Baileys' Chocolate Bar

Baileys' Chocolate BarBaileys' Chocolate Bar
Baileys' Chocolate BarBaileys' Chocolate Bar
Bar, Eatery

1915 Park Ave
Saint Louis, Missouri, 63104-2536
United States

(314) 241-8100 | map
baileyschocolatebar.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.15
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
33
pDev:
13.49%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JayS2629:
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Reviewed by JayS2629 from Alabama

4.83/5  rDev +16.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
What an awesome little place. Located in an old brick store-front. The place is small, but the atmosphere was very classy, laid-back, and relaxing. Dimly lit.

They had an awesome selection of foods, though their focus was on dessert. Great selection of beer. I tried several, remembering New Beligiam's Tripel best of all. They had a great selection of Chocolate Stouts too. One of which was served with cinnomon ice cream.

We got some delicious flat-bread pizzas, several excellent beers, and had banana bread split for dessert. It had two slices of banana bread, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a scoop of cinnomon ice cream, caramel, whip cream, and chocolate toffee bits.

Service was very courteous, classy, and quick. The prices were reasonable. I want to go again so I can try some of the menu I didn't get a chance to.
Jan 03, 2011
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by BalancingBrooms from California

4.16/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Dessert bar. Lots of chocolate drinks and desserts, try the chocolate martinis. Their signature stout is solid as well. Nice place to take a date, with awesome service, and fair prices.
Feb 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.78 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Sep 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by kjkinsey from Texas

Sep 15, 2015
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Reviewed by boilermakerbrew from Indiana

4.36/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 5
What can I say about the Chocolate Bar? I'm going to go with odd vibe, pretty good beer, and great dessert! Their desserts are the best, not to mention that they have a pretty good selection of sweet stouts, locals, and Belgian-style beers on tap. Don't shy away from the chocolate martinis either. The vibe is all red interior with plush and velvet everywhere, but it's kind of cool.

Basically, if this is your after dinner dessert stop, you can't do much better.
Jun 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Bluenose0988 from Missouri

Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.28 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

Jan 29, 2015
 
Rated: 2.76 by Flozano23 from California

Oct 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jschonert from Missouri

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by FreshZ from Missouri

May 21, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by evilcatfish from Missouri

Feb 05, 2014
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Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped in here for the first time last Friday. It's a cool old building. The atmosphere appears to push the romantic theme. Lots of red color and dark chocolate colors. Doesn't have a craft beer pub feel. The beer I had was all good quality. My friend had a very fresh bottle of Two Hearted. The service was good. We were a large group and were well taken care of. The selection is nice but dessert themed for obvious reasons. Three New Belgium taps, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, a Lindemans, their chocolate ale from O'Fallon, Charleville's Box of Chocolate and a couple others. Bottles weren't bad. I had an '08 Cooper's Vintage Ale (although the menu listed the '05 version). You're not going to find a big Imperial IPA or RIS here. I am torn on how to rate the food. My wife and I each had a pizza and switched because each of us did not like what we ordered. The desserts were good and should be for a place called a chocolate bar. If I were reviewing this place as a food/restaurant writer I'd probably score it high. Great martinis and good wine. Reviewing it as a beer advocate. Well, then it's a nice place to have a beer or two.
Jul 18, 2011
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Reviewed by phaleslu from Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -12.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Bailey’s is next door to 33 on Park Ave. in Lafayette Square. The place’s decor is in keeping with its hip chocolate bar theme- red and brown, "sexy" artwork, and so forth. I counted a dozen taps and about four dozen bottles. The selection is good- an in-house beer brewed by O’Fallon, a lot of New Belgium, Unibroue, some Belgians, English, Scottish, and Germans, and plenty of other US micros. Nothing too crazy, though. The food is good, mostly decadent desserts. The cocktails are interesting, too. The service was all right, but our waitress forgot about the dessert we ordered with our drinks. As a beer destination, this place is a bit overrated. But as a place to get some drinks and dessert, take a date, and hopefully get laid, this is a good place to go. For better beer, stop in next door at 33.
May 18, 2011
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Reviewed by DCon from Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Here's my take on the Chocolate Bar...
Has a classy, but yet snobby type of atmosphere. I'm not very sure I'm happy or comfortable with it. Have sat both on the patio and in the main dining room and with the chairs and tables so closed together, you would think it would bring people to conversation more often, but no. You end up finding yourself eavesdropping without even meaning to the whole night.

Quality is all fine dining types and is all presented well. There is no issue with their quality.

Service is tough to judge... It is above average but the staff absolutely have no clue about their beer or beer in general. This is fine because I believe this is more of a Martini Bar then a Beer Bar. For example, I asked about the beers on tap and she said I could go up to the bar and look at their selection if I would like... Then after deciding to try 2 of their 12 oz beers, she brings me a 20 oz O'Fallon's Chocolate Ale. No problem, just tough to give this section a good rating.

Their selection is awesome! Whether Martini, Beer, or Wine lover, they can accommodate anyones taste. I will be back to try many more of their beers on tap.

On the food, great! I have tried 3 of their deserts (Brownie, Creme Brulee, and then some type of Ice Cream desert with fudge), and they have all been wonderful. Also had a sausage pizza that was filling (Street in the name) and I recommend it for sure!

Both Times coming here, my bill wasn't under $40, so expect a "bit pricey" check at the end of the night. Martinis anywhere from $9-11, and their beer is $5-9.

Heres my final take on this Chocolate Bar...
My first time here was with my girlfriend and we both split 2 of their Martinis and a brownie desert. Fantastic. Heres the question.. Why don't they promote promote their beers more? It took me a second time coming here to find out they have a specially brewed Chocolate Ale from O'Fallon just for Bailey's Chocolate Bar. They also had two Unibroue beers on tap and then 10 other specialty beers.
Will be coming back and will next time will be sitting at the bar.
Apr 16, 2011
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Reviewed by homebrewhawk from Kansas

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
My family went for dessert on a weekday evening. It is located in a great old building. Atmosphere would be great for couples. Great selection of beer, wine, port and martinis at reasonable prices. Impressive list of bottled beer including vertical selection of La Folie. Lindemann's Framboise, NB Lips of Faith, Maudite as well as others on tap.

Our server was a little green. Desserts were tasty, maybe a bit pricey. Not exactly a place for family's, but our kids did okay. Definitely worth a visit. A stealth beer place, you could take your wife or date that she would like as well.
Mar 18, 2009
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Reviewed by jm429 from Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
I went here with a friend and loved it. After salivating for a couple of days over the idea of a Young's Double Chocolate/cinnamon ice cream shake, I was not disappointed. I also tried their Double Chocolate and Lindemann's Framboise mix; I think they called it a Red and Black. That was quite a delicious combo. Their beer list was small, but quality and I wish I had the money/liver to try more of their selection. There was a definite focus on chocolate stouts, some of which I hadn't heard of before. It also seems like they always have Young's Double Chocolate on draft, which is a big plus for me. If you're a fan of chocolate and beer, this place is a must.
Mar 03, 2009
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Reviewed by BelgianBrewFan from Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Decided to try it out last weekend with my husband and some friends. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed the place. It's small, but the level of quality and service definitely make up for that.

The food was fantastic! Now, of course we had to try the desserts... but their non-dessert items were great as well. The have these mini-pizzas called "pizzetas" which were amazing. My friend's girlfriend and I split the Missouri and the Eighteenth. I would definitely recommend trying both when you visit. Their cheese boards are pretty amazing too.

As for the drinks... great selection for a small dessert bar. I broke down and tried a mocha martini which is usually not my style, but I did enjoy it. The beer menu is small(er) but plentiful. Some of the choices include Unibroue, La Chouffe, Arcadia and Bell's. They also have this thing called a beer shake. I can't remember exactly what it's made with, but it's basically a chocolate stout beer/milkshake. It was literally to die for... definitely a MUST TRY!
Jan 30, 2009
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Reviewed by skrib09 from Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
this place is such a hit. drinking wise, they have something for everyone. my girlfriend loves their large selection of speciality martinis (chocolate, other sweets, etc). the beer selection is really nice and they have a page or two of cellared brews to choose from.

the bar staff is extremely knowledgeable and very quick. i didn't even have to ask for a sample before of a beer i wanted to try before it was put in front of me.

the bar is non-smoking which is always great, and they have the most peculiar little bathrooms in the basement. kinda neat.
Jan 05, 2009
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Reviewed by wabuson from California

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Headed in after a visit to Square One Brewery because I heard they had La Folie on tap. Much to my chagrin they did not but I was very pleased to see they had Eric's Ale on instead. One look at their tap line and I was impressed. Maudite, 5 Day IPA, Arcadia Wit (plus a few more notable that I forgot) all from a bar that prides itself on it's martinis. Cellar selection was very good. Picked up a bottle of '04 La Folie, and questioned buying many others. They have a togo license as well which will keep me coming back to check on their cellar whenever I am in St. Louis.

All in all the service was impeccable, food was tasty (had a pizzetta), and beer knowledge was well represented in this martini bar.
Jun 06, 2008
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Reviewed by jcompton from Missouri

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I was a bit sceptical going to a place called a chocolate bar, expecially b/c i wanted to have a few brews. When you walk in the bar sits to the right. We sat in the back dining room, which was low lit. the walls are painted red with some comtempory decorations all around. the server was knowledgeable of their beers. the menu had a very impressive compilation of brews and wines. they do have a rotating group of seasonals also. if you're just wanting to go have a few brews, or take a date for a beer/wine and a dessert this is definitely the place. anyone that's going to be in the lafayette square neighbor needs to check it out.
Jan 19, 2008
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Reviewed by brewintheLou from Missouri

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I was very impressed with this place. It is a nice relaxing place that more upscale than your typical beer bar. Great place if you are looking for a nice romantic time.

Our server was very attentive and was able to answer any questions we had about the beer menu.

The selection is amazing. Check out their website and take a look at the beer menu for yourself. Nice selection on tap and a great lineup of bottles.

The price, I thought was great. You could spend a lot of money on a few of their cellar beers, but a 21 oz. Boulevard Pale and Maudite draw for only $5 seemed pretty reasonable to me.

Must see if you live in or are visiting St. Louis.
Nov 06, 2007
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Reviewed by bobzemuda from Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
If the typical schnitzel loving, beer cheese chugging, brew-club-stein wielding vibe is what you're after, then Bailey's, I'm here to tell you, is not the place for you.

If on the other hand you're looking for a place to maybe take your lady for a romantic night out, impress some friends with your happening choice, or perhaps just hang out while eating great desserts surrounded by people having a laid back good time, then this could be for you.

...and the bonus, the most thoughtful beer list in St. Louis.

Abt 12, La Chouffe, as well as several Unibroue were on draft the last time I was there in June. Also, they had a nice choice of 750mls with some even representing actual vintages of beers like La Folie and various Unibroue Editions. Plus a fairly hefty selection of bottled beer without a single AB selection clogging up the works.

So I tell you, it's all smiles when your inhaling that first whiff of Ephemere all the while being applauded for having a) exceptional taste or b) a level of romance not expected from someone who loves beer so damn much, and the bottom line is, for St. Louis, it's a can't miss not just because of the beer, but because it's one of the truly cool things happening in our city.

Just go to their site and see the list for yourself.
Sep 06, 2007
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Reviewed by Vancer from Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -37.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2
Well, maybe I’m an getting to be an old cranky guy, but this place did not sit well with me at all. Sheesh, it was all about yuppie groupie crap, and not about beer.

Sure, they have beers to knock your socks off, but they’d rather serve overprice martinis and wine. AND tiny little deserts that wouldn’t fill a teacup.

On a Saturday evening at 8 pm, not busy at all, - Took the freakin’ server 10 minutes to get to our table, 20 minutes to bring the a round of drinks (hey, the Young’s Double Choc Stout was tasty) and another 15 to bring those wimpy size desserts, which averaged $8.

If you have money to throw out the window, head here, and have a lot of time to kill.

Wife loved waiting for only TWO unisex johns after a guy pissed all over the seat.
Jun 04, 2007
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Reviewed by kdog630 from Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Stopped by for 'desert' after a late dinner down the block. Not sure what to expect but Mrs. Kdog wanted chocolate. Very crowded at 9:30 on a Friday but we were able to sit in stools along the far wall.

The entire bar was filled with a chocolate aroma. That is the name, of course, and the menu featured plenty of chocolate drinks and deserts.

I went for a Boulevard Pale Ale while the Mrs. had a choco martini. The hallway where we were sitting was a hive of activity and there were a number of near mishaps, but our server was pretty attentive.

One drawback (possibly the only one) was a lack of cabs late at night. Luckily, we were able to walk back to our hotel without incedent, but the neighborhood to the west did seem a little dicey.

Next time, we'll probably try to get there earlier.

On a lighter note: A larger group couldn't get a table at 11 so they decided to go else where, which was just a well because dad was upset they didn't have Bud Light...
Apr 23, 2007
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Reviewed by udubdawg from Kansas

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Bailey's Chocolate bar went silent when 5 (admittedly a bit loud) guys in basketball fan attire stumbled into their romantic dimly lit bar. I noted only about 4 other guys, all coupled up. Got a couple dirty looks from groups of women, but we kept it down.

Enjoyed some phenominal desserts - chocolate insanity or whatever it was called, fudgy brownie, and raspberry pot de creme. Truly exceptional dessert menu. Had dinner at Square One, or I'm sure I'd be raving about the mini pizzas too.

Beer selection? 5 stars, maybe 6. St Bernardus Abt 12 on tap? Ditto with Young's Chocolate Stout? Sign us up! Enjoyed the Kulmbacher Eisboch and -barely- resisted buying a bottle of 2004 La Folie.

This seemed like a great place to bring a date...and yet even with the 5 of us basketball fans in the building we were outnumbered about 4:1 on girl/guy ratio. Nice.

Interesting rest rooms - looks like they chopped off the bottom of a regular door. No men/women signs on the doors, so they were unisex, which I guess makes sense with the largely female clientele. This however lead to a hilarious event where one of our more, umm, "stinky" friends was dismayed to find a very attractive woman waiting to use the restroom after he finished defouling it. Add in the number of great/strong beers we had that evening, and this created enormous laughter once related at the table.

Anyway...our server definitely paid more attention to adjacent tables (all women) than us, however overall the service was anything but inattentive. Far from inexpensive, but I'd go back in a heartbeat. And despite the (deserved) reputation as a date place, I think a guy dressed better than we were and less beer focused (and, let's admit it, less drunk) could do well in there.
Mar 14, 2007
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
CarlN26 and I only had to walk a short way to get to this place from Square One and why not make the trip, since it was one of the top-rated beer bars in the area? Entering through the wide double doorway, it was a case of Holy Victorian, Batman! The bar was directly in front of the entryway and along the right wall. Both the bar and the back bar were unique in my travels, which is no small statement. The back bar incorporated nine wide, wavy designs in a very dark wood, like stained cherry or mahogany. The bar was pretty close to the same color and it was its width that really separated the patrons from the staff and if the urge ever struck to come across the bar from either side, it would be a field trip. The barstools were wrought iron topped with red velvet upholstery. The dominant color scheme was red and black with a copper ceiling; a brass chandelier hanging above the center of the bar; plus, a multi-panel map rendition of the area on matte-black in grey. Along the left wall was a triptych of Bacchus and his attendants, plus some high tables and more red velvet seats. The unisex washrooms were to the right, past the bar and down a flight of steps into Alice in Wonderland-land. The ceilings were very low and the washrooms featured mosaics on the walls. All of the way aft was the restaurant, which mainly concentrated on desserts, with more of the flocked red velvet décor. I wondered if there were ladies upstairs, and whether Carol Stoudt might know anything about this, but owner Dave Bailey denied everything.
Oct 10, 2006
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Reviewed by GreenWBush from Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
On our recent stay we got the opportunity to check out a few Beer hot-spots in Saint Louis. The Chocolate Bar is certainly one of these places with more than enough charm to keep even the un-beer-initiated ensconsced in joy and the 'vapors'.

Bailey's is tucked into a gorgeous Industrially-reclaimed corner of St. Louis, not particularly far from the Bud brewery.

When you step inside, you know instantly that you should have a loved one on your arm. The place is like stepping into equal parts candy shop, opium den, high-class brothel, and swank martini bar.

You are brought cookies. The beer geek inside of you thinks, "what goes with cookies?" There are a few foodies to try - we had the delightful house-made pizza - and then your mind turns directly to beer.

Repeating particular names seem silly now, especially with the warm glowing lovey (and not necessarily accurate) memories of the place. The most important thing you need to know is: St. Bernardus Abt 12 in its proper goblet. New Belgium Beer de Mars in its proper glassware. La Folie on the bottle list.

Only complaint I could possibly register is that the Waitress knew pretty much nothing about beer. Still, she was very nice and apologetic when she brought us the wrong beer.

If you hit St. Louis, you really need to seek this place not only for your beer pleasure, but also for the pleasure of your spouse/lover/concubine/etc!
Mar 13, 2006
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Reviewed by carln26 from Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I recently revisited this place after BA nogoodreason informed me that that they had just updated some of the taps, and had Bells Winter Wheat, and New Belgium Bierre de Mars on tap. An early end to a work day afforded me the opportunity to stop by.

Nice space in one of my favorite areas of the city Lafayette Square. Well lit, and decorated large bar area. The bar is abnormally wide allowing you plenty of space.

I was greeted promptly by the bartender, and by the owner Dave Bailey. Nice selection of bottled beers, some hard to find in St. Louis. Extraordinary tap list. The mentioned BDM and Winter Wheat were joined by a couple of taps from Unibroue, St. Bernardus Abt 12, Spaten Optimator, Young’s Double-chocolate Stout, and a few other selections. 2 of the three beers I had (the BDM, and the Abt 12) were fresh and delicious. I had a Delerium Noel that was flat and showing age. Dave is good about fixing those things. I suspect it will be gone next time I’m there.

I had one of their mini-pizzas (fig, sun dried tomato, and bacon). It was hot, and very tasty. The cheese selection, and of course the desserts (not sampled this time) all looked wonderful.

This place and Jake’s 33 next door are 2 of the best beer bars in St. Louis. They enjoy and care for the beer, and provide you a great atmosphere to enjoy your beverage. Next time you’re in town, go to Lafayette Square and enjoy.
Feb 05, 2006
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Reviewed by Realale from Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Well, well, well. What a great treat this place is! Cozy, laid back atmosphere, (mostly) good tunes playing at that perfect volume where you can listen if you want or ignore them easily. Comfy seats, friendly, knowledgable staff, and a 65 offering beer list that includes very few throwaways.

The beers are a wide-ranging selection of domestic craft offerings and well-chosen imports. A good portion of the selection seems to rotate, and there are some vintage offerings beginning to appear - I suspect there will be more as the cellar matures.

Desserts and cheeses are the stars of the menu, though there are small, interesting pizzas and savory things if you want to make an entire meal. Everything sampled was very high quality. One of the prime focuses of the beer list is to match with the many dessert offerings, so there may be a few too many sweet beers for some, but those that are there are quality offerings.

On my visit I sampled a Rogue Mocha Porter with my off-the-menu dessert of raspberry-chocolate mousse filled chocolate cake with a bourbon chocolate glaze. A very nice match, and a truly awesome (a word I don't use lightly) dessert. Then it was on to a draft St. Bernardus Abt 12 - what a nice end to a lovely evening.

Appropriate glassware is provided for the beers, though serving temperature was a bit cold. The latter is a minor annoyance in my book, but I did note it. :-)

Other notables from the list were New Belgium's 2 Degrees Below, some Cantillon, a Fantome, numerous Trappists, a great selection of Germans including Aventinus, and some interesting UK selections like Dorothy Goodbody's and Old Engine Oil. A top notch spot, and my vote for best beer bar in St. Louis at the moment due to the quality and breadth of the selection.
Dec 01, 2005
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Reviewed by karst from Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Next door to 33 Wine Shop and Tasting Bar is Dave Bailey's, desert bar that is a perfect stop before or after a meal. A well decorated interior with a mahogany bar and veneer behind the bar in the front of the restaurant. A back room with more seating, and a patio in the rear is usable almost year round with help space heaters. A lot of attention goes into his decor.

There are 6 taps and most of the beer is served in the correct glassware from the brewery. The bottled selection includes: Aventinus Eisbock, Caracole Saxo, Duvel, Kulmbacher Eisbock, Lev Black Lion, Rouge Mocha Porter, Rebel, St. Bernardus Prior 8, Tripel and Abt. 12, - over 50 in all.

Great place, and definitely one place that you should try when in St. Louis.
Apr 28, 2005
Photo of Rio
Reviewed by Rio from Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
nogoodreason showed me this place last weekend when I was in St. Louis, and I wasn't disappointed in his choice. I don't know much about St. Louis, but from what I saw, the area where this place is located is kind of an old downtown area that seems to be going through some renovations. Not sure how the traffic is down there normally, so I don't know if they get walk in traffic, or if they just get their regular customers, and those of us who are fortunate enough to be pointed this way.

The have no main course food. If you want dinner, don't go looking there. They did look to have a nice little menu of desserts and cheeses, thought I didn't try any on my visit. The beer list wasn't huge, and it didn't carry a lot of the standard micros (I don't recall Sam Adams on there, or the normal New Belgium or Sierra Nevada beers), but it was pretty good sized, and had some really nice brews on there. I tried the Anchor OSA (which I'd never seen before) and NB's La Folie (which I'd never even heard of). Many more beers that I'd never seen or heard of were on their list, making me regret I drove there, instead of taking a taxi. I could have stayed there until close trying everything they'd let me get hold of.

Service was a bit slow, but they were pretty busy that night. It seemed to me like that place is always busy, but I don't really know. We did get to meet the owner for a few minutes, and overall was pretty impressed with the place, though, as I told nogoodreason, if I'd been walking down the street and looked in, I would've just walked by. It looked a little too fancy to this old redneck to have much worth drinking, but just another example of not judging a book by its cover.
Jan 26, 2005
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Reviewed by amicar from Missouri

4.36/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I went on a beer expedition with a few buddies... trying to branch out from our steady Shlafly's diet.

Anyway, the place is near a park in an urban area that's still working on it's rehabilitation a little bit (not to say I felt it was an unsafe area);
The place itself is trendy and "pretty." Lots of dark crimson colors; a mix of local hipsters and college kids (but they didn't strike me as the MBC frat crowd). The place has only desserts and chocolate items, but I cant tell you a thing about that. We were there for the beer only, thank you very much.

Anyway, only 6 items on tap, of fairly good appeal. The bottle list had about 40 or 50 beers- a great range of dark and light belgians, multiple different British styles, some eastern eutopean brews, american micros, and even a few macros.

Definitely more of a "date place" type crowd, but hey- if you can't find a beer that you're happy about here- you're way too damn picky. My only 2 complaints- the beer serving temperature is a little too cold (obviously very easy to fix by waiting 5 minutes), and the could use a few more items on tap.

Definitely a top place in St. Louis for more exotic beers.
Jan 02, 2005
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Reviewed by nogoodreason from Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
A storefront before and after dinner restaurant directly next door to another of St. Louis' beer stops, 33. The interior space is done up in deep reds and gold, with a beautiful mahogany bar and a very interesting mahogany veneer structure behind the bar, evoking waves of chocolate. The front of the restaurant is a bar, with plush comfy bar seats and a few tables. There's a back room with lots of seating, and a more open environment. The place is clearly upscale, but not overwhelmingly chic and decidedly not snobbish. There's a patio out back with space heaters and full service. It's a beautiful patio and on a nice night, it could be great.

There are only 6 taps, and being a dessert place, 3 of them focus on sweets. The taps are Lindeman's Peche & Framboise, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Belhaven Scottish Ale, Boulevard Wheat & Bob's 47. The bottled selection is much larger, eclectic and frankly, more exciting. The only macro on the list is PBR, from there on, it's generally an interesting list. Caracole Saxo & Nostradamus, St. Bernardus Prior 8, Tripel and Abt. 12, Aventinus Eisbock, Kulmbacher Eisbock, Rouge Mocha Porter, Rebel, Lev Black Lion, Duvel are some names I remember, though there were around 60 in all. The real shocker on the list was Cantillon Rose De Gambrinus. How many places in St. Louis have a lambic other than one of the lindy's fruits? I don’t know of another one.

Dave Bailey, the proprietor, told me that they have about 50% of the proper glassware for their beer at this point and he's working with his distributors to get the rest. The only problem I had with the beer, was that I think it was just slightly too cold.

The service is attentive and prompt though they just opened and they seem to still be getting some kinks ironed out.

Food wise, as I said, this place is a before and after bar. They have a few appetizers and a great selection of cheeses for before dinner, though they are focused on desserts. THEY HAVE NO DINNER FOOD. No problem, since the food they do have is outstanding. Hands down the most interesting and mouthwatering desert menu I've seen.

I had the Belgian Spiced Beer Cake, which is served with house-made honey ice-cream and a shot of Young's Double Chocolate Stout and paired it with Caracole Saxo. It was incredible.

Great place, and definitely one place that you should try when in St. Louis.
Sep 29, 2004
Baileys' Chocolate Bar in Saint Louis, MO
Place rating: 4.15 out of 5 with 33 ratings