Reply to "7 chic restaurants housed in former gas stations"

Those who've never felt beckoned to a gas station before should take a look at this cozy restaurant when it's lit up inside.

Housed in a 1930s Standard Oil station, Olio bursts with charm: the interior paneled in subway tile, the garage doors that roll up on pleasant evenings and the patio strung with romantic white lights. Patrons linger over wine and cocktails served in antique glassware, and a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean small-plate menu starring olives, eggplants, nuts, cured meats and bread baked fresh with Missouri wheat.

"The gas station was an opportunity to have an interesting space and also help renew the neighborhood," said chef and owner Ben Poremba. "The aesthetics matched the theme of the decor: found objects, rustic, urban."

Poremba owns several other restaurants in this historical area of South St. Louis -- including the adjoining Elaia, located in an 1890s house where the gas station's owner used to reside, now known for intimate multi-course fine dining.