Noto Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Saint Peters

I went here tonight with my parents. I wanted to try Noto since STL Today listed it as the best pizza place in the greater St. Louis area. They specifically mentioned the nduja pizza, so I just had to try it. Noto is a verified authentic Italian restaurant that serves Neopolitan-style pizza. This style of pizza is baked quickly at a high temperature (90 seconds at 1000⁰F, to be exact) and is typically served uncut. It is meant to be eaten with a fork and knife, as the inside is still a little "soupy" from the cooking method. I had my nduja pizza this recommended way, while my mom ordered the same pizza pre-cut. I honestly believe it didn't make a difference. Her pizza looked just as easy to eat as mine was, so I would just order it that way in the future. The pizza had good flavor, and the cheese combined with the light sauce resulted in a creamy bite. The nduja was spicier than I expected, so I think the pizza would have been better with smaller chunks more evenly distributed throughout the pizza. The onions and onion jam were delicious toppings. The crust was fluffy and chewy while also being fairly thin. My dad ordered the Italiano pizza and thought it was pretty good, but he said he would order something else next time. I also ordered a cocktail while I was there. The menu said it was made with gin infused with pea flower tea, so I'm assuming it used Empress gin or something similar. While all of the components sounded like they would yield a delicate, sweet, floral cocktail, I found it to be a little bitter. If you don't have expensive taste in wine, this is not the place for you. The glasses were about $13 or higher, and most of the options required you to buy an entire bottle, which started in the 30s range. Noto serves sodas made by Excel, which is a local bottling company based in Breese, IL. They are the people who make Ski, if you're familiar with that brand. Lastly, I ordered a single scoop of vanilla gelato because it was $3 and I lack self-control. The first flavor note I noticed is salt. I know that salt is often added to sweet things to give a greater depth of flavor, but this gelato tasted like it was made with ocean water. It was very strange, and definitely not something I would order again. The service was decent; my only complaint is I wish I didn't have to run out of water before our server asked if we wanted more. All in all, the dining experience at Noto was decent for the price, but not great. I probably won't go back since you pretty much need a reservation to get in, and it isn't really worth the effort for me. I think the food and drinks are slightly overpriced, but it still might be worth one stop in to try...

||Update 2025|| My wife and I have made our 5th visit for our 5th anniversary.

First and foremost, shout out to our server Ryan, and Jacob, his wingman behind the bar.

Ryan described the pizza special with such enthusiasm that we ended up ordering one in addition to what we had planned. Overall, he made the perfect amount of touch points with our table, taking great care of us without us feeling overwhelmed.

Personally, I do not drink, but I was intrigued by the mocktails. The first one was so good I tried a second. My wife ordered an espresso martini and thought it was the most balanced one she has ever had. So great job and thank you, Jacob.

On to the food. We ordered the shrimp toast, the pizza special, the accigua pizza, the tonarelli pasta, the gnudi pasta, and some cannolis. They also brought us a complimentary cranberry sorbet.

It’s truly impossible to say which item we liked the most. Take a look at the photos and see for yourself.

Our 5 experiences have been so consistent in quality innovative menu items, service, and ambiance, that this is the number one restaurant in St. Louis I recommend to anyone who asked.

Thank you again for an amazing anniversary.

||2021-2024|| Dining here is an experience. The menu is so thoughtfully curated that choosing what to order can be a real challenge.

For our anniversary, my wife and I usually go all out, ordering a pizza, two pastas, and two to three appetizers, with plenty of leftovers to enjoy later. We love sampling as much as possible, and we’ve never been disappointed.

I’ve eaten more Neapolitan and wood-fired pizza than I care to admit, but I can say with absolute confidence that this is the best pizza I’ve ever had.

Beyond the incredible food, Noto’s ambiance is its next best feature. It’s casual yet polished, with a comfortable atmosphere that feels both intimate and special. With a limited number of tables, dining here makes us feel like part of something greater than just “dinner at a nice...

Let me start my review by saying that our hostess was great and they were able to accommodate our group with an open reservation. They have an experienced mixologist crafting great cocktails. The ambiance was carefully curated and added to the experience. Our server Erica provided great recommendations for ordering!

We went as a group of four and ordered:

Calamari Pirata - this dish was great! The calamari was prepared well and lightly battered. The dipping sauce paired nicely. Don't sleep on the fried leeks. These were honestly my favorite part of the dish, no offense to the calamari. (7/5 🌟)

Patata - great flavors and the crispy potatoes with the sauce were delicious. (5/5 🌟).

Nduja - hands down my favorite pizza we ordered. The sauce paired with the light spice from the salami was tasty. The pizza crust and prep were 🔥 (7/5 🌟)

Sophia - fresh ingredients, great presentation, must like blue cheese. The SO loved this pizza. (5/5 🌟)

Bufalina - not to be confused with a Buffalo pizza, lol 😆. These was a great traditional style pizza and tasty. (5/5 🌟)

Mezzaluna - I thoroughly enjoyed this dish! The light sauce paired with the local mushrooms and kale was refreshing. I would order this dish every visit. (7/5 🌟)

Rigatoni Genovese - I also loved this dish. The pasta dishes were both phenomenal. The short rib wasn't too heavy, and accompanying sauce paired nicely. Another dish to repeat order. (7/5 🌟).

Tiramisu - this had a unique presentation, great texture, and tasty flavors. (5/5 🌟)

Cannolis - while this isn't my favorite dessert, I suspect that their take on it is above average. (4/5 🌟)

One final note they aren't a traditional soda place as they stock Lucky Club cola instead of Coke or Pepsi.

Everything we ordered was delicious! When we return, we want to sprinkle in some new dishes to try with some must have again dishes. I highly...