22 Hip Cincinnati Restaurants That Are Open on Mondays

Finding a hip restaurant that's actually open on a Monday night can be a challenge in Cincinnati. To most 9-to-5 Monday through Friday work-week folks, Mondays mean a chill evening after a rough start to the week. But for others — especially those who work in the service industry — Mondays mean a night off. Whether you work in the service industry and are looking for a fun night on the town, or you're kicking off the work week with some good eats and drinks, these local eateries and bars are go-to hot spots for Monday night.

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Nicola’s

1420 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine
One of Cincinnati’s top, Zagat-rated restaurants, Nicola’s housemade pastas and secondi piatti are among some of the thoughtfully conceived dishes that will transport patrons to the heart of Italy in OTR. Indulge in wine-paired tasting menus, or cap off your meal with a dessert. Mondays nights are Bolo Night, with $15 tagliatelle alla bolognese and a house salad. The house bread basket will add $1.99 per person to the tab but the quality and variety of the focaccia, sliced Italian bread and crunchy breadsticks is well worth the small charge.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Bakersfield

1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Part bar, part taco joint, all classy. Bakersfield specializes in gourmet tacos (pollo rojo, pastor, huitlacoche, etc.), quality tequilas and whiskeys and hand-crafted margaritas made the old-fashioned way, not from a pre-made mix.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sotto

118 E. Sixth St., Over-the-Rhine
Located under Boca restaurant, the Tuscan-inspired Sotto offers a more approachable atmosphere and price point than its upstairs neighbor. With multiple dining rooms, the kitchen is open to view, including the custom-made wood-fire grill in front and a fresh-pasta room in the back hallway. Menu items include handmade pasta and big-ticket dishes like Bistecca Fiorentina, a grilled creekstone porterhouse steak with daily sides. Sotto sources their bread from Blue Oven and also grows their own herbs and vegetables. Now serving lunch during the week.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Revolution Rotisserie & Bar

1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine; 6063 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
Revolution specializes in hormone-free, preservative-free roasted Amish chicken on a number of pita sandwiches named after revolutionaries — Marie Curie, Mandela, Joan of Arc, etc. — as well as in chicken-centric house specialties, indulgent appetizers, fresh salads and traditional sides made with a twist. There is also a full drink menu with beer, wine and boozy punch.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Lalo Restaurant

709 Main St., Downtown
Lalo refers to itself as “Chino Latino” cuisine because Asia has a lot of Spanish and Latin influence. The menu is divided into tacos, burritos, tortas, rice bowls, specialty plates, soups and salads, with dishes like ceviche, a black bean quesadilla with kale and bibimbap.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Crown Republic Gastropub

720 Sycamore St., Downtown
This casual from-scratch kitchen offers up a range of inventive entrées and shareables for lunch, dinner and dessert. The menu draws on a Mediterranean influence, with clean and light flavors in dishes like duck fat hummus, Yemeni mussels and hanger steak with chimichurri.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Nation Kitchen and Bar

1200 Broadway St., Pendleton
Pendleton’s Nation Kitchen takes its name from axe-wielding Temperance warrior Carrie Nation. The laid-back eatery and bar serves a variety of top-notch burgers and tots, with a specialty monthly burger which donates a portion of its proceeds to a local cause. They also offer bottomless boozy brunches on the weekend.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

A Tavola

1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 7022 Miami Ave., Madeira
Armed with a pizza oven from Naples, Italy, A Tavola strikes a resounding chord of authenticity while redefining the perfect pie. Their playful selection of signature pizzas — such as the Fig + Prosciutto or Sausage + Sage — are a blend of the familiar coupled with the exotic. Whet your appetite with their arancini, or share a plate of housemade Tagliatelle al Ragu.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Metropole

609 Walnut St., Downtown
With a menu focused on dishes cooked in a custom-built wood-burning fireplace, the restaurant is a showcase for the area’s sustainable farmers and producers, and the menu features an ever-changing list of hearth-roasted meat and fish, along with vegetables, grains and housemade charcuterie. Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar bites, including a seven-hour egg (boiled in coffee, tea and onion) and hot olives. Inventive craft cocktails feature housemade shrubs and tonic.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Nada

600 Walnut St., Downtown
Modern Mexican. The menu features herby-fresh dishes like delicious dill-garnished lobster rolls wrapped in a bibb lettuce blanket, in addition to plenty of tasty tacos, shareables and large plates, including braised chicken enchiladas. Great location next to the Aronoff Center downtown, and the patio is a big attraction when nice weather beckons.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger