Venice Cafe is a bar in Benton Park, St. Louis.
A Benton Park institution covered floor-to-ceiling in mosaic and folk art, Venice Cafe is the city's most idiosyncratic bar, with a lush patio and live music.
Food program: Light bites
Tip: The art-covered patio is the whole point; come for a warm-weather evening with live music. Cash is handy here.
Address: 1903 Pestalozzi St, St. Louis, MO 63118
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.
Atop the Hilton at the Ballpark, Three Sixty offers 360-degree skyline views, including down into Busch Stadium, across a big indoor and outdoor terrace.
Signature drink: Cocktails with skyline views
Food: Shareable plates
Tip: Go at sunset or during a Cardinals game for the stadium view. It is the marquee downtown rooftop, so expect a crowd.
A South City dive and live-music room, The Heavy Anchor pairs cheap drinks with a back-room stage for local and touring bands. A no-frills music bar.
Signature drink: Cheap beer and shots
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: The back room hosts shows most nights; the front bar is for cheap drinks and pinball. Check the gig calendar.
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.
Signature drink: Draft beer and whiskey
Food: Pub plates
Tip: It is a regulars' pub; come for cheap pints and a low-key night. Live music and trivia fill some evenings.
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.
