As a midwest foodie hub, Cincinnati offers an amazing array of top notch restaurants to satisfy any palate.
| Restaurant Name | Cuisine Type | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| Orchids at Palm Court | Fine Dining | French Art Deco décor, AAA Five Diamond award |
| Boca | Italian & Spanish | Seasonal ingredients, intimate dining |
| Sotto | Italian | Handmade pasta, cozy subterranean setting |
| Jean-Robert’s Table | French | Elegant dining, classics like beef bourguignon |
| Nicola’s | Italian | Rustic cuisine, intimate setting |
| Maverick Chocolate | Artisan Chocolate | Unique tasting menu, wine and whiskey pairings |
| Metropole | Contemporary | Farm-to-table flavors, in 21c Museum Hotel |
| Kin Thai Street Food | Thai | Casual, authentic Thai dishes |
| Goose and Elder | American | Wood-fired dishes, industrial chic decor |
| Pho Lang Thang | Vietnamese | Pho noodle soups, authentic vibe |
| Salazar | Latin American | Peruvian inspired, vibrant space |
| Anchor OTR | Local Flavors | Located in Findlay Market, creative dishes |
| Maplewood Kitchen and Bar | Contemporary Comfort Food | Elevated comfort food, chic settin |
From local favorites to award-winning chefs, these 12 restaurants encompass the best places to eat for superb cuisine in Cincinnati.
Orchids at Palm Court
Name and Location: Orchids at Palm Court is a restaurant located inside the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Orchids at Palm Court opened in 1931 along with the Netherland Plaza hotel. It is known for its elegant art deco interior design and architecture, including large Gothic arches. The restaurant has been a dining destination in Cincinnati for over 90 years.
What to Expect: Orchids at Palm Court serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a refined and historic setting. The menu features classic continental cuisine including seafood, steaks, and their signature chicken velouté. Guests can expect an upscale, white-tablecloth dining experience with attentive service.
Visitor Information: Reservations are recommended, especially for weekend dining. There is valet parking available at the hotel entrance on 5th Street. The dress code is business casual.
For a fine dining experience steeped in historic ambiance, Orchids at Palm Court inside the Hilton Netherland Plaza is a must-visit. Dating back to 1931, the French art deco decor creates a luxurious setting. Seasonally inspired dishes like seared scallops and filet mignonexecuted with superb technique showcase why Orchids receives AAA’s prestigious Five Diamond award. With white-glove service and sophisticated cuisine made from quality ingredients, Orchids at Palm Court offers one of Cincinnati’s finest dining experiences.
Boca
Name and Location: Boca is a Spanish-inspired restaurant located on East 4th Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Boca opened in 2019 under Chef David Falk, featuring a menu inspired by the cuisines of Spain, the Mediterranean, and South America. The intimate restaurant aims to transport diners to the lively cafes of Barcelona.
What to Expect: The menu focuses on shared small plates including fresh seafood, charcuterie, and vegetable dishes. The cocktail menu offers unique twists on classic Spanish drinks like sangria. Diners can expect a lively, casual dining experience.
Visitor Information: Boca takes reservations for parties of 6 or more, but walk-ins are also accepted. Paid street parking is available nearby, and the restaurant is easily walkable downtown. The dress code is casual.
At Boca in Cincinnati’s Mt. Adams neighborhood, the team led by Chef David Falk artfully blends Italian and Spanish flavors tapping local producers. Housed in a chic intimate dining room, the ever-changing menu highlights seasonal ingredients in dishes like roasted beet salad with blue cheese and walnut vinaigrette or pan seared cod with curried cauliflower. The well-curated wine list pairs beautifully. For an upscale contemporary Cincinnati dining experience, Boca delivers.
Sotto
Name and Location: Sotto is an Italian restaurant located on East McMillan Street in Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Sotto opened in 2015 by Chef Sue Wong, featuring homemade pastas, pizza from a wood-fired oven, and Italian small plates. The underground setting gives the restaurant an intimate, speakeasy-like atmosphere.
What to Expect: The menu centers around handmade pasta dishes and artisanal Neapolitan-style pizzas with creative flavor combinations. Diners can also order Italian meats, cheeses, and sharable appetizers, as well as Italian wines and craft cocktails. The vibe is energetic but cozy.
Visitor Information: Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Street parking is available, and the restaurant is also walkable from downtown. Casual-chic dress is appropriate.
Tucked away beneath street level in downtown Cincinnati, Sotto brings diners authentic handmade Italian cuisine in a cozy subterranean setting. Housemade pasta is the highlight, with options like squid ink chitarra with seafood ragu and lamb ravioli with brown butter. The extensive wine list covers both Old World and domestic options. With its warmth, charm and impeccable pasta, Sotto feels like a romantic Italian hideaway in the heart of downtown.
Jean-Robert’s Table
Name and Location: Jean-Robert’s Table is a French restaurant located downtown in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine.
History and Significance: Originally opened in 2001 by renowned French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, the restaurant features classic French cuisine blended with regional ingredients. It’s considered one of Cincinnati’s top fine dining destinations.
What to Expect: The dining room has an elegant, formal ambiance with white tablecloths and chandeliers. The menu highlights French offerings like escargot, foie gras, coq au vin, and soufflés prepared with modern techniques. Extensive wine list.
Visitor Information: Dinner reservations strongly recommended, with jackets recommended for men. Valet parking available at the restaurant. Located downtown and walkable from hotels or parking garages.
French cuisine shines at Jean-Robert’s Table, helmed by Cincinnati culinary icon Jean-Robert de Cavel. Located downtown in the historic trends hotel building, the elegant dining room with plush leather chairs creates a refined ambiance. Memorable dishes include classics like beef bourguignon, coq au vin and escargots delivered with skill. For a fine French food experience, Jean-Robert’s Table excels.
Nicola’s
Name and Location: Nicola’s is an upscale Italian restaurant located in Cincinnati, Ohio’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
History and Significance: Opened in 2019, Nicola’s comes from the owner of the popular Boca restaurant. The modern Italian menu focuses on homemade pastas, pizzas, and other traditional dishes using high-quality imported ingredients.
What to Expect: The sleek, contemporary space has an open kitchen and lively bar scene. Guests can watch pizza chefs firing up pies in the wood-burning oven. Menu highlights include pastas like squid ink chitarra and desserts like tiramisu. Extensive Italian wine list.
Visitor Information: Make dinner reservations in advance. Valet parking available, and the restaurant is walkable from downtown hotels. Casual upscale attire is appropriate.
Family-owned and operated since 1978, Nicola’s in downtown Cincinnati specializes in rustic yet refined Italian cuisine served in an intimate setting. Specialties like toasted ravioli, chicken vesuvio and veal parmesan exemplify the menu. Extensive wine options from small Italian producers pair impeccably. Decorated with vintage family photos, Nicola’s cozy vibe warms diners as much as the soul-satisfying dishes.
Maverick Chocolate
Name and Location: Maverick Chocolate is an artisan chocolate shop and cafe located in Cincinnati’s Findlay Market.
History and Significance: Founded in 2017, Maverick Chocolate produces small-batch chocolate made bean-to-bar from single-origin cacao. The shop has won national awards for its quality and ethical sourcing. The cafe serves artisan drinking chocolate, pastries, and more.
What to Expect: Customers can watch chocolate production through a glass wall while enjoying mochas, truffles, and chocolate bars at the tasting counter. The cafe menu also features chocolate-based snacks and baked goods. Products celebrate cacao’s diverse flavors.
Visitor Information: The cafe is open Thursday through Sunday. Findlay Market parking is available, and the shop is walkable from downtown. Casual clothing is appropriate for the market setting.
Maverick Chocolate in Cincinnati’s Findlay Market offers a unique tasting menu experience revolving around artisan chocolate. Courses like chili with mole sauce, quail with cocoa nib glaze and chocolate cremeux showcase Executive Chef Paul Skrobot’s creativity. Wine and whiskey pairings complement each course. Part factory tour and part progressive meal, Maverick Chocolate’s tasting menu ingeniously blends local flavors with chocolate in unexpected ways.
Metropole
Name and Location: Metropole is a contemporary American restaurant located in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
History and Significance: Opened in 2014, Metropole highlights seasonal Midwest ingredients in upscale yet rustic dishes. Executive chef Jared Bennett focuses on artisan cooking methods like hearth cooking. The restaurant has earned praise for supporting local farms.
What to Expect: The menu changes often based on ingredient availability. Offerings may include dishes like hearth-roasted chicken, cast-iron seared tuna, and vegetarian options. The setting is casual yet sophisticated.
Visitor Information: Make reservations in advance for dinner. Street parking is available, and Metropole is walkable from downtown. Casual dress is fine.
Inside Cincinnati’s historic 21c Museum Hotel, Metropole blends contemporary cuisine with farm-to-table flavors under Chef Jared Bennett. Dishes like the Metropole salad with burrata and grilled peach are emblematic of the seasonally inspired menu. Cocktails showcase unique ingredient combinations too, like the Pearadise Found mixing bourbon with pear and ginger. The airy sophisticated ambiance matched with flavorful cuisine makes Metropole a top pick.
Kin Thai Street Food
Name and Location: Kin Thai Street Food is a casual Thai restaurant located in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
History and Significance: Opened in 2021, Kin Thai Street Food aims to represent authentic Thai cuisine, with a menu inspired by dishes from Thai street vendors, markets, and family kitchens. The restaurant has quickly become popular for takeout.
What to Expect: The menu focuses on Thai classics like pad thai, Thai curries, stir fries, and noodle bowls meant for eating on the go. Portion sizes are generous. The vibe is casual and eclectic.
Visitor Information: Takeout and walk-in dining only. Street parking available, and Metropole is walkable from downtown hotels. Very casual dress.
For a laid-back dining experience celebrating Cincinnati’s Thai community, head to Kin Thai Street Food. Housed in a former auto shop with garage doors, the vibe is casual but the made-from-scratch Thai dishes excite your palate. Signature plates include larb wings, curry noodle bowls and pad thai. Round out your meal with boba tea. Kin also hosts regular family-style dinners and cooking classes so diners can learn Thai culinary traditions.
Goose and Elder
Name and Location: Goose and Elder is a gastropub located on East McMillan Street in Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Opened in 2020, Goose and Elder is a more casual eatery from the owners of Branch
In Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood, chef Jeremy Lieb crafts American dishes with wood-fired flair at Goose and Elder. Popular plates straight from the wood-burning oven include roasted oysters, charred carrots with feta and smokey beef short ribs. The interior pairs industrial chic decor with the warm glow of the fireplace-equipped open kitchen. Both cozy and refined, Goose and Elder delights on all levels.
Pho Lang Thang
Name and Location: Pho Lang Thang is a Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant located on Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Opened in 2012, Pho Lang Thang serves authentic pho noodle soup and other Vietnamese specialties in a casual setting. It has become a go-to spot for pho lovers in Cincinnati.
What to Expect: The menu features pho noodle soup with beef, chicken or tofu, as well as vermicelli bowls, banh mi sandwiches, and appetizers like egg rolls and spring rolls. BYOB. Counter service.
Visitor Information: Open daily for lunch and dinner. Street parking available. Casual dress. Takeout friendly.
For mouthwatering Vietnamese dishes, Pho Lang Thang in Cincinnati’s Over The Rhine neighborhood delivers. Fragrant pho noodle soups take center stage but don’t overlook other classics like banh mi sandwiches and rice plate entrees. Arriving at your table piping hot fresh from the kitchen, the flavors transport you straight to Southeast Asia. The two-story eatery’s authentic vibe makes it a favorite for homestyle Vietnamese cuisine.
Salazar
Name and Location: Salazar is a Spanish restaurant located in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
History and Significance: Opened in 2014, Salazar highlights the cuisine of northwestern Spain with a menu of tapas plates, paellas, and wood-grilled meats and seafood. Executive chef Jose Salazar is known for his authentic preparations.
What to Expect: A lively environment and social tapas-style dining experience. Menu highlights include the paella, which is cooked over an open fire, and Spanish staples like serrano ham, charcuterie, and stuffed piquillo peppers. Extensive Spanish wine list.
Visitor Information: Make dinner reservations in advance. Street parking available nearby, walkable from downtown. Casual dress is fine.
At Salazar in Over The Rhine, Executive Chef Jose Salazar presents elevated fare inspired by his childhood in Peru along with global street food influences. From ceviche to lomo saltado to pisco cocktails, Salazar’s diverse menu excites the palate across all courses. The vibrant space lined with stunning tilework fosters a lively ambiance for groups. Salazar elevates Cincinnati’s Latin American dining scene.
Anchor OTR
Name and Location: Anchor OTR is an American gastropub located in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
History and Significance: Opened in 2019, Anchor OTR is a more upscale eatery by the owners of the Eagle Food + Beer Hall next door. The globally-inspired New American menu features seasonal, local ingredients.
What to Expect: Shareable small plates, creative flatbreads, sandwiches, and entrees like Moroccan-spiced salmon, lamb Bolognese rigatoni. Large craft beer selection with 40 taps. Trendy, high-energy ambiance.
Visitor Information: Reservations recommended for dinner, especially weekends. Street parking available. Casual dress.
Soak up local vibes and flavors at Anchor OTR located in Findlay Market. Housed in a former 19th century brewery, Anchor chefs put farm fresh produce and meats sourced from vendors within the historic market into creative dishes from brunch through dinner. The Charleston with poached eggs, fried oysters, and shrimp over grits is a star. Pair your meal with local craft beers on tap in Anchor’s lively beer garden.
Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
Name and Location: Maplewood Kitchen and Bar is located in Maplewood, a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio.
History and Significance: Opened in 2011 in a renovated century-old bank building, Maplewood Kitchen highlights local farms and artisans on their seasonal New American menu. They are known for their creative cocktails and community involvement.
What to Expect: Rotating menu with options like brick chicken, citrus-glazed salmon, grilled portobello sandwiches. Sunday brunch buffet with DIY bloody mary bar. Full bar with craft cocktails in a renovated, upscale setting.
Visitor Information: Reservations suggested, especially for weekend brunch. Street parking available. Located in Maplewood neighborhood, about 10 minutes from downtown. Casual attire.
In suburban Maplewood, this contemporary eatery under Chef Jon Searles presents elevated comfort food in a chic setting. Standouts from the seasonal menus include Amish chicken with buttermilk biscuit and mushroom duxelle, rainbow trout with potato puree and sweet peppers, and maple creme brulee. Handcrafted cocktails like the basil gimlet complement the cuisine. For a top-notch meal outside the city center, Maplewood Kitchen delivers excellence.
Conclusion
From sleek fine dining haunts to cozy neighborhood eateries, Cincinnati’s outstanding and diverse food scene offers flavor for all. Exploring exciting new restaurants together creates meaningful memories. Cincinnati’s talented chefs are sure to provide inspiring culinary discoveries around every corner.