I Fratellini. It's a wonderful little restaurant just east of Hanley--easy to miss until you've dined there.
My husband took me to this restaurant for my birthday last year; we were trying to break away from our longstanding tradition of having my birthday dinner at Trattoria Marcellis for no other reason than to mix it up a little and not become Archie Bunkers before we hit thirty.
The food at I Fratellini is wonderful: creative, flavorful, and elegant. (The chicken and risotto entree is less than zesty, however, so opt for something more adventurous.) On the whole, the food appears to be consistently excellent and occasionally superb.
What I liked best of all about the restaurant was the service. On our first visit we showed up without a reservation, and they said that they would do their best to accommodate us. They did. The staff was friendly, attentive, and polite. I am very much affected by the quality of service, and so even a great meal can be spoiled by a rude or inattentive server. I Fratellini has wonderful servers. At one point I saw that my wine glass had been filled without my knowledge! I was impressed and even said as much to my server as we were leaving.
The restaurant is small, only seating about 30ish people at a time, but this aspect adds to its romance. The lighting is dim but not too dark. I think this is a great choice for a romantic dinner or an intimate dinner with another couple. Entrees run around twenty dollars but not above. The wine list is good, and the appetizers are very good.
St. Louis abounds with good Italian, but this restaurant is worth a visit.
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