Napoli Kirkwood 10-16-25

 I would give this place a 4/5

We had to run to Kirkwood to look at cabinet colors.  So, instead of sitting in rush hour traffic on the way home, we decided to have an early dinner in Kirkwood.

We knew Napoli had their newest restaurant here, but we've never been here.  It is in the bottom of The James apartment building.  The parking is confusing.  The Alpine Store has a big lot north of the restaurant but you aren't supposed to park there (even though that is where Google maps takes you) you are supposed to park in a lot south of the building.  We parked in the wrong place.

The menu is essentially the same as Napoli Cafe in Clayton and Napoli II in Town and Country.  

I started with their ever so yummy cosmo.  I don't know how they make their cosmos but they are the best anywhere.  I think it has to do with real lime juice and a lot of it.  Mike had a beer.

We weren't in the mood for full on entrees, so I got the eggplant appetizer and Mike got a pizza.  I wasn't going to take photos, but I decided to...after we'd already started eating.  

The sauce is the same as it is at the other places, but the eggplant was breaded heavier and fried more.  It was more greasy and gave me more indigestion than the other places.  It still tasted good, but the breading wanted to fall off it as you ate it and it was harder to tasted the eggplant and not just breading.  

Mike liked his pizza. The waitress talked about how they have these amazing European pizza ovens and Napoli has one in Kirkwood and one in Chesterfield valley.  We've been to the Napoli in the valley and they like the pizza with the "char" on it.  I know some people like that added flavor of charred crust and cheese.  Mike doesn't...he thinks it tastes burnt.  So, the fact that this place DIDN'T take the pizza to that dark level made him happy.  

The inside of this new restaurant was sleek and modern.  The floor is a polished cement with wild paint splatters on it.  The light fixtures are wire and gold.  It was sleek but not my favorite feeling for an old style Italian.  I would say it is not as nice as the Clayton restaurant but on the same level as the Town and Country one.  It is nicer than Chesterfield, which is open kitchened and louder.  

This was a nice place, but if we want Napoli food, we will probably go to Clayton or Town and Country first.