Restaurants in Chesterfield

Though the Midwest isn’t the most obvious locale for modern latin fusion cuisine, Flaco’s Cocina—from patio to downstairs lounge—proves that dishes can still taste authentic in the middle of the country. Everything about the restaurant exudes a latin ambiance, from the giant fish mosaics, painted beach scenes and live music of El Paraiso Lounge to the bright blue walls and red chairs that play calypso music each time a diner stands up. Amid the vibrant dining room, downstairs lounge, and airy patio, guests dig into fajitas, tacos, and quesadillas that teem with seafood, spices, and citrus touches. To complement the spicy eats, margaritas douse tongues with a choice of handpicked tequilas—such as Don Julio Silver, Patron Silver, and Cabo Wabo—which guests can also enjoy at the full bar in the newly opened downstairs El Paraiso Lounge. Sleek hardwood floors run throughout, supporting a stage that plays home to an eclectic lineup of live music. The downstairs area also hosts special events, private parties, holiday celebrations, and salsa lessons on its spacious dance floor. Live music and DJs are an extra fee.

The native chefs at India Palace use traditional cooking methods to sizzle up a tasty array of Indian cuisine, drawing from a pantry of fresh ingredients and spices. The 11th-story dining room regales patrons with scenic views of the landscape typically reserved for window washers or wealthy passengers on low-flying UFOs. Open seven days a week, India Palace stocks a buffet for lunch before populating dinner plates at 5:30 p.m.

At Malone’s Grill & Pub, chefs fire-grill steaks and half-pound burgers, and they slow-char grill baby back ribs while basting the slabs in a house barbecue sauce. The comfort food that travels from kitchen to table matches the pub’s neighborhood vibes, as friends and families connect over meals and glasses of Malone’s own Irish brews. Daily specials reinforce the pub’s friendly aura, including on Tuesdays, when kids eat for free with each paid adult entrée.

Stepping into De Palm Tree Restaurant is like stumbling into a portal and ending up in the Caribbean. Exposed-brick walls give way to decorative support beams that end on a vibrant crimson ceiling, recalling a beachside cabana fanned by ocean breezes. Flecks of culture spread across the walls as well, from a framed collection of Jamaican dollars and a national flag to portraits of Bob Marley and metallic replicas of tribal art. But as in Jamaica, the community at De Palm Tree Restaurant forms around the food.

Feasts of fragrant, spicy curries, flaky fish, and hearty bean stews follow frosty glasses of ginger beer and freshly squeezed fruit juices. The menu’s rum cakes, stuffed pastries, seafood, and plantains reflect the lush, tropical landscape of Jamaica, with its abundant fruit trees, teeming oceans, and waving fields of jerk-chicken plants. Well-known dishes such as tender jerk pork or curry chicken anchor the offerings, whereas exotic island delicacies such as akees and saltfish, oxtail stew, or spicy pickled escovitch fish tempt adventurous diners.

Chef and owner Raj left his native Punjab in 1994 to earn his culinary stripes working as a cook in New York City. After a year of training and practice, he relocated to St. Louis, where his expertise in the art of Indian cooking quickly won praise in the Riverfront Times, which dubbed his eatery the city’s best vegetarian restaurant.

Laden with meat-free options, the menu entices taste buds with spiced and nutritious ingredients such as saag paneer’s spinach and fresh cheese, aloo gobi’s cauliflower and potatoes, and chana masala’s tender garbanzo beans. Chefs also throw dairy to the wayside in many dishes, including the vegan mirchi bhajia—deep-fried anaheim peppers stuffed with potatoes and spices hot enough to peel the wallpaper off a doll’s house. A catering menu provides spreads for large groups and flash mobs that rent the on-premises banquet hall.

The hiss of sizzling fajitas mingles with the maraca-like sound of a margarita shaker and the popping of caps from imported beers. Harmony such as this comes easy at Acapulco Restaurant & Lounge, where staff has been serving up authentic Mexican dishes for more than 20 years. Each night, tables populate with traditional Mexican fare such as charbroiled steaks and steaming chili rellenos in spicy sauce, as well as chilly margaritas in glasses and pitchers.