Bar Moro Takeaway. A taste of Spanish tapas and delights on a fancy date night. I don't have a great local comparison on roast rabbit, so go with my overall score of 4.39 / 5. The food is an 8.2 / 10, but it's super expensive for the area. The price always brings down my overall score because you can get similar quality food for less elsewhere -- just not rabbit.
The service was excellent. It's an upscale, modern space that puts a premium on service and quality. My big nitpick is that it's too dark. I couldn't see my food, which negatively impacts taste, in my opinion. I would rather come at 6:30 in the summer than in winter because you could see your food.
With limited seating, we got 2 bar seats at 6:30 pm on a Saturday. You would have needed a reservation to sit at a table. Parking on Wydown means you find a spot within a three-minute walk.
Bar Moro Experience Summary
My wife and I stumbled into Bar Moro on a Saturday night, and I mean that quite literally. We were planning on hitting up Wright's Tavern or the Ritz, but Bar Moro popped up in a Google search and we figured why not.
It's tucked into the strip of restaurants on Wyden in Clayton, where every restaurant is actually good, so the odds were in our favor.
We walked in around 6:15 with zero expectations and zero reservations. Turns out they were completely booked all night, but the bar had two open seats.
Perfect.
That's the move if you want to try this place without planning ahead: sit at the bar.
The vibe hit immediately. It's dark. Like, really dark. By the time we were eating, I could barely see my food. I didn't fully appreciate what the roast rabbit looked like until I got the leftovers home and could actually see it under normal lighting.
If you're going to Bar Moro, I'd recommend going in the spring or summer when there's still some natural light coming through. Otherwise, you're basically eating dinner in a romantic cave.
The whole experience was interesting. My wife and I went to Spain about 10 years ago, and the tapas there were like 3 Euros each for similar portions. Here? We're talking $15 to $16 per plate.
A pan con tomate that would cost you maybe $1.50 in Barcelona runs $9 here. Which is fine, right? We're not in Spain.
But it does make you think twice about ordering that second round.
By the end of the night, we'd each racked up about $80 after tip and drinks. That's when I had to be honest with myself. I don't appreciate fine dining enough to make $80 per person feel worth it, even on a date night. I'd much rather drop $20 at an Asian spot and walk out just as happy.
But that's a me problem, not a Bar Moro problem.
The service was exceptional, though. Our server knew everything about the menu, including all the tinned fish options they offer. We weren't into that, and they didn't push it.
They were prompt and attentive the whole night, exactly what you'd expect from a place trying to create a date night atmosphere. A-plus service, no complaints there.
In the context of finding the best food in St. Louis, Bar Moro sits in this weird space. It's good, but not great. It's expensive, but not outrageous. It's the kind of place that makes you wonder if you're paying for the food or the experience.
I'm still not sure I know the answer.
The Food At Bar Moro
Everything we ordered was unremarkable but good. That sounds like a knock, but it's not. Nothing blew my mind, but nothing disappointed either. It's just solid, quality food at prices that make you reconsider your life choices.
My favorite part of the meal was probably the pan con tomate ($9). It had a ton of tomatoes piled on top with a good amount of spices and flavor. The bread itself was great. Fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Actually, the bread was generally great across everything we tried.
Can't beat good bread.
The bacon-wrapped dates were good too. I mean, it's bacon and dates, so it's kind of hard to mess up.
They had some layer of cheese in between the two, and honestly, I would have preferred it without. Just bacon and dates would have been better in my opinion, but I'm not going to complain too much. The dates didn't have pits either, so I'm not sure how authentic they were, but at least I didn't have to worry about chipping a tooth.
We got the roast rabbit to finish, which was very good. The interesting part was that the accoutrement around it was actually my favorite, more so than the rabbit itself.
The rabbit could have just passed as chicken. It wouldn't have been as fancy, but it would have tasted the same. Still, the whole plate worked well together.
We also got gazpacho, which was good, but here's the thing: I don't like cold soup. If it was hot, it would have been much better. Again, that's just a personal preference thing.
The house salad was good, too. Fresh, well-dressed, nothing crazy.
I got a Spanish beer that was great. My wife had a cocktail and actually finished the whole thing, which is rare for her. So the drinks were solid.
Again, nothing was mind-blowing, but nothing was bad. It's just expensive tapas that taste good. Whether that's worth $80 per person is up to you.
Bar Moro Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
The atmosphere is what you'd expect from a date night spot. Dark, intimate, and moody. There's a whole wall of liquor bottles that catches your eye when you walk in. The bar area is bustling but not overwhelming. It feels like the kind of place where people are celebrating something, or at least pretending to.
The lighting situation is a double-edged sword. Yes, it's romantic. But you also can't see your food after 6 PM. If you're someone who eats with your eyes first, this might bug you.
They do a lot of tinned fish, which seems to be their thing. We weren't into that, but if you are, they've got options. Our server was very knowledgeable about everything.
The reservation situation is tough. They book up fast, so if you're planning ahead, make a reservation. But if you're like us and just want to show up, try your luck at the bar. We got lucky with two open seats, but I wouldn't count on it every time.
Parking At Bar Moro
Parking is on Wyden, and it's honestly not an issue. You'll find a spot within less than five minutes of walking. It's all public parking and free after 6 PM, so you don't have to worry about feeding a meter or getting a ticket. Just park and walk. Easy.
Bar Moro Receipt
