Absolutely the most wonderful meal! My daughter had the pork chop...it was incredible! I had the scallops...melted in my mouth. The chowder was so tantalizing!!! To think I started with a martini that Robert made and promised I would not be disappointed...he was right!! And Mark was an amazing waiter! Did I feel safe and protected throughout the meal....without a doubt! To end the meal with the bread pudding and peach cobbler was the sweetest end to a wonderful celebration. I missed you St. Louis...this meal was so needed and provided great finesse by the wonderful chefs. Thank you!!!! We had a wonderful time!!! read more

Great food, great service, great prices. Would recommend the salmon entree and the crab cakes

our first and only trip to oceano was on a friday night. we had a 7:30 reservation, and arrived a few minutes early. we checked in with the hostess, and proceded to wait 30-40 minutes to be seated. this can be frustrating, but if the food and service make up for it, i find this to be a forgivable sin, especially during peak hours on a firday night. what followed however, was a disappointing display of both service and cuisine. our server approached shortly after we were seated, and asked if we wanted to start with cocktails. we obliged, my wife ordered a cosmo, and i had one of their specialty mojitos. the server made a comment to me, making it clear he thought it was a femine drink, and he would never order it. he then said "give me a bud and a shot of jameson, and i am good to go." WTF, no one asked for your drink preference buddy. the drinks came, and they were both quite good. we still had not been served water, so we actually had to request some. at this time, we also order our appetizer, the kobe beef sliders. we sipped on our cocktails, and the sliders arrived about 8 minutes later. at this point we still do not have water, so i ask again, and am told they are low on water glasses, and he would have to go look for some. SERIOUSLY? how does this happen? we start on on the kobe sliders, and they actually turned out to be the highlight of the night. very very good. i should have just ordered a whole plate of these as my entree. finally, after the sliders, and before our entrees, we are brought water. i was having the salmon, so i ordered a glass of pinot noir. my wife asked the server for a wine to pair with her scallops, and his reply shocked us. he said he didn't know, as he does not drink wine, and then repeated his line about bud and jameson. this is a restaurant that serves dishes for $20+ al a carte, not exactly fine dining, but at this price point, it is inexcusable for the waiter to not be able to spit out a wine pairing for each dish. we have a decent enough wine knowledge to make the choice without help, and ordered her a glass of chardonnay. so the entrees arrive, and service aside, if they are good, the night will be salvadged. my salmon was not bad, but there was nothing special about it. i have cooked salmon that tasted just as good on my george foreman grill. my wifes scallops on the other hand, were awful. the only flavor either of us could detect was a burned flavor from the grill. they were still very tender, and in my opinion were not overcooked, they just had a very strong grill taste. as our waiter cleared our plates, he complained to us about the "shitty tip" he had received from a table near us that had just left. if the service he provided them was on the same level as what he provided us with, he certainly deserved it. we both ordered dessert, and i honestly dont remember what we had, so that should give you an idea of what i thought of them. overall, oceano made us wait for a table, wait for water, and provided us with poor service and lackluster food. we have no plans to return. read more

Delicious lunch. Lemmon Risotto, Beef Sliders--Great execution. OK just great fun experience.

Horrible-mediocre food and totally overpriced. I ordered linguine with shrimp, and the shrimp were literally inedible. The linguine was edible but tasteless at best. They need new cooks in the kitchen. To his credit, the manager struck my dish from our bill, but I paid for the dessert he promised me. My mother's dish was also mediocre and we agreed never to return. read more

I had a Hot Sauce coupon (remember those?) for OB and invited a former roommate out for a man-date. Things went so well, he's been hounding me for a second date...on the condition that we go to Oceano. That makes me kinda suspicious that what he really liked was the food and service, and not my sparking dinner conversation. He could easily be forgiven for using man-date as a pretext for going back to Oceano Bistro because the food was amazing, the service was sterling, and the ambiance creates a strong date-y atmosphere. After I rebuffed his requests, my former roommate brought his wife to Oceano and apparently had a lovely time...without me. read more

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Two fantastic experiences and man did we test them. New Year's Eve and Clayton restaurant week. On New Year's Eve, my husband and I went to Oceano in a party of 8. We were running 5 minutes late so we valeted the car (valet was ready and waiting) and ran in to find our party seated promptly at reservation time. This place caters to those with gluten allergies and intolerances so it earns a bit of a plus in my book ahead of time. The service was outstanding on New Year's. Not a half empty water glass to be found. The food was very good and the only reason I don't say excellent is because both husband and I noticed that our entrees could have used a bit more seasoning. (After our second visit we think this was just due to the busy night). I enjoyed the bistro market salad and cod special and my husband had the ceviche appetizer and lobster tails. The rolls that are served before dinner are very good and are served with an olive oil for dipping that has some red pepper sauce in it that adds so much. I also had a bite of the bread pudding dessert and it was amazing. Everyone at the table left very happy. I made reservations for my mother-in-law's birthday not realizing it was during Clayton restaurant week. It worked out though because some of the party ordered off of the special menu. Again, with 3 in that party having celiac disease, we SO appreciate the clear labeling and catering to them. We were seated again promptly at our reservation time. For appetizers, my husband and I shared the ceviche which Ryan said was actually better than on NYE and he thought maybe they had forgotten the salt on NYE. I really enjoyed that ceviche which was in thin slices instead of a diced ceviche. Ryan had the full-sized sofritto and ate every last bit of it. The mussels were cooked nicely and not chewy, the shrimp was perfectly done. He was a happy man. The other two gf members of our party had the half sized (restaurant week sized) sofritto and also enjoyed it. Other entrees tried that night: scallops with alfredo fondue, tuna, and filet. I had the scallops which were done perfectly and the fondue/cheese sauce that came with it was out of this world. I did get to try a bite of the tuna and the spices they crusted it with were really flavorful. My favorite thing at Oceano is their spinach and bacon side dish which you need to order a la carte. It is phenominal. I know, it's spinach, but just try it. Several desserts were tried as well, a chocolate and vanilla creme brulee pairing that was part of the restaurant week menu, the phillo wrapped brownie with ice cream and the Serendipity ice cream sampler. Again, no complaints, only compliments. The decor is simple and elegant and pretty much what you would expect from a Clayton restaurant. The food and the service do the talking and I will be back to hear more. read more

What an awful experience tonight. Took my son and wife for dinner. Sent my lobster tails back because they were raw - came back 15 min later still raw and cold. Manager wanted to replace, but son and wife were done eating and lost my appetite w raw lobster - expensive dinner where I did not get to eat. Will never return! read more

Oceano has continued to exceed my expectations of quality, fresh seafood, Our first visit there we asked if they had Oysters Rockefeller & our server said they did not though they would prepare them Being a true Oyster lover, these were Great!!!. It continues to be our Fave Seafood in the St. Louis, Mo. area. read more

Came here for lunch about a month back and had the snapper fish tacos. They had an overly powerful spice rub on them and even that couldn't mask the fishiness of the fish. For being a seafood restaurant I would hope that they could at least have fresh fish to serve. read more

Excellent seafood! The warm water sea bass is the best. The soffritto is good (and encouraged) but was disappointing in the tasting size of the seafood in the dish. I understand the light menu is very inviting. Exciting atmosphere with a super busy bar scene. What I have not enjoyed so much are the in depth conversations initiated by the servers. I don't need to know personal histories before listening to descriptions of the menu. (Guess I'm a "just the facts ma'am" kind of customer). If you love seafood prepared perfectly, or good food in general, Oceano is your place. read more

Apparently, the grilled scallops are supposed to be "The Dish" here. We were not impressed with the scallops nor with the crab cakes which we ordered for appetizer. The service was ok, the server was not very personable nor friendly. If you're looking for great food, this is not the place to go. read more

Let's face it, excellent seafood is tough to pull off in the midwest, especially if you prefer the saltwater variety. I may be a little biased hailing from the sunshine state though. Oceano makes a good attempt at putting together unique and tasty offerings...there were at least 3 items on the menu that caught my eye. For starters I had a bowl of their house made clam chowder that was "okay", though nothing that blew me away in terms of flavor. Looking back, I'd pass on the soup and have a bowl of Campbells at home instead. I ordered pan seared scallops and paired that with a mushroom & squash risotto which was probably some of the best I've ever had. Prices are a little high for quality/quantity of food, though the presentation was excellent (presentation probably lending itself to the higher price). I will say that service at the restaurant is stellar, the staff are very attentive and quick on their feet. read more

First, the service was fine. The appetizers (Prawns with provencal saffron relish, garlic aioli; amber glazed flatbread with caper cream, wild greens and fennel) were excellent. We ate every crumb of the starters and were eager for the main courses. The grilled salmon with apple fennel salad and bacon wrapped arugula cake was good, but not extraordinary. The grilled jumbo sea scallops were tasty but too salty. After the first two, though, the cumulative salt in my mouth overwhelmed any other taste: I was drowning in the sea. Perhaps that is why I could detect no trace of the white truffle flavor that the beurre fondue (i.e. cup of melted butter) was supposed to have. The ambiance was okay, the service was fine, but for the price, we wanted more from the food. read more

Such great food and drink. Gorgeous sunshine by the windows. John Zeppo aka Greyhound-made our brunch extraordinary. Meticulous attention to detail, perfectly poached eggs, blissfully tart arugula, wonderful. read more

I dined here about three weeks ago with my parents and beautiful girlfriend. The service was great....the food was even better and the owner came over and talked to us for a bit. We felt very welcomed and everyone was extremely satisfied upon leaving. I would highly recommend restaurant for anybody looking for an independent seafood joint. read more

This restaurant was highly recommended, so when in St. Louis, I made a point of stopping for lunch. My first warning should been the low proportion of seafood items on the lunch and dinner menus. I ordered the "Maryland crabcakes" for an appetizer. It was an insult to any Marylander. It didn't even resemble any kind of crabcake that I'd ever had. No strands of crabmeat, let alone lump or backfin crabmeat. Was entirely filler. As my mother, who was with me exclaimed "this is mush!" Would have not even qualified as poorly made deviled crab. Was shockingly bad!. We politely returned it (our waitress was very accommodating) and ordered fritto misto. It was properly fried (not greasy), but the only pieces of seafood in it were obviously scraps from other dishes. Incredibly tiny morsels! Then we had the lobster risotto--another disappointment. The flavor of the risotto was delicious, albeit slightly over salted (and I'm a person who usually loves salty dishes more than most). The shocker was the sparse amount of lobster. Only about 4 or small bites per full serving. Again, shocking! Used to upscale restaurants in the Washington, DC area, I'm used to small servings, but not with a such a stingy amount of the key ingredient. Also, the lobster had no flavor that I could discern. Maybe the problem was that we were ordering a dinner item at lunchtime. But even so... Finally for dessert I had an apple cobbler. It was an interesting take on this standard dish, but not particularly delicious. Just interesting components that tasted merely okay. The only outstanding quality was the high price, which was high by standards in topnotch DC restaurants. I must have it an off day, otherwise I don't understand the popularity of this place. St. Louisans must be desperate for upscale restaurants if they are flocking to this poor imitation of one--and an overpriced one at that. And as for good seafood, I certainly couldn't find it. Why not head a few miles west to Bristols? read more

DO NOT EAT THE TUNA BURGER!!! On 4/22/14 I went to Oceano in Clayton for lunch. I had the Tuna Burger (medium) with a side of fruit. I went back to work and started to feel very hot. My head starting hurting really bad, developed a high pulse, and my hands started to turn dark red. Next, my face turned really red and I developed rashes all along my chest and arms. I hurried and took some Benadryl and it seemed to help out. I called Oceano to explain the situation and they (Victor and Josh-managers) said they would talk with their chefs to see if they have changed anything in the recipe of the tuna and check with the bakery for the bread it comes on. They called back and said nothing has changed and they said "this sounds like an individual case...if they hear of more cases they will contact us." So, they stated this was an individual case...well they lied. A coworker went to Oceano on 4/21/14 and had the exact same meal! The same thing (rashes, headache, high pulse) happened to him. He actually had to go to the emergency room because he felt so bad. The doctor told them they got Scombroid Food Poisoning. Scombroid Food Poisoning: is a foodborne illness that results from eating spoiled (decayed) fish. They called Oceano to tell him about the situation and they said the exact same thing to him..."this sounds like an individual case...if they hear of more cases they will contact us." Oceano is basically serving bad Tuna and they know it. Who knows what else is bad that they are serving. This has happened more than one time and they won't even take the item off the menu , but instead continue to serve bad tuna. They handled this situation very poorly. The Department of Health will be contacted regarding this. I will never go back to Oceano again. read more

We love Oceano - great food and amazing service. We just brought our almost 2-year old for dinner and our waiter was super fast and attentive - SO important with a potentially fussy toddler! read more

My husband and I love this restaurant! The one thing I am impressed with is the service standards for a small bistro, it is not just about the food, it is about the experience you have. We were worried at first because we had a new server waiting on us, you know sometimes how that goes. We ask for two glasses of wine, she than goes into explaining her favorites and explaining the characteristics of each wine and what appetizer it went well with. She told us she lived in Washington DC and recommended the Maryland lump crab cakes to start off with, we loved them. She than guided us through the menu and offered her favorites and if interested what wines went well with them. We ordered the risotto and tenderloin, both were great but the sizes were skimpy for the prices. The food was good, but the service sets this restaurant apart from all others. read more

We ate lunch here, sitting on the patio in the cool breeze in late May. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the Bistro. My husband had the fried fish sandwich and i had the tuna burger without bread, lettuce instead. It was great and i would absolutely go back, sadly that may never happen unless we come back to St. Louis one day. read more

Needed a spot for dinner and we had no idea where to go, so we just randomly stopped here. It wasn't too full, there were plenty of empty tables. Our server came over right away and brought our wine out quickly, always a plus. Who wants to wait for their wine? Not this chick. Dinner was good. I gotta be honest, I was quite stressed that night, and I don't remember for the life of me what I ordered, but I remember the wine come out quickly! lol. I'd like to come back some time when I actually can pay attention to details. Service was good though. read more

Great service, great atmosphere, great food. The salmon was wonderful, as was the seafood chowder.

Went here for brunch last Sunday with a "Meet Up" group of young couples new to STL. I had an omelette, and it was good. Our waitress was really nice, too. I'd give this 4 stars, but to me it's overpriced. read more

A girlfriend and I spent a leisurely lunchtime at Oceano and had a wonderful time. The atmosphere was quiet, yet busy and we were afforded the privacy and time we requested, without ever feeling hurried. The server helped us choose a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and we were impressed with the wine list. My fresh trout was delicious, with a side of spinach which was cooked perfectly and without a morsel of garlic, as per my liking. Oceano is not a cheap date, but the service, atmosphere and fare are well worth the indulgence. read more

Went to brunch earlier today. I was disappointed that the make your own omlett had been removed from the menu bc i had decided thats what i was going to get looking online prior to my arrival. Instead i got an egg sandwich and the waitress offered other options over the hash browns...breakfast potatoes or fruit. I was VERY annoyed when my bill came and i was charged $3 for the fruit! That should've been disclosed when i ordered...especially bc she offered the fruit instead of the hashbrowns. Little things like this stick in my head and make me pick other places to dine. read more

We started with a great Happy Hour Appetizer Hour, but stayed on into dinner. Ordered the filet, since we had fish appetizers and it was cooked to perfection. Nothing left on my plate! Great dinner at a great value. Have a glass of Malbec with your steak dish, yummy! read more

we love it every time! best happy hour!!! super delicious, generous portions, quality drinks. the staff is very friendly. nice ambiance. read more

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It's surprising how few seafood restaurants St. Louis has, but this is one of the best. Friendly service, fresh seafood and a moderately dressy atmosphere make this place a winner in Downtown Clayton. Most dishes are somewhat simple in preparation, but the food is tasty and fresh and prices are not too high. Good for business dinner, couples or groups of friends. read more

I'm basing this review off my 2nd visit. The first of which was fantastic in all aspects. Service was great, our martinis were done very well so ut was a good start. We started with the ceviche appetizer which is a bit of a fusion between a yellowtail carpacio and ceviche citrus flavors. It was good but didn't quite have that fresh abundant flavor I expect from a ceviche dish. My girlfriend had the scallops which were fantastic, great flavor and wonderfully cooked. I had the sea bass which we were informed was one of their most popular dishes and I'm A. A huge sea bass fan and B. Grew up on the ocean in Sarasota on fresh seafood so I have a strong grasp of what I'm looking for. My dish left me dissapointed in fact I kept asking myself if itnwas even sea bass I'd been served as the texture was nothing like any sea bass I'd ever had I'd typically say sea bass is very light and buttery and just falls apart as soon as you touch a fork to it. This fish seemed much more dense and heavy and not remotely the delicate flavor I'm accustomed to. The flavor was in fairness quite good. And the risotto OK but nothing special. I'm not sure we'll return given the prices compared to what we got. Maybe if we stick to the scallops... read more

So I splurged and went for the filet and it was so worth it! Perfectly cooked and delicious! I came with a party of 8 and Julia made it seem effortless! The food was amazing as was our service! We will be back for both and can only hope that the knowledgeable, competent, funny and adorable Julia will be our server! Hopefully for this happy hour we have heard so much about! Thanks for an awesome time filled with great food and awesome company! read more

St. Louis needed a place like this. There aren't many options for an upscale seafood specialty place otherwise. It's in a great dining location (Clayton), and liked their seafood selection, but not every dish is a hit. Creme brulee desert was good. read more

Free bread served with olive oil, nice atmosphere whether you like casual or more intimate, the dining space is large enough to accomodate any occasion, mostly professional crowd at lunch or happy hour... what else can you ask for?! . I've gone to Oceano over a dozen times for lunch with coworkers and never have I been disappointed. They hire very good servers with high knowledge of the menu and attentiveness. I give them 5 stars mainly because of the service, I noticed in various restaurants, when it is super busy, the servers are overworked. Oceano has this under control and handles its crowd very well. The crabcakes are legit! They are so deliciously warm and served with some creamy sauce that takes them to another level. Whether you get them in a sandwich, or on their own as an appetizer, you can't go wrong with it. In my opinion, Oceano serves some of the freshest seafood I've had in Missouri (Bristol does a great job too). The Maryland crabcakes run for about $13-14 I believe, you get 2 nice size cakes that are very filing. A sandwich cost a little less than that. I've also had numerous salads which were always fresh and crispy. Depending on your topping the salad may cost you up to $15 at lunch. Happy hours are very good as well in terms of pricing. I don't have any complaint about this spot, It is one of my favorite in Clayton. Lunch, happy hour, dinner, you can't go wrong with Oceano! read more

The food was really good! My only Takeaway is that the portions were really small. And not necessarily worth the price...Maybe...This is a pricey place but the food is really good. I've eaten here twice one other time was Sunday brunch and it was really good as well but the portions were still small. read more

Oceano Bistro is becoming one of my favorite places to get excellent food and service!! My last time here was for lunch with 2 of my very good friends!! I ordered the New England Seafood chowder & their special, which was fish & chips!! Definitely, one of the best chowder that I have add any where!! The fish & chips were very yummy!! I don't remember why we received free desserts this day, but we did!! Their dessert chef is fabulous!! I had their bread pudding. It also came with home made vanilla ice cream!! If you are looking for a great place for a special meal or for great food and service, please give Oceano Bistro a try!! read more

I enjoyed my shellfish sofrito. I didn't appreciate the upsell on every single thing our table ordered. The atmosphere is fine. The group tables leave you fighting to NOT be the one stuck in the middle with the table at your stomach and a pole between your legs. The server was fine (other than the upsell) and the prices, while high, seemed reasonable for seafood. read more

A friend and I had dinner here on Sunday, November 13, and couldn't have been happier. We didn't have a reservation, but when we called, we were welcomed and told they'd accommodate us when we arrived. That's exactly what happened when we did arrive. We were interested in sharing some dishes to maximize flavor experiences and minimize calories, so we decided on the calamari and rock shrimp with tempura veggies as an appetizer, and then a special entree of the night plus roasted veggies. We came to this decision with the help of our excellent server who clearly wanted us to have a great evening. Wines by the glass are very diverse, and quite reasonable. We each enjoyed a glass to our taste that paired well with the food we had ordered. Now to discuss the food: Calamari-Rock shrimp-tempura vegetables: delicious and perfectly prepared with an amazing variety of veggies (including fennel!); perhaps a bit more seafood would have been nice, but we were happy. Entree: this special was a trio of seafoods: grilled salmon with a polenta cake, sea bass with mushroom risotto, and fried trout with a bit of salad. We split each of these, and still had plenty of food, and each of the trio tasted excellent (tiny quibbles: the salmon could have been cooked a bit less, and everything needed some salt and pepper). Grilled vegetables: asparagus, portabellas, carrots, squash, fennel, green beans and more were on this platter. They were the perfect accompaniment to our fish. A couple of the carrot slices were cut too thickly, and were therefore uncooked, and their balsamic-brie dipping sauce did not contribute anything, but this is minor. We left the restaurant both sated and happy. We WILL return. read more

Had read good reviews and liked the look of the place, so tried a Sunday brunch. Our waitress was prompt and pleasant but our Mimosas seemed to be only orange juice. The shrimp in my egg dish was only the small popcorn and had very little flavor. My husband had a version of eggs Benedict that was also pretty flavorless. Portions were small as others noted, although I wouldn't mind if it was great food. It's the only time we've been there so hopefully that is not the norm, but we were disappointed. read more

Again, so good! In town to visit family. Amazing dinner. Come here every time. Food excellent, service on point! Dave is amazing. There when you need him. Recommendations spot on. And when you're not feeling his first recommendation, totally open to helping you with more choices. Was a great night. Will be back many, many times. read more

Excellent they offer heart healthy menu items. Not usually a Salmon fan but it was excellent even off the heart health menu. Service was excellent read more