801 Fish — Restaurant in Clayton

I celebrated for Father Days at 801 fish over the weekend 6/60/21 with my partner. We had a spa next day door at the Ritz and decided to try to do a walk in rather than go to the previous place we decided which was 30 min away. Before leaving the spa we tried to make a new reservation for 801 but since we had already made one through open table it would not allow us to. We decided to just try our luck and do a walk in. Now, its only 5pm so it wasn't a shocker that the place was empty. Like the whole dining area was vacant except for a couple tables! Being that the place was empty I expected to be seated. We were greeted by two people who were standing at the door so I'm assuming they were managers. The woman was who was the most vocal. She had blond hair that was cut into a bob. It was great that we were spoken to but when we asked if we could dine we were told they were completely booked due to reservations. As you can imagine this was odd since we were looking at a empty dining room and it was only a few minutes before 5pm. At 7 pm which is dinner time I can understand it being impossible to walk into a upscale dining establishment on the whim and expect to be serviced. She didn't even pretend like she was trying to accommodate us or check to see if there had been any cancellations, etc. I'm not an difficult woman her showing that she tried would have been enough for me. It is conflicting when you know someone is being unfair with you but they have a smile plastered on their face. It makes you uncomfortable and unsure of what your instincts are telling you. I immediately leave and sit at a table outside. My partner decides to go back and speak with the woman. He explained to her that we would have made a reservation but was having technical issues with the booking app and that the app was showing several available tables for 5pm! Literally a minute later he is telling me to come back in, we have a table! I was happy to be seated and decided to go back in. Our waiter Alex was spectacular and the food was great. I almost forgot about the bad seating experience until about 6:30pm when I realized the dining room was still pretty empty. A few other tables had been filled but all of the "booked" reservations for the evening were lacking. I finally voiced to my partner that I feel like we were being racially profiled. I don't know if it was because we were black or maybe because we were dressed causally (still very much presentable though) but I left with a bad taste in my mouth. I love to dress up but we were at the spa beforehand. I'm sure I have been racially profiled before but that is not something I look for or pay attention to. If or when I have been it hasn't troubled me enough or been that blatantly obvious for me to care or notice. As a 26 year old women I had my first personal experience of feeling like I was being mistreated because of my appearance and skin tone. It was not a good feeling. Even if it wasn't a race thing we still could been accommodated without the hassle so it was bad customer service at least. The place start having more traffic at 7 when we were...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - “Maybe the best experience I’ve had in St. Louis”

Service 🙋‍♂️

Hailey, our server, made our anniversary dinner unforgettable. Her attention to detail, warm demeanor, and impeccable timing took the service to a new level. She made us feel special throughout the night, from perfectly pacing the dishes to her thorough knowledge of the menu. It’s clear she goes above and beyond, making what would be fantastic service on any regular day, even more extraordinary for a special occasion. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Decor 🎨

The decor at 801 Fish surprised me with its understated elegance. Given the restaurant’s reputation and price point, I expected something more extravagant, but it works in its favor. The maritime feel is subtle and classy, not overdone with nautical themes. The natural light during the day may have softened the ambiance, but even then, the restaurant’s beauty shines through. I can imagine the atmosphere taking on a magical quality once the sun goes down and the lighting takes over. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Food 🍽️

I’ve never been one to gravitate toward fish, but 801 Fish may have changed that for me. We started with the Spanish Octopus—delicious and perfectly balanced with pickled onions (my favorite)—and the Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts, which were hands down some of the best I’ve ever had. For our entrees, I had the Alaskan Halibut, while my girlfriend opted for the Grilled Swordfish. I’ll admit, her dish was the winner! Both were expertly cooked, but her swordfish was on another level. The meal was so good it’s got me rethinking my usual preferences for poultry and red meat. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

In Retrospect 🤔

Reflecting on our night, 801 Fish has set the bar high for fine dining in St. Louis. From the top-notch service to the perfectly prepared dishes, this restaurant delivered an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want a fantastic meal, I highly recommend 801 Fish. It’s now officially my favorite spot in the city.

Final Verdict: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - “Great” Catchy One-Liner: “801 Fish delivers unforgettable flavors, impeccable service, and an ambiance that makes every...

Went to dinner at 801 Fish last night. We’ve been before about a year ago and have two polar opposite experiences. A year ago it was an amazing experience, delicious food and great service. This time was the complete opposite. Subpar service, an oblivious manager and an absurdly loud talker made our experience less than ideal, to the point we may never dine there again. We had an older gentleman as our waiter, whom I asked if he could ask the chef if any of the appetizers could be made without onions as we had an allergy at the table. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry long enough to know that wait staff rarely knows every single ingredient that goes into every single dish. I asked our waiter specifically to ask the chef. Instead what I got was our waiter awkwardly reading the menu over my shoulder contemplating if anything contains onions, whilst heavily breathing in my ear. Not a great start to the evening. When it came time to order he didn’t give the person with the onion allergy any choice on what to order and instead said he should order the swordfish and steamed spinach. I know there are way more choices than that (that could be made without onions), and way more exciting choices, as this is not our first time dining at this establishment. Once the food arrived there was a hair on my husbands plate, we sent it back immediately. Not more than a minute or 2 later, the general manager came over and never once mentioned or apologized for the hair in the food. A good GM at a nice restaurant should know of everything that goes on and make sure all of the patrons dining are having a great experience. This one obviously didn’t care, so much so that he never once addressed the fact that a man sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant was literally yelling as he told a story. It was so loud that our table, along with almost everyone else were looking around and what to do. The experience last night was not what I want or would expect at a higher end restaurant, and definitely not how I want to end my night. Safe to say we will not be dining here again, and I urge others to...