Planter's House

Planter's House opened in 2013 at the corner of Chouteau and Mississippi in Lafayette Square, the brick-and-mortar home of husband-and-wife bartending team Ted and Jamie Kilgore, who run the bar and restaurant with partner Ted Charak. It has become one of St. Louis' most decorated drinking destinations: in 2019, Planter's House was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program, a national category. The back bar stocks more than 350 spirits, including 39 Planter's House-exclusive bourbons, ryes and rums, and house originals like the In A Pickle, Industry Sour and Purgatory have become modern St. Louis classics.

The cocktail list includes a dedicated Spirit Free Cocktails section — six zero-proof drinks at $10 apiece, built from a deep bench of NA modifiers. Current selections include Not a Pickle (cucumber-dill Feragaia free spirit, NA elderflower, ginger, orgeat and lime — a name that echoes the house's famous In A Pickle), Bell Tolls (Dhos NA tequila, yellow bell pepper citrate and lemon), Mace of Spades (Feragaia, Giffard NA Spritz, cherry syrup, lime and grapefruit-mace cordial), Rosalita, Pony Club and Under The Grapefruit Moon, which tops Dhos NA gin and Giffard NA Spritz with Nozeco alcohol-free sparkling rosé. The bar also keeps NA orange and aromatic bitters on hand, and St. Louis Magazine's 2025 non-alcoholic guide highlighted a spirit-free NA Negroni as well — a sign the zero-proof list rotates right alongside the leaded menu.

That guide called Planter's House a 'St. Louis institution' where 'knowledgeable bartenders mix exquisite versions of the classics as well as creative drinks unique to the restaurant,' adding that the bar 'also makes mocktails with equal skill and finesse.' Expect a seasonal food menu alongside the drinks — the kitchen runs until 9pm on weeknights and 10pm on Friday and Saturday — with reservations available through Tock. The room opens at 4pm Tuesday through Sunday and holds a 4.6-star rating across more than 80 Tripadvisor reviews, whether you're drinking with alcohol or without.