Restaurant in St Louis, United States
Serious whiskey bar, food that delivers.
Small Batch Whiskey & Fare on Locust Street is the right call when you want a serious bar program paired with solid food in a relaxed setting — no fine-dining formality, no weeks-long wait for a table. It works well for casual special occasions and whiskey-led evenings in St Louis's Midtown West. Easy to book, easy to enjoy.
Small Batch Whiskey & Fare on Locust Street is a direct yes for anyone who wants a serious whiskey selection paired with dependable food in a relaxed setting — without paying fine-dining prices. For a casual special occasion in St Louis where the drinks are the headline, it earns its place on the shortlist. Booking is easy, making it a practical pick when you want a low-stress evening that still delivers real quality.
The name tells you everything about the format: whiskey-forward, with food that supports rather than competes. This is a venue built around the bar program, where the food is clearly taken seriously enough to keep pace. That combination — a genuinely considered spirits list alongside honest, well-executed fare , is harder to find than it should be, and Small Batch fills that gap in the Midtown West corridor of St Louis.
For a special occasion, the appeal is in the informality. You are not locked into a tasting menu or a formal service rhythm. The setting works for a birthday drink-and-dinner, a date where you want to linger over pours without ceremony, or a low-key professional meal where the conversation matters more than the tablecloth. Compare it to the more structured experience at Annie Gunn's and the trade-off is clear: less polish, more flexibility, easier to book on short notice.
The Locust Street address puts it in a part of the city with easy access from downtown, close to the kinds of hotels and venues that make it a natural stop on a broader St Louis evening. If you are planning a full night out, pair it with a look at our full St Louis bars guide for pre- or post-dinner options nearby.
For those coming in from out of town and weighing the city's dining options more broadly, Small Batch is the kind of place that makes the most sense as part of a longer St Louis itinerary rather than a standalone destination. Check our full St Louis restaurants guide and our full St Louis hotels guide to plan around it effectively.
It sits in a different category from high-commitment destinations like Smyth in Chicago or Le Bernardin in New York City , and that is exactly the point. The value here is in what you do not have to deal with: no weeks-long booking lead time, no dress code anxiety, no prix-fixe commitment. For casual excellence in St Louis, that freedom is the product.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Batch Whiskey & Fare | Easy | — | ||
| Truflles | Unknown | — | ||
| Annie Gunn's | Unknown | — | ||
| Atomic Cowboy | Unknown | — | ||
| BaiKu Sushi Lounge | Unknown | — | ||
| Broadway Oyster Bar | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in St Louis for this tier.
Yes. A whiskey-forward bar format on Locust Street suits solo diners well — you can sit at the bar, work through the whiskey list at your own pace, and order food without committing to a full table setup. It's a more comfortable solo call than a sit-down dining room like Annie Gunn's, where solo visits can feel awkward.
Small Batch can work for groups, but keep the party size modest. Bar-centric venues at this scale on Locust Street typically top out comfortably around 6 to 8 before logistics get complicated. If you're planning a large group event, Broadway Oyster Bar offers more flexible space and a livelier group atmosphere.
For weekday visits, walk-in is likely fine. On weekends, booking a day or two ahead is sensible given the venue's location in the Midtown Alley stretch of St. Louis, which draws steady foot traffic. Check directly via their current booking channel before assuming availability.
For a broader food focus with serious drinks, Annie Gunn's in Chesterfield is the obvious step up. If you want bar energy with live music, Broadway Oyster Bar is a different format but a strong night-out option. Atomic Cowboy suits a younger, more casual crowd. Small Batch sits in the middle: more intentional than Atomic Cowboy, less destination-dining than Annie Gunn's.
It works for a low-key celebration where whiskey is the draw, but it's not a white-tablecloth special-occasion venue. If the occasion calls for a full dining event, Annie Gunn's or Truffles would be more appropriate. Small Batch is the right call when the occasion is about the drinks and you want food that won't disappoint alongside them.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
