Pastaria

Last week a friend and I decided to get together for happy hour, decided to go to Pastaria and it just rolled into dinner! Love that they have some happy hour specials and we enjoyed them thoroughly. Had we wanted to eat our fill with that menu we certainly could but we really enjoyed that we could have. I recommend going early and snagging a table (though I also love the bartenders). We were seated in the wine/deli space which I love dearly. No trip to Pastaria is complete without the risotto balls and I love that they are on the happy hour menu! There are also a few drinks, I happily chose sangria and didn't look back! So good. We also got the margarita pizza which has never disappointed at Pastaria. We were having so much fun and hanging out so long we eventually ordered the garganelli to split and it was the perfect close. I have come to Pastaria dozens of times over the years, doing dear friend meetups like this one, hosting out of town family or friends and holding business dinners of various sizes from a small table to a private room. The service is always topnotch, attentive but not overt, anticipating needs, etc. There is street parking and a garage - the restaurant happily validates.

Excellent pasta cooked al dente. Decent wine list. Open space restaurant. Friendly service.

Fabulous eatery! Great portion sizes and delicious meals. Sharing is caring! Loved the vibe. It is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours dining with friends and family.

Nice lovely ambiance with reasonable pizza and pasta dishes. They are fresh and nicely done but the restaurant will not be my top pick for a pizza or pasta- basic style and taste. The wine was ok and nothing special.

Pastaria is a brunch must in St. Louis—especially if you’ve got a big group! I recently visited with the STL Ladies Brunch Group, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Part of Chef Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group and recently named one of Ian Froeb’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2025, this Clayton gem delivers big on both flavor and vibe. I had the oven-baked eggs, the famous crispy risotto balls (a must!), and treated myself to not one, but two fabulous cocktails—because when the menu is that good, you go for it. I finished with a scoop of dark chocolate gelato that was the perfect sweet ending. The atmosphere is stylish but relaxed, making it ideal for catching up with friends or celebrating something special. And the service was just as delightful as the food. If you haven’t been yet, make your way to: Pastaria – 7734 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton, MO 63105 Follow me for more STL food finds, local gems, and brunch adventures! #PastariaSTL #STLFoodie #STLLadiesBrunchGroup #STLBrunch #BrunchIsMyLoveLanguage #TheSassySaint #SupportLocal #STLTop100 #NicheFoodGroup

Good fast service, cozy atmosphere, good food. Food took a while and was good, but I paid for chicken on it for 9 dollars and barely got any

Well, this is an absolute great place for high quality pizza and pasta. I'm Italian born and raised, I can assure this place would be successful everywhere in Italy. Pizza is light, great taste and not heavily covered with toppings. We tried the pistachio ravioli and they were superb. If any criticism, the tiramisù was average, to focused on mascarpone. Kids friendly, great service.

So glad someone recommended this place- brunch was fabulous! The chef captured the right balance in preparing authentic Carbonara, and the Pastaria huevos rancheros, French toast egg sandwich special, granola, and Cacio e Pepe eggs were equally delightful. Excellent service, lovely environment, glad we made the trip!

If you are looking for a great Italian place in Clayton or near downtown, think no more. If it is Sunday and want to eat good Italian, no more thinking. Further, if looking for good prices & still a great place to take family & friends, flexible with timings - 4-5:30pm - time to take a pause !! Pastaria will offer all the above. Beautiful location, setting, ambience, food. Great quality food, with truly awesome service. Daily happy hour 4-5:30pm offers very decent selection to enjoy a great place with big crowd or frequent visits. Parking deck is right next to it and restaurant will validate it so it's free and convenient. They offer a bread with extra virgin olive oil & chili oil which is fresh, yummy, hot, soft & super ! Margherita pizza was really good ! And even leftovers next day were amazing !

Big space inside but will recommend making reservation on weekend. I did pick up while visiting the town. I ordered pistachio ravioli. For the price quantity was way less. Lack seasoning. Al Dante ravioli which i never had it in any other italian dining so far.

I had a wonderful brunch at Pastaria! The atmosphere was beautiful and set the perfect tone for a relaxing meal. I tried the Peach Bellini and the Breakfast Bruschetta, both of which were absolutely amazing. The flavors were fresh and vibrant, making for a delightful experience. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to try their lunch menu!

Pastaria is our go to dinner place when we cannot decide where to go. The food is always amazing and the atmosphere is always lively which makes dinner so fun. They have an amazing selection of wine and cocktails. There is not one pasta on the menu we have tried and not loved-- but the cacio de pepe with guanciale is one of the best pastas in St. Louis. Service is always amazing even when they're packed on the weekends.

This place used to be a great go to place for Italian in the Clayton area. There has been some changes recently, a remodeling and along with that both my dinner partner and myself- long time patrons, have noticed the quality of the food has slipped for sure. It's possible that the Niche Food Empire is just getting a little too big. The prices have also gone up, a lot it seems $$ more than the usual STL dinning experience. In a recent visit, the pizza was sub par on a number of levels and the salad was painfully over dressed. Service is still good however. For people checking out YELP reviews, you'll notice reviews from 4 or 5 years ago excellent, lately, 2024, not so much, so be warned.

I love Pastaria! We came in to celebrate a birthday. Made a reservation in advance so wait time was pretty short. Our waitress brought us bread to start, and was very attentive throughout. We got super delicious cocktails, and split the Bucatini All' Amatriciana pasta and the Roman pizza. Both were so delicious and quite filling. Everything came so fast too, we were in and out in less than an hour. The low lighting and intimate space make it perfect for a romantic dinner for two. It was a great fancy birthday celebration. Be prepared to drop a pretty penny, but the food and drinks are worth the price tag!

Alas I came back...but only because a friend was celebrating her birthday and they selected Pastaria for our group of 9 people. We were seating in a back area room which I really liked. It was less noisy and allowed us to talk more. Our waitress was Carolyn, she was friendly and accommodating. Since I didn't really like too many things on the menu I decided to share a Margueritta pizza with my friend and I also ordered the Burrata. The pizza was solid the Burrata was just a Burrata ball with cold pitta triangles and some mixed greens. Nothing special Now my friend ordered the Kale Salad with an anchovy dressing (which I would have never ordered) and it was actually really tasty and filling. Overall my opinion hasn't changed much about Pastatia even though I had a slightly better experience this time.

Came here on a whim, but there was no wait time to be seated. The vibes were pretty nice, and the ambience was cozy. We ordered 4 different dishes, and they were all good in their own way. Crispy risotto balls: Crispy, salty with a tangy herb aoili. Some people preferred the marinara, but I think the aoili was a little bit better. Nothing that wowed me here, but it was decent. Toasted semolina linguine: This was probably my personal favorite dish that we got, but I just love the salty, briny taste of seafood, especially shrimp. The noodles had a good, satisfying chew. The seafood was so juicy and well-seasoned and paired very well with the rich linguine. Pappardelle: On paper, this one sounds the best, but I think it was probably my 3rd favorite pasta dish that we got. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but I don't think it could ever fully hit the gear it was intended to. It was salty, rich, slightly smoky with a decent balance. I didn't really taste the apple, but I think a little bit more would've slightly benefit the dish. The pasta was satisfying and chewy. Canestri Cacio e Pepe: This was pretty good. Simple, straightforward, executed well. Something about the creaminess of the sauce and the saltiness of the cheese that was so well balanced, cut through by the pepperiness. Reminds me of a classy, elevated mac and cheese. Overall, it was a lot of food. There were 3 people, and I think we could've gotten by with 1 appetizer and 2 dishes. Overall, a good experience with good food. 4/5 stars.

We had a reservation and we were sat immediately! The waiter was great, seemed fairly new but went above and beyond to answer any questions we had. He checked his notes a few times - okay with us, to me making sure we had an answer is great service. Tables were close together but didn't feel too crowded. The food was amazing! Crispy Risotto balls were really good with the herb aioli. Pomodoro was SO GOOD! I'm not a fan of Cacio E Pepe but it tasted okay and my boyfriend who ordered it loved it as well. The bread served at the beginning was great, as always. I only gave it three stars because of the cleanliness. The bathroom was gross, and the counter is an exposed cooking area which is great but that means we can see everything. Workers had their cups and phones all over the counter. Cooks/chefs had to-go containers with ice water that they frequently took drinks of while they were preparing food. I'm a little rusty but as far as I know that's a health code violation. A chef bent down trying to hide the fact that he was eating on the job, stood up while still chewing and turned his back to finish. I noticed all of this towards the end of our meal, or we might have had a different experience.

This is forever one of my absolute favorites. The food, the people, the ambiance. Now don't give me a weird look, it may be a large place but it's cozy. I bring my favorite people here and always have the best time and experience. Absolutely love the ravioli, all the drinks, and always the gelato to go. Honestly, you can't go wrong here, it's top tier across the board and I cannot give it higher or more deserved praise. Thank you for all you do, and your food and drinks are perfection.

Food service and ambiance, was on point and the place was filled with patrons and the staff was nice and attentive

We had a great time at Pasteria for dinner! The place is beautiful and homey feeling, but still a bit on the fancier side. The pasta was very good and we loved all our complimentary bread and appetizers, especially the kale salad. Our server was amazing. They were attentive, helpful, and patient with us since we were a bit indecisive on what we wanted. The gelato that you can get in the same room was so good. They have rotating flavors so I'm excited to see what flavors they'll have coming out next. There's garage connected to the building so you can go through a little tunnel to get to the garage without walking outside the whole way. There's also street parking out front but it's limited and the road is pretty busy.

Went to the newly reinstated brunch. The menu had a number of tempting choices but we both had the scrambled eggs cacio y pepper and they were wonderful. Great texture, tasty Parmesan and just enough pepper for a warm aftertaste (but I always add pepper to everything). Very warm and bubbly server. Nice bright feel on a Sunday morning, most tables were full, nice buzz in the room. Definitely going back.

Stopped in for happy hour on a Sunday. We made a reservation ahead of time and the restaurant was packed at 5 PM. We started with the risotto balls ($10), a Margherita pizza (I believe it was $14), and a glass of house wine (once again, I believe it was $8). The wine was surprisingly delicious, even my boyfriend who hates wine loved it! The risotto balls were filled with cheese inside, like a gooey mozzarella stick. These were a tad too salty but pretty good. Came with 6 pieces. 6/10 The Margherita pizza was delicious! It was a regular sized pizza with 8 slices. I loved it -- good ratio of sauce and cheese. Add a little bit of the chili oil for a kick! (10/10) For our main, we split the pistachio ravioli. The wait staff was nice enough to split the meal into two plates. Love the pistachios as a topping. The ravioli itself was good and was sitting in brown butter. (7/10) The food came out SUPER quick! We were in and out in under 1 hour. Definitely come check out the happy hour deals.

Always delicious food and terrific customer service. We live in the city so it is a bit of a drive for us, but it's always worth it to head out there for dinner. We particularly enjoy sitting at the counter and watching the pizza is being made

Such a lovely place to dine. Food and service were exceptional! The wait staff were attentive without being intrusive. The pasta was very fresh and delicious.

We love us some Pastaria #stlouispescatarianapproved @stlouispescatarians on instagram! That swordfish was We got the olives, risotto balls, pistachio ravioli, arugula and endive salad and swordfish! Thanks guys for splitting everything for us so we could share! Amazing service!

I love the vibes here! I made a reservation online for me & two friends to meet up for dinner. When we arrived, we were sat right away and our server brought us waters and bread pretty quick! We shared the arugula & endive salad and the burrata appetizer to start. Both were delicious and huge portions! We could have taken some of both home even after 3 of us ate some. Then came for the best part - the dinner! I ordered the roman pizza & both of my friends got the Cacio E Pepe. Everything came out look AMAZING as you can see from the photos. We all were able to take leftovers to go & even ended the night with a sweet treat of gelato. This place has it all & we will be back!

Haven't been in to Pastaria in a while. Same great hosts, same great service, still a lively atmosphere, great menu and food. So hard not to fill up on their delicious bread, especially when dipped in their olive oil. And when you ask for seconds! I chose the regular olive oil, the chili oil option was too hot for me even though I like heat. Blackberry Italian soda hit the spot. It wasn't too sweet and I enjoyed that. Toasted Semilina Linguini was good. I didn't really taste the lemon. Next time I'll stick to my favorite Pappardelle. One of the staff stopped by and chatted with us about food, restaurants, and all things Gerard Craft, it was nice. She brought over 3 flavors of gelato to try. The espresso was my favorite with the mango, lychee a close second. Pistachio was pretty good, too. Can't wait to retry Porano when it opens again.

5 stars all around for Pastaria! Having only dined here once during the pandemic, I was thrilled to revisit with a group and get the full experience. We started with arancini and marinated olives. You can't go wrong with risotto balls, but the olives weren't what we were expecting. They are served warm, so don't order expecting a cold preparation. The fresh bread was SO PERFECT and loved that they offer a spicy olive oil to dip it in as well. We all shared a little of everything to try as much as possible and all ended up with a different fave dish which shows how great everything was! - Pepperoni pizza: exactly what you'd want from a Neapolitan style. - Brussels Sprouts: citrusy with a Calabrian chili kick and well-roasted - Pistachio ravioli: nutty and sweet with the brown butter sauce. SO GOOD. - Lamb cavatelli: my favorite of the night. The cavatelli had a wonderful texture and this was just the ultimate comfort food without being too heavy - Tagliatelle bolognese: a solid, classic bolognese, albeit, I've had better. - Toasted semolina linguine: the best, elevated shrimp scampi essentially. Very light and Mediterranean Of course we finished it up with Tiramisu! Service was wonderful - they gave us stellar recommendations and were super attentive. Thanks for a great family dinner, Pastaria!

One of my favorite spots in Clayton! They make all of their pasta from scratch and it's simply amazing. Order the pistachio ravioli and the the kale Caesar salad, I promise you will not be disappointed. The arancini balls are a must as well! There is a lot of seating, but it is slightly cramped inside. There are a few tables outside as well. You can park on the street, but there is parking garage nearby. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable.

Gerard Craft has done it again. We walked in on a Sunday night and were able to get immediate seating at the Chef's counter -- watching the kitchen toss pizza dough and drizzle olive oil on top of fresh made noods was a tantalizing experience. We ordered the olives, the mixed green salad, the pistachio ravioli, and the mushroom pizza and each item was excellent. The pistachio ravioli was the perfect Al dente bite in a buttery, mint sauce. The bechamel on the pizza was an interesting twist. They also have an incredible cocktail menu. Our server Sydney was awesome and we're already looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu!

If you're looking for an ambient date nice, or a cozy girls night with comfort food, Pastaria is the place for you. The food never misses. At this point I've probably had every single thing on the menu and I'm never disappointed. Tonight - was a girl's night in which we sampled and shared. To start, their house wines are crisp and refreshing and their cocktails are expertly made. The spicy margarita isn't on the menu - but their bartender makes it happen! The roasted mushrooms were incredible - packed with flavor and the perfect texture of crispness. The two pastas both similar, but with entirely different peppers. The Chitarra has a rich garlic flavor that is complimented by a cheesy finish. The Cacio e Pepe is similar, but has that peppery finish that Cacio e Pepe is known for. The pizza...the pizza was my baby. The spice is very real - so be prepared. But the drizzled honey compliments the flavors and gives a sweet finish to every bite. You will have leftovers, and if you eat them cold they'll probably still be incredible.

Pastaria is simply delightful! I've been been here a few times now and have left the restaurant in a food coma each time. Service here is great and the decor all around the walls is fun to look at to catch details. I ordered the Sicilian Mule which was sweet and refreshing. To start, we got shaved kale salads, burrata, and the risotto balls (must try!) For entrees we got the Cacio e Pepe, Lamb Cavatelli, and the Toasted Semolina Linguine. The Cacio e Pepe is basically an adult mac and cheese (in a good way). The Lamb Cavatelli is one of my favorites with a distinct richness and umami from the mushrooms. And the seafood pasta is yummy with the toasted, buttery flavor present throughout the dish. For dessert we ordered a scoop of the chocolate gelato and the tiramisu to share. Both desserts were decadent and great options to end the meal. Note that there is a parking garage right next door to the building. If you bring your ticket to the front desk of the restaurant before you head out, they'll validate your parking so it's free.

Whether you're looking for a simple cacio y pepe, a rich pistachio ravioli or a perfectly chewy crust pizza, pastaria has you covered. The service is knowledgeable & friendly, the drinks are so well made. It can get a little noisy at peak times so I like to go early or late.

Wait staff was great and very accommodating, however this was one of the worst restaurant food experiences we have had in a long time. I got the ravioli and my husband got the bolognese. The ravioli was tasteless and he describes the bolognese as tasting like "barf". To add to the unpleasantness, we are both now sick to our stomach and on our way to Taco Bell to get something filling and better tasting. Highly disappointed as this restaurant was recommend to us :(

Delicious pasta. Tasted just like Italy! Service was quick and helpful. The whole place is charming and the house wine was delish. Next time we're in St. Louis, we'll definitely remember Pastaria!

This is my favorite spot. The service is awesome. The food is to die for. The vibe of the place is very chill. I would recommend this spot for pasta lovers.

Recently visited with a large group. This turned out to be the perfect place for our corporate casual dinner. After a long day of meetings we all just wanted a great Italian meal and a glass of wine. I ordered the bolognese and was pleasantly surprised with its bold flavor and huge portion. It also just happened to be meatball Monday and the entire table ordered meatballs to add to their meal. Apparently you can only get meatballs on Mondays. The customer service was friendly and very professional.

We've always loved Pastaria! Great food, ambience, service, and has one of our favorite pizzas in the city. We tried their burrata which had a spring mix with red onion and a Calabrian chili vinaigrette - it was spicy! It also came with pizza bread - the burrata was creamy but a bit plain tasting. We then had the ham & pineapple pizza which we think is new. The ham and cheese were good - there was a pineapple jalapeno jam and orange gremolata which honestly just made for a super funky pizza. It was strangely sweet and not what we expected. Probably wouldn't get that again but of course would return to Pastaria - the Margherita pizza is our tried and true !

I would have never expected good Italian food on St. Louis. This place is top notch. The Aglio Olio is strongly recommended.

Everything was great, great service, Everything looks good a nice atmosphere and food. Complaint is what to choose it all looks great.

Went here with a large group from work(about 12 people) and they were very accommodating. Service was good and wait staff was attentive. The atmosphere was pleasant, it was just very loud and can be difficult sometimes hearing conversation, so be aware of that going in. I got the lamb cavatappi and it was very good. It has a nice rich flavor. I also tried the mushroom appetizer and it was enjoyable. I also tried one of the pizzas and it had a unique sweet and spicy flavor to it which was pretty good. They also had some local beers which was nice. I got a chocolate milk stout which is something I've never had before but who isn't enticed by chocolate milk? It was very good. My biggest drawback was the price - it was pretty expensive and I feel like the prices were just a little bit more than what it was worth.

Let me start by saying the service was very good and I sincerely appreciate our server double checking on and accommodating my food allergy. She was lovely, despite being triple-sat by the hostess, whom I can only assume was waging an angry one-woman war on the waitstaff. The one star review is entirely because the food was awful and horrendously overpriced. Maybe the usual customers of this establishment in downtown Clayton don't mind paying a $9 markup for day-old bone-dry cold chicken on a salad, but I can assure you that it is not worth it.

This is a very accommodating restaurant. While I did not prefer what I ordered they did ask me if I wanted to order something else which I did and enjoyed it. The gelato is also very delicious.

Tonight fabulous dinner, the kale salad was fabulous perfect amount of dressing, cheese, and crumbs. Had the Allen pizza, asked for more cheese, did NOT happen, until I asked Carolyn, our fabulous waitress, she took care of that pronto! So yes fabulous dinner but little disappointed with one of the chefs who did not honor my request of extra cheese! So the chefs need to listen to staff! Later the staff went out of their way but a bit too late. Of course I will be back, we're only human.

This is a restaurant I have been wanting to try for two years. I was so excited to try the pistachio ravioli and it was delicious. My daughter got pepperoni pizza, well it was pizza, but I knew there was nothing else she would get. My mother tried the Chicken Cacciatore and it was delicious for sure. We ended the night with delicious gelato that we all enjoyed. What made this a three star experience was service. The hostesses were okay not bubbly friendly but that wasn't what bothered us. What bothered us was the waiter who seemed to want to help everyone's but us. Never came by with fresh water or to offer more soft drinks. I had to get our own straws and only after he saw me getting up to get our own supplies did he ask how everything was. When the evening ended was when he was his friendliest and this is annoying because by that point you know he is only being nice to get a tip. I would came back but wouldn't race back because for the amount of food you get prices are high and other than me, my family likes to eat pretty plainly. I do hope that they might stress to the service staff if we are paying this much for food, and don't get me wrong we knew prices when we got there and price wasn't really the problem) but you expect good service at a nice dining establishment and it put a bit of a damper on the evening and a meal I had very much been looking forward to

Fresh, housemade pasta. Complimentary bread with chili oil for apps. The ambiance is nice, very busy place but still feels semi-formal. The servers are very nice and helpful. Great dessert too!

My boss, who is first generation Italian, was coming in town....I was feeling the pressure to find a place that lived up to his high expectations...Pastaria is officially exacting Italian boss approved! We started with several appetizers, including the arancini balls, which were absolutely amazing. You know that moment when you're fighting your impulse to hoard the whole plate? Like that. I am not really an olive person but the marinated olives were making a very strong case for me to become an olive person! I could have made a meal of just the appetizers but there was more to come.... I got the pistachio ravioli, which was such a light, satisfying dish. I loved the contrast in textures the pistachio provided and subtle hint of mint. My friend had the pappardelle, which was a close second on my list of things to try, and I was having some serious envy. But I think with the appetizers, the ravioli was a lighter compliment. One note: there is a small Italian drink menu where you can find some traditional Italian drinks to enjoy as an aperitif; don't snooze on this menu! It's a very nice (and authentic) way to begin your Italian meal.

This is not your father's old typical Italian restaurant. This is an updated contemporary Italian in the heart of Clayton at its best. At 730pm on a Tuesday night every table in the restaurant was taken. We walked in without a reservation and was seated right away. The restaurant is airy, light, high ceilings, open kitchen, and the environment just screams, "come in, this place is IT". Got the Garganelli which was braised beef, olives, gremolata, and grana Padang in a curly noodle. Tasty with rich flavor and a large portion. The bread they brought to the table was thick, soft, hearty, and good. The red wine the server suggested was one of the best I've ever had. We did not need any side dish or salad as we did not walk out hungry the portions were so large and hearty. Not a huge menu but offers very different pizzas, pastas, 2 main entrees, soups, salads, appetizers, and vegetables unlike any Italian restaurant in St Louis. Modestly priced that won't break the bank. Highly recommended. By the time we left the place emptied out hence the picture showing that, but this restaurant is a must try!

Easily one of the best restaurants in St. Louis! Everything was delicious- from the cheese they served with the bread, the olive oil, the salad, the pastas!..... all unbelievably delicious! Highly recommended!

I have been a little lax in writing reviews lately. Pastaria in Clayton has a great reputation but I was a little disappointed in their food. Make reservations unless you want to wait. Also, the parking garage is not for handicapped people at all. I started with their signature margarita which was quite tasty. We decided to share the crispy risotto balls. They were very good and came with two sauces - a marinara and a herb aioli. The aioli was very good but I was disappointed in the marinara sauce which tasted just like plain tomato sauce to me. For dinner I went with the bucatini (spaghetti noodles that are hollow) carbonara. I was a bit disappointed in my dish. It really had no flavor whatsoever. He got the spring onion ravioli. He said it was delicious but I didn't taste it For dessert, we had the best tiramisu that we have ever had. Would I come back here? Yes, and if you see me there, stop by and say hello.

This is our family go to for celebrations. It's a hit every time. We have not found one thing on the menu that we wouldn't consider ordering again.

Two of us made reservations for 6:45 on a Wednesday, got there about 10 minutes early, waited until 7 to be seated. Waited another 10 minutes for our server (who seemed a little overstretched), who took our drink order then returned 5 minutes later to take our order, having forgotten the drinks. Friendly service, but later again forgot our 2nd drink order (which we placed when our food was delivered about 20 min later). The food was 4/5 stars considering the price - decent portion sizes, tasted great but seemed just barely short of al dente on the undercooked side. Flavors were perfect (the gnocchi appetizer was particularly enjoyable) and the wine was on point - the Pecorino white was particularly good. But, for the price, on a weeknight at the end of prime time service should be more efficient and the kitchen should be on its game. That being said, it's a nice, open setup with pleasantly eclectic modern touches, the location is great and both the deli/gelato area and bar add to the appeal. Had service been more efficient (again - seemed like a staffing issue, our server was covering way too many tables) and the pasta cooked just a touch more, might have been in the 4.5 stars region. On a good night I'm sure it makes it.

Well, we came for a graduation celebration to my Nieces favorite restaurant... the wine was good and I loved the bread. It all ended there..... the place is small and cute, it seems like a fun place. The service was fine. The food not so much, I got the Pappardelle with smoked pork ragu, mascarpone, and apple. It was interesting, the apple added a bit of strange sweetness. There is pork? ok, if you say so, there was zero smoke flavor and it was all just wet and soft, no texture. The biggest problem was cold pasta plate made cold pasta, it was barely warm when i get it. All in all it just wasn't very good and the very small serving of pasta was almost $30, that should be a crime. My wife got the Canestri Cacio e Pepe, its was overly creamy and almost sticky like macaroni and cheese and it was just the wrong pasta shape for Cacio e Pepe. Her's was also not hot and it made it eat like gluey mac and cheese, she didn't enjoy it much.

The fresh bread that they serve before your meal and the risotto ball appetizer was my favorite part of the meal. All the pastas are made in house and tasted very fresh. I got the toasted semolina linguine and my boyfriend got the chitarra aglio e olio. Neither were my favorite dishes, but I would definitely be willing to come back and try a different entree next time. The place itself is very cozy and was packed when we got there! If you come here, make sure to make a reservation online!

The restaurant has a great open dining room that creates a vibrant atmosphere. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and guided us through a perfectly paced dinner that started with cocktails and appetizers. I started with their standard Negroni which was perfectly balanced. The shaved kale salad is an absolute must-order if you like Caesar salads and probably even if you don't. :) It is made up of creamy anchovy dressing, pecorino, and bread crumbs. I also had the pappardelle pasta made with smoked pork ragu, mascarpone, and apple. The smokiness was perfect without being overwhelming. And finally the Affogato was an absolutely amazing way to finish the meal. Throw in the house wine was both very reasonably priced and was a perfect complement to the pappardelle! Highly recommend!

The salads here are killer! We had the shaven kale salad and chopped salad, oh my wow. The pepperoni on the chopped salad was even impressive, definitely homemade! The pistachio ravioli was absolutely delicious. My husband and I fought over the last piece. Lamb cavatelli was okay, but I wasn't expecting ground meat. The seafood linguini had a good hint of spice but somehow was not overwhelming at the same time. I'm not a fan of spicy, and this definitely was, but I still loved the dish! I'm a homemade pasta snob from working at a restaurant that made homemade pasta... and this place lives up to the hype.

Who doesn't like to watch their pasta they are going to war be made right in front of you?!? Pastaria is likely my top pasta spot in STL- the freshest tasting pasta, lively and welcoming atmosphere. The worst part about this place is having to decide what you're going to get!! I am a sucker for the bolognese and adult mac