Balaban's Review

If I could give zero stars, I would! I'm actually sitting in the restaurant still as I write this review. I was here for dinner tonight for a friends birthday and decided to take a bite of my spouses steak. There was a part of gristle or bone in the steak that I chipped my front tooth on!!! I told the waitress and gave her the piece of gristle/bone. Did I get even so much as an apology?!? NOPE! The waitress even came by and said, "I told my boss and took him the pieces, but I'm not sure what he's going to do." I said, "just an apology would okay." Still NOTHING! Walked out with $150 bill and no apology. I know they can't help that there was gristle/bone in the steak, but my god, they could have apologized!
UPDATE: right before we left, my friend's husband asked to speak to the manager. He came out and said, "it was an error on their part and they should have apologized." This was after some discussion. Too bad.

Best restaurant in Chesterfield. I ve had the privilidge of dining there AND attending a couple private events and I honestly can t tell you which I prefer. The food is amazing, and the service in the restaurant is second to none (from their friendly bartenders and weight staff to an engaging and personable owner), but their event space is beautiful and fun! If you went somewhere else for lunch, dinner, a wine tasting or a private party, you went to the wrong place. Period.

Love the beef sandwich... Always have a great experience here.

Best brunch in the world. The service was awesome and the bloody mary was phenomenal

We did a rehearsal dinner party here. We live in Mississippi. We had to do all the planning long distance. Michelle got us in contact with Bridget. Bridget was so helpful in every step of the way. When we arrived in town for the dinner ALL employees were welcoming.
We had to lasagna which was delicious. The desserts were superb. The atmosphere was very pleasant. All of us had a great time. Suzan Cox

We hold monthly dinners at Balabans and the service and food is always exquisite. They are always accommodating. We also order their lunches for our clients and I always get great feedback. Bridgette is who I always deal with and I just can't speak highly enough of this lady. She helped me out in pinches and last minute changes. Anyone reading this is always welcome to come to 1 of our dinner with doc. Its completely free and the food is

My husband and I had such a great dining experience here. Everything was terrific! We both loved the kale salad. He had perfectly cooked beef wellington and I had scallops. Service, food, and wine were awesome. We are coming back next week!

A great local St Louis go to place. Wonderful wine selection at reasonable prices

Food is awesome. From smoked trout appetizers, elegant salads to scallops and other seafood. Many choices- something for everyone. Also have a great selection of wines.

Very good food and a wonderful dining experience. Our waitress was great and the wine shop is awesome. Definitely worth going to.

Sunday brunch. They do a great job. Wonderful omelettes. Beef tenderloin was great. Lasagna was some of the best I have ever had and it was on a buffet, puts some of the Italian restaurants to shame.

Love this little winery and eatery! I never knew they do full service meals and have a bar until I tried them out one day. Unfortunately, I'm not a wine connesieur so I can't comment on their selection (but it seems to notch from the folks that I've spoken to!). However, I can heartily recommend their smoked trout pancake (just try it, the flavor profiles blend perfectly) and their beef Wellington. Toss in some delightful chocolate raspberry beignets and you'll be a happy little squirrel, trust you me.

The Peacan pie & Ice cream is Delish .The atmosphere is upper class.The wine Library is Awesome , I saw a $1200 a bottle wine.
I enjoyed myself , the service was best ever .
I totally recommend this Restaurant for many reasons . 5 * all the way . Ask for Michelle for your server she's Top notch .I will be back , Thanks for making my day
BALABAN'S

Poor food and service. Be sure and ck tab. All is not what ypu orderef

Interesting menu. The beet salad was excellent but the cubano was only ok

Disappointing. In every aspect. Service was an odd mix of friendly(ish), apathetic, and very slow. Except for the person filling water glasses. They were on point. Food was, at best, ok. At a Denny's it would be decent enough. The filet was tender. But lacked flavor. There was mention of demi glace is the description given, but I failed to find any. The side vegetables were nothing special. No better or worse that those microwaveable bags you can get at the grocery store. Mashed potatoes were better though.

Overall I cannot recommend this place. Its absolutely not worth the price. Especially given how many much better places at comparable cost are nearby. Its an absolute shadow of the former Balaban's in the CWE.

We had THE best flat bread pizza with their exquisite truffle aoili. I added bacon to mine and swapped the feta for goat cheese and named it The Romeo & Juliette after my fiance & I! We ordered one to go as well!
Our bartender was so knowledge and bordered on a comedian! What a wonderful place to kick back, feel welcome and nosh on some stellar food.
Robyn & Chad

I've loved everything I've had here. Chicken cordon bleu was delicious and moist, shrimp gnocci was fantastic, pasta perfectly cooked, and desserts are delightful.

Nice Italian restaurant with pleasant staff and reasonably priced food. Good for groups, and they have a nice large room in the back for private functions.

Great place for lunch, a glass of wine or both! Interesting wine selections to drink or buy eclectic menu options thare a dining pleasure

Great quiet lunch spot. Enjoyed a Ruben sandwich and an awesome spicy tomato soup with andoulle sausage. Service was spot on.

I love Balaban's, we go there often. I've never had anything there that wasn't delicious , and the service is great. It's a small place, cozy, nice ambiance. They have wine for sale there that you can buy and they will serve it for your meal, and they also have "BalaBargains" On Mondays, a three-course dinner for $25 plus no corkage fee. The only problem for me is that I can't eat there every night.

Had the beef wellington, it was alright. Nice selection of wine though.

Spent over $200 with the family here, but the food and experience is well worth the price. I got a Filet Mignon that was delivered decorated and tasted amazing. Throughout the experience the waitress was professional. If I had any issues it would be that sodas cost $3 per refill, and that the host seemed a little tipsy.

I rarely ever leave a review but Jamime was fantastic...she recommended a wonderful pizza and some great drinks...all half price (from 3-6)...I sat the bar for a bit before I left and the bartender Adrienne was also FANTASTIC...made an excellent margarita...the best I've had in the Midwest...I don't know about the entrees...I tried the pizza...and a few appetizers and some drinks and it was all wonderful...highly recommend...

The food was very good. The wine was reasonably priced. We will be back.

****CLOSED***

They were good when they were open, but they've closed. Rumor is they're moving to Central West End.

We celebrated our friend's birthday. We had a three course dinner that was excellent.

My wife and I enjoyed our recent visit to Balanan s. The Service was excellent and unobtrusive. The wine parings at Balaban s are spot on. I adore their Beef Wellington, and their Cabernet-Shiraz made it even better. The Lobster ravioli and shrimp grits are true comfort foods. I love good dessert wine, the choice of port with beignets was heaven. My wife and I had an enjoyable, relaxed time, we can t wait to take the kids to their Sunday Brunch.

Always better than most Italian restaurants in this vicinity.

Oysters were very good. Some kind of wine tasting event going on

Amazing Sunday bunch, great service and superior coffee.

The wait staff are attentive but it was about an hour wait for dinner. The appetizer and cucumber soup was ok but the grilled asparagus salad was great. The two specials ordered were very good. However, the third meal of shrimp with pasta and walnuts was so hot spice wise that it had to be returned to the kitchen and made again. Unfortunately, by the time the meal arrived the second time, everyone else was done eating and the amount of water and slice of bread to help my burning mouth had me completely full. We took it home. Honestly, I was very disappointed. I had hoped for so much better.

I found the food and wine to be very enjoyable. The service was friendly and priced quite reasonable. Well worth a visit, probably more than a few times.

Great place!! Love the Monday night bargains and the Sunday brunch.

This place is a hidden gem. Cuisine is outstanding and great wine. Highly recommend it.

Visited on a "girls day" with three friends. Enjoyed my lunch--half Cuban sandwich and half pear and pecan salad. Friends also liked their choices. Server did not ask if we were on one check or individual before bringing us our check. She readily brought us a sp!it check, but we felt she should have asked first.

Excellent food. Staff could be a bit more friendly.

Service slow, not prepared for the holiday. Bummer.

Great cuban sandwich, nice atmosphere, service was slow, but I will definitely go back!

Fantasic! Food is spectacular. Ambiance is cozy and a little rustic. Got the Beef Wellington and Alaskan Halibet. Wellington was very good. Halibet was the best I ever had in the Midwest.

The breakfast buffet is good but the prices are way too high.

My business networking group meets there weekly. The staff is always welcoming and helpful, even though they are not even open yet! A beautiful, comfortable space with retractable screens and plug ins for technology, they decor makes it feel like you're in Italy, not a meeting.

Had a great Date Night with hubs tonight at Balaban's (our first time there). Great food (had the Beef Wellington), and EXCELLENT wine (had a fine Bordeaux). The owner gave us a private tour of his wine cellar, and I learned a lot about the wines and areas in France. The friendliest place in town ... chatted it up with several other customers, the owner, and other staff (spent 3 hours there). Beautiful place to have a party in their banquet room. We will definitely return to Balaban's, many times. Thanks Steve, for a wonderful evening, can't wait to visit you again. Cindi and Tim Klingert, of Wildwood.

Had a great dinner and great wine. The place can get fairly loud at peak dinner time, especially with groups. I would say a normal 4-top party is best, but they do accommodate groups fairly well, just don't expect to be able to hear or talk to the other end of the table.

A middle-aged to older crowd frequents it. There's easy access & plenty of parking. The happy hour is very good value. If you're there Wedbesdays & Saturdays, you'll meet Ryan, the bartender. He'll make your experience there special. Try the spinach flatbread pizza. It's yummy.

Love this place! They have the best flatbreads and amazing seafood. If you show up during happy hour it is discount appetizers and half priced wines by the glass. The staff here is also amazing!

Upscale wine bar. Excellent food, good selection. I am by no means a wine expert, but they have a large selection, and the recommendations were great. Love the cheeses.

Really great wine selection and wine store. Food was very good, my daughter said it was "the best salad she ever ate in her life". Service was slow, I suspect it has to do with the freshness of the food. A little bright and retailing because of the wine shop. I would like to see a little more atmosphere, plus they need an acoustical ceiling.

Great brunch! So many choices. Especially love the french toast.

Delicious food & Creative Specials. Great environment & friendly staff.

Pricey but very nice. The food is great and the wines fabulous!

Excellent dinner and wine selection. We are from out of town, but will certainly be back.

I've eaten there many times. It's always excellent. Best burger in town and offered in two sizes for lunch. Terrific hotdog for lunch. A fabulous Sunday brunch with classic dishes and inventive dishes--my husband loves the ricotta pancakes. Fine dining in the evening boasts exceptional food from Mathis, Veritas' extremely talented chef.

Just had a great meal. Their morel mushroom pasta is to die for! A seasonal item, but so yummy. Hubs had the applewood/bacon flatbread. A great choice. We shared the beet salad. Topped it all with a little vino!

Came here for a private party. The buffet was excellent, everything was delicious and the service was great. Highly recommend for a private party.

Let me start with the smell... INTOXICATING. I couldn't believe how good the aroma in the air was when I walked in. The bartenders were SO friendly and obviously knew their stuff. If you aren't sure what you're after, just ask, they'll direct you to awesome. The selection and prices are incredible. Especially for Chesterfield. They really know how to take care of you AND your wallet and give you an amazing experience!

We waited 10 minutes to be noticed before being seated. The waitress ignored us for another 10. It was a slow, Tuesday night with only 4-5 other tables. The food was pedestrian at best, and the crappy waitess did nothing to make it better. Waste of an evening.

Love Happy Hour at Balaban's. Always a special treat for us. A nice place to enjoy the yummy small plate dishes. I love the Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen beer and my husband enjoys a glass (or two!) of Albarino wine. Great beers, outstanding wines. Not crazy loud.. The patrons are respectfully quiet, excellent service... Friendly staff! A nice retreat in the late afternoon.

Went again for Sunday brunch, and again left impressed and full! The food is fantastic. The complimentary Bloody Mary (or Mimosa) is good, as well. Ambience is great, not as busy as "Grandma's" place up the road which leads to a more relaxed atmosphere.
Overall, a great place for a relaxing Sunday brunch with family and friends.

Excellent cuisine. Try a delicious wine from Bordeaux Chateau Perenne 2005 Premieres Cotes de Blaye from producer Bernard Magrez.

The gluten free menu is not gluten free!!!! They have grains on the gluten free menu in the scallops dish that are not gluten free! Celiacs or those who are gluten intolerant should not come here! THEY DO NOT ACCOMODATE

Casual Italian. Good food choices and large wine selection. Some have said service is slow but I believe the idea is is to have a unhurried, casual meal and enjoy the wine.