Toasted ravioli is Hill business, and every dining room here has its own answer for the sauce, the breading, and how many come to a plate. This list runs from the grocery-deli counters to the white-tablecloth rooms, and judges each one the same way: would the regulars notice if the batch changed.
№ 01
Liliana's Italian Kitchen
$$
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Lasagna and baked rigatoni carry the menu at this South Side dining room, and the portions run large enough that a lunch order routinely turns into dinner leftovers. Service can be slow to start, with tables sometimes needing to ask for seating, but once seated the tables stay attended and the plates keep coming family style.
What to orderlasagna, baked rigatoni, garlic bread
Downtown St. Louis & Washington Avenue $$
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Pizza and pasta anchor this Ballpark Village room, built for a pregame plate or a postgame meatball sub without a wait for a table. The setting reads as a sports bar first, with group seating that turns fast on game nights, and a menu built to move plates quickly rather than linger over courses.
What to orderpizza, pasta, meatball sub
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Toasted ravioli opens the meal at this Hill corner room, and the version here draws visitors in on road trips who were headed somewhere else entirely. Service runs sharp, with attentive waitstaff keeping drinks filled, though the house salad and other starters have drawn more mixed notice than the ravioli itself.
What to ordertoasted ravioli, house salad, pasta
№ 04
Dominic's
$$$
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Osso buco and risotto lead a menu built for a slower night out, in a Hill dining room with white tablecloths and old paintings on the walls. The food and room both hold up under scrutiny; service is the variable, with a single off night from one server enough to color an otherwise strong dinner.
What to orderRisotto, Osso Buco, Tiramisu
№ 05
Bar Italia Ristorante
$$
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The goat cheese and pistachio starter is the calling card at this Central West End room, paired with pasta and risotto on a menu built for regulars. The patio draws steady praise, seating comes quickly even after a long drive in, and the staff keeps the room welcoming without slowing down service.
What to ordergoat cheese and pistachio appetizer, pasta, risotto
№ 06
Bartolino's The Hill
$$
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Italian bread with butter arrives before the meal at this Hill institution set inside a hotel, and the John Paul pizza, loaded with meatballs and pepperoncini, has become a reason to skip the pasta course entirely. Reservations matter on weekends: the parking lot fills and groups of five should plan ahead.
What to orderJohn Paul pizza, pasta, Italian bread
№ 07
P'Sghetti's Pasta & Sandwiches
$
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The meatball sub and Italian sandwich are the draw at this counter-service stop, where the bread itself is doing real work and the sub sizes run large enough to split. It is order-at-the-counter dining, a solid post-park stop near Cliff Cave, with food that holds steady visit after visit.
What to ordersub sandwich, meatball sub, Italian sandwich
№ 08
STL Toasted
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Toasted ravioli headlines a short, locally sourced menu here, and the mozzarella sticks have earned their own following for size and flavor alongside the pasta. The counter-service setup keeps things quick, though the greeting at the register on arrival has drawn complaints even as the food itself holds up.
What to ordertoasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks, pasta
Saint Louis $$
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Lasagna and eggplant parmesan have kept regulars coming back to this Hill room for over a decade, with chicken marsala rounding out the menu. Saturday nights get busy enough that walking in without a reservation is a real gamble. The dining room rewards patience and repeat visits with consistent plates.
What to orderlasagna, eggplant parmesan, chicken marsala
The Hill $$
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Ravioli and lasagna lead a menu built for group dinners at this Hill room with a house-like interior and patio seating out back. Portions run generous, closer to family style than single servings, and the staff has hosted repeat work parties without a drop in service or plate quality.
What to orderRavioli, Lasagna, Osso Buco
№ 11
Katie's Pizza & Pasta – Rock Hill
$$
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Pizza and seasonal pasta specials rotate through this Rock Hill room, where the patio seating under tent cover has turned takeout regulars into dine-in converts. The kitchen accommodates groups without rushing the table, and the menu mixes standing favorites with rotating dishes worth checking on repeat visits.
What to orderpizza, pasta, seasonal offerings
№ 12
Bill Gianino's Restaurant
$$
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Calamari with a notably crisp crust opens the meal at this South County strip-mall room, followed by ribeye and pasta carbonara on a menu built for celebrations. Groups of twenty get handled without a drop in service, and the room itself surprises first-timers who expect less from the storefront outside.
What to orderCalamari, Ribeye, Pasta Carbonara
Frequently asked
What is toasted ravioli near me in the St. Louis area?
Toasted ravioli started on The Hill as breaded, deep-fried meat ravioli served with marinara and grated parmesan. Charlie Gitto's and Mama Campisi's both carry origin claims for the dish, and most Hill dining rooms still serve their own version as a starter.
How does the Insider Score work on this list?
The Insider Score reflects the volume and content of real customer feedback for each restaurant. No restaurant pays to be included on this list or to rank higher; placement is based entirely on the review record.
Is toasted ravioli always fried, or is there a difference from regular ravioli?
Toasted ravioli is breaded and deep-fried, not simply boiled like standard ravioli. The breading and quick fry give it a crisp shell, and it is served as a starter with marinara rather than as a main pasta course.
Do these restaurants require reservations, especially on The Hill?
It depends on the room. Some Hill institutions get busy enough on weekends that walking in without a reservation is risky, especially for larger groups. Others, including counter-service and strip-mall spots, run first-come with no wait required.
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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.
