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Cocktail and Wine Bars

Isabella G., M1

Looking for an expertly mixed cocktail? Look no further — St. Louis’s bar, lounge and restaurant scene has got all your boozy needs covered! For cocktails in a vibey atmosphere, I highly recommend Narwhal’s Crafted, Planter’s House (delightful seasonal drinks in a courtyard!), Juniper, Taha’a Twister Tiki (sweet, tropical drinks and cornhole!), Yellowbelly (nearby in CWE), The Fountain on Locust (ice cream martinis to die for!), Three Sixty (a perfect rooftop view), Thaxton Speakeasy, Taste by Niche (nearby in CWE), and The Famous Bar (great Bourbon-based options)! Cheers!

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Coffee Shops in STL

Alyssa R., M1

Kaldi’s — Kaldi’s is a local coffee chain found in both St. Louis City and County. It is probably one of the most convenient places to grab a cup of coffee because there are two locations on the Medical Campus, one right in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center and one in the Mid Campus Center, as well as one on N. Euclid Avenue. The one on Euclid is a decent study spot, although it can get quite loud when it’s busy. It has pretty good coffee and lots of great options for breakfast and lunch, although it can be a little expensive.

Rise Coffee — Rise Coffee is a cute coffee shop located in The Grove. It has a good amount of seating inside as well as a nice outdoor patio that you can sit on when it’s warm. They serve locally roasted coffee, pastries, and have some options for breakfast and lunch. It’s a great place to go on a first date or bring friends to catch up. If you want to use it as a study spot, I recommend going early, especially on the weekends. It can get pretty crowded and might be difficult to find a table.

Northwest Coffee Roasters — Northwest is a local roaster that serves a pretty good cup of coffee. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the heart of CWE. Northwest has a wide variety of coffee and espresso drinks as well as a limited selection of food. Currently, there is no indoor seating, but they have a large patio with a portion of it enclosed so you could still enjoy the shop’s vibes in the winter months. I’ve found it to be a great place to study or just talk with friends. It definitely gets busy on the weekends though, so you might have to wait a little if you want to try and snag a table.

Catalyst Coffee Bar — This tiny café located in downtown St. Louis is also a small art gallery that sells pieces made by local artists. They are primarily known for their espresso drinks, although they do serve some teas. They don’t have food or a ton of seating, so I would not recommend it for lunch or studying, but it is worth checking it out if you happen to be in the area and need a little caffeine pick-me-up.

Maypop Coffee and Garden Shop — This small coffee shop is in Webster Groves, about a 15-minute drive from CWE. It has both outdoor and indoor seating and is attached to a reasonably priced plant nursery. This café is definitely worth visiting to wander around the nursery with your drink and, if you have a green thumb, pick up a plant for your new apartment.

Park Avenue Coffee — Park Avenue Coffee has a few locations in St. Louis, one in the Hill and two downtown. They are all about a 10-15 minute drive from CWE. They have tons of different coffee and espresso drinks made with their locally roasted beans. They are also famous for their gooey butter cake, and I believe they make up to 20 different flavors, including red velvet, triple chocolate, and white chocolate raspberry. I would recommend driving down and grabbing a slice to have with your cup of joe. There isn’t a ton of seating at the locations I’ve been to, so it might not be the best study spot.

Starbucks — If you’re looking to get your classic Starbucks drink or pick up a PSL in the fall season, you’re in luck. There are two locations close to campus, one in CWE and one on the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy campus. I’m sure you already know what Starbucks is, so I think I’ll just leave it at that.

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Dive Bars

Victoria M., M1

In order of proximity to the Central West End (CWE):

Pagan Wine Bar – Super cool bar hidden away in the CWE, with really fun décor, funky jazz music, and wine at reasonable prices. Worth noting that it is pretty small so it might be hard to find a table/enough chairs if you have more than 1-2 people with you, but I guess that contributes to the dive bar feel. Pagan really feels like an underground bar you’d stumble into late at night in New York or any major European city; would highly recommend.

Brennan’s – Brennan’s is possibly a little too fancy for true dive bar classification, but honestly, the people-watching makes it worth it (still waiting for them to install the ping pong table from the old location though). They have cool specialty cocktails and some reasonably priced beers, as well as a limited-but-really-good appetizer menu. They have tons of seating indoors (tables, couches, the bar) and you’ll probably get to witness multiple first dates and puzzle over whether people (who are definitely attendings) are on really awkward dates or having sort-of-awkward business meetings.

West End Grill and Pub – Now this is a dive dive bar near the Basilica, for when you want to get a little farther away from Barnes. They have a handful of beers on tap, and the other drinks are also super cheap. There’s outdoor seating and seats at the bar, but I think those are usually taken up by a bunch of regulars who seem to hang out and do the crossword there. The bar is connected to the Gaslight Theater and located right next to Blue Strawberry, which has stand-up/plays/live performances most nights that seem to draw decent crowds.

Venice Cafe – This is one of my favorite places in St. Louis, although it’s in Soulard, which is a bit further from the CWE. The entire bar and outdoor area is decorated with super funky art and mosaics, and there’s live music playing inside almost every night. It’s cash-only and they have a pretty good selection of beers and cocktails at standard STL prices ($6 for a beer, ~$10 for a cocktail). Worth it for the ambiance and the funky artist types you’ll see, and the owners/workers are super nice and were pretty early to implement vaccine card requirements, which is cool.

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Karaoke Bars

Naazanene V., M1

Located just a 10-minute Uber ride away from campus, the W Karaoke Lounge has a wide song selection and an elaborate interior aesthetic. You can hang out in the common area or reserve rooms for up to 10 or 15 people. In addition to the bar, the W also served food (before COVID) — currently, you can bring in your own food for an additional fee.

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Pub Trivia

Jon I., M1

Lucky for everyone, there are some smart cookies at WashU who can carry a trivia team. Nearly every Thursday, a group of students go to the BBQ Saloon right off campus to compete against locals, PT students, OT students, and bar regulars for candy, shots, and being immortalized on a Facebook post. It’s a blast to learn what your friends know and wonder how on earth they actually knew that answer. Three of the more popular spots are BBQ Saloon on Thursdays for convenience and candy, Mike Duffy’s on Wednesdays for a college crowd and a fun MC, and Narwhal’s Crafted on Tuesdays for the best drinks. Each bar hosts trivia on a different day, so grab a group and find out how smart your classmates are!