Robin
Seasonal, Regional · Maplewood, St Louis
Restaurant in St Louis, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Midwestern Tasting Counter
Chef
Alec Schingel
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Chef Alec Schingel's James Beard–nominated tasting room delivers four-to-five-course seasonal menus built around Midwestern sourcing—cold green garlic soup, mushroom-cured trout, pork schnitzel wrapped around cabbage and apple—in a soft-lit Manchester Road storefront. Open Tuesday–Saturday evenings, reservations essential, and the optional snacks course (chicken liver mousse between corn cookies) is worth the add-on.
About Robin
Robin is a St Louis restaurant from chef-owner Alec Schingel, with a seasonal, regional focus and James Beard Foundation 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award recognition: semifinalist and nominee for Best New Restaurant. It is a dinner-only St Louis venue with Best New Restaurant attention, smart-casual dress, and a menu identity built around seasonal and regional cooking.
A Seasonal, Regional St Louis Restaurant
Robin’s cuisine is seasonal and regional. The chef-owner is Alec Schingel, and the restaurant’s James Beard Foundation 2026 semifinalist and nominee status for Best New Restaurant makes it a notable St Louis option for diners interested in regional cooking.
The Room and the Service Style
Robin’s dress code is smart casual. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 5–9 PM, Friday and Saturday from 5–10 PM, and closed Sunday and Monday. Lunch service is not listed. Specifics such as seat count, reservation platform, walk-in availability, service length, beverage program, and à la carte versus fixed-menu format are not listed, so check current information before planning a visit.
If Robin is full or you want a different style of meal, Our full St Louis restaurants guide covers the broader local dining landscape. Robin stands out for its seasonal, regional cuisine, chef-owner Alec Schingel, smart-casual dinner service, and 2026 James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant semifinalist and nominee recognition.
Planning details
- Location
- 7268 Manchester Rd, St. Louis, MO 63143
- Website
- robinrestaurant.com
- Phone
- (314) 712-6124
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Robin trades on deliberate incongruity: an unassuming strip-mall façade gives way to an interior that feels more like a compact European dining room than suburban storefront. Soft lighting and earth-toned walls calm the space, letting the food take visual and emotional priority. The writing positions the kitchen in the tasting-menu tradition — chef-led, seasonal, and serious — while the room keeps things unpretentious and quietly refined. The overall effect is a sophisticated, intimate hideaway: a place where the setting recedes and focused, carefully paced service and cooking define the evening.
Best For
The restaurant’s four-course tasting format (extendable to a five-course sequence with an initial snacks course) makes Robin best suited to focused evening dining. This is a venue for diners who want a composed, chef-driven dinner rather than casual drop-in meals; the pacing and format favor small parties and two-top tables where the culinary narrative can be experienced in sequence. The tone and scale make it appropriate for date nights and other notable evenings when the meal — seasonal, intentional, and led by the kitchen — is the main event.
Ordering Tips
Robin operates on a set tasting menu: a four-course sequence with an optional snacks course that the review notes is effectively mandatory — “Choosing the snacks is not optional in any meaningful sense.” Expect seasonal plates and a chef-controlled progression; the kitchen sets the terms and the menu follows the season. If offered, take the snacks course (the chicken liver mousse is specifically mentioned) and be prepared for a curated sequence rather than à la carte flexibility. Come ready to experience the menu as presented and to let the courses unfold in order.
Venue details
Ambiance
Cozy vintage storefront with bistro feel, warm lighting from open kitchen, and intimate bar seating.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Quiet
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Intimate
Signature Dishes
- Minnesota hot dish
- Dorothy’s Potatoes
- duck breast schnitzel
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 7268 Manchester Rd, St. Louis, MO 63143
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Bogart’s Smokehouse, Barbecue, Barbecue
- Crown Candy Kitchen, Luncheonette, Luncheonette
- Mai Lee, Vietnamese, Vietnamese
- Pappy’s Smokehouse, Barbecue, Barbecue
- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, Ice Cream, Ice Cream
Restaurant context
Robin operates in a different category from most of St. Louis's well-known restaurants, which makes direct comparisons less about quality and more about what kind of dinner you're after. Pappy's Smokehouse and Bogart's Smokehouse are the city's most recognized casual dining institutions, both are better for groups, both offer takeout, and both are significantly less expensive. If the question is where to eat without a reservation on a Tuesday, either smokehouse wins. Robin doesn't compete on that axis.
Mai Lee and Crown Candy Kitchen are similarly casual and approachable, strong at what they do but not built for the same occasion as Robin. If you're planning a birthday dinner or a date where the meal itself is the event, neither offers Robin's structured, kitchen-driven format. MAINLANDER is worth considering as an alternative for a more polished sit-down experience in St. Louis, though the formats differ.
The honest comparison for Robin is with tasting menu restaurants in other cities rather than with its St. Louis neighbors. At its price tier and scale, it sits closer in ambition to Lazy Bear in San Francisco than to anything else currently operating in St. Louis. That's a meaningful position: if you want a chef-driven, course-structured dinner in this city, Robin is currently the clearest answer. Book it for celebrations and date nights; send groups to the smokehouses.
Explore St Louis
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Robin guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Robin
| Venue | Cuisine | Booking Difficulty | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robin | Seasonal, Regional | Easy | 2026 James Beard Award Nominees2026 James Beard Award Semifinalists2025 New York Times America's Best Restaurants |
| Bogart’s Smokehouse | Barbecue | Unknown | 2024 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #633 |
| Crown Candy Kitchen | Luncheonette | Unknown | 2025 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #5432024 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #5092023 OAD Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended |
| Mai Lee | Vietnamese | Unknown | 2025 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #4932024 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #4562023 OAD Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended |
| Pappy’s Smokehouse | Barbecue | Unknown | 2026 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Recommended2024 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #2152023 OAD Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended |
| Ted Drewes Frozen Custard | Ice Cream | Unknown | 2026 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Recommended2025 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #5102024 OAD Cheap Eats in North America Ranked · #4422023 OAD Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended |
A quick look at how Robin measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lunch or dinner better at Robin?
Robin’s hours list dinner service only: Tuesday through Thursday 5–9 PM and Friday and Saturday 5–10 PM. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
Is Robin good for a special occasion?
Robin may suit a special occasion if you want a smart-casual St Louis dinner built around seasonal, regional cuisine. Its James Beard Foundation 2026 Best New Restaurant semifinalist and nominee recognition adds to its appeal.
What are alternatives to Robin in St Louis?
Consider other St Louis dining options if you want a different format, cuisine, or availability.
