Pasta in this metro splits along a clear line: The Hill's red-sauce dining rooms that have fed the same families for decades, the counter-service spots turning out toasted ravioli and subs for a quick lunch, and the newer rooms in Clayton and the county doing their own version of the same trust. This list covers all three, judged on the sauce and the noodle, not the tablecloth.
№ 01
Liliana's Italian Kitchen
$$
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The lasagna and baked rigatoni at Liliana's Italian Kitchen come out in portions built for leftovers, the kind of casual Italian dinner where a table of three walks out with a full to-go bag. Service runs a little slow at the host stand but steadies once seated, with glasses kept filled throughout the meal. Garlic bread rounds out a menu built for family tables, not for show.
What to orderlasagna, baked rigatoni, garlic bread
Downtown St. Louis & Washington Avenue $$
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Katie's Pizza & Pasta at Ballpark Village pairs its pasta program with the wood-fired pizza that built the brand, plus a meatball sub that works as a pregame meal near Busch Stadium. The room is built for groups and runs loud and casual, closer to a sports bar than a trattoria. It is a downtown St. Louis option that does not ask anyone to dress for it.
What to orderpizza, pasta, meatball sub
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Gian Tony's on The Hill serves its toasted ravioli with the confidence of a kitchen that has made the same dish for regulars for years, backed by a house salad and a rotating pasta list. Service is polished, sometimes more polished than the food itself on an off night. It sits solidly in The Hill's canon of family-run dining rooms, not a discovery so much as a fixture.
What to ordertoasted ravioli, house salad, pasta
№ 04
Dominic's
$$$
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Risotto and osso buco anchor the menu at Dominic's, where white tablecloths and vintage paintings set a formal register for The Hill. The kitchen's execution holds up consistently, even when service missteps on a given night. Tiramisu closes the meal properly. This is the neighborhood's upscale register, built for anniversaries and quiet occasions rather than a quick weeknight plate.
What to orderRisotto, Osso Buco, Tiramisu
№ 05
Bar Italia Ristorante
$$
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The goat cheese and pistachio starter gets ordered on repeat at Bar Italia Ristorante, a Central West End room built around its patio as much as its pasta and risotto. Service moves fast even without a reservation, and the room reads as genuinely welcoming rather than performative. It is a Central West End staple, not a Hill address, and it wears that distinction well.
What to ordergoat cheese and pistachio appetizer, pasta, risotto
№ 06
Bartolino's The Hill
$$
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Bartolino's The Hill opens every table with Italian bread and butter or oil, the traditional move before the John Paul pizza (meatballs, pepperoncini) or a pasta order arrives. The dining room sits inside a hotel and fills up fast on weekend nights, so a reservation for a group matters. It is old-guard Hill dining, built for repeat family visits rather than novelty.
What to orderJohn Paul pizza, pasta, Italian bread
№ 07
P'Sghetti's Pasta & Sandwiches
$
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P'Sghetti's Pasta & Sandwiches runs counter service and a menu built around the sub sandwich and meatball sub, with bread that carries the whole plate. It is a quick neighborhood lunch stop near Cliff Cave Park, not a sit-down pasta destination, and it does not pretend otherwise. Consistency across visits is the selling point, not ambition.
What to ordersub sandwich, meatball sub, Italian sandwich
№ 08
STL Toasted
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STL Toasted keeps its ingredient list simple and mostly local, and the mozzarella sticks and toasted ravioli both come out generously sized with real flavor behind them. It is a quick-service counter, not a dining room, and the front-of-house greeting can be uneven at opening. The toasted ravioli here holds its own against sit-down versions across the metro.
What to ordertoasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks, pasta
Saint Louis $$
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Zia's on The Hill has held its lasagna and eggplant parmesan steady for regulars who return year after year, chicken marsala rounding out the menu. It sits in south city on The Hill and books up fast on Saturday nights, so walking in without a reservation is a gamble. Long tenure and consistent service are the draw here, not novelty.
What to orderlasagna, eggplant parmesan, chicken marsala
The Hill $$
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Favazza's on the Hill serves ravioli, lasagna, and osso buco in portions built for sharing, family-style by default rather than by request. The patio draws praise on its own, and the house-like interior gives the room a lived-in feel suited to work parties and group dinners. Attentive service without hovering is the consistent note across visits to this Hill address.
What to orderRavioli, Lasagna, Osso Buco
№ 11
Katie's Pizza & Pasta – Rock Hill
$$
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Katie's Pizza & Pasta in Rock Hill runs a seasonal pasta rotation alongside its standing pizza menu, with a covered patio that makes outdoor seating usable most of the year. The room accommodates groups and families without friction, and the kitchen handles both the seasonal specials and the permanent lineup with the same care. It is Rock Hill's version of the brand, distinct from the Ballpark Village room downtown.
What to orderpizza, pasta, seasonal offerings
№ 12
Bill Gianino's Restaurant
$$
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Bill Gianino's Restaurant pairs a pasta carbonara with a calamari starter that gets called out for its crunch and its generous size, plus a ribeye for the non-pasta order at the table. Set in a south county strip mall, the room reads warmer and more finished than its exterior suggests. It is the go-to address for family celebrations and larger groups in that part of the county.
What to orderCalamari, Ribeye, Pasta Carbonara
Frequently asked
What is the best pasta restaurant near me in the St. Louis area?
It depends on which part of the metro is closest. The Hill in south St. Louis carries the deepest concentration, with Gian Tony's, Dominic's, Bartolino's, Zia's, and Favazza's all within blocks of each other. The Central West End, Rock Hill, and south county each have their own strong options listed here as well. Each entry names its actual municipality so you can find the closest one.
What is toasted ravioli and where does it come from?
Toasted ravioli is breaded, deep-fried meat ravioli served with marinara and grated parmesan. It is a Hill neighborhood invention, and Charlie Gitto's and Mama Campisi's both carry origin claims for the dish. Several rooms on this list, including Gian Tony's and STL Toasted, serve their own versions.
How were these restaurants chosen for this list?
Each restaurant is scored using the Top of St. Louis Insider Score, which draws on the volume and content of public customer reviews, not paid placement. No restaurant pays to appear on this list or to rank higher on it.
Is there a difference between pasta on The Hill and pasta elsewhere in the metro?
The Hill's dining rooms represent the city's original Italian-American canon, red sauce built on decades of repeat neighborhood trade. Rooms in Clayton, the Central West End, Rock Hill, and south county follow their own traditions and operate under their own local standards, distinct from Hill tradition but judged by the same measure: whether the sauce and the noodle hold up.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Nico Marchetti
Staff Writer · Top of St. Louis
The Hill and Heritage Editor. Third-generation Hill family who grew up bagging hot salami on Saturday shifts. Covers the red-sauce canon, St. Louis-style pizza, and the kitchens of Cherokee Street, South Grand, and the Olive Boulevard corridor. His standard: the regulars would notice.
