Photo by Cristina M. Fletes (Post-Dispatch)
I Fratellini
I Fratellini refreshed its decor at the end of 2018, and the new interplay of light, shadow and color (especially pops of red) has only enhanced the restaurant’s intimate vibe. The warm hospitality is unchanged. Zoë Robinson’s Italian restaurant in collaboration with chef Ny Vongsaly set the template for the duo’s other two restaurants in Clayton, Bar Les Frères and their masterpiece Billie-Jean, and is a standout in its own right. The obvious move here is to indulge yourself with dishes like spaghetti tossed with garlic, shallots and butter and topped with lobster-tail meat. But I’ve been equally impressed by more rustic fare, like a soup of the day that paired briny, perfectly cooked clams with tomato that even in winter was as lushly acidic as the summer crop.
Hours: Dinner Monday-Saturday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2001