- Idol Wolf is a Spanish-inspired restaurant in the 21C Hotel in Downtown St. Louis
- The hotel, which doubles as an art museum, is a former YMCA
- Although there are some large plates, go with a group and try their tapas.
- Their bar program is top notch and their gin list is particularly impressive
Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson have opened a series of boutique art hotels throughout the south and midwest. Their hotel in Cincinnati was named the number one hotel in America by Conde Nast in 2013. In St. Louis, they converted the former YMCA building on Locust, and it would be easy to get distracted by the art and architecture and end up late for dinner. The museum portion of the hotel is located on the second floor, the highlight of which is the former YMCA gymnasium, but there is art everywhere here.
Once you can break yourself away from all that, Idol Wolf welcomes diners in to a similarly artistic dining room, with curved ceilings and large, brightly colored plastic penguins.
The menu is Spanish-inspired with dishes like Serrano ham, seafood paella, and grilled octopus. There are a few larger plates, but most of the menu is starters and tapas, best for sharing.
Start with the Pan con Tomate, which can be garnished with manchego, boquorones, or Serrano. Both the grilled bread and the tangy tomato sauce are excellent. Follow that with a selection of tapas. Particularly good are the Beef Cheek Empanadas, served with two different dipping sauces. Even better are the meatballs, a mixture of beef and pork covered in so much manchego cheese you can't see them.
Pan con Tomate with Boquorones - $18
4.17.24 - highly recommended
Gambas al Ajillo, Patatas Bravas, Beef Cheek Empanadas
4.17.24
Albondigas - $15
4.17.24 - highly recommended
For dessert, the churros are served hot and crispy with a spicy chocolate sauce. Even if you don't order dessert, every table receives cotton candy on the house.
The bar program includes a variety of craft cocktails as well as an exceptional spirit list. There are some unique gins you aren't likely to find on the coasts as well as creative cocktails and a nice, but reasonable wine selection.
Pro Tip: There is street parking out front, but they also have a free, shared lot across the street. Park there.
Even if the food was just ok, Idol Wolf would be worth a visit to see the 21C. The good news is the food would be worth a visit even without the art. Put them both together and you have a can't miss.
For more see our travel bites page.
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