1831 Sidney Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
314-773-775
www.nichestlouis.com

Among St. Louis’ finer eating establishments, perhaps none is as discussed or well esteemed as Niche. I recently ventured out to Benton Park to find out whether Niche was really worth all the hype.

Niche will impress you before you even step inside. The enormous windows that span the street side of the restaurant glow with warm, inviting light. Inside, one finds that Niche, with its close tables and bright colors (think fiery orange), doesn’t fit the romantic restaurant stereotype, but its high ceilings and well-placed lighting create a uniquely charming—and romantic—hearth-like ambience.

My date and I started with a glass of wine. I chose, and very much enjoyed, a Napa Valley Zinfandel ($12). For a first course, we ordered the pappardelle with pork shoulder ($11) and the white gazpacho ($8). The pork was tender, flavorful and unbelievably rich. Mixed with wide, perfectly al dente handmade pasta, it made an impressive start to our meal. We did agree, however, that it might have been improved with a bit less salt.

The gazpacho had a light, delicate flavor made particularly interesting by a dollop of smoked grape sorbet that melted into the soup, subtly shifting the balance of flavors with each spoonful.

Our main course was pork belly over farro ($22) and trout with mushrooms ($25). The tender square of pork sat prettily atop turnips on a bed of hearty farro with a light comté cheese sauce. The dish was pure flavor, recalling the much-loved meat-and-potatoes meals of childhood, but with more complexity of flavors and textures: earthy, nutty, tender and toothsome. The pork, again, could have been less salty.

The trout was cooked to a perfect texture, and its delicate flavor was an excellent match for the woodsy goodness of the mushrooms. Carrot “caviar” and a garnish of wood sorrel rounded it off nicely.

For dessert, we enjoyed a plum semifreddo with vanilla rice pudding topped with toasted rice cereal ($8) and a lavender custard atop a butter cookie with fresh blackberries and shards of honey malt candy ($8). The semifreddo had a delicate, creamy texture and a nice, subtle plum flavor, but the lavender custard really stood out with a memorable, tasty combination of flavors I’d love to try again.

The wait staff at Niche was friendly, attentive and helpful with questions, and service was timed well.

Look nice to go to Niche, and be prepared to spend some time (we were there for two hours) and more money than usual on your meal. Actually, for the quality of the food and the experience, Niche is well worth its price. First courses average $11, main courses $25 and desserts $8, but if you decide to order all three courses, the price tops out at $35.

Niche really does live up to much of the praise it has received and is undoubtedly among the city’s most enjoyable dining hotspots.