Tavern of Fine Arts

This is a great place to meet up with friends or go on a date. They have great specials and happy hours during the week. It’s only a short stroll from my apartment so I had to check it out. My boyfriend and I started off with a cheese and pâté plate. The app was okay but nothing to write home about. I ordered the mushroom and polenta dish which was delicious. I wish they had cut up the mushrooms more since they are difficult to eat whole. For presentation, it looks nice but can be challenging to eat. My boyfriend ordered the burger and it had great flavor with a nice serving of bacon on it.
Now my favorite part of the meal was dessert which was s’mores. These were not just any regular s’mores that you would make over a campfire. It was decadent and next level. The marshmallow had a nice char to it on top of a blondie-​style graham cracker. It was placed next to a smear of fudge. I don’t know if I can ever eat traditional s’mores again since it would pail in comparison. I will have to come back and try their other desserts because it all looked wonderful. Service was great with a super friendly staff!

The house made ginger ale is the most delicious soft drink ever concocted, it is crisp and refreshing and I’d gladly suck it down by the gallon. That goes double for the carrot soup. Oh my. That soup is bliss in a bowl. It’s pure velvety toasty buttery, aromatic, wonderfulness.

When I first walked into this place I was a little scared. It seemed small, and the customers talking politics at the bar made me feel like this may not be my kind of restaurant. Boy was I wrong though!
I am so glad I stayed despite my initial gut reaction. The staff quickly put me at ease with friendly welcomes and efficient service. The cocktails were unique and delicious, and the food came out quickly. Our cheese plate was amazing, and it was surprisingly filling on its own. Next were our entrees, which were AMAZING! I got the chicken on top of a panzanella salad, and it was unbelievable. The cooking highlighted the fresh ingredients, and the dish reminded me of my favorite farm to table restaurant back home in California.
I can’t wait to come back soon!

Hand made cocktails, craft beer, art, and music. A much needed place in St. Louis that blends them all together. It s fun and uplifting place to have a few drinks and a bite. Great local spot and hidden gem.

This quaint tavern is tucked away off Union Blvd, in the same strip as Atlas Restaurant and is a very cute place to grab a drink and a bite to eat. The owner and staff is very friendly and greet you at the bar with a smile.
This space is a gallery displaying local artists pieces which are rotated out every quarter with the changing seasons! You can purchase the works of art, but they just have to stay put until the art is changed up.
They make their own tonic which is a milder version (and more flavorful) than the store bought option.
Live music is scheduled throughout the week and it sounds like they have a pretty big improvisational scene here.

Great wine, great atmosphere! Servers are always friendly and helpful. Love it here :)

So I went here on a Thursday night around 6pm. Apparently they do some type of open mic where any and everybody can sign up and do anything.
Nonetheless we stayed. The staff was very nonchalant and unfriendly, but maybe it was just me. We opted to NOT sit on the side with the open mic.
I arrived before my friend and was able to choose were we sat. There was one server, who served as a bartender, waitress, and greeter. So we were not ready to order immediately b/​c we were catching up. But after she came over several times we finally ordered as we did talk for quite a bit of time.
We ordered the hummus and pita chips. It was a lovely surprise and quite pleasant and highly recommended.
Now for dessert… I absolutely LVE dessert and bread pudding is one of my all time favorites. Now if you are a true lover of dessert and bread pudding… run for the freaking hills!!!
This bread pudding had chocolate chips «in it», of which most were just sitting on the top. What made it truly kill my tastebuds was the rubbery texture. Yep that’s right… it taste like it was re-​heated in a microwave. RUDE!
So needless to say, I won’t venture back and I recommend you consider very hard if this is a place to spend your hard earned coins.

Really disappointed with the menu here and my experience over all. I suggested this place to my boyfriend on Saturday since it had been on my «to try» list for a long time. Online their website said they served a variety of flat breads with some of my favorite ingredients (goat cheese, figs, duck, caramelized onions, yum!) at very reasonable prices, so I thought I had made a great selection. When we arrived, I couldn’t find the flatbreads anywhere on the menu. When I inquired about the missing flat breads the server told me they had just switched their menu and taken them off. Already I was disappointed; their prices were higher, and none of the new items made my made my mouth water as much as the listings online did. My boyfriend decided on the short ribs, which did sound pretty good and I chose the terrine of roasted vegetables. I’m one of those people who hates ordering the same thing, and it sounded okay.
When the server returned to take our order we were informed that they were out of the short ribs as well as the quiche. That’s ²⁄₅ of the entrees they offered. All that was left was the terrine, scallops and bacon chowder, and steamed mussels, and neither of us are big seafood fans. My boyfriend settled on a couple apps instead but none of them had meat, leaving him unsatisfied. I had cold feelings for my terrine, the same way it was served. Our cocktails were underwhelming although the price was not. I gave the place one last chance, ordering the bread pudding, my favorite dessert. The flavor was good, but it did not come out hot enough, which is always unsettling, reminding me that my dessert was reheated.
To top it all off, the service was lacking. We waited quite a long time for the server to come by to ask for the check, and the other server wouldn’t even look at us when she walked through the place. They have a hand held card reader for credit card purchases, which eliminated the risk of having to wait even longer for our server to return, but she then hovered over us as we tipped with the device.
They have since updated their menu online to match the one they gave us, but that’s still no guarantee they’ll have the dishes they claim to serve! Needless to say, The Tavern of The Fine Arts will not be making it on my «to try again» list.

This DeBaliviere neighborhood wine bar and café is much more unassuming than its name suggests. Its’ co-​owning cousins Mathew Daniels and Aaron Johnson have been welcoming patrons since 2011 with reasonably priced food, drink and top-​notch, culturally-​enriching music by local and national artists (and with no cover charge). The venue’s distinct lack of pretension makes it even more endearing. It’s the kind of small, intimate place that one might envision having launched careers of iconic artists such as Miles Davis or Janis Joplin, though the focus tends to be Chamber music.
Cousins Daniels and Johnson grew-​up together cooking, brewing, eating, drinking, and playing music and their menu reflects their shared experience. They change it periodically along with the art displays to introduce new items and keep the menu fresh and seasonal. The talented chef Colin Van Hare, who they teamed with in late 2014, ensures nearly all the food is made from scratch. The quality and skill are evident in every bite.
On our first Tavern visit, we enjoyed cocktails and live music performed by Cortango Orquesta, a tango ensemble with a symphonic twist that features several highly-​talented members of the St. Louis Symphony and a mix of instruments including the English horn/​oboe, violin, double bass, and piano. It was simply fantastic. (Many eagerly await their debut album release on June 16.)
A few weeks later, we returned for a New Year’s Eve 3-​course fixed-​price menu and wine-​pairing with live jazz and opera by the Red Blend Duo featuring Rebecca Drury and Jessica Knopf plus guest appearances by a few friends. Outstanding again. Most diners enjoyed a meal centered around prime rib, but as vegetarians, Chef Van Hare happily accommodated us with a delectably flavorful butternut squash risotto. We started the meal with a crisp, fresh arugula, goat cheese and pear salad, ending with a perfect cherry pie that was stunningly good. The wine pairings were a nice accompaniment as well. On a night when most restaurants gouge diners, it was a treat to enjoy a fabulous meal, great service and quality entertainment for just $ 50 per person.
Our third and most recent January visit was to hear flamenco guitar player Lliam Christy who captivated us with skillful and passionate playing including both well-​known covers and inventive, original compositions. For our meal, we indulged in the Salade d’hived ($ 4.75 for the larger portion) — a tasty mix of diced and roasted winter vegetables, apples, white cheese and a light dressing. Our Flatbread of Fig Tapenade with goat cheese was a bit disappointing ($ 6). Its white bread base was barely warm and left us as flat as its name suggests. Our friendly and attentive server recommended the Bengali Dal soup and we were thrilled at the first bite. This traditional Indian mix of lentils, spinach and fantastic spices such as cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon is served warm with house-​made naan ($ 5.50 for a bowl). This offering alone will compel us to return again and again.
The DeBaliviere neighborhood wins the lottery with this venue; fortunately, for the rest of us St. Louisans, they share their winnings with all who appreciate art, music and tasty, fresh food. If the owners were to change anything, it should be the venue name: «Tavern of Very Fine Arts and Scrumptious Food.»

Awesomeness! This was our first visit; a Friday Night to listen to my daughter’s violin teacher perform as part of an ensemble. The joint was clean, easy to find, and parking in the lot across the street was convenient. The staff was GREAT — very welcoming. We had drinks and dessert. My daughter had the CUTEST little cup of hot chocolate with orange cookies (she said it as good — wouldn’t share with us!). The adults shared the flourless chocolate cake — yummy! Beer and wine were good too. We will be back!

I reviewed this in 2011 and gushed about how wonderful it is… well that much hasn’t changed. They have evolved to the point that it has become the go to entertainment place in the neighborhood (and parts hither and yon). I am forever checking their event page to see what I am missing or to make sure I make it to one that rings my chimes. They are patrons to the kind of arts that you don’t find on every corner. Classical music, poetry reads, belly dancing, and on and on. The wine list is comprehensive and lovely (although I declared at the get go that I don’t know nothing bout drinking no wine Ms. Scarlet… they helped me find my go to vino) and the food is prepared from scratch and is delicious. And (for me most important) the staff is friendly, the owners are hands on and part of my «adopted family» now. Summation don’t miss this lovely little off the beaten path place whenever you are in the neighborhood or just looking for somewhere unique and… really, really nice to spend some time at.

Go. Here. This place was amazing! The service was fantastic, the waitress knew what food and drinks to recommend and they turned out great.
We walked in and it was quiet for a Saturday afternoon which was great but when we left it was starting to pick up due to a live band.
Overall, go here. It’s fantastic

The Tavern is a very necessary place for St Louis. A place where art and music is the main reason people to be there. Where friends can have a glass of wine and a bite to eat while enjoying great music surrounded by art… We could be in Paris :)
It is not luxurious or over the top, but that is not the purpose of this tavern. It is very comfortable place to be, talk about «the meaning of life», and enjoy life with good food, good music and good friends!

I visited for a book reading last night. The space is typical… bar on one side, gallery & seating area in the next room. In my opinion the décor was odd… and overall the space seemed a bit barren. But they serve some good drinks, have decent food, and the staff was very nice. I had a good time, and although spots like this are not my cup of tea, I’d recommend this place to others.

While I’d never suggest that anyone NOT visit the Tavern, it’s been my experience that it’s far more fun to be here with friends that you’ve already made than to use the space as a place to make new ones.
This peculiarity certainly doesn’t owe to the food. Since upgrading the sandwich accompaniments to one’s choice of roasted vegetables, I love their menu (the menu is limited, but in a good way). The sandwiches are simple and delicious; the pesto, with its four intermingled melting cheeses, is as fine as any sandwich need come and the house mustard won over my previously disinclined palette from the start.
Drinks of several sorts are available too with wine features (no flights that I know of, but discounted glasses from the open bottles close out the nights), hot chocolate and hot cocoa, tea (served in a small pot) and refreshing house made sodas making up the majority of the back menu.
The music and art are on constant rotation too. Whether swing era jazz, traditional flamenco dance, mixed media painting, German art song, experimental chamber pop, figure drawing or an Elgar piece, the Tavern hosts a wide variety of artists and their respective styles. Whether written, spoken, performed or exhibited, this is a place as much for the artists as for patrons it’d seem. A welcome space to inspire and be inspired by. A plain canvas with receptive people and good acoustical properties.
Even the owners are pleasant.
For whatever reason though, if you’re not here to study (in which case you likely want to put on the headphones and do your own thing anyway), there’s a subtle, polite insularity between the tables at any given time. While others’ friends gather around their bottles of wine and plates of hummus, it can be easy to feel a little out of place without bringing along a friend or two of your own.
So do.
None of the friends that I’ve introduced to the Tavern have ever said anything but «Thank You» after a nice night of good conversation and good music. As date spots go, the lighting and intimate tables make this a choice (if not THE choice) option around DeBaliviere.

i was here for the wine club’s wine tasting which is a free event held on the last wednesday of every month. the wine club is a great idea and led by a knowledgeable lady. you have the chance to sample selected wines from the night’s region of interest. i was wasn’t impressed with the wine selection that evening, but can’t complain too much about free wine.
my friends and i had dinner while wine tasting. the fig tapenade and goat cheese flatbread is delicious and definitely worth trying. i was disappointed with the manchego cheese platter-​it was cut in stick-​like slivers– and they had run out of their house ginger ale.
the tavern definitely has potential but as of now it lacks ambiance and cohesiveness in the décor.

The energy in this place is fantastic. Warm, kind, educated, creative, tasteful. Great wine, great music, great art, great people (especially the proprietors and staff). Hope these qualities never change.
Great for: music
Great for: art exhibits/​gallery
Great for: wine
Great for: meeting and conversing with interesting people

Devin is recovering from a routine surgery, and by day four, he was starting to get a little stir crazy. I wanted him to get a change of scenery without taking too much out of him. The solution — wander the 20 feet across our driveway to Tavern of Fine Arts.
A lot can happen in a year.
They have made a lot of positive changes since I was first here when they were just a brand new baby restaurant. Art books scattered on a coffee table and candles at every table. Tablecloths over some of the tables gave the place some texture and faux houseplants added an organic feel. Lots of new artwork adorned the walls. A pianist jammed out in the next room, while large groups gathered laughing and noshing. Fortunately the pianist and loud groups were isolated to the back room, and we were able to settle in the front room where it was quieter. But the place was pretty hoppin’ for a Tuesday.
Maybe because — and lucky for us — it was «Starving Artist» Tuesday! Half off select glasses of wine, small plates, flatbreads, and desserts. What a deal!
We were able to enjoy a glass of wine each, both the flatbreads, and a large tabouli for $ 17. Can’t beat that.
Unfortunately when I find something I like, I find it hard to stray. The pesto flatbread and tabouli were just as great as I remembered. But I liked the fig tampenade flatbread even better. Great balance of sweet fig with the tart goat cheese. A big, warm, Fig Newton for adults. Delicious. The bread they use for those flatbreads are mouthwateringly fabulous.
We took a couple of friends tonight, and this time I enjoyed the finochionna charcuterie, which came with a tasty meat and plenty of yummy things to munch on, and sampled the desserts. The desserts didn’t blow me away, but definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. Devin tried the croque-​monsieur sandwich, which tasted good, but I felt could have used a little more cheese. The Lactard was happy with the lack of dairy, though.
My favorite part of the meal? The house-​made ginger ale (thanks for the heads up, Vik S!) YUM. This is not like the sugary canned stuff. It was basically carbonated ginger, which was awesome.
The service has been a lot better. They seem to really make an effort to get to know the regulars, which I definitely appreciate.
I would love to see Tavern of Fine Arts continue to grow. I think a big part of their focus is on the music, because the menu is still kind of small. I’m a foodie freak more than an arts freak, so I’m vying for more menu options. Or at least rotating some things out so keep it somewhat new. I would love to see a more extensive bar. And beers on draught, please! I don’t know if any of that is at all in the works.
I also think they should market this place more as a coffeeshop in the afternoons, because it would totally work — they already have several delicious sounding coffee items on their menu (like the hot chocolate made with Kakao dark chocolate… YES PLEASE), but with a place called a «tavern», you don’t think of it as a coffeeshop. I think this is an angle they should look into more strongly. The only other coffeeshop in the area is 2Schae, which has a completely different feel. I’m going to have to take a book or something to work on over here to enjoy some of their non-​alcoholic drinks in the afternoon. I just never realized they had them.
Tavern won me back over… and this time I won’t wait another year to go back.

3 ½ stars, but I’ll bump it to 4.
I came here because Sauce magazine had a blog post about the house-​made ginger ale. Being a ginger freak, I knew I had to try it. I must say that it was a delicious gingery treat and well worth checking out. I don’t recall seeing it on the menu so ask for it.
The food selection is pretty small, with the most substantial offering being a roast beef sandwich. The hummus & tabbouleh platter was pretty good but the portions were a bit small for the price ($ 7). Same deal w/​the fig tapanade & goat cheese flatbread. It would have been amazing if there was about 3x the amount of goat cheese on it.
The one standout item for me was the carrot soup. It came out steaming hot and fresh and had a nice hearty texture. Delicious. Came with a nice piece of crusty bread and was worth the $ 5.50 for the large bowl. This is something I’ll be craving as the temperatures start to dip down. Give it a shot.
I think they hold events like poetry readings here sometimes. Oh, make sure to check out the artwork in the second room, I missed it.

A group of us came by on a Friday night. It’s in a lovely neighborhood, with plenty of parking in the lot across the street. When we showed up around 10 PM, it was quite crowded. We had a large group and the tavern folks were nice enough to help us put a couple of tables together so everyone could sit down.
We just had drinks, no food. The French press coffee was great and cheap (If they keep condensed milk on hand, they could mix it with the coffee and offer Vietnamese Coffee, which is TASTY! Just a thought). Some of us had the Manhattan and thought that was pretty good. My girlfriend mentioned the mojito was a little too sweet, but none of the boys complained about their beers so all was good.
Our waitress was very attentative. We got our refills regularly. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. However, I do agree with Christine below that I’m not sure how to feel about this place.
I also see what the place is trying to get at, a bar/​coffee shop/​music venue/​art gallery. In the end though, it felt more like a gallery/​coffee shop to us than a tavern. I have nothing against gallery/​coffee shops, heck, in a previous lifetime, I was a struggling art student, but for a place with «tavern» in its name, it needs to be decorated a little more. The least they could do is add some conversation pieces to the bar itself. I think the paintings are fine, but there should be more of them. Of course, that will remove the «gallery» airy feel from this place, but at end of the day, they are not here to sell sparsely-​placed artworks on white walls, that’s what museums and galleries do, they are here to make money on food/​drinks, so if they want to compete with the other bars in the area, they’ll have to make the place look more like a bar.
Just my two cents. We will go back, but from a first visit, nothing is screaming out at us to return anytime soon.