Aperi — Restaurant in St. Louis

My wife and I celebrated my birthday at Aperi last night and it was fantastic! Totally unique within STL's restaurant scene, Aperi offers a tapas-style dining experience that is truly special and a drink selection that is different from other cocktail bars. The menu consists of a selection of thoughtfully-created small plates, and every dish we ordered was excellent. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable about the whole menu, and made sure to course the dishes we ordered, bringing out each dish at a relaxed pace and in a cohesive order. We started our evening with the oysters, which were excellent - all were plump, fresh, and shucked perfectly. Both the west- and east-coast oysters had great brine and were delicious alone, but the typical accroutrements were welcomed and enjoyed - the mignonette was tasty and the grated horseradish was fresh and bright. The brussels sprouts were cooked well and presented beautifully, and the glaze and almonds helped set these sprouts apart from the often over-salted and -roasted versions often found at other restaurants. House-made ricotta is always a favorite, and Aperi's version is excellent; the cheese was whipped to a perfect consistency, and the ingredients added to the cheese were all noticeable and combined to a taste experience that was exciting, really elevating what can often come across as a bland cheese. The orange and aleppo were especially delectable, and the chiffonaded basil gave it sweetly herbal notes, but the absolute standout star was the grilled focaccia served with the cheese. The bread was fresh and delicious with a soft and chewy crumb and a perfect crust. It was memorable bread. The papas bravas was perhaps my singular favorite of the night - if you like anchovies, you will love this dish. The small potatoes were fried to perfection and tossed with aioli, Parmigiano, and anchovies, giving the dish the flavor of a classically composed Caesar salad dressing. The fat anchovies themselves were stellar: fileted nicely, significantly bigger than the typical pizza anchovies, and brined to a perfect, not-too-salty level that allowed the quality of the fish to take the lead in the flavor profile. Our final dish was the tinned fish, which, last night, was Spanish sardines. They were great, and unlike many sardines from supermarkets, were rather large - there were perhaps 4-6 sardines in the tin, all of them very meaty. Served alongside the tin was a radish salad, with generous slices of beautiful watermelon radish, and bread to pile the delectable sardines and salad onto or to sop up the oil. Though the menu consists of "small plates," all the portions were generous, and by the end of our meal we were full and very satisfied. We accompanied the meal with several cocktails: my wife enjoyed her spritzes very much, and I really liked the two cocktails I ordered (the Adonis and the Red Barrell). As a final classy and very-appreciated touch, our server presented us with a special birthday dessert: simple vanilla ice cream served floating in alcohol (the booze itself was delicious, complex, surprising, and not at all expected alongside ice cream, and elevated the whole experience of a scoop of ice cream; I regret not committing to memory the name of the alcohol), and two small snifters of really nice sherry that tasted like liquid raisin. It is wonderful to have a place like Aperi in our city, and a visit is highly, highly recommended. Thank you, Aperi, for a special night! A+ all...

Very cool atmosphere - small restaurant in the Grove. We thought the food was delicious and cocktails were superb. We decided on the tasting menu ($60/pp) so eight dishes to split between 2 people which was a good value and way to try the menu. We started with baked oysters (delicious even for someone who doesn’t seek out oysters), homemade ricotta, and then had a crab crepe of sorts with Spanish potatoes. Next was our favorite - lamb meatballs and mushrooms with creamy polenta. Dessert with an amaro sundae which was way too bitter for me but my husband loved and a twist on a tiramisu made with yuzu which was delicious.

Overall the food was really top notch taste and creativity wise. One star off was because of service. The waiters were friendly enough but very busy despite a small restaurant. That’s fine - they were attentive but didn’t elevate the experience or ask us if we were in to celebrate or anything (we were for our anniversary). The real hang up was the wait time for food - took us almost 2.5 hours to eat. Looking around the room everyone was waiting for food the majority of the time. I’m not sure it was a bad night in the kitchen with timing or if this is the norm. They did warn us the first dish would take 15 min which was totally fine, but we waited about 20 min between each course which seemed extreme and difficult to pace drinks with that large of a gap. Overall we really enjoyed the evening but be prepared for a slow...

Aperi is one of the most intimate and elevated dining experiences you’ll find in St. Louis. With only 24 seats, it feels exclusive in the best way—every detail is thoughtful, from the cocktails to the final bite of dessert.

We started with two standout cocktails: the Milano Spritz and the Italian Greyhound (the clear favorite—bright, refreshing, and dangerously sippable). Aperi also specializes in low-intervention wines, so we couldn’t resist the Spanish wine flight—each pour was vibrant, complex, and a perfect match for the meal.

The food was creative, seasonal, and expertly prepared: • Oysters and beef tartare to start • Sopresine con Escabeche with tang and richness • Crispelle—crispy, golden perfection • Pork cheek, yellowfoot mushrooms, and lamb meatballs—each packed with deep, satisfying flavor • And for dessert, the Amaro Sundae—a dreamy mix of sweet and bitter that ended the night on a high note.

If you love innovative flavors, natural wines, and a cozy, sophisticated setting, Aperi absolutely belongs on your STL dining list.

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