Vicia

Vicia opened in 2017 in the Cortex Innovation District, the flagship of husband-and-wife team Michael and Tara Gallina, who met while working at Dan Barber's famed farm-to-table destination Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. Their St. Louis restaurant — its entrance at the corner of Duncan and Boyle, on the edge of the Central West End — puts vegetables at the center of the plate, building menus around seasonal ingredients from local farms. Vicia became the cornerstone of the couple's Take Root Hospitality group, and nearly a decade in it remains one of the city's defining dining rooms, offering both à la carte dining and a 'Let Us Cook for You' tasting experience Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

The beverage program treats non-drinkers as first-class guests. In its January 2025 guide to zero-proof drinking in St. Louis, St. Louis Magazine reported that Vicia 'leans into the spirit-free trend,' expanding its selection of non-alcoholic beverages to be offered year-round, with options that include mocktails, non-alcoholic wines, and beers. The signature Garden Toddy shows how much intention goes into the category: n/a bourbon layered with opal basil, green shiso, spearmint, marigold, honey, and lemon — the same garden-driven sensibility that defines the kitchen, translated into a zero-proof glass. For a fine-dining restaurant of this caliber, a standing year-round commitment to spirit-free options is still rare, and it makes Vicia one of the most comfortable reservations in St. Louis for anyone skipping alcohol.

Few St. Louis restaurants can match Vicia's résumé. Michael Gallina was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2018 and was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Midwest in both 2019 and 2020; in 2026, the restaurant itself was named a James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Restaurant, one of the highest honors in American dining. As St. Louis Public Radio put it that spring, 'Vicia, the farm-to-table spot in the Cortex District of the Central West End, has received numerous accolades since it opened nine years ago this month.' Expect warm, polished service, a menu driven by what local farms are harvesting, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., with reservations through OpenTable.