Baileys' Chocolate Bar

BelgianBrewFan

Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Decided to try it out last weekend with my husband and some friends. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed the place. It's small, but the level of quality and service definitely make up for that.

The food was fantastic! Now, of course we had to try the desserts... but their non-dessert items were great as well. The have these mini-pizzas called "pizzetas" which were amazing. My friend's girlfriend and I split the Missouri and the Eighteenth. I would definitely recommend trying both when you visit. Their cheese boards are pretty amazing too.

As for the drinks... great selection for a small dessert bar. I broke down and tried a mocha martini which is usually not my style, but I did enjoy it. The beer menu is small(er) but plentiful. Some of the choices include Unibroue, La Chouffe, Arcadia and Bell's. They also have this thing called a beer shake. I can't remember exactly what it's made with, but it's basically a chocolate stout beer/milkshake. It was literally to die for... definitely a MUST TRY!

01-30-2009 20:17:05 | More by BelgianBrewFan

karst

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Next door to 33 Wine Shop and Tasting Bar is Dave Bailey's, desert bar that is a perfect stop before or after a meal. A well decorated interior with a mahogany bar and veneer behind the bar in the front of the restaurant. A back room with more seating, and a patio in the rear is usable almost year round with help space heaters. A lot of attention goes into his decor.

There are 6 taps and most of the beer is served in the correct glassware from the brewery. The bottled selection includes: Aventinus Eisbock, Caracole Saxo, Duvel, Kulmbacher Eisbock, Lev Black Lion, Rouge Mocha Porter, Rebel, St. Bernardus Prior 8, Tripel and Abt. 12, - over 50 in all.

Great place, and definitely one place that you should try when in St. Louis.

04-28-2005 12:37:35 | More by karst

amicar

Missouri

4.36/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

I went on a beer expedition with a few buddies... trying to branch out from our steady Shlafly's diet.

Anyway, the place is near a park in an urban area that's still working on it's rehabilitation a little bit (not to say I felt it was an unsafe area);
The place itself is trendy and "pretty." Lots of dark crimson colors; a mix of local hipsters and college kids (but they didn't strike me as the MBC frat crowd). The place has only desserts and chocolate items, but I cant tell you a thing about that. We were there for the beer only, thank you very much.

Anyway, only 6 items on tap, of fairly good appeal. The bottle list had about 40 or 50 beers- a great range of dark and light belgians, multiple different British styles, some eastern eutopean brews, american micros, and even a few macros.

Definitely more of a "date place" type crowd, but hey- if you can't find a beer that you're happy about here- you're way too damn picky. My only 2 complaints- the beer serving temperature is a little too cold (obviously very easy to fix by waiting 5 minutes), and the could use a few more items on tap.

Definitely a top place in St. Louis for more exotic beers.

01-02-2005 01:39:07 | More by amicar

Realale

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Well, well, well. What a great treat this place is! Cozy, laid back atmosphere, (mostly) good tunes playing at that perfect volume where you can listen if you want or ignore them easily. Comfy seats, friendly, knowledgable staff, and a 65 offering beer list that includes very few throwaways.

The beers are a wide-ranging selection of domestic craft offerings and well-chosen imports. A good portion of the selection seems to rotate, and there are some vintage offerings beginning to appear - I suspect there will be more as the cellar matures.

Desserts and cheeses are the stars of the menu, though there are small, interesting pizzas and savory things if you want to make an entire meal. Everything sampled was very high quality. One of the prime focuses of the beer list is to match with the many dessert offerings, so there may be a few too many sweet beers for some, but those that are there are quality offerings.

On my visit I sampled a Rogue Mocha Porter with my off-the-menu dessert of raspberry-chocolate mousse filled chocolate cake with a bourbon chocolate glaze. A very nice match, and a truly awesome (a word I don't use lightly) dessert. Then it was on to a draft St. Bernardus Abt 12 - what a nice end to a lovely evening.

Appropriate glassware is provided for the beers, though serving temperature was a bit cold. The latter is a minor annoyance in my book, but I did note it. :-)

Other notables from the list were New Belgium's 2 Degrees Below, some Cantillon, a Fantome, numerous Trappists, a great selection of Germans including Aventinus, and some interesting UK selections like Dorothy Goodbody's and Old Engine Oil. A top notch spot, and my vote for best beer bar in St. Louis at the moment due to the quality and breadth of the selection.

12-01-2005 15:32:46 | More by Realale

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

On our recent stay we got the opportunity to check out a few Beer hot-spots in Saint Louis. The Chocolate Bar is certainly one of these places with more than enough charm to keep even the un-beer-initiated ensconsced in joy and the 'vapors'.

Bailey's is tucked into a gorgeous Industrially-reclaimed corner of St. Louis, not particularly far from the Bud brewery.

When you step inside, you know instantly that you should have a loved one on your arm. The place is like stepping into equal parts candy shop, opium den, high-class brothel, and swank martini bar.

You are brought cookies. The beer geek inside of you thinks, "what goes with cookies?" There are a few foodies to try - we had the delightful house-made pizza - and then your mind turns directly to beer.

Repeating particular names seem silly now, especially with the warm glowing lovey (and not necessarily accurate) memories of the place. The most important thing you need to know is: St. Bernardus Abt 12 in its proper goblet. New Belgium Beer de Mars in its proper glassware. La Folie on the bottle list.

Only complaint I could possibly register is that the Waitress knew pretty much nothing about beer. Still, she was very nice and apologetic when she brought us the wrong beer.

If you hit St. Louis, you really need to seek this place not only for your beer pleasure, but also for the pleasure of your spouse/lover/concubine/etc!

03-13-2006 22:09:42 | More by GreenWBush

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

CarlN26 and I only had to walk a short way to get to this place from Square One and why not make the trip, since it was one of the top-rated beer bars in the area? Entering through the wide double doorway, it was a case of Holy Victorian, Batman! The bar was directly in front of the entryway and along the right wall. Both the bar and the back bar were unique in my travels, which is no small statement. The back bar incorporated nine wide, wavy designs in a very dark wood, like stained cherry or mahogany. The bar was pretty close to the same color and it was its width that really separated the patrons from the staff and if the urge ever struck to come across the bar from either side, it would be a field trip. The barstools were wrought iron topped with red velvet upholstery. The dominant color scheme was red and black with a copper ceiling; a brass chandelier hanging above the center of the bar; plus, a multi-panel map rendition of the area on matte-black in grey. Along the left wall was a triptych of Bacchus and his attendants, plus some high tables and more red velvet seats. The unisex washrooms were to the right, past the bar and down a flight of steps into Alice in Wonderland-land. The ceilings were very low and the washrooms featured mosaics on the walls. All of the way aft was the restaurant, which mainly concentrated on desserts, with more of the flocked red velvet décor. I wondered if there were ladies upstairs, and whether Carol Stoudt might know anything about this, but owner Dave Bailey denied everything.

10-09-2006 23:13:48 | More by woodychandler

homebrewhawk

Kansas

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

My family went for dessert on a weekday evening. It is located in a great old building. Atmosphere would be great for couples. Great selection of beer, wine, port and martinis at reasonable prices. Impressive list of bottled beer including vertical selection of La Folie. Lindemann's Framboise, NB Lips of Faith, Maudite as well as others on tap.

Our server was a little green. Desserts were tasty, maybe a bit pricey. Not exactly a place for family's, but our kids did okay. Definitely worth a visit. A stealth beer place, you could take your wife or date that she would like as well.

03-18-2009 23:40:14 | More by homebrewhawk

DCon

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

Here's my take on the Chocolate Bar...
Has a classy, but yet snobby type of atmosphere. I'm not very sure I'm happy or comfortable with it. Have sat both on the patio and in the main dining room and with the chairs and tables so closed together, you would think it would bring people to conversation more often, but no. You end up finding yourself eavesdropping without even meaning to the whole night.

Quality is all fine dining types and is all presented well. There is no issue with their quality.

Service is tough to judge... It is above average but the staff absolutely have no clue about their beer or beer in general. This is fine because I believe this is more of a Martini Bar then a Beer Bar. For example, I asked about the beers on tap and she said I could go up to the bar and look at their selection if I would like... Then after deciding to try 2 of their 12 oz beers, she brings me a 20 oz O'Fallon's Chocolate Ale. No problem, just tough to give this section a good rating.

Their selection is awesome! Whether Martini, Beer, or Wine lover, they can accommodate anyones taste. I will be back to try many more of their beers on tap.

On the food, great! I have tried 3 of their deserts (Brownie, Creme Brulee, and then some type of Ice Cream desert with fudge), and they have all been wonderful. Also had a sausage pizza that was filling (Street in the name) and I recommend it for sure!

Both Times coming here, my bill wasn't under $40, so expect a "bit pricey" check at the end of the night. Martinis anywhere from $9-11, and their beer is $5-9.

Heres my final take on this Chocolate Bar...
My first time here was with my girlfriend and we both split 2 of their Martinis and a brownie desert. Fantastic. Heres the question.. Why don't they promote promote their beers more? It took me a second time coming here to find out they have a specially brewed Chocolate Ale from O'Fallon just for Bailey's Chocolate Bar. They also had two Unibroue beers on tap and then 10 other specialty beers.
Will be coming back and will next time will be sitting at the bar.

04-15-2011 23:27:29 | More by DCon

bobzemuda

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

If the typical schnitzel loving, beer cheese chugging, brew-club-stein wielding vibe is what you're after, then Bailey's, I'm here to tell you, is not the place for you.

If on the other hand you're looking for a place to maybe take your lady for a romantic night out, impress some friends with your happening choice, or perhaps just hang out while eating great desserts surrounded by people having a laid back good time, then this could be for you.

...and the bonus, the most thoughtful beer list in St. Louis.

Abt 12, La Chouffe, as well as several Unibroue were on draft the last time I was there in June. Also, they had a nice choice of 750mls with some even representing actual vintages of beers like La Folie and various Unibroue Editions. Plus a fairly hefty selection of bottled beer without a single AB selection clogging up the works.

So I tell you, it's all smiles when your inhaling that first whiff of Ephemere all the while being applauded for having a) exceptional taste or b) a level of romance not expected from someone who loves beer so damn much, and the bottom line is, for St. Louis, it's a can't miss not just because of the beer, but because it's one of the truly cool things happening in our city.

Just go to their site and see the list for yourself.

09-06-2007 04:13:55 | More by bobzemuda

kdog630

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -8.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped by for 'desert' after a late dinner down the block. Not sure what to expect but Mrs. Kdog wanted chocolate. Very crowded at 9:30 on a Friday but we were able to sit in stools along the far wall.

The entire bar was filled with a chocolate aroma. That is the name, of course, and the menu featured plenty of chocolate drinks and deserts.

I went for a Boulevard Pale Ale while the Mrs. had a choco martini. The hallway where we were sitting was a hive of activity and there were a number of near mishaps, but our server was pretty attentive.

One drawback (possibly the only one) was a lack of cabs late at night. Luckily, we were able to walk back to our hotel without incedent, but the neighborhood to the west did seem a little dicey.

Next time, we'll probably try to get there earlier.

On a lighter note: A larger group couldn't get a table at 11 so they decided to go else where, which was just a well because dad was upset they didn't have Bud Light...

04-23-2007 18:10:41 | More by kdog630