The polished business suburb west of the city, home to Pastaria, Sardella and the metro's cluster of upscale steakhouses and DeMun cafes.
James Beard winner Gerard Craft's Clayton Italian runs on handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza in a busy room. The most reliable Italian table off The Hill.
Order: Handmade pasta of the day with a wood-oven pizza.
Tip: It books up at weekends; the bar and the patio take walk-ins. The next-door Pastaria Deli & Wine handles takeaway.
This DeMun bistro pairs a fiery pizza oven with a tight Italian menu, and its wood-oven roast chicken is among the best in the metro. A neighbourhood room.
Order: The wood-oven roast chicken and the Ramon gnocco.
Tip: It does not take many reservations, so come early or settle in at the bar. The gnocco fritto is close to mandatory.
The flagship of St. Louis's best-known roaster, Kaldi's DeMun cafe overlooks Concordia Park and pours house-roasted coffee to a steady crowd of regulars.
Signature drink: House-roasted drip and seasonal espresso
Tip: Grab a patio table facing the park. The cardamom-spiced latte and the breakfast sandwiches are the regulars' order.
Mike Randolph's Clayton breakfast room marries a focused coffee programme with made-from-scratch brunch, from blueberry pancakes to the flat-iron hash.
Signature drink: Espresso and made-from-scratch brunch
Tip: Ask for the pancakes cooked in bacon fat, a house move. Weekend waits are long, so put your name down and walk Clayton.
Kaldi's is the roaster that put St. Louis specialty coffee on the map, supplying its own cafes and grocery shelves across the metro from a DeMun flagship.
Tip: The DeMun and Euclid cafes are the most atmospheric pour spots; whole beans are sold at every counter.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Sasha's DeMun room pours an approachable by-the-glass list with cheese and charcuterie in a homey Clayton space, one of two long-running Sasha's wine bars.
Signature pour: A staff-picked glass to match the cheese board
Wine focus: Approachable Old and New World by the glass
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and small plates
Tip: Order a cheese-and-charcuterie board and let the staff pair glasses across it. The patio is the prize in warm months.
A long-running Clayton wine shop with a tasting bar, The Wine Merchant pairs a curated retail wall with by-the-glass pours and a knowledgeable staff.
Signature pour: A staff-selected bottle by the glass at the bar
Wine focus: Curated retail with a tasting bar
Food: Cheese and provisions
Tip: Ask the staff to open something interesting by the glass at the bar. Strong for both gifts and everyday bottles.
Sasha's DeMun bar pairs a wide by-the-glass wine list with cocktails and noshing plates in a homey Clayton room, a relaxed spot with a popular patio.
Signature drink: By-the-glass wine and cocktails
Food: Cheese, charcuterie and small plates
Tip: Order a cheese board and let staff pair glasses across it. The patio fills first on warm evenings.
A Saturday-morning market in Clayton's Straub's lot, this gathers 25 to 30 Missouri and Illinois growers, bakers and makers, the tidy upscale west-end market.
Tip: It is smaller and curated; come for high-quality produce and artisan bakers. Parking is in the Straub's lot.
The Wine Merchant runs expert-led wine classes like Intro to Burgundy and Undiscovered Italy from a dedicated meeting space off its Clayton shop floor, taught by its staff.
Mike Randolph's Clayton brunch room pairs a focused coffee programme with scratch cooking, from flat-iron hash to blueberry pancakes. The grown-up brunch.
Order: Blueberry pancakes cooked in bacon fat.
Tip: Ask for the pancakes cooked in bacon fat, a house move. Long weekend waits, so put your name down and walk Clayton.