Review: Dressel's in St. Louis

There are some bars that are a real gem of Saint Louis. They have qualities that exceed the expectations of the professional bar goer. The atmosphere is ultimately laid down by the characters on both sides of the bar, but the physical aspects of the bar are what initially create the comfortable feel to the patron.

Dressel's has a cherished reputation around town that includes being one of the only authentic Welsh pubs in St. Louis. The bar is located in a row of storefront businesses on the north end of Euclid just south of Delmar in the West End. The neighborhood is very swanky; Dressel's is next door to the ultra fancy and cool Balabans and just a stone's throw away from the mighty historic mansions of the Central West End. Euclid has traditionally been, and still is, an exclusive shopping area in the city. While many of the name brand department stores left decades ago, the area still thrives with galleries, fancy restaurants and high price antique dealers, but there are many stores that cater to neighborhood conveniences such as newsstands and dry cleaners. This area is loaded with character unlike many other high end shopping areas. Dressel's tops that character list.

The narrow and cozy restaurant is located on the first floor with one oval shaped center bar in the middle of the room, stretching from the entrance to the rear of the room. The useful and beautiful bar dominates the feel of the room. There is an overhang above the bar that drops down to the give the effect that the bar is almost in a room of its own. Bare wood dining tables circle the bar along the brick walls that are nearly completely covered with nicely framed pictures of cultural and historical icons.

The moderately priced menu consists of traditional pub fare, which includes a ploughman's plate, reubens, pork loin burgers and other well prepared items. Dressel's has custom made napkins that not only have the restaurant/bar's name emblazoned on them, but also an illustration of great Saint Louisans of the past. There is a firm and stern distinct gray haired handlebar mustached gentleman bartender that greets the incoming drinkers and diners. He works the circular bar, satisfying both the customers and the service bar for the tables. There is a wide range of beers, ales, ciders and stouts available.

The crowd is relatively diverse and is very eclectic. There are a lot of sharp old timers, but there are plenty of younger folks that fill the house. Many of the patrons are from the neighborhood, but the West End is very much of a destination neighborhood and many are visitors to the area. The bar is constantly buzzing with activity on the weekends. The place has a scholarly feel, that comes from both the literary inspired decor, but also the employees and the patrons.

Another ornate bar and general drinking area is located on the second floor. The inviting room has a fireplace in the back with chairs and tables that are scattered about, perfect for informal bar conversation. Above the fireplace mantle are pressed copper reliefs that each contain images of women. There are red velvet lined straight backed wood booths along the walls and elegant hanging brass and copper lamps. There is a small piano near the windows where a fellow plays everything from ragtime to piano classics. There are hung sections of a pressed tin ceiling where the walls on the second floor are covered with pictures of Saint Louis' past, with many pictures of the legendary Gaslight Square and the many celebrities that got their start from from this area.

The second floor tap also has the sweet tasting Double Dragon Ale and the bar itself has old style fancy bar rags to place beers upon. Some of the liquors behind the bar are served British style. They are hung upside down and have pour contraptions on the top of the bottles that pre-measure the amount of liquor that is poured. The liquor selection includes many different fine cognacs, scotch and whiskey. The bar has ornately carved wood posts with well placed beautiful lamps. There are busts of General Grant and Lee above the bar, along with Mark Twain and a few other important looking dead folks.

The second floor is often used for private parties, but it is also host to semi-regular music jams, ragtime club meetings and regular cigar smoking get togethers.

The mood is welcoming and this is only reinforced by the nearly perfect decor for the theme. The Welsh feel really comes through. This not only a good place to grab some good, filling pub food, but it is also a great place to grab a nip.