We look forward to Restaurant Week (RW) every year as an opportunity to enjoy a special dinner at a…read morelocal spot we've never visited. 5 of us came from St Charles County and were delighted with our experience at Cafe La Vie (located within the La Meridien Hotel, parking underground). The cocktail menu and RW menu were fabulous, and yet bringing it all to life with effusive knowledge and enthusiasm about the various dishes was our outstanding server, Corinthian. She shared interesting and incredible insight on each offering, making us feel valued and appreciated patrons, advising based on our interests and likes to help us make decisions. Each of us was pleased with our various selections. While the soups were tempting on a cold night, I was delighted with the French-inspired Lyonnaise salad complete with a perfectly prepared soft boiled egg. My panko-encrusted swordfish with burre Blanc sauce was light and tasty. The gooey butter beignets were light on the gooey butter custard-like filling, as promised by our server (and more special than the typical St. Louis dessert), sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate. The ample dessert (3) provided take home leftovers for delicious breakfast treats. The cocktails I enjoyed included a Japanese Old Fashioned & an Espresso Martini, both very good. Initially upon arrival, an adjacent table of younger women was unusually loud (in a space that doesn't absorb noise well) that I feared would spoil our evening; rather than approach them (tempted) or engage management, I glared a few times at them and it seemed to have resolved. Overall, this was a very enjoyable, comfortable, and satisfying dinner; we would return.

I was really excited to try Cafe La Vie. The ambiance is cute and the pics online looked lovely…read more While all of the servers were kind, they seemed a bit disorganized. It took a decent amount of time to get water and even longer with multiple reminders to then receive my coffee. I wasn't sure who exactly was supposed to take care of our table so it made it difficult to ask. Hoping this isn't a common experience for guests and it was probably just an off day for everyone. Food was good. I think the prices for quality and quality didn't meet my expectations. I hope to come back for a different meal time and try it again!

Stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday morning and it was great! We got coffee, a smoothie, scone &…read moreI enjoyed the avocado toast while my friend got the breakfast sandwich. Everything was fantastic -- the smoothie wasn't overwhelmingly sweet and all the food was really good. Food presentation was pretty too! It was a little busy, so there was a short line, but it moved pretty quick. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you. The staff was friendly and though there was a bit of a wait for our food, I think the ambiance was perfect for a slow Saturday morning. Can't wait to come back and try different things!

Great place for breakfast. My friend is currently obsessed with their scones which did look good…read more No scone for me, I got the soft scramble. Still not sure why it is called soft but it was delicious. 2 eggs on bed of arugula with avocado and toast on the side. I also got golden milk latte which was good. Loved my food and drink but prefer if portions were slightly larger. FYI- order at counter then they bring food to table.

And this bird can sing! I'm late to the intro, but happy to finally check in at the Tower Grove…read morelocation. Songbird makes great use of its space and should be near the top of your STL brunch list. A reasonably-sized (not-overwhelming) menu, great coffee, delicious cocktails, quick, attentive service, and undeniably delicous food. I took off on a redeye this morning (coffee courtesy of Blueprint), and landed on the Farm Sampler: two scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, sourdough toast, sliced avocado and sauteed shiitake mushrooms. Phenomenal flavors and textures. Toast is typically an afterthought for me, but the buttery crunch of the sourdough has to be spotlighted. The Bee's Knees cocktail was also a wonderfully refreshing prelude to the approaching STL summer. The time has come, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say: wake up, reserve, enjoy.

*Not accessible *Not kid friendly…read more This location has a lot of improvements to be made. The menu is bland and they deter you from making modifications. I wanted my toast's jam to be on the side and they said no. It was a thick tasteless brick without the jam. The items are not as traditional for a breakfast spot, and when I asked the server what they were known for she said the drinks.... They also run a tight turnaround time so they will make you feel uncomfortable when its time to clear your table and pay the bill because they will tell you the next reservation is in 5minutes. The plates were all different and my guest who got a sandwich had her food come out in a plastic fry basket instead of the nicer plates. Odd. As I mentioned earlier, they are not kid friendly as they don't have a kids menu or kid friendly items like fruit and pancakes. We ordered a side of avocado and chicken sausage as those were the safest for us. Also there are no changing tables in the restrooms. Accessibility note: the entrance is a giant multi-slope and 1 turn ramp into a cramped lobby. The men's restroom is the only one on the main floor and female restroom is tucked far in the backroom inaccessible due to a steep step in the back. It is not wheelchair or walker friendly.

Pastaria is ALWAYS one of my recommendations when people are in town. The service is good, their…read morefood is always consistent, and they have fun drinks. I love their Caesar salad, arancini, any of their pasta, and the house made gelato is a must!

I loveeee pastaria!! It's dangerous how close I live because I do frequent this place often and I…read morecan't believe I hadn't left a review yet! I pop in for gelato frequently, but I also enjoy the pistachio raviolis a lot. You really can't go wrong with any pasta choice, and I haven't tried their pizza but it looks and smells amazing. I usually enjoy my dinner with a glass of wine -- they have a great selection. If it's nice out, we try to sit outside. I do recommend getting a reservation because they get really busy during peak dinner hours! The staff is always friendly, from the hostess to the waiters to the bartenders, I've never had a bad experience. Highly recommend this place!

I've been to Ivy Cafe a number of times for coffee and breakfast, but today was my first time…read moreordering from the lunch menu. There are so many great options, and as expected, the food was really good. The coffee is always excellent too. What truly makes the experience stand out, though, is the service. Sarina is always exceptional -- friendly, attentive, and welcoming every single time we visit. She genuinely makes you feel valued as a customer and adds so much to the overall atmosphere. Looking forward to coming back again soon!

delicious food, beautiful café, attentive service, accommodating of dietary restrictionsread more

Love this place and the food is delicious if a bit pricy. My go to for celebration breakfast.read more

Update: I can't speak enough good things about OPH!! Every…read moreyear I come here I always love my experience--the wait staff is great and the food is quick and always delicious. This time I tried the savory crepe and it was sooooo good!! The hollandaise sauce on top was rich and it was filled with a mixture of eggs and protein. Will DEFINITELY eat it again!

I hadn't been here in awhile and WOW I was missing out. It's so big and airy and I love all of the…read moreplants. The indoor space, outdoor space, and even parking lot were all great! I love that they put on events with other businesses and have created a community. Oh and the food is delicious too! They have a great kids menu and high chairs available. The bakery case is always a hit, the meals are delicious, and the coffee is pouring. I will definitely be back here again soon!

From the curb, this looks like one of those places that sells potted plants. (I think they're…read morecalled nurseries, though I'm not sure why.) They might want to consider branching out into that field, in case someone pulls up wanting to purchase a ficus or whatever, so that they don't have to turn anyone away. It could help boost revenue, so that they're not having to constantly raise prices, like at McDonald's. There's a list of things this place carries on the building's facade, suggesting to me that this is a known issue. It's also announced that all are welcome, which came as a relief to me, since I'm never quite sure. I wonder if there was an incident, or if there's another place nearby that's known to turn people away. There's a nice little area where you can sit at some picnic tables set up in the parking lot, like you're on a smoking break at your old warehouse job, but the air was weirdly swampy, possibly due to "corn sweats," and we'd just gone on a run, so we decided to eat inside. We were all gross and sweaty. I hope no one minded. Their policy of not turning anyone away may have worked out in our favor. The group that I'm in is on a sort of breakfast burrito tour, so I already knew what I was going to get, though I was curious about several menu items featuring weird-looking boiled eggs, that I saw photos of here on Yelp. What in the world? They look like they were thought up by an eccentric gentleman of a certain age who still collects VHS tapes, for personal reasons. You could imagine Gene Hackman's character in the movie The Conversation eating such a sandwich. I briefly toyed with the idea of ordering one of those sandwiches, for the lulz, and now I kinda wish that I did. I prefer a breakfast sandwich to a breakfast burrito anyway, and the breakfast burrito here is just okay. It's neither very bad nor very good. I liked the sheer size of it and the simplicity of it. There's only a small handful of ingredients: eggs; your choice of bacon or some non-meat option (so just bacon); some sort of melty cheese, possibly cheddar; roasted red peppers and that might be it. I don't know that the peppers added much. I'd sub them out for something more interesting, like a salsa, a sour cream or a guacamole, maybe something with more of a temperature or textural contrast. The egg was weirdly rectangular and artificial-seeming, like maybe they're frozen pucks that they just microwave. I got an iced Coconut Latte, a seasonal item, and I'm not sure what was going on with that. It was good, but it didn't taste anything like coconut, to the point where I'm not sure if they gave me the right drink. The girl who took my order may not have heard what I said. People who work the register in these places get nervous when a big group walks in, like they're not going to be able to take everyone's order in time and, as a result, they're going to get let go--which would violate the terms of their parole. I can sympathize with their plight. I would never intentionally cause someone to get locked up just because they gave me the wrong drink.

I've been to this creperie a few times with my mom for mother's day and other occasions and I've…read moreenjoyed my experience. Finding a parking spot in that location can be tricky since it's a busy area and there only seems to be street parking. The wait time can be pretty long, but the crepes there are pretty good.

City Coffee & Creperie is such a gem, especially in the Clayton area! They have a beautiful plus…read moreindoor patio as well, so it's always a hit for me no matter what. The service is pretty quick too even when busy. I always get the Santa Fe crepe!! The flavors are absolutely immaculate, and it's perfect for sharing with friends. The menu is so diverse, with so many flavors and toppings, both sweet and savory crepes. Honestly, it's one of my favorite go-to spots, and I highly recommend it! Just note that parking can get tricky since the area is super busy.