Five cocktail bars, chosen on the record: one Spirited Awards nominee, one James Beard nominee.
Good Company describes itself as a neighbourhood restaurant and bar in the Grove where craft cocktails come paired with small bites, with a loyalty programme for regulars and online ordering for the food. It opened in 2024 on Manchester Avenue and the 2025 Spirited Awards placed it in the U.S. top ten for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar.
The Gin Room was opened in 2014 on South Grand by Natasha Bahrami, the Gin Girl, who returned from Washington to build a bar around gin flights, house-made tonics, classics with the gin specified and a back bar that runs into genever and navy strength. The James Beard Foundation named it an Outstanding Bar semifinalist in 2023 and Bahrami a semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service in 2025, and she runs The Gin World event series from here.
Lazy Tiger puts it as cocktails plus dinner: a Central West End bar on Euclid Avenue whose current list goes by the name Bust-A-Move, with a dinner menu beside it and a family of sister restaurants around the city. It opens at five, Tuesday to Saturday, and closes at ten or eleven.
None of the Above, NOTA for short, is the speakeasy hidden beneath City Foundry in Midtown St. Louis, which the bar describes as your secret spot for cocktails, snacks and conversation, with entry instructions and directions posted for first-timers. It is part of the Niche Food Group, opens at five and runs until one, six nights a week, closed on Tuesday.
Planter's House offers, in its own words, handcrafted cocktails and delicious food inspired by historic recipes, in a comfortable and relaxed room in Lafayette Square that has become a St. Louis favourite for cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome alongside Tock reservations, cocktails to go are on the menu, and the Bullock Room is kept for private events. Open from four, Tuesday to Sunday.
These are the cocktail bars specifically. The full St. Louis guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 6 with a map and filters.
Best bars in St. Louis