Randolfi’s

Dined here alone, at the bar on a recommendation of a friend.
The bartender was nice, service was professional. I was told to ask for Jeffrey because he is the master, but I didn’t and ended up with what may be his young apprentice. He might have lacked a little pizazz for the extensive and creative cocktail list that they boast but by no means did anything wrong.
The great:
The Pappardelle — Who ever thought of this, I love you. It is like magical, sophisticated biscuits and gravy with the over easy egg seeping in that I dream about. The flavor combination, the texture. It was rich yet light and stunning at the same time.
Bianca Pizza — No herbs, add prosciutto. I’m not often impressed by pizza. The moment I took the first bite, I was blown away. The mozzarella and prosciutto were perfect together and the crust was just right. So simple but so, so delicious.
The okay:
Gnocchi — Tomato was the last ingredient listed so I imagined that it was pieces of tomato and not a tomato sauce, per-​say. The sauce sounded more light, lemony-​garlicky but I was wrong. That being said, it wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t what I imagined so I was a bit disappointed. However, the gnocchi were crafted beautifully and the shaved garlic & olives were a perfect combo.
What kept me from a five star-​er:
My bartender read his specials off of a little scrap of paper. I will just never, ever be okay with my specials being read to me. If a server truly knows, appreciates and understands the food that they are serving then the specials should be memorized. This lead to them being read in a way I couldn’t absorb or comprehend well. There was mention of lobster, but the description and jumbled telling left me not quite sure what was going on with the dish and normally I would’ve ordered anything lobster. Also, the bartender had to ask the other bartender what «the cobia was/​what fish was with the cobia,» something along those lines. The cobia is the fish, again, how can I be tempted to order something that even my server doesn’t know what it is?
The dessert wasn’t the perfect end to my meal. I ordered the Chocolate Torta and it was fine. There seemed to be more of the mint custard than chocolate torta, so it was a bit over powering. The torta didn’t have that moist, heavenly texture of some. The pistachio brittle was phenomenal. It wasn’t bad, the concept was just a little better than the execution.
Overall, I’d absolutely return. I cannot stop thinking about the pappardelle and I love that I was able to relax at the book with my bar. Also, I am a freak about glassware and I fell in love with the water glasses and actual tea cup my after dinner drink arrived in.
It seems the re-​vamp has created a warmer, more welcoming space and it was very enjoyable.

Cool little spot. walked in without reservations on a Wednesday night, got right in. Had the $ 40 Pick 4. way too much food for just one person probably perfect for 2 people price. awesome love the open-​concept kitchen, very open you have to walk right through it to go to the restroom.

I like the idea of this place but I do think it could be better executed. I appreciate that they take reservations because that made our lives easier. We were seated next to the kitchen which is all open and pretty cool; we could basically watch our food being made! Service was very friendly if a little slow– the drinks came fast but my water glass did sit empty for a bit which is a pet peeve of mine at restaurants that are a little more upper scale (I know, I’m very bourgeois, sorry). Speaking of, their cocktails looked delicious, my friends got those, I was more in a prosecco mood of course. I got the house salad to start with which was fine, it was just a salad, I did however miss the goat cheese that was supposed to be in it (maybe just a sprinkle? I dunno). The cheese plate was kind of ridiculous, for 9 bucks you got about a spoonful of what tasted like a blue cheese, and some leaves of some sort with dressing. I could get an entire wedge of cheese at the store for half the price and it didn’t even come with crackers etc. That was certainly not worth it. I also thought that bread came as an appetizer for the table and it should have, but we had to ask for it. The bread was delicious and crusty, with a nice olive oil/​balsamic dip. I wish there was more but obviously it’s better for my life and my caloric intake that there wasn’t.
My friends were not impressed by their beef gnocchi, I was told there was a weird citrus flavor that did not mesh. My risotto however with chicken and olives as well as a hint of lemon was excellent – I love a good risotto! The portion for the price was a little small but I finished it all and was satisfied so it worked out. I do think they can work on a few things but I would go back for that risotto alone.

Came here with a group of 5 on a Sunday night. Our table was ready prior to our reservation time and service was good and friendly. I like the open kitchen concept.
For food: we all enjoyed our cocktails, wine, and beer. The bread and oil were okay, nothing to write home about. The bread wasn’t warm when it got to our table. My friend got the cheese starter, which was small, but tasty. My husband and I shared the gnocchi (I did not enjoy this. the combo of the lemon and beef was a little off putting for me) and lamb shank (this was really delicious; the lamb was perfectly tender and flavored and the risotto it comes with was quite good as well).
Overall, might come back, but there are better and more affordable options for pasta in St. Louis

Had dinner here last night and can’t wait to go back. I had one of the pizzas but others in our party had the gnocchi, risotto and meatballs. Nobody left hungry or disappointed. In no way is this your typical Italian restaurant. From the basil olive oil and bread to the special mixes from the bar, this place is top notch.

Another five star meal from Randolfi’s. It was a warm very crowded night in the Delmar Loop and we were lucky to find a street parking spot. For out of towners, there are parking lots that are available for free. We also were lucky enough to find a seat at the bar. I decided on the seasonal bellini — a whisky soaked pear bellini. It was very good but remember it was seasonal.
Most of the menu is small plates but everything is excellent. Bread was brought out with a basil infused oil. I would have like to have had a few spices in the oil but it was still tasty. Majordomo started out with the scallop that had lardon, onion and maderin oranges with it. I tried the steak tar-​tar. Remember the steak tar-​tar is a very small portion so don’t think about sharing it. Also, I would have like a couple of small crostini’s to go with it. Majordomo decided that he needed a salad so he chose the spinach salad. It was very good with egg, pancetta (?) and raisins on it. A great dressing went on top that I can’t remember what type it was.
Onto another round. I decided on the braised beef gnocchi and he got the coppa cotto (like a pork shoulder). My gnocchi was very good and the braised beef was outstanding. I did not get to try the coppa cotto but I will take his word that it was outstanding also. As a matter of fact, he raved about it and it was a large portion.
Dessert? Yes, please. The lemon pound cake with lemon (?) ice cream. The pound cake was a mini loaf that was delicious.
Would I come back here? Yes of course, and I’m getting the meatball.

This restaurant is adorably decorated with a fun vibe and a fantastic cocktail menu.
I went with several girl friends on a Friday night and I cannot say more good things! The service was quick and our waitress was very attentive, and her food and drink recommendations were completely on point. I know it’s not the most innovative thing on the menu, but the pizza was absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced. It was a pretty good size.
For dessert we started with the meyer lemon pound cake, and that was just so-​so. I was expecting it to be moist and rich but it was dry and crumbly, so I was very unimpressed. Next, however, we ordered the Affagado, and it was out-​of-​this-​world amazing! I would never have thought to order it but one in our group insisted, and I’m so glad she did. The espresso was rich and chocolatey. We ended up ordering a second one and it’s all I’ve been able to talk about for a week. It’s small enough that one person easily could (and arguably should) have his or her own.
For the ambience and the price, I would definitely go back in the near future!

Food: 3.5 (would be 4 stars but for pizza)
Service: 4.5
Ambiance: 4.5
Food:
Having recently dined at Publico (same ownership), which is overrated due to poor kitchen timing and underwhelming taste profiles, we had set our expectations low. We also prepared ourselves for small, overpriced portions. With those expectations, we were delightfully surprised.
We had the 4-​course taster. We started with the tartare and the scallop. Both are good, but not great. If you prefer a traditional tartare, go to Brasserie. But the tartare at Randolfi’s is more creative, as the vaguely spicy mustard and crispy crumbs add a nice contrast to the beef. The dish, like many here, is a bit high priced. But this might be due to the type of ingredients Randolfi’s uses, as it seemed to be (based on smell) grassfed beef. So, this might hint at some reasons behind the high (er) prices at Randolfi’s.
The scallop is fine, but not worth getting. Being cooked in the oven (instead of grilling), it lacks sufficient crisp yet still isn’t tender enough inside. The other flavors in the dish, including cold fennel, are fine, but nothing compelling. Even if the dish was phenomenal, which it is not, you are getting one large scallop, which, no matter how you cut it, feels like too little for that price. Again, it might be a really high grade scallop, but this is St. Louis, so don’t eat here for the quality of seafood.
The salads were fine, but they’re salad. We only got them because the 4-​course option required it. The chopped salad was disappointing — the lettuce struck us as too bitter and the dressing too heavy. The spinach salad was better, with a nice dressing.
The pasta was exceptional. The gnocchi with braised beef might be our favorite dish at Randolfi’s. The gnocchi was tender, paired with a delicious beefy but not too thick sauce that was delightfully salty and warming. There could be a bit more beef, but it is after all a pasta dish.
Less wonderful but still good was the meatball. The highlight is the hearty marinara sauce, which successfully incorporates a faint hint of lemon. The pasta itself was cooked well, but struck us as a bit too thick. The meatball was good, but largely due to the sauce, and would benefit from more sauce saturation. Although there is indeed only one meatball, it is large and sufficient. The downside to one large meatball is that you get much less of a critical aspect of meatballs: the faint dry crisp on the outside.
The best dish of the night was the lamb shank. We added this to our 4-​course (it is not included). The meat was delicious, moist, and generally tender, even though it was not quite falling off the bone. But what makes the dish spectacular is the combination of the meat’s tasty tomato sauce, whose acidity pairs wonderfully with the richly cheesy risotto. All the ingredients together make a well-​contrasted rich flavor profile (even if the textures end up mostly mushy). The dish seems $ 5 – 10 overpriced given the setting of the restaurant. But it is worth it.
The prosciutto and arugula pizza was the least inspiring part of the meal. As others have said, if you really like naan, then you’ll like the pizza. But we were not fans. I dare you to eat this with your hands. The ingredients are piled on too thickly towards the center, where the dough is thin, pliable, and soggy, so it is very hard to grab a good slice with your hands and get a consistent bite, let alone not have the whole thing crumble before it makes its way to your mouth. The pizza was not only hard to handle, but it frankly delivered an uninteresting taste. The arugula did not work well in its wilted, hot state. The sauce was lightly applied and not compelling, a far cry from the great red sauce accompanying the meatball or lamb. The pizza also would have strongly benefited from more cheese. We finished it only because we have no self control, but would not order it again.
The bread was fine, but they had essentially run out of it by 9:30. Is it that hard to bake a little more?
Finally, the pacing of the food was nearly perfect. Every dish was spaced at least 5 but no more than 15 minutes apart.
Service:
Essentially perfect for this environment. Lilly unflinchingly answered our peculiar questions and tended to our even more bizarre requests. She steered us towards the best dishes. She checked on us during each course to make sure we were contented, but never was overbearing. She also, unlike our server at Reed’s and some other places, did not make us feel gluttonous for ordering an additional dish on top of the four-​course taster. Bravo.
Ambiance:
The room generally feels cozy and almost a bit nostalgic with its décor and checkered-​pattern tablecloths. Unlike places trying to seem a bit too hip (Publico), the setting seems a bit less forced and pairs well with the food.

Sit at the bar so you can watch your super friendly bartenders create magic. Order the #37 and ½ to drink. Try the bread with pesto but only a little. Order the meatball with spaghetti. Yup there’s amazing things on the menu but don’t bother even looking. Sigh all the way through it. Go back next week.

Food and service were excellent overall. I would have given 5 stars, but it was a bit overpriced. The scallop appetizer was a single scallop and when we asked about sharing, the server said it was large enough for two to share. Unfortunately, it was basically one standard bay scallop about 1.5″ in diameter. Definitely not as big as I’ve seen and certainly not enough for two to share.
On the other hand, the pâté appetizer was massive and with a soup or salad could have been a whole meal.
The Porchetta dish was huge and very good, but did not come with any sides. At $ 44 I think having at least one side is little to ask. My tastebuds could have used something every few bites to help balance out it’s strong flavor. Even without sides, I could only get through half of it, so it did provide plenty of leftovers the next day.
I’m not big on Gnocchi, but my ordered it and it was exceptional. Incredible beef flavor and each Gnocchi was very light, completely negating my usual complaints of it weighing my belly down like lead nuggets.
Will be back for some of the other nice looking dishes, but will be more cautious about portions and prices for certain dishes.

Outstanding. Their Neapolitan-​style pizza has been the best in town for years, and the rest of the menu is extremely good. Great cocktails and beer list.
The mushroom pappardelle is one of the best dishes I’ve had in months.
Come eat here!

This is the very edge of St Louis dining culture. They have taken Italian dining to an entirely new level, making a neighborhood Italian restaurant an elegant affair. I have eaten here seven times in the last two months because I just cannot find another experience that parallels this one. Oysters, Duck Confit, Steak Tartar, Pork Bolognese — the menu changes at a fairly fast pace but it always has a feel of being the same place.
More than anything else though is their bartender Jeff. He is making drinks there that rival any hip bar on either coast. After you have a couple of his standard drinks you can tell him what you liked about them and he will whip up something special that fits your food and your taste.
This is my favorite restaurant in St Louis. The price is high, but worth every penny– get reservations because once it fills in the evening the place never slows down.

I was so excited to try this restaurant with my parents after reading reviews in St Louis magazine. Living in LA, I love experiencing new St Louis restaurants when home for the holidays. Wow is this restaurant a bit of a train wreck. I loved the vibe and cocktails when we arrived but everything went downhill from there. It was a triple whammy of terrible service, disappointing food and unworthy prices.
After ordering appetizers (great house salad), there was a 45 minute delay between starters and dinner. Our waitress came by once and asked to refresh drinks but after that ghosts have more presence. We flagged down another waitress from a different table to help us. After a bit the manager and waitress came out apologizing — one of the excuses given was another table was just taking up all their time. And the restaurant wasn’t even filled to capacity!
The food finally arrived and we were pretty disappointed. The meatball was wonderful but my foodie Dad reeled from the amount of salt in the spaghetti deeming it almost inedible. My Mom thought the fig pasta was tasty but at $ 9 for a thimble full it was eye opening. The margherita pizza ordered was undercooked and devoid of any flavor. We spoke up several times to 3 different people but the most shocking thing was not at any time did anyone offer to comp drinks, take off an appetizer or otherwise compensate for the lackluster food and terrible service.
I do think they need to work out the kinks and I wish them well in the future, I’m just not sure how much of a future they have.

I took my boyfriend to Randolfi’s on a Tuesday night to celebrate his birthday. The décor and lighting makes for just the right ambience for an intimate dinner for two. He selected a red with the help of the waiter and ordered the Meatball (tomato gravy, spaghetti alla chitarra.) I ordered the Duck Confit (orange supreme, olive, arugula, gnocchi.) I had one bite of his and it was done perfectly. The chitarra was cooked al dente and had just the right amount of chew. The meatball was tender and the tomato sauce was heavy enough to stand up to the large meatball and substantial noodles. The gnocchi was light and a nice vehicle for the sauce while the olives had a nice sharp briney bite. The duck was tasty and tender. A really nice experience all around and they serve excellent bread with a tasty basil oil to dip it in. Just to address some of the other reviews… the portions are by no means gigantic but we are not big eaters and found the larger size of the pasta to be exactly right. Also many have mentioned the service, or lack there of. My only complaint is when I asked the waiter what the cured egg yolk is in one of the dishes he said «you know, they cure it.» I was on the fence and went with the other of my choices. Really nice spot and I’d have no hesitation returning. I think it’s better than the «P» pasta restaurant in Clayton. Shhh, don’t tell.

Loved this place. It’s very small make ressies. Had the steak tartar and it was outstanding. I ordered the duck and loved it. My wife had the fresh tuna, she loved the fish but didn’t care for the sauce. We had the neopolian pizza and enjoyed it. Will return
My only gripe is that steak tartar is tiny and really too small to share

I am very torn on this new restaurant. We were very upset when The Good Pie closed but were very excited about the opening of something similar. I love that they kept the same brick oven pizza and pizza recipe.
The atmosphere is much more lively and alive than The Good Pie. The décor is warm and cozy and inviting. They did a good job at making the atmosphere on point. The food is a tad (but not crazy) pricier than what you would expect I thought the pizza we had was just ok. It was very good but a little soggy. The meatball was fantastic and full of flavor. The spaghetti was ardent and delicious. They offer a 6 course menu that changes on a daily/​weekly basis that is $ 40 a person and its my understanding that the sizes of the meals are a bit smaller but you do get to try a vast majority of the menu this way. The waitress said its something you do if you have an hour and a half to spare. I would love to try that out next time.
I will give this place another go around but not quite sure if it will be any time soon.

We almost cried when Good Pie closed down. The other night I casually checked to see if by any chance good pie was back– — No! I then checked hot and new and noticed Randolfis at the same address as good pie.
Tonight i convinced my wife we had to go. New design somewhat, pizza oven same one in the back with the N and blue– Go Napoli!
The dinner. H077y $ 4i+! We ordered the risotto, white bolognese, meatball pasta, and the pizza with prosciutto and porcini. Holy !!! I almost cried with that food. I had the bolognese and it was delicious! Bring it out with an egg yolk for you to stir into the dish. Almost soiled my pants it was sooo good. Now the pizza, as fantastic as I remember it. That crust– that crust!
Anyhow, cant wait to be back next weekend. Gonna tear up that menu!

I kinda accidentally stop into this place to eat when the line at Seoul taco was too long to bear. I never visited this place when it was the good pie so I’m not familiar with any décor changes that might have happened but I thought the place was small but I did like the kitchen being out in the open. I ended up sitting at the bar when was nice but for the beginning of the visit, something was causing the bar to vibrate.
I took a glance at Unilocal before I ordered so I saw all the reviews on the small portion size of the pasta dishes so I order both the pasta with meatball and the pizza. Overall it was delicious, particularly the pasta which definitely tasted different from the store-​bought stuff. The pizza was okay for that particular style of pizza, I happen to prefer a hard crunchy crust, so I enjoyed the pizza more as leftovers the next day.
The only problem is that if I had just ordered the pasta, I would have still been hungry. I would rather pay more to get a larger portion then to have to supplement the meal with other items.

okay, we’ve been here three times since they opened as Randolfi’s and each time was wonderful. We really like The Good Pie but now with the menu variety we are more likely to come here regularly. The food is soooooo good and I really love the way they’ve opened the space up and made it cozy and classic. We’ve tried most of the pizzas — best we’ve ever had and we consider ourselves to be pizza snobs coming from DC the land of 2 Amy’s and many other great Neapolitan pizza joints. The pastas are sooo delicious and perfectly cooked and portioned. We leave feeling perfectly full for about 30−40/person each visit (cocktails, pizza, pasta, and either a starter or a dessert) so while it’s certainly not cheap, I think it is completely reasonable for the quality of the food.
Service is never great at the Randolph’s restaurants. .. .. while that’s not an excuse, I think we have lowered our expectations so it doesn’t bother us as much as it did previously. We know we will probably have to ask for bread a couple times (ask and be persistent bc the bread is AMAZING) and let them know (a couple times) if we are in a hurry. That said, we have found all the staff to be nice and welcoming — something Randolph restaurants have missed the mark on before.

We came in with friends on the opening weekend and had a great time. All the cocktails, appetizers, pasta dishes, and desserts we ordered were delicious. We did not have the pizza or meat/​fish dishes.
APPS — Really liked the Oysters Randolfi — 3 baked oysters dressed up with fennel, breadcrumbs, and more. ($ 9) The fennel really stood out and made this unique, The house salad ($ 7) was different looking, using iceberg lettuce as little cups or something. The Italian dressing really made it shine. Next was the burrata — soft mozzarella cheese over cucumber and herbed oil. This was a nice portion size and perfect for spreading on the complimentary bread. Just remember to mix it all together before you dive in.
PASTAS — Definitely get the Meatball ($ 11). This dish was delicious, well-​portioned, and had a spicy kick. It was served with some house-​made noodles. Not your typical spaghetti, these were thicker, chewier noodles and I really enjoyed them. They reminded me of the noodles from Corner 17 next door. I also tried some of the duck confit gnocchi and the salami pasta. Both of them had great distinctive flavors. The portion sizes of these two was on the small side, so keep that in mind if you have a large appetite.
DESSERTS — It is rare for me to order dessert, but the choices were just too appealing to skip. I tried two. One of them used strawberries, basil, and house-​made ricotta. Every bite (there weren’t many) was heaven. Also really enjoyed another one involving a chocolate torte, cherries, and house-​made mascarpone.
COCKTAILS — If you’re a cocktail nerd, you’ll love the offerings here. Each choice has a complexity-​rating of 1 – 10 shown on the menu. I thought that was a nice touch. I got the #37 ($ 11), a bourbon-​ginger liqueur concoction with cherry and smoke-​infusion over ice. It was a nice-​sized drink, very well-​balanced and actually seemed to pair well with the food. And at the end, there’s a nice little bonus of 2 alcohol-​infused cherries to nibble on. I tried 2 other cocktails and both were outstanding.
Our server was nice and friendly and had a good knowledge of the menu. The place had a cool atmosphere and the use of music was done just right. Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying out other stuff.