18 Most Anticipated Restaurants to Open in Cincinnati This Spring
By CityBeat Staff
Hope you're hungry, because the Queen City has some exciting culinary additions to look forward to this spring. From a new OTR chili parlor to a French bakery and an upscale Italian eatery, this season is looking tasty.
1910 Elm Street and Eton Ave., Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine will soon be home to the newest face of Cincinnati chili. Housed in the old Sartre space in the Rhinegeist brewery, OTR Chili is set to open this spring. In addition to classic chili dishes like 3-ways and coneys, OTR Chili will also include a menu full of options like classic burgers and an abundance of sandwiches, from fried chicken to gyros, plus wine, spirits and cocktails.
Photo: Provided
311 Pike St., Downtown Slated to open downtown this March, The Lytle Park Hotel — "situated within a classic 1909 building," according to the website — will soon be home to Subito, an upscale Italian eatery and Vista at Lytle Park Rooftop, which offers "5,177 sq. ft. to accommodate up to 270 guests across the indoor and outdoor venue," says a press email. Subito is scheduled to open alongside the hotel and will feature an open kitchen, as well as an outdoor all-seasons dining space "blending the line between park and hotel."
Photo via marriott.com
37 W. Seventh St., Downtown A chic new restaurant by two notable Louisville chefs is slated to open inside of downtown’s forthcoming Kinley Hotel. Chefs Edward Lee and Kevin Ashworth plan to open Khora in the spring, with a global approach and vegetable-forward menu. Chef Lee is the owner of several popular restaurants in Louisville, including 610 Magnolia and MilkWood, in addition to being an author and a host of PBS's Mind of a Chef.
Photo via marriot.com
1400 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine Steamed bun-centric eatery Boombox Buns opened a walk-up window in October 2018 at 1324 Main St., quickly becoming a must-visit evening weekend stop when traversing through Over-the-Rhine, and gathering a loyal following. The eatery announced its plans to launch a brick-and-mortar location at 1400 Republic Street, slated to open this spring. Boombox Buns' new space will still offer the same quick service takeout model, but with limited seating.
"We will be expanding our menu with additional buns, sides and drinks! Though we still want the menu to continue to focus on buns, leaving room for more creative and experimental specials," said owner and operator Nathan Friday in an email interview.
Photo: Provided
17 W. Eighth St., Covington Great news for feline lovers (and folks who enjoy coffee): A cat cafe will soon open up shop in Covington. Purrfect Day Cafe is slated to open early this June next to Libby's Southern Comfort. According to Northern Kentucky native and cafe "purrprietor" Chuck Patton, the cafe will collaborate with local animal shelter Kenton County Animal Services to provide cat adoptions, and will offer a variety of caffeinated beverages and bites — and eventually some fun events.
Photo via facebook.com/Purrfect-Day-Cafe-Covington
125 E. Main St., Mason Opened on March 9, Mason's Adesso Coffee has a cozy, cottage aesthetic and focuses on the Italian roots of espresso, according to founder Chuck Pfahler (who is also the founder of La Terza Coffee). The rustic, bowled cups that the espresso is served in complements the authentic Italian presentation of Adesso. Offers seasonal brews like Honey Cinnamon Cappuccino and Peach Latte Macchiato.
Photo via facebook.com/adess0coffeei
Location TBA In a rather short but sweet Facebook post on Nov. 15, Tortilleria Garcia dropped some major news for its loyal fans. They will be expanding with a third location in Mason. The restaurant currently has two locations — one in Springdale and another which recently opened in College Hill. Known for their hand-crafted corn tortillas and dishes made with traditional methods and family recipes, the eateries have become essential taco destinations throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, especially on Tuesdays when they offer a $1 taco special. They are slated to open this May.
Photo: Paige Deglow
111 West McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, is located on West McMicken Avenue in a building that was originally constructed in 1895 as Christian Moerlein’s icehouse and storage space. Northern Row pays homage to its historic roots by preserving as much of the original building as possible and housing other repurposed Cincinnati pieces that may have otherwise been forgotten or lost to time. Slated to open this spring as a distillery and brewery, Northern Row will not only feature beer, but also a variety of wine and spirits. From grain to glass, they’re currently mashing, fermenting and distilling special variations of rums, gins and bourbons using traditional pre-Prohibition recipes.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue New Bellevue bar Nomad will serve craft cocktails, coffee, carefully selected wine and beer and late-night donuts out of a renovated vintage 1976 Bristol double-decker bus and a dreamy outdoor courtyard. The space is meant to bring together the adventurers in life to relax, connect and reflect on their journeys. The bar is slated to open officially this spring.
Photo: Meagan White
24A W. Court St., Downtown The owner of Cheviot’s Maribelle Cakery is breaking out of her cake mold to bring French pastries to downtown’s Central Business District. Nine years after buying Maribelle from the original owners, Angela Grillo is branching out with her new venture, Mon Petit Choux, which is set to open in the next couple months on Court Street. Expect classic French delicacies including, but not limited to: fruit tarts, eclairs, macaron towers, croquembouche and cream puffs, plus a lunch menu and coffee from Deeper Roots Coffee.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
