Nick's Pub is a bar in The Hill, St. Louis.
A long-running pub near the Hill and the Grove, Nick's pours draft beer and whiskey to a regulars' crowd in a no-frills room, a classic St. Louis tavern.
Food program: Pub plates
Tip: It is a regulars' pub; come for cheap pints and a low-key night. Live music and trivia fill some evenings.
Address: 6001 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
The lounge side of Frazer's in Benton Park pours some of the best classic cocktails on the south side, a 25-year-old bar attached to the restaurant.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails
Food: Full restaurant menu
Tip: Sit at the bar for the cocktail program even if you are not dining. Ask what the bartender is shaking that night.
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.
Urban Chestnut's 400-seat Grove Bierhall is as much a bar as a brewery, pouring German-style lagers in a vast hall with Fordo's pizza, a go-to for groups.
Signature drink: German-style lagers
Food: Pizza and pub fare
Tip: It is huge and family-friendly; the Zwickel lager is the pour to start. Pizza comes from Fordo's in the same hall.
A Tower Grove East corner bar, Tick Tock pours cheap drinks and cocktails to a mixed crowd, with karaoke and theme nights filling the calendar.
Signature drink: Cheap drinks and cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: It leans dive but with cocktail chops; come for karaoke or a low-key drink. Cash and card both work.
A laid-back Maplewood gastropub, The Crow's Nest pairs refined bar food with rotating craft beer, pinball and heavy-metal-themed brunches. A quirky favourite.
Signature drink: Craft beer and cocktails
Food: Refined bar food and brunch
Tip: The pinball, patio and themed brunches set it apart. Good rotating beer list and an easygoing crowd.
Rockwell's Grove taproom pours crisp house lagers and saisons with tavern-style pizza, a polished newer brewery bar near the Grove nightlife strip.
Signature drink: House lagers and saisons
Food: Tavern-style pizza
Tip: The tavern-style pizza pairs with the house lager. It is a good first stop before a night out in the Grove.
