Esca 5095 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108

"Esca is a truly incredible dining experience. You will be impressed by the service, quality of food, and vibe of the restaurant. Our server provided helpful suggestions on what dishes are popular among patrons and staff. Each of the summer dishes served with peaches was an absolute delight. The blistered cherry tomato bruschetta will also change your life. Each cocktail was tasty and well built as well. We look forward to returning for another meal at Esca!"

"The atmosphere is superb - lively, cozy, and sexy without being stuffy, perfect for an epicure like me. I appreciate the thoughtful details in the interior design, service, and execution of the dishes. The hostess was sweet and accommodating. Some of the waitresses could improve their friendliness and enthusiasm, as they seemed inexperienced and unconvincing about the restaurant's offerings. The cocktails are refreshing and well-balanced; bar manager Noah knows his craft. The wine selection is excellent, and sommelier Luciano is extremely knowledgeable, always helping me choose the perfect wine at all Bengelina establishments. All food offerings were on point. I was impressed by the fire roasted beet salad; the creaminess of the labneh perfectly complements the fresh herbs, smokiness of the beets and zest of the dish. The escargot was tender, savory, and excellently seasoned, though it needed more bread to soak up the bubbly melted butter goodness. While the shrimp was tender and cooked to perfection, it lacked the expected flavor and oomph I was hoping for. Each bite of the fire-baked eggplant Parmesan was meltingly delicious. The branzino was juicy and bursting with flavor. GM Jonathan is the ultimate friendly face, bringing life to the service and offering scrumptious, homemade-looking desserts from a vintage dessert cart. What a vibe! I will be back for more!"

"Snacks and appetizer plates were AMAZING! Not pictured are entrees that were just okay. Would not recommend the eggplant dish. Drinks were delicious and service was even better. Enjoyed my experience here and will recommend to others!"

"ABSOLUTELY AMAZING DINNER. Ben Poremba has done it again. Everything was well thought out and the food was excellent. The dessert cart is a lot of fun and adds a great tradition to the place. The restaurant is small but so worth it so make sure to get a reservation. This place is a little fancier than what I am used to and I post this perspective all the time; I wish restaurants treated their patrons who choose not to drink the same as those that do."

"This was undoubtedly a unique experience. I find it interesting the attempt to revitalize the Delmar area with these new places. First the food. We share a beet salad for entrance and was very good. This salad was the best part of our dinner. Then I has the chicken on the menu, that was good but a little salty. We also shared a potato pure, not my recommendation. The gelato at the end was actually a courtesy of the restaurant. I appreciate the fact that they were able to accommodate us within a few minutes without a reservation. The personnel were really good and I like that the chef was very attentive. I like the decoration a lot. The dinner ware is so appropriate. The music selection is good too. Finally, pay attention to the surroundings and be intrigued about how these places will interact with their neighbors"