Basso brings serious comfort-food energy to the lower level of The Cheshire, pairing a cozy St. Louis setting with craveable Italian-inspired favorites.
The menu moves from wood-fired pizzas and house-made pasta to shareable starters, hearty burgers, and a well-stocked bar designed for lingering.
Truffle fries can start the evening, while a generous bowl of pasta keeps the table talking long after the first round arrives.
For a relaxed dinner filled with big flavors, warm plates, and lively atmosphere, Basso makes an easy choice for a memorable night. 🍝
How Basso won Saint Louis hearts
Basso became a local favorite by making Italian-inspired comfort food feel exciting, generous, and easy to enjoy without overcomplicating the dinner experience.
Located on the lower level of The Cheshire, the restaurant gives guests a tucked-away setting that feels like a welcome break from everyday routines.
Its broad menu gives diners plenty of reasons to return, offering shareable antipasti, pasta, pizza, steak, seafood, burgers, and plenty of flavorful choices.
Wood-fired pizza remains a major draw, especially for guests who want a casual, satisfying meal that still feels thoughtfully made for a night out.
The pizza selection includes familiar Margherita and Pepperoni choices, along with more adventurous options like Mushroom & Truffle for diners craving deeper flavor.
House-made pasta brings another level of comfort, ranging from simple Cacio e Pepe to rich Ricotta Gnocchi served with tender beef cheek.
The food feels approachable from the first bite, yet the ingredients and carefully assembled combinations prevent familiar dishes from ever tasting routine or forgettable.
A burger layered with fontina, crispy onions, marrow butter, and truffle fries proves Basso can give classic comfort food a polished twist.
Small plates also make the restaurant especially easy to enjoy with friends, coworkers, or family members who want to taste several dishes together.
Crispy Meatballs, Burrata, Calamari Fritti, and Cannellini Dip offer satisfying ways to start sharing before the larger entrées make their way to tables.
The bar keeps the evening lively with 32 beers on tap, Italian wines, and cocktails that pair naturally with pizza, pasta, and appetizers.
Weekday happy hour from 4 PM to 6 PM gives locals another practical reason to visit after work and settle in comfortably.
Basso wins hearts because it combines food people genuinely crave, drinks worth ordering, and a relaxed setting suited to weeknight dinners or longer evenings.
Food Highlights
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Mushroom & Truffle Pizza: Fontina, duck egg, cremini and shiitake mushrooms, parsley, and roasted garlic sauce create a rich, earthy pie. The duck egg and truffle flavors make it a memorable pizza night choice. 🍕
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Lemon Ricotta Ravioli: Ricotta-filled ravioli arrives with English peas, pancetta, shallot, garlic butter, roasted tomato, white wine, and Parmigiano. It is creamy, bright, and ideal for pasta lovers. 🍋
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Ricotta Gnocchi: Soft gnocchi is served with beef cheek, demi sauce, rapini, and crispy shallots. The tender beef and savory sauce make this a deeply satisfying comfort-food plate. 🍝
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Bucatini Fra Diavolo: Shrimp, pomodoro, shaved Parmesan, basil, and chili paste give this pasta a lively kick. Choose it when dinner calls for a little heat. 🌶️
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Burger: Basso’s burger includes giardiniera relish, fontina, crispy onions, marrow butter, and truffle fries with ketchup and aioli. It gives classic bar food a rich, indulgent upgrade. 🍔
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Crispy Meatballs: Radicchio agrodolce, basil, Parmigiano, and pomodoro bring bright Italian flavor to these shareable meatballs. Their crisp exterior makes them an easy table starter. 🍅
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Mafalda: Wide pasta is paired with pork ragù, gremolata, and whipped ricotta. The slow-cooked ragù and creamy ricotta make every forkful hearty and balanced.
Atmosphere
Basso has a sleek basement-gastropub atmosphere that gives dinner a more private, intimate feel while still keeping the energy lively and welcoming.
The bar, generous beer selection, Italian wines, and cocktails create an upbeat dinner-and-drinks mood that encourages guests to relax and stay longer. 🍸
It works beautifully for date nights, group dinners, after-work drinks, or any evening when wood-fired pizza and comforting pasta sound exactly right.
Bottom Line
Basso is worth visiting for its wood-fired pizzas, house-made pasta, shareable Italian-inspired plates, and lively bar selection. 🍕🍝
The comfortable basement setting also makes it an easy choice for date nights, casual dinners, happy hour, or a relaxed evening with friends.
Address: 7036 Clayton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117
📞 (314) 932-7820
🕔 Open Mon–Thu, 4 PM–10 PM; Fri–Sat, 4 PM–11 PM; Sun, 4 PM–9 PM