta gnudi. this was my wife's favorite dish of the evening, and i let her eat most of it. the bite of it i had was enjoyable, but i do not remember much about it. for our main entrees, we both opted for the mangalista pork ribeye with roasted potatoes and salsa verde. the ribeye was nicely marbled, perfectly juicy, and had a wonderful rich flavor. the potatoes had a slight crispiness to them, and were also quite good. for dessert, we chose the bread pudding and the panna cotta, and shared them both. shown above, the bread pudding for the evening was made with apples, and served with vanilla ice cream. while it was nothing revolutionary, acero's bread pudding was quite formidable, and was my wife's favorite of the two desserts. the panna cotta, which is an eggless custard, was topped with a salty carmel sauce. while my wife found it to be a bit to rich for her taste, i absoultely loved it. i think it was the subtle salt flavor that really did it for me. after savoring the last drop of my whisky, we paid the bill, and made our way to the car. on this evening, acero delivered in just about every aspect. between the two of us, we were able to try seven different dishes (had we not both ordered the same salad and entree, it could have been nine), and not once did acero misstep or faulter in any way. acero is a great restaurant for someone who enjoys italian cooking, but has tired of menus filled with basic choices like chicken parmeasean, fettucine alfredo, and lasagna. acero's menu changes with the seasons, and i fully intend to return to acero a few times a year to try new dishes. read more

Recently had dinner at Acero for the first time. We had great service and I enjoyed every bite. They had a really nice drink menu as well. We were given shots of their house made limoncello that was amazing! I truly enjoyed myself and will definitely be back. read more

4-course meal for $30 is a steal. I expected "just a taste" but I left full and happy. I chose the bruschetta, tagliatelle with mushrooms and cream sauce, rainbow trout, and bread pudding for dessert. It was all delicious. I went with a large group of people and everyone was very happy with their meals. Next time, I will get the egg raviolo - I just had a small taste of a friend's which has left me craving it! read more

We took advantage of the four-course tasting menu - a great deal if you want to sample a variety of the restaurant's offerings. The gnudi is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Restaurant is cozy and charming. read more

I may have to gush. This was one of my favorite meals in recent memory. We had the tasting menu, 4 courses for $40. So much food, but even better, the quality is amazing! I'm in love with the beet salad. Freshly roast beets and finely balanced with Marcona almonds and cheese. The crudo was fresh, delicate, and delicious. The mushroom pasta was simply done with the best ingredients and every thing shined. The strip was a perfect rare as ordered and the accompanying potato mash and creamed spinach were spot on. Really, give this gem in Maplewood a try. read more

We've eaten here a dozen times and used to frequently order take-out. However, our last couple visits to the restaurant have left us so completely dissapointed that we'll never be back. The service and food are both superb... when they feel like it. Otherwise, they present you with lackluster dishes - cold cauliflower, and a $10 single slice of prosciutto ended our love affair with Acero. No thanks. Their other joint, The Crossing, is ten times better and more consistent. read more

Oh Acero you are my new favorite restaurant. I'm stuffed but I cannot wait for next time! The four course tasting menu is an incredible value and delicious in every sense of the word. The anchovy salad, fresh ravioli, tuna with sunchokes, and chocolate torte are true culinary standouts. Perry, our server, was funny, knowledgeable, and warm. A complimentary orangecello shot to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday was a perfect ending to an impressive meal. I would suggest this restaurant to anyone and everyone who appreciate a great meal in every sense. read more

Based on the recommendations of Yelp and Riverfront Times, a business colleague and I went for an early dinner two weeks ago. We were the only people in the place when we sat down (5:00 or so). First of all, the tasting menu option, where you can pick from every dish on the menu, is a wonderful idea. I loved not having to choose between the food I wanted and the food on the prix fixe. That said, it did make it awfully difficult to choose. I ended up with the anchovies for a starter, the tagliatelle with mushrooms, a steelhead trout special, and the bread pudding with almonds. All were solid, but the tagliatelle is still stuck in my head two weeks later. I could have eaten a bathtub of that stuff. By the time we were sated, the restaurant was filling up nicely. I fully expect to try four different dishes next time I'm in St. Louis; make that three different ones and the tagliatelle. read more

Worth every penny. All 4 of us thought every bite was memorable. Treat yourself to the $35 4 course tasting menu. There is an extra charge for some choices, but again, I swear to you, it is worth it. I can only afford to go to restaurants like this a couple times per year (not because they're terribly expensive, but I double the bill with booze), and this place was money very well wasted. Go with as many friends as you can. read more

I won't go into details of everything we ate and how it was prepared or presented. I will say that my wife and I each ordered from the $30'tasting menu and thoroughly enjoyed each of the courses. There were several options for each course that we would have liked to try, so I am sure we will go back, but I'd guess they change the choices every one in a while. The presentation the dishes was very nice and the taste was all delicious. Our server, Mandi, knew all the dishes well and really helped us pick dishes that we both loved, and she very personable as well. First visit, will go back. Great value with the tasting menu and it is plenty of food.. read more

They had me at meat donut. From there every single course of the best prix fixe deal I've ever seen was like a gift that kept on giving. This place is ridiculous with a side of awesome and a splash of amazing. Here's the breakdown: Meat Donut. Get it. Seriously it will change your life in the best way possible. Light airy puff pastry of sorts with prosciutto di parma, sea salt and olive oil. Prix Fixe. Do it. Seriously. 4 courses for $30?!?!?!?! It's like stealing. I've lived in NY and SF and have eaten at some of the best restaurants around. This easily tops a lot of them in terms of great food - for $30. Pure pure thievery. Course 1: I went with the bruschetta - caramelized onion, blue cheese, rosemary and local honey. Sounds good right? Yea. It was. Course 2: Egg Raviolo - Locally farmed egg yolk, three cheeses in one giant raviolo. Oh and there was bacon. If I could bath in this dish I would. It was so delicious I had to literally stop myself from licking the bowl (because that would be wrong right? Except in this case I think it would have been oh so right). Course 3: Sea Scallops with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, pancetta and parmigiano. Cooked to perfection. Im pretty sure I dreamed about this dish last night. Friends also ordered the following: Crudo (so fresh and so good), Orecchiette (tasty), Tagliatelle (I assume it was good - he refused to share), Lamb rack and Steak. All fantastic and nothing left on the plates to prove it For dessert we got the figs, Panna Cotta, chocolate torte and Salted Carmel Serendipity Ice Cream. All divine. But I think the Panna Cotta took the trophy. In short, I was this restaurant in NY. Now. They would crush it. Hands down the best meal I've had in a long time. Go. Now. immediately. You won't be sorry. read more

Dude, I CAN'T EVEN! This place is so good. If you can get past the painfully awkward and somewhat rude hostess, you are not going to regret it. Get the egg ravioli. It is absolutely in the top 5 things I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. Also, and this sucks royally of management, apparently you have to request a booth when you make a reservation. If you don't and there is one open, you won't get it. It appeared that they were saving them for the older folks, ones they thought were going to spend a lot of money. Which is bs, because we spent a lot of money too. Normally something like that (combined with the rudeness of the hostess) would really keep me from ever going back to a place, but this time, I will make an exception. Oh and they give you like, one itty bitty tiny 2 inch piece of bread. Which is just weird and kind of creepy. I don't trust it. read more

This place focuses on VERY excellent tastes and flavors. This restaurant is sophisticated with a price to match. However, if you appreciate the subtle things about food, you won't be let down. But warning: if you are looking for Olive Garden "Italian" type food AND portions, then you really need to go to Olive Garden....don't go here read more

Sloooow service took over 10 min to take order. Took over 1hour 45 min for dinner experience. Food was ok. Mushroom pasta was good. Breached was not good. My boyfriend has the prechetta was ok.Don't think I will be going back!! read more

Brendan was my waiter! He was so funny and professional! He was very knowledgeable and prompt! I loved my meal and my total experience. Will definitely be back! Ask for Brendan! read more

After several good visits, totally terrible. Completely unprepared for a busy night. Chef pushed back on an inedible warmed-over dish, claiming it was fine. Will never return. read more

Great atmosphere, great service and fantastic food! Will be back again and again...had been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile, but somehow always went other places. So very glad finally paid a visit. Our waiter was very attentive and the manager even stopped by to check with us and spend a few minutes going over the cheeses and meat selections on the appetizer plate. All three of us dining thoroughly enjoyed the meal! read more

Possibly my favorite restaurant in St. Louis. Wonderful atmosphere with attentive staff. I've never had a bad experience here. The pasta is incredible, get the egg raviolo if they have it, or the squid ink pasta....or really anything on the menu. It's all delicious. The Black Manhattan is the perfect cocktail to end dinner. Must try. All in all, an excellent dining experience. Highly recommend. read more

My husband and I went there for dinner and had the prix fixe. Our server was wonderful - I had the affogato for dessert and he asked me if I wanted some cookies with it (very thoughtful). The ravioli with the egg yolk and cheese was just fabulous, I could have licked the plate clean but that would have been tacky. My husband raved about the scallops. It's very good Italian if you are looking for something other than St. Louis Italian (white sauce, heavy cheese etc.) read more

Time after time Chef, Somalíes, and rest of the staff deliver excellence... You must try the Raviolo, best in STL.