Polite Society Polite Society set the tone for my entire St. Louis trip. If you know me, you know -- if I see octopus on the menu, I'm ordering it. And this one did not disappoint. It was perfectly cooked, flavorful, and honestly one of my favorite dishes from the trip. I also had a scallop dish that was just as good -- rich, well-seasoned, and beautifully prepared. On top of the food, they have a really strong wine selection, which made the experience even better. The overall vibe is polished and elevated without feeling too formal. Service was great, food came out on time, and everything felt intentional. Highly recommend if you're looking for a nice dinner spot in St. Louis. read more

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Fantastic food, mediocre service. I took my partner her for his birthday, we were planning to celebrate with friends over the weekend but I wanted to treat him to a romantic dinner with incredible food in a laid back environment and this completely fit the bill. We had been previously for brunch but neither of us had been for dinner so we were really excited. From the moment we walked in the vibes just felt off. Not bad, just off. I made a reservation for 7pm. When we pulled up at 6:55 I noticed that my reservation confirmation showed 6:45. I'm certain I made it for 7:00. Not sure what happened there, and not blaming them for that, but I'm curious if that's why things felt off. When creating a reservation it prompts you to include any dietary restrictions and whether you are celebrating anything. I included that we were celebrating a 40th birthday. Despite the restaurant being relatively empty we were crammed directly next to another table despite other 2 tops being available. We were close enough to our neighbors to hear their entire conversation. It's a small space, I get it, but it felt odd especially since several tables around us remained empty for the 2 hours of our visit. I enjoy a leisurely dinner but that not what this was. The service was just that slow and inattentive that it took that long. We saw our server visit the table next to us several times before we were even greeted. I waited about 10 minutes before finally going to the bathroom and that's when he decided to come to the table, so if there was a greeting, listing specials anything at all I missed it'. He came by again when my partner was in the bathroom. We had already waited a while, I would not have minded waiting a little longer for us both to be present for the greeting. I want to be clear that the service was in no way bad, it was just very lackluster. The only real issue we ran into was waiting a very long time for one of our appetizers. Not the end of the world, but for the caliber of restaurant that this is I would at least expect attentive or kind or personable service and it was none of those. He was nice enough, but was very much an order-taker only. We were not offered any suggestions or recommendations at all, it felt very transactional. The kicker was as we were leaving we see someone (not our server) approaching our table with a dessert and a candle. They specifically walked past another party towards where we were sitting (the table next to us was gone by this point). We had paid our bill about 10 minutes earlier and were just walking away. I think "oh they are bringing him a birthday dessert how sweet!" So we sit back at our table only to see the same person backtrack to a nearby table and bring the dessert to them. I was mortified for thinking it was for us and actually sitting back down. We leave, there are 3 people standing there (including the person who brought the dessert and saw the whole thing) and no one even acknowledges us leaving. It was all just so bizarre. I wasn't expecting rolling out the red carpet and certainly wasn't expecting anything for free for the birthday, but I was expecting *some* level of hospitality, especially when I made it explicitly clear we were celebrating. My partner does not treat himself to ANYTHING nice and it was a milestone birthday. I wanted to make it unforgettable. We loved our food and again, didn't have a *bad* experience, but I chose to dine out to make him feel as special and well taken care of as he makes me feel and this just didn't hit the mark. read more

Food: quite good, for each person in our party. Auto-gratuity: not good; actually, quite bad. read more

my husband and I went to polite Society for brunch. I definitely recommend having a reservation. It was busy and we were able to sit down right away with our reservation. I really loved the ambience of this restaurant. I got a spicy bloody Mary to drink. It was so delicious. I got a build your own omelette as my main course it was so good and I loved that I could customize it the way I liked it. The portion sizes were great and the service was wonderful. Very excited to come back and try their lunch and dinner menu. read more

Polite Society - bloody mary - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

Cool corner spot for brunch - one of the more modern spots I found during my recent STL trip and a beautiful bar space. They have a nice full brunch menu including coffee (no espresso machine) and veggie options like avo toast and potatoes that were quite good and well seasoned. Service was prompt and took good care of us on a rainy day. They offer an option for bottomless mimosas if you're in the mood or even a spicy margarita. We also shared the waffle for our table which was a nice treat. I would return! read more

Polite Society - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

Great spot for bottomless mimosas! The food was good, but nothing crazy special. The mimosas are huge and such a good deal. Service was patchy, considering how few tables are upstairs. But a super cute place that I'll have to go back to. read more

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Came because it was in the Yelp top 100. Enjoyed what I got but might need to come again and try some new things. They have a great cocktail menu but we opted for a bottle of wine instead. The waiter was super helpful in helping us pick out a nice red blend. We got the octopus as a starter, which I don't personally love octopus, but my friend thought it was the best in stl. I also got the apple dish, which was listed under the salads but the waiter was sure to explain it's not an actual salad. Since it wasn't a full salad I also got the soup. Both the apple dish and soup were really good. It's street parking but there's lots of spots in the area. The bathroom is super nice with hairspray and mints if needed. Nice place for a good meal. read more

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Have been here many times. And it is good almost every time. This last time service was great, food was good, bloody maria was just ok. Ordered bloody & farmers breakfast, osobucco hash & eggs benedict. Restaurant is in a cool building in Lafayette Square- great brick & tin ceilings, nice wood stairwells etc. read more

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What a delightful experience we had at Polite Society! We arrived about 15 minutes early but were cheerfully greeted and seated right away. Our server, Dalton, was gracious and didn't steer us wrong! As we were celebrating 37 years of wedded bliss, the bar brought us two complimentary glasses of bubbly and an anniversary card signed by the staff and which contained a free appetizer gift card for The Bellwether! How lovely and unexpected!! We started our meal with the Gloworm cocktails (delicious, bright chilled cocktail), the PEI mussels in the most delicious lemon garlic broth served with crusty bread and soup spoons and an order of their deviled eggs featuring roe and fried capers. If I'm honest, the deviled eggs could use a bit more seasoning and paled in comparison to the mussels. For dinner my husband ordered the pork osso bucco dinner, which was unctuous and delicious. I asked my server to help me decide between the bistro steak or the wild mushroom paparedelle. He told me that I could have the best of both worlds and have the steak on top of the pasta! Perfection! The pasta was delicious and the steak was seasoned perfectly and on the rarer side of medium rare. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and were delighted when they offered a slice of complimentary cheesecake. We accepted but asked for it to go. We enthusiastically recommend this restaurant and will return when next in St Louis. read more

Polite Society - My bistro steak on the mushroom paparedelle and husband's pork osso bucco. Delicious! - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

Update: I had brunch at Polite Society, and it was just as good as their dinner! We got a reservation for Saturday morning and walked right in at our time slot. This time we sat upstairs, which is just as cute and quaint as the downstairs part. I ordered the chorizo avocado eggs Benedict which was delicious, and the portions were big so I had leftovers to take home. The potatoes were perfectly crispy and serving it on a biscuit instead of English muffin was a unique twist. Only complaint is I wish they had more coffee options than just drip coffee. read more

Polite Society - Chorizo Avocado Benedict - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

we went for brunch and it was delightfu. we brunch quite a bit and this is I one we've done twice. the space is gorgeous and the food (I'm a waffles/french toast girly) was amazing. definitely recommend especially for special occasions read more

Lovely. Just lovely. From the very knowledgeable wait staff, Andrew, to the carefully curated menu, we thoroughly enjoyed Polite Society. We started with the deviled eggs - flavorful, creamy with a surprising crunch from the fried capers. The lamb meatballs were also delightful - with a balanced sauciness. We shared the St Louis salad, plenty for two. For our main courses, we chose the crispy chicken and bistro steak. Both of which were delicious. The vegetables especially stood out - roasted Brussel sprouts and cooked carrots both were fabulous. Overall, Polite Society surpassed our expectations! read more

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They have a perfectly curated summer dessert menu! I don't think I've seen this much thought or creativity put into a dessert menu- banana pudding, an ice cream sundae, and a chocolate tart that reminded me a fancy s'mores (among a few other options). read more

Excellent food. Smaller, neat presentations of food. We attended for Brunch and the ambiance was very nice for us as a switch up. Has more of an Artsy vibe which is a nice change of pace. Super Bloody Mary read more

Polite Society was our choice for Sunday Brunch and were pleased with the choice. The bar was nearly full by 10am this Sunday morning with Mimosa's, Bloody Mary's, and wine flowing freely. Both the host and the server, Ragan, greeted us warmly. Service was appropriately paced and each dish was freshly prepared and scrumptious. Polite Society has been added to our repeat list; our next visit will likely be for dinner. read more

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I had a craving for good french toast so I booked a reservation only to find out they've changed the traditional french toast with berries to a baked butter pecan french toast. The new french toast is more like a sticky bread pudding instead of a french toast. I was disappointed. They added breakfast tacos which were good and made with fresh ingredients! I'd recommend those. I'm sad to see the breakfast burrito leave the menu! The service from Reagan was great and prices are still reasonable. read more

Polite Society - Butter Pecan French Toast - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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It has been a long time since we've visited Polite Society, and boy, was I so happy to be visiting again. Service was superb. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. The portion size is generous and the flavors were not lacking! I do not think you can go wrong with any menu item however highly consider the mussels and charcuterie board. read more

Polite Society - Charcuterie board Tuna tartare special Mussels - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Today was my family's and I first time going. The food was soooo good omg. This place has been on my to-do list for so long. I'm so happy I was able to go. The vibes were amazing, it feels really posh, classy and like old money. Our server was wondering, very attentive, never felt rushed or anything. I love polite society, good food, good vibes, nice area. read more

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I had heard lots of great things about Polite Society and was excited to finally try it myself! I met a friend for brunch here and we were seated upstairs right at our reserved time. I appreciated how spaced out the tables up there were, which is rare for a brunch spot in the city. Even with every other table filled, it wasn't too loud for a nice conversation over our meal. Service was friendly and quick. I hadn't had an Eggs Benedict in awhile (since a bad one I had from another spot), and Polite Society's was delicious- really loved the Canadian bacon and English muffins they use in theirs. The potato wedges were great, and they gave me so many I had a bunch to take to-go. Will definitely be back soon! read more

Polite Society - Eggs Benedict - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

Delicious! Came right at opening on a Saturday for brunch with a friend. Had a fun, housemade sparkling cocktail and the bagel and lox, which came with chive cream cheese spread, capers, red onion, and some amazingly seasoned grape tomatoes. Very happy with all my choices. And the area is cute to boot. read more

Polite Society - Sparkling cocktails. Elderflower and blueberry/lavender - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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I had my birthday dinner here and it was great for the most part! I don't think anyone left unsatisfied. My favorite dishes by far were the salmon and bolognese! Our server was super sweet and made my birthday feel super special. Only downside is that our food took awhile to come out and we eventually didn't receive our food until 10 minutes before close. Other than that everything was great and I left with super cute birthday pics! read more

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Great service and pretty building. The food was really good as well, but the meat and cheese boards were a little meh for the price.

Everything was amazing highly recommend this place ? Servers do a very good job along with every meal -Thanks again read more

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Not very "polite" tonight, our water was brought out with fingers fully grasping the lip of glass, no they didn't give me a straw. A major faux pas for me, too many years serving water in high and college days. The St Louis salad was a winner, fabulous except I think I got only 2 slivers of heart of palm. I know it's expensive but not that expensive! The lamb meatball were good and bad, great consistency but way too much Mediterranean spice, particularly the "all-spice" which took away from the delicate flavor of the lamb. Warm baked bread was delicious. This is not a place if you're a low talker, the hard floors and brick walls make the acoustic perfect for hearing lots of noise. Wine prices are on the high side, anytime 1.5 glasses of wine cost as much as the bottle retail, I call that high. So good and bad, but always room to fix the minor issues. read more

Excellent food. So good!! And they are open on Mondays! Nice atmosphere. Here is what I tried that evening: Salmon, steak bites, scallops, deviled eggs, lamb meatball, broccolini and chocolate torte all ah-maze-ing!! How did I not take pictures?? I took off one star for service staff. Waiter has a bit of a sarcastic 'tude and clearly was not able to service the 2nd floor solo so timeliness of following up was lacking. Maybe have a 2nd server for large parties? This is a must visit. Great location in Lafayette Square. Go there and enjoy their delicious food! read more

This place was in an absolutely charming neighborhood across the street from a park. I was not greeted when I walked in but I knew I was meeting someone already there on the second floor. I made my way up to the adorable second floor, which was relatively full. Our waitress was not attentive and we could hardly hear her. She filled up my water and coffee once the entire time. I wasn't overly impressed by the staff. The food was fabulous, I got the breakfast burrito and it did not disappoint. Also got the breakfast sandwich with the cheesy grits. I didn't try these myself, but they had glowing reviews from my company. They have bottomless mimosa for 22.5 but only for an hour and half total, and judging how many times our waitress came to our table, it seems like that'd be a waste of money as you'd only get one refill lol. Overall I'd go back here solely for the food and atmosphere. read more

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My fiancé took me here for my birthday and we had such a lovely time! We got the Brussel Sprouts for an appetizer and it was so flavorful. Definitely enough for more than two people's I ordered the pork osso busco and he ordered the steak. Both were very flavorful and beautifully cooked and served with perfect sides. The service was attentive and helpful. I loved the way the place was decorated. They also gave me a card for my birthday which was a sweet touch. Nice special occasion spot (not an every day dinner spot $$$) read more

Polite Society - Brussels Sprouts - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Came here for Sunday brunch to celebrate my birthday. We had a reservation for 11 a.m., and were seated immediately upon arrival at a nice table by the window. Nice atmosphere inside with exposed brick, drop tin ceiling, etc. Food was excellent. I had the shrimp and grits and my husband had the praline French toast, as well as mimosas and coffee. Service was great: prompt and friendly. But waitstaff were all dressed very casually in jeans and t-shirts--a little surprising at a more upscale restaurant. read more

Polite Society - Shrimp and Grits brunch - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Everything tasted extremely fresh and came out quickly. Prices are extremely fair for the portions and quality of food. The potato's were to die for will have to come back for a some of the sweeter options! read more

Polite Society - Farmer's Breakfast - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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When you're in Lafayette Square, sometimes it is just fun to bar hop. If you do, be sure to save the best for the last stop. I did and Polite Society did not disappoint me. You've heard of Pub Crawls, well I was having my own private, Martini Crawl. I had already made a couple stops before arriving at Polite Society. When I lived in STL, PS was my Cheers and when I entered it was good to see, they still knew my name and Brian one of the owners remembered my usual cocktails of choice. We shared a laugh or two as I enjoyed, my Extra Dry Vodka Martini. I am a huge fan of lamb, so when I saw Lamb Meatballs on the Appetizer menu, I could not resist. They were four good sized crispy lamb meatballs, Harissa spiced and served with house made tzatziki sauce. They were delicious. So if you love lamb as much as I do, I recommend you go now and enjoy them before the spring menu is announced. My recent visit reminded me how much I enjoy, Polite Society. So I'm going to make the drive to Lafayette Square from my IL home and enjoy a gourmet dinner more often. I need and want more then just a martini and appetizer. read more

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Charming house-style restaurant located in a 2-story townhouse/storefront. We sat upstairs. Just be aware that the stairs are a little steep and narrow, which was not an issue for us, but may be for some. I enjoyed the pork shank with mashed potatoes and cooked greens. The entire dish was flavorful. They definitely do not skimp on portion size, which provides a very reasonably-sized complete dinner. The pork shank was generous and tender; falling off the bone. They also have full bar service with a talented bar staff, although I had the house white which paired well. We hope to make it back! read more

Drinks, food and service were great. Not a big menu but a variety or quality entrees, everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. They also have a variety of specialty cocktails. Homey elegant atmosphere in the back of restaurant where we sat. The front of restaurant is a bit brighter. read more

Polite Society - Mussels - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Polite Society is a swanky restaurant serving American new food. You know- date night, or girls night, dimly lit place, good music, drinks etc. We made reservations and came early and got started early, which was great. I got a glass of red wine to start. It was decent. We weren't that hungry so we didn't get any appetizers and just went straight to entrees. They had an amuse boche, which was a pasta chip. My friend liked it. It reminded me of a frito. I ended up getting the steak frites and my friend got the scallops. The scallops were amazing. It's a must. It was delicious. I would come back for it. Only 3 large scallops though over some veggies and a potato mash. My steak frites, the fries were perfect. It's delicious, so were the brussel sprouts. The steak itself was a little over cooked and dry and tasteless. They did include a sauce to dip the steak. The steak was underwhelming to say the least. I would pass next time. read more

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Went here for brunch with the girls and it was a super cute and quaint vibe. My friend and I shared the breakfast sandwich and the osso bucco hash (and to our surprise, they came out already portioned in half for each of us). The breakfast sandwich was good, and I especially liked the potatoes on the side with the aioli. Nice and crispy. The osso bucco hash was a great choice, especially if you want something more upscale. The sauce has a deep wine flavor and the pork is moist and rich. The egg on top is a great addition as well. A fairly complex dish, I was impressed. read more

Polite Society - Osso Buco Hash - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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Had a last minute party addition of 3 people and the host was so pleasant and accommodating--our reservations were originally for 4 people. This was a Birthday brunch celebration for my husband. Waiter service was attentive/timely and the food was wonderful!! read more

My friend and I went here for a nice final meal for our St. Louis trip after a nice walk around Lafayette Park. We ordered the bistro steak and scallops to share. I think the steak could've been better, mostly after seeing so many reviews and awesome photos of it, but it just lacked flavor for me. The fries that came with the steak though.. *chef's kiss*! I think it was my favorite part of the meal! The scallops were really good too - I thought it paired nicely with the sauce and veggies, and it was cooked well. Our server was very nice and attentive, and the ambience was perfect for a girls night or date night. They also have a bar side if you're looking for cocktails, so you could get dinner and drinks all in one place! read more

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I went to Polite Society for a big group brunch this past weekend. I've been before but not for years, and was very impressed! Our service was great - waiter was fairly attentive (especially before it got busy) and helpful with suggestions. I got the breakfast sandwich! Others in my party also got the chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and french toast. Everyone loved everything - zero complaints at all! The breakfast sandwich was SO good (plus it had both bacon AND sausage which I've never had but loved) and I was really surprised by the potato wedges - usually I'm not impressed by them but these ones were super crispy and perfectly seasoned! The chicken and waffles was probably the best. The chicken portions are insane (in a good way - and tastes great for leftovers!) - I'd definitely get that again. I also did the blueberry lemon liqueur which was delicious too! Would definitely recommend for brunch (get reservations though)! Can't wait to try again. read more

Polite Society - Chicken and Waffles - New American Near Me - St Louis, Missouri

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This cute quaint place tucked in the Lafayette Square area was the place to be on a cold winter night! Fell in love with the decor as soon as I sat down. Water and menus were brought right away. Cocktails were delicious and different. Really enjoyed the glasses they were served in! Don't dismiss their house made liqueurs as a an after dinner drink. I opted for the blueberry lavender and didn't disappoint. A great menu selection has something for everyone. We opted for the devil egg flight (I mean come on....devil egg flight!??) Second course was a roasted beet salad and the most delicious French onion soup with that ooey gooey cheese drip. Mains were a pork shank that just fell off the bone and some crispy scollops. Bailey was our serve and such a delight. Checked on us to ensure everything was perfect both with order and taste. A very delightful place for girl time or date night! Of note, we were reserved at their sister resturant but due to an issue they were unable to open. Polite Society took our reservation no questions asked and quickly were able to accommodate is this evening. It was truly appreciated and wonderful to see customers being taken care of so thank you! read more

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This was the first visit for my sister & me. Their Sunday brunch service was FANTASTIC, and our server (Reagan) did a great job. The food came out very quickly, and cooked to order. I also liked the decor of the restaurant. It has sort of a reading room vibe. It's very comfortable and welcoming. BTW, my suggestion is to get there early, to avoid the rush, which we encountered just as we were leaving. Regardless, you should DEFINITELY put them on your brunch radar. read more

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Came in on a Sunday with a reservation for a Birthday celebration (Table of 9). I had high hopes for this restaurant hearing positive reviews and seeing the welcoming interior. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated promptly. Our server, Jon, came over asking what we would like to drink, but we opted to wait as our entire party had not yet arrived. As people trickled in, drink orders were taken sporadically and brought out promptly. Once all seated, Jon came to take our food orders. His demeanor was unpleasant and gave off the feeling of not wanting to be waiting on us. Our food was brought out around 20-30 minutes later. Unfortunately, items were not cooked to order and requests to our server were not brought out. Mainly the eggs dishes were not made as requested and several second rounds of drinks were not given. I had the Farmer's Breakfast, a standard egg, meat, and potato entree. It was okay. Not anything special compared to other brunch restaurants. After eating, we brought a cake to celebrate, which sat in the middle of the table our entire service. Our plates were cleared after having to ask and request plates and new forks. There was no sense of above and beyond service to cater to our table and our needs. Overall, this was a disappointing experience. My friend whose birthday it was specifically wanted to come back for the great service. Unfortunately it appearances this aspect of Polite Society isn't upheld with all of their employees. read more

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