First Look: Cobalt Smoke & Sea in Creve Coeur

Cobalt Smoke & Sea opens today, May 1, at 12643 Olive Blvd., in Creve Coeur, serving its take on smoked meats and seafood with international influences.

Owner Bernadette Faasen previously owned Woodsmoke BBQ in Ellisville, but she decided to shutter that business in order to open Cobalt after six years in business.

“Woodsmoke was a stepping stone,” she said. “I was ready to add a bar and elevate the experience and the menu, and I couldn’t do it there. We decided to continue with smoked meats, but with more of an international taste, and we wanted to add seafood. We also wanted to be closer to a highway.”

Executive chef Joe Stamer, formerly chef de cuisine at Edibles & Essentials, conceptualized the menu.

“There are so many great smoked foods around the world – not just American-style barbecue,” he said. “While I was developing the dishes, I was inspired by some of the fun things I’ve had when visiting other places like Puerto Rico, but I wanted to add a smoked element.”

Menu items range from burnt ends and short ribs to pan-seared scallops and seafood risotto. There’s also a selection of soups and salads, as well as appetizers like crabcakes and white clam pizza, which Faasen said was a huge hit during soft openings.

“People said they might not have ordered the white clam pizza on their own, but they loved it,” she said. “Our food is adventurous and trendy. It’s not something you'll find on the menu at your basic restaurant in town. It pushes the boundaries a bit but is still very approachable.”

There’s a full bar with standard beer and wine offerings, along with several house cocktails. Both food and beverage menus will change seasonally; however, a few popular signature items will remain on the menu throughout the year, like the A Cobalt Affaire and Lavender Orange Belle Cosmo cocktails.

The 3,800-square-foot space seats just more than 100 inside with room for 35 to 40 more on the patio. The restaurant’s industrial design features two artificial trees studded with string lights, along with sea-inspired decor and cobalt blue walls and other cobalt accents mixed in.

Cobalt opens daily at 10:45 a.m. The dining room closes at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday. Take a first look at Creve Coeur’s newest eatery. 

Lauren Healey is associate editor at Sauce Magazine.