The Grove Neighborhood


The Grove Neighborhood in St. Louis is popular for its nightlife and soul food restaurants, and with a spirit and character all its own, it’s fun for locals and tourists alike. With a thriving art culture, and things to do that extend well beyond shopping, The Grove is fun, vibrant, and constantly moving, with new culture, modern events, and a plethora of cultural St. Louis events and places throughout the metro area.

Whether you’re visiting, live nearby, or just want to know what The Grove is about, you can see what the area has to offer. The Grove’s neon entry sign may be the area’s only real landmark, but the neighborhood has plenty of art, clubs, and events that make it worth visiting. Check out our guide to restaurants in The Grove neighborhood.

Food and Restaurants in The Grove

The Grove has a culturally diverse offering of restaurants, eateries, shops, venues, clubs, and bars, with a thriving nightlife, diverse music culture, and thriving art scene. As a result, it’s a great place to visit for a few hours, or for a day trip, and with foods and music culture that reflect much of St. Louis’s history, it’s a great look at the entertainment side of the city.

Nightlife: The Grove is home to some of St. Louis’s premier nightlife, including some of the most popular clubs in the area. With multiple venues chosen by the Reader’s Choice Awards as the best in the city for multiple years in a row, it’s also no secret why they’re always busy. The nightlife is bustling with bars, clubs, and venues featuring live bands, DJs, artists, and LGBT clubs, and as a result, has something for almost everyone.

Restaurants and Cafes: With soul food, cafes, and a mix of STL restaurants offering foods from Spain, Italian food, and classic American favorites, The Grove is an excellent place to eat. Some of the restaurants are famous throughout the city, and people visit just for the breaded, battered, and fried dishes, which have been served in the area since the Grove was built. While there are plenty of cafes for dining during shopping and beauty trips, the best food is served at night, and is fairly affordable.

Food in The Grove

Shopping: A variety of shops and boutiques, including artist shops, line the streets of the business district, making The Grove a prime place to go for shopping. Rather than store after store of major chains, the area offers a diverse shopping experience, complete with a local market, green market, furniture, clothing, recycled goods, arts and crafts, and secondhand treasures. With some markets only open on specific days, it’s important to plan your trip if you’re there for shopping, but there’s always something to see and buy.

Art and Culture: In addition to some of the best restaurants in St. Louis, The Grove is home to a varied center of art, culture, and art pieces, and is one of the strongest LGBT areas in ST. Louis. With art clubs focusing on creating and displaying art, multiple popular public art pieces, and some places to buy art from local artists and designers, the area is worth visiting for culture alone. The Grove, like many other areas of St. Louis, is also famous for its music culture, with local musicians, music shops, and live music venues dotting the area. Music lovers can come to find anything from vintage records to newly pressed local artists’ CDs, or to listen to live music. Events happening through the year also feature live musicians, DJs, food, and beverages, which allow locals and visitors alike to sample the uniquely rich culture of the area. Finally, The Grove is popular for it’s LGBT nightlife, clubs, and areas, with a strong support and plenty of activities and events throughout the year.

Bars in The Grove

Official Grove Site

Sports and Cycling: Sports and cycling are a big part of The Grove’s history, and the annual bicycle races are now a tradition. While not as large a part of the area’s culture as entertainment, The Grove’s cycling team is among the top in the world, and the Tour de Grove circles all of St. Louis once a year.

Beauty: With a variety of hair and beauty salons in the area, The Grove is well known for it’s beauty services, and women come from around the area to have their hair cut, dyed, and styled. Premises are also open to men. For those who prefer to stay away from hair and nail salons, the area is also home to a thriving tattoo culture, with multiple high quality shops, and area renowned artists offering tattoo services throughout the day.

Check out other St. Louis restaurants in nearby neighborhoods

The Hill Restaurants      CWE Restaurants         South Grand Restaurants