10 patios in St. Louis where you can avoid the cicadas while enjoying the great outdoors

We’re abuzz over here, and we’re also freaking out: The cicadas have arrived and will be with us for the next several weeks, but we’ve got some ideas for ways to escape them; places to go where you may not be ogled by quite so many extremely large, blood-red eyes. We’re banking, frankly, on this insecta magicicada’s inability to fly very high, so we remind you of some rooftop bars. Otherwise, we’ve found a few fully screened patios, and also include the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Panorama, which may suit you more by providing a hermetic front-row seat to the bug nightmare going on on the grassy hill outside.

Art Bar
The tip-top of the Angad Arts Hotel may, indeed, be a bit of a reach for heavy-bodied insects, and it has the added benefit of offering one of the city’s best views. Enjoy their new “garden oasis” look without the ground-level cicada danger. They’ve just launched their summer event lineup, along with a new cocktail list and seasonal happy hour specials.
3550 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis, 314.561.0033, angadartshotel.com

Blueberry Hill
Good news: There’s standing room for about 20 people on this little screened side porch. Traditionally, this area is a convenience offered to smokers, but under these circumstances, who cares about a bit of smoke?
6504 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.727.4444, blueberryhill.com

 

 

Crow’s Nest
At least this restaurant and bar isn’t at street level. And at least there are plastic screens at the windows. We’ll take it.
7336 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.781.0989, crowsneststl.com

Le Meridien St. Louis Clayton
In the event of an active swarm, this urban hotel rooftop in Clayton has the benefit of a pool and is surrounded by buildings. After all, cicadas aren’t swimmers. However, a pass is required for anyone not staying at the hotel. Luckily, Au Soleil pool parties return this summer on Thursday and Friday evenings.
7730 Bonhomme Ave., Clayton, 888.861.1483, lemeridienclayton.com

Panorama Restaurant
While you’re taking refuge behind these huge windows, ease back with a Blueberry Smash cocktail and a Booneslick Farms oyster mushroom crepe.
Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, 314.655.5490, slam.org

Moonrise Hotel Rooftop Garden Bar
High above the Loop in the Moonrise Hotel, this bar promises – and delivers – bird’s (hopefully not cicada’s) eye views of the neon strip below.
6177 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, 314.721.1111, moonrisehotel.com

Retreat Gastropub
This modern American pub will stand by its name the next six weeks or so, providing – yes – a retreat in its screened-in sunroom.
6 N. Sarah St., St. Louis, 314.261.4497, retreatgastropub.com

Seamus McDaniel’s
If things get really bad, Seamus McDaniel’s in Dogtown has some garage doors it can close. The trouble is, said bartender Ken Akzert, if it’s 70 degrees out, it quickly gets to 90 degrees behind those doors. We say: “Heat’s the least of it.”
1208 Tamm Ave. St. Louis, 314.645.6337, seamusmcdaniels.com

Three Sixty Downtown & Three Sixty Westport
First of all, if your instinct is to head for the hills, don’t. With those eyes, these insects will find you there as well. Better: Head for the elevators at Three Sixty Downtown or the massive new Three Sixty Westport, and head to the top floor. Then, when you get there, order a big fat drink. The 360s specialize in these.
1 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.241.8439, 360-stl.com; 11 W. Port Plaza Drive, Suite 1200, Maryland Heights, 314.683.2337, 360-stl.com/westport/