Food was fabulous- my wife is a great cook and can be tough to please when it comes to Italian food but she was bowled over by how great the food and service was. The evening was fantastic- not inexpensive but worth every penny! read more

Should be 4.5 stars. Best Truly regional Italian in STL, but that is a pretty low bar. Still, they clearly have a desire and passion to put out good quality fare here. read more

My wife and I have dined at Acero twice in the past year with out-of-town guests, and each time was a truly special evening. We selected the tasting menu each time, and can honestly say that no dish disappointed, from start to finish. We are going back in a couple of weeks with friends, and while my expectations are high, I have no hesitation at all about recommending Acero as our choice for the gathering. read more

What outstanding food! As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, so brace yourself for a little sticker shock. But if you're in the spending mood, rarely will your pallet be so pleased. The service is good, and the space eschews the stuffy atmosphere often found at other fancy Italian joints (I'm looking at you, Tony's). read more

Acero's meat donuts (Gnocco Fritto) alone are 5/5 stars. They consist of prosciutto layered on top of a delicious warm puff pastry. I order the meat donuts every single time I come here. The Egg Raviolo is another one of my favorite items on the menu. The portion is very small for $15 but I think it's worth the price. The personalized 4 course tasting for $35 is an EXTREMELY good deal and lets you try one appetizer, one pasta, one entree, and one dessert. read more

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Came here for a late dinner with two girlfriends to splurge big time for my 30th birthday dinner. Opted for the tasting menu which was an awesome way to be able to try a variety of dishes. I'm terrible and can't remember what all I ordered (the online menu isn't the same version we had a month ago), but holy crap, it was an amazing meal. Our server was incredibly sweet and patient with all our questions and indecision (I challenge you to make a quick decision in here), and explained all the dishes we weren't sure about. This is one of those Italian restaurants that will ruin lesser Italian places for you forever! At around $60 for my dinner, wine and tip it isn't someplace I will be returning to anytime soon, sadly, but it was well worth it for an amazing meal and great ambiance with great company. read more

This is a nice Italian restaurant. I ordered the "perfection" (carmelized onion, blue cheese, herbs and honey) bruschetta, and the ravioli. My mother ordered a pasta dish with fresh, in-season, morel mushrooms. We had some nice italian wine there (they only serve italian wine). We thought the food had a little too much salt. The service is pretty great too. read more

Excellent food. Meat donut overrated. It was a donut dough with prosciutto on top. Not spectacular. The wine menu was excellent. Had the tagliatelle with mushrooms. So good. Would come back. read more

This is our special occasion restaurant and we can never resist the homemade ravioli. The only challenge is choosing between the well designed tasting menu or ordering a regular main course. Have always been pleased with the fish dishes and they know how to match wine. Always outstanding service. Highly recommend Acero. read more

Memorable meal! Everything was fantastic. Gotta try the Charcuterie board and Egg Raviolo.

Can't say enough good things. It is all soooooo good. We will be back and back again, and again, and again! Our new favorite. There is nothing light about it, but man! Every bite, and I mean every single bite or sip, ignites the taste buds in your mouth! Wow!!!! read more

Awesome dinner for our group of 30 last night. The best prosciutto I've had in the U,S. The gnudi were light with a savory pesto. The Panna cotta was creamy, and uniquely flavored with fall spices and apples. read more

I love this place. We've been twice in six weeks.It seems every menu item is delicious. The service is top notch. Make sure you are seated in the front room...the ambiance in the back is not desirable. If you are looking for dishes different from all the other places, this is your next place to try. read more

Excellent service. One of the most personalized experiences I've had in a restaurant... anywhere. Definitely a little pricy, but in my opinion the food is certainly worth the cost. read more

One of our staples. The tasting menu is a great deal and lets you sample a bunch of their tasty dishes. I am a big fan of the Tuscan anchovies, linguine with clams, lamb, and scallops. As for desert, the wife and I always "share", or battle to the death over each bite of the warm chocolate torte with ice cream. read more

A solid and affordable Italian option. It won't change your life, but you will be glad you went. The pastas are excellent; the entrees are pretty good. The tasting menu is a great way to go - $30 for 4 courses (though many of the top dishes have a $5 upcharge each). I recommend it for a nice spot to enjoy a rather loud dinner. read more

My friend and I had dinner here, and we both left feeling completely satisfied... Acero provided the perfect dining experience! The restaurant was quaint and quite pretty on the inside, and there was just a lovely, warm ambience to it. We opted to have dinner and drinks at the bar, and I'm very happy we did because our bartender/server provided exceptional service... he was really nice, knowledgeable, made great suggestions, and he made sure to check on us and that we were taken care of without being intrusive. Everything we had was delicious... the manhattans were some of the best I've ever had, the meat and cheese appetizer was scrumptious, and the pastas were perfect. I'll definitely be going back for the four course tasting menu. read more

Poor service but good food and ambiance. It took my family and I 2 hrs to have dinner. The food is comparable to Pasteriea but without the loudness. Pleasant experience. read more

Acero runs the gambit from being really, really, good to very mediocre. We were a group of six and four of us had the tasting menu so we got to try a number of things and shared them with each other. On the really, really, good side would fall the Egg Raviolo and the Local Chicken. (The desserts were also all really good.) The sea scallops were good and the special of the day Salmon was overcooked and fits firmly in the very mediocre category. Our server also ran the spectrum from being good to very average. While she had a very pleasant personality her server skills were lacking. We asked for parmesan for the bread early on and it was never brought. I also don't believe she attempted to deliver the correct dish to the right person once. (The local Applebee's server can accomplish this feat with no trouble.) A related server issue is actually what takes this review to a 3. When our party of six was presented with the bill we were advised that a 20% gratuity had been added in because we were a table of six. I will never understand this type of policy. The place was less than half full so it's not like we were tying up resources. I'm almost always going to tip at least 20%. Mainly because it's easy to do the math! However an establishment telling me that I must tip 20% because we had 6 people at our table is just a bad policy. When they tell me I must tip a specific amount for very average service it becomes an even worse policy. (Simultaneously they tell you that it's at their discretion if they will provide separate checks!) So we were given an average (at best) server but told we must tip her 20% on a large bill. That's a deal breaker for me. While I'm sure I could now identify the best courses to order at Acero and have a much better dining experience I won't have that chance. read more

What took me so long to get here? Every single morsel was perfection along with great wine and cocktails all served with love. Can't wait to go back! read more

Been to Acero before, and for a special occasion, you can feel safe that Acero will deliver. We got the 4-Course tasting menu, which left me full and satisfied. Not much to say other than that the food is always amazing, they know how to do their Italian. In the winter months, try for a table away from the doors- they dont have a separate entrance area, so when its cold outside, you will feel it when patrons come and go. read more

We had a great meal. Our server was Marco and he was fantastic. I would recommend him highly if you can get his section. We did the grand tasting menu and had a great experience. Highlights were the Tagliatelle pasta, the Egg Raviolo, the Walleye, Scallop, Lamb short rib, Pasta Bolognese. We got tastes of all those and they were great. The Bruschetta also was very good. Dessert also was so so good. We got small portions of the cheesecake, panna cotta, warm chocolate torte, and salted caramel ice cream. Excellent meal, we will go back again soon. read more

We had dinner at Acero last night and we were not happy with the food. Three of us had the steak and one had the halibut. The steak was tough to cut and extremely chewy. The fish was over cooked and tough. The only thing I liked was the beet salad. It was an expensive meal and they charged us for my adult sons birthday dessert. Our server was just ok, not that friendly. I was very disappointed. read more

Ever since I came back from spending 4 months in Italy, I've been wary of Italian-American restaurants. I've been CRAVING good Italian food, though, so I set out on a quest for an authentic Italian restaurant. Luckily I found Acero! Service=excellent. House bruschetta=delicious. The polenta was my favorite dish of the night. The biscotti were pretty good as far as flavor, but they were a little hard for my liking. Also, I loved that they use local produce and grass fed beef. We were short on time so we didn't try the 4 course meal, but the three of us shared one course + dessert and I felt perfectly full! The portions seem small compared to the standard American size, but I personally was grateful that I didn't end up eating 1,000 calories worth of pasta! I will definitely be back to eat at Acero again! (P.S. "acero" means "maple" in Italian. And it's in Maplewood. Get it?) read more

We had the pleasure of dining at Acero this past Saturday and I could not wait to write a review because our dinner was so delish! We opted for the tasting menu which at $30 for four course is quite a good deal. I noticed a few reviews suggesting that the portions were too small, that certainly was not the case with our meal. I actually thought the portions were large compared to tastings meals I have had in the past. Our service was also spot on, but that could also have been because we were out for a late dinner starting at 9pm. I started with the insalata mista. It was great, lots of pecans, cranberries and goat cheese all chopped together. My second course was the ricotta gnudi which is like ravioli without the noodles, so just the stuffing served in small balls with all these yummy tomatoes and broth. My main course was the scallops. The dish had three medium scallops served on top of spinach and mushrooms. It was the perfect amount and the flavor was excellent. We had warm bread that was refreshed twice during our meal which was great especially because I got to dip it in my gnudi sauce:) For dessert my friend and I both chose the bread pudding which was a lemon poppyseed pudding with strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side. It was a great spin on bread pudding for the Summer. My friend had the acero salad, egg ravioli and the trout and he claimed they were all amazing. The trout looked particularly good, and was definitely a generous serving. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. The chef stopped by our table twice to see how we were doing and needless to say I will be going back! read more

Had the tasting menu last night. great meal. the butternut squash soup was tasty but not too rich. Pasta and lamb chops superb generous portions for a tasting menu and delightful chocolate dessert to finish Highly recommend read more

Without a doubt, my favorite Italian restaurant in St. Louis. Skip The Hill and head to Maplewood. Their food is the closest to the restaurants we found in Rome and Florence. The raviolo is a must for your first visit and the tasting menu is perfect when you want to try several different items and not break the bank. Service has always been excellent from front of the house to back. I didn't want to share this place on Yelp because I liked keeping it as my little secret, but mom taught me to share. Go to Acero! Mangia! read more

We had another GREAT dinner last night here. Our frist time there we did your 4 course tasting menu and it was spot on everything was great and sometimes its hard to get that good for the 2nd time. We had your 4 course tasting menu again and once again spot on great food and the timing of the courses being brought out was great too. The Ravalo (sp?) I could eat that almost every day!!! Our Server Brendan was great oh and one of the guys saw my eyes get big when he pulled out the huge green olives and he said they are great when stuffed wtih Blue Cheese apprently my eyes got bigger and he went and got me some! Thanks again for an awesome birthday dinner! read more

Awesome service. Fantastic food. I got the $30 tasting menu and wasn't able to finish my dessert so I got it to go, but instead our server gave me a free chocolate tort!! Defiantly going there again. Everything we had was just phenomenal. We had a great time! read more

Celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary at Acero and I could not have been happier with the experience. The service was top notch and the food was exquisite. Much thanks to Adam, the head chef, for his help planning and preparing a delectable five course menu that went above and beyond our wildest hopes. If you are planning an event, or a wonderful dinner out, I highly recommend Acero. read more

We took the 4 courses for $35 and the food was delicious (we tasted crostini fegato, amatriciana, ragu, scallops, porchetta, warm chocolate). Everything was perfectly cooked, especially the scallops and pork. They also offered us an appetizer (gnocco fritto) and extra ice cream. We are from France and Italy and we can say that it is worth your time and money. We have been twice already and love the service and the chef! read more

First time here. Will come back. We all got the sampling and loved it. Right portion sizes, not to much but enough to be satisfied. Only thing better than the food was Marco's and the rest of the staff's service. Pace of service was spot on. read more

Acero's corkage policy is $25 for the first two bottles and $50 for each bottle thereafter...then they automatically add a 20% tip on the corking fees. This is the most expensive I have encountered in any city. A group of 8 of us were at Acero this weekend and the waiter gladly uncorked 4 bottles of wine we brought without explaining the corkage fees. When the bill arrived it showed $180 dollars to uncork 4 bottles of our own wine. If you want your guests to order your wine, just let them know in advance and they will gladly order from your menu. Punishing them with hidden charges at the end of the meal is the wrong way to go about it. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in the city. The 4 course tasting menu provides variety at an amazing price. The food is perfectly and lovingly prepared and the menu changes with the seasons. Everyone is friendly and dining here feels like coming to an old friend's home. read more

The egg raviolo was great, as was my husband's ragu, but the appetizer special--gnudi--stole the show. It was like gnocchi but made with cheese instead of potato. One of the best meals I've had in St. Louis. read more

Nice atmosphere and in the neighborhood. Food is beautifully prepared, delicious and the server made some decent wine suggestions.

You have to love what they have done with Maplewood. Acero was one of the first to Believe in the the area again. Their spin on the real Italian cuisine the meats and cheese pairings with a nice glass of wine is refreshing. If you haven't tried it then you should it's best with friend as only good food and drink can be. I have old childhood friend that I need to do some catching up with and this where it's going to happen read more

I can not figure out what the big deal is abou tthis mediocre "italian" restaurant. Is St. Louis so easily pleased, that run of the mill passes for excellence and condescension passes for sophistication? I guess so. I have eaten at Acero two times. Once I wnet by choice and once was taken by friends. Italian friends. We had a chuckle over the many misspellings in the menu and grammatical mistakes as well. I figure that if a restauranteur can not get his menu correct, i.e. mis-spellings and totally incorrect words and grammar to describe the food. (almondo is not the Italian word for almond. It is not even an Italian word)! then he will take the same sloppy attitude when preparing the food. But the uproarious event was when the waiter after interuppting our conversation which was in Italian asked us if we knew anything about northern Italian food, whatever that means. We assured him that due to the fact that we all three were native born Italians that we did indeed know a bit about it. That didn't deter him and he launched in to a quite stupid and very erroneous definition of the differences between northern and southern as applies to Italian food at Acero. Anyway, we ordered and were greatly disapointed. Pasta was overcooked in one instance and decidedly to the crunchy side of al dente in another. and over sauced in all instances. Salads were drooping with dressing. The cheese plate had obviously been pre- prepared and cut as if we were at Cunetto not at high priced eatery.. (you do not cut parmigiano with a sharp knife, you break into chunks and eat it that way). I can not figure out how brussel sprouts land on a menu touting to be authentically italian, any more than Alaskan salmon. And, there is no such thing as Shrimp Scampi. Scampi are saltwater crayfish and are related to shrimp only by the fact that they both come from the ocean. Anyway, the place is mediocre with high pretenons and higher prices. It is Italian food for people who do not know what Italian food is, prepared by people who share the same ignorance. The ambience is fine. It is a pleasant room. The help need training in manners and the subtlties of sophisticated interactions. Service was fair to bad and varied from condescension to down home friendliness. I will never go back. read more

Had dinner here last night with my wife. After reading a bunch of the yelpers here, figured the $30 4-course tasting menu was the way to go. It did not disappoint. I had an herb smoked trout salad, tagliatelle with bolognese, duck confit, and some ice cream. Everything tasted great. I especially liked the tagliatelle. We usually split a bottle of wine, but wine by the bottle seemed pricey - like only a couple of options under $50 and then everything else $50+. Most bottles were in the $60-$90 range I think. That's a bit too much for me, so we ordered quartinos instead. This is basically two glasses of wine decanted and served at your table for $14-$20 per quartino. This worked well for us - we ordered two different wines and both were tasty. My wife had the salad with blue cheese (which she raved about), some pasta with mushrooms, crispy rainbow trout, and a chocolate lava cake with ice cream for desert. Everything tasted great. Bill was $97 after tax which seemed cheap to us for a nice fine dining experience. Service was good, our guy started to get busy toward the end of our meal, and the place was packed. Very lively. Nice looking crowd. I've heard some gripe about small portions but we were pretty full by the time we left. They aren't serving up Applebee's sized portions by any stretch of the imagination, but with the tasting menu I think most appetites would be met. read more

We came to Acero for the $35 four-course tasting menu, which was wonderful! The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor spaces and is nicely decorated. We decided to sit indoor because it was rather hot outside. The service was quick and friendly. We were afraid that the dishes would be small given the tasting menu, but the portion was almost as large as their entree portion. Both my husband and I were full by the end of our meal!. We will gladly come back for the tasting menu and try other dishes! read more