St. Louis
St. Louis is a major city in Missouri along the Mississippi River. Its iconic, 630-ft. Gateway Arch, built in the 1960s, honors the early 19th-century explorations of Lewis and Clark and America's westward expansion in general. Replica paddlewheelers ply the river, offering views of the arch. The Soulard district is home to barbecue restaurants and clubs playing blues music. Here is our guide to St. Louis, Missouri.
STAY
FOUR SEASONS Adjacent to Lumière Place Casino, this upscale hotel is close walk to the Gateway Arch. There's a fine-dining, South American-focused restaurant with a cocktail bar. Other amenities include a spa, 2 steam rooms with whirlpools, a seasonal outdoor pool and an exercise room. 999 N 2nd St; fourseasons.com/stlouis
RITZ CARLTON Located in the artsy Clayton neighborhood with a delicious Italian restaurant along with a lobby lounge, and an exclusive cigar club. 100 Carondelet Plaza; ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/stlrz-the-ritz-carlton-st-louis
THE ROYAL SONESTA CHASE PARK PLAZA Once a bastion of glitz and grandeur, The Chase is a St. Louis legend snuggled in one of the most vibrant and architecturally significant neighborhoods. First opened in 1922, The Chase played host to endless mega-watt performers like Tony Bennett, Sophie Tucker, and Nat King Cole. Presidents and movie stars regularly visited, and its kitschy pool hosted some of the best parties in town. Today, The Chase still offers all the modern amenities and is just steps from Forest Park. 212 Kingshighway Blvd; sonesta.com/royal-sonesta
MOONRISE HOTEL A funky, lunar-themed boutique hotel in the Delmar Loop district next to The Pageant concert hall with retro rooms. 6177 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis; moonrisehotel.com
DINE | DRINK
WINSLOW’S TABLE A feel-good spot with farm-to-table, soul-nourishing food. It doubles as a general store that carries groceries, dry goods, and kitchen items. 7213 Delmar Blvd; winslowstable.com
UNION LOAFERS A seasonally sourced eatery has the best soups, sandwiches, and little gem salads in town. 1629 Tower Grove Ave; unionloafers.com
THE CLOVER AND THE BEE Worth the pilgrimage to Webster Groves for the sunny, Insta-famous atmosphere thanks to its bright floral mural and velvet green settee. The fresh, light fare makes it the perfect place for brunch any day of the week. 100 W Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves; thecloverandthebee.com
BRASSERIE BY NICHE Arguably the best patio for people-watching. 4580 Laclede Ave; brasseriebyniche.com
BRENNAN’S The perfect place to grab a whiskey and wander through the endless maze of rooms. 316 N Euclid Ave; cometobrennans.com
PLANTER’S HOUSE A nod to old-world drinks in a New Orleans-inspired spot. 1000 Mississippi Ave; plantershousestl.com
BLUEPRINT COFFEE Recently named the most beautiful coffee shop in Missouri by Architectural Digest, Blueprint roasts beans in-house and the brew is excellent. Pop in for the classics but also try the simple breakfast and lunch. blueprintcoffee.com
TED DREWS An iconic take-out spot with a variety of frozen custards dished out through a walk-up window. 6726 Chippewa St; teddrewes.com
IMO’S The spot to try the famous thin crust St. Louis style pizza with Provel cheese. imospizza.com
GOOEY LOUIE Order a famous “ooey gooey butter cake” here. 11266 Olive Blvd; gooeybuttercake.com
RUSSELL’S Another place to try the famous St. Louis “ooey gooey butter cake.” 5400 Murdoch Ave; russellscafe.com
THE CROSSING Imaginative, high-end cuisine combining French & Italian influences in tasting menus or à la carte. 7823 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton; thecrossing-stl.com
THE HILL Head to The Hill, St. Louis' Italian neighborhood for restaurants like Charlie Gitto's, Zia's, and Mama's that all serve up delicious versions of the famous St. Louis delicacy known as “toasted ravioli” or "t-ravs."
WRIGHT’S TAVERN A classic city tavern and steakhouse in the former I Fratellini space. 7624 Wydown Blvd, Clayton; wrightswydown.com
LOUIE Neighborhood hangout supplying wood-fired pizzas, pasta & wine. 706 De Mun Ave, Clayton; louiedemun.com
BASSO Stylish American-Italian restaurant for wood-fired pizzas & house-made pastas, plus wines & beers. 7036 Clayton Ave, St. Louis; basso-stl.com
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
PROJECTS + GALLERY A local curatorial project that stages contemporary art exhibits that are at once fashionable, edgy, timely, and surreal. 4733 McPherson Ave, St; projects-gallery.com
CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM All the art is contemporary, yes, but the museum includes every visual medium, from painting, drawing, and sculpture, to the conceptual, performative, and interactive, all presented in unexpected ways. 3750 Washington Boulevard; camstl.org
FOREST PARK No trip to St. Louis is complete without a stroll here with its ample green space, running trails, cultural institutions (including the famed Saint Louis Art Museum), quiet places to picnic and read, and a variety of popular festivals and events, it's the best place to rest tired legs. forestparkforever.org
THE GATEWAY ARCH A 630-foot-tall monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible structure. Some sources consider it the tallest human-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. gatewayarch.com
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN A botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropist Henry Shaw. 4344 Shaw Blvd; missouribotanicalgarden.org
ST. LOUIS ART MUSEUM The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, with paintings, sculptures, cultural objects, and ancient masterpieces from all corners of the world. Its three-story building stands in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, where it is visited by up to a half million people every year. 1 Fine Arts Dr; slam.org
ANHEUSER-BUSCH Visit the brewery for a beer tasting and stop at the stables to see the beautiful Clydesdale horses at the famous Anheuser-Busch brewery. anheuser-busch.com
CITY MUSEUM City Museum is a museum whose exhibits consist largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects, housed in the former International Shoe building in the Washington Avenue Loft District. 750 N 16th St, St. Louis; citymuseum.org
WORLD CHESS HALL OF FAME The World Chess Hall of Fame presents world-class exhibitions that explore the connection of chess to art, culture, and history. 4652 Maryland Ave #1, St. Louis; worldchesshof.org
FOREST PARK Forest Park is a public park in western St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers 1,326 acres. Opened in 1876, more than a decade after its proposal, the park has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics. It is home to the Science Museum and Zoo. 5595 Grand Dr, St. Louis; forestparkforever.org
SHOP
JORDAN SANDERS FLORAL DESIGN The only place to go in St. Louis for sophisticated, elegant floral arrangements using high-quality flowers and plants (aka no filler flowers or greenery!) And they deliver.
MAY’S PLACE A vintage clothing store and modern take on an old general store tucked away on a quiet side street. 3725 Foundry Way St 135; maysplacestl.com
BOWOOD FARMS One of the cutest nurseries around, showcasing decor, books, and every fun, gifty thing that playful hearts need to build a Pinterest-worthy home and garden. 4605 Olive St; bowoodfarms.com
BYRD A vintage and consignment boutique. byrdstyle.com
THE VAULT A treasure trove of high-end consignment with designer clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories. thevaultluxuryresale.com
CIVIL ALCHEMY A gorgeous general store of functional lifestyle goods, from their own brand of gin to jeans and Japanese gardening tools. civilalchemy.com