The Best Bistros in St. Louis

A French bistro in the Central West End from Gerard Craft, the team behind it has been drawing a loyal crowd since the place opened. The room buzzes reliably, and for good reason: gougères that arrive impossibly light, escargot loud with garlic, a slow-cooked cassoulet that lands like a wool blanket in the best sense. Skip dessert at your peril, especially the floating island drifting across its pool of crème anglaise.

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Persimmon velvet curtains floor to ceiling set the mood before you've ordered a thing. This is a small, elegant French bistro in Clayton, forty seats, bone china, a pink banquette, the kind of room that makes you sit up a little straighter without resenting it. The menu keeps things focused: gougères, savory financiers, a short list of entrées. The fried chicken cordon bleu is the kitchen winking at Missouri while keeping one foot firmly in France.

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1. AAA Three Diamonds
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