25 New Greater Cincinnati Bars & Restaurants You Need To Try

Somerset

139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine
This sprawling new drinking and dining destination offers an immersive escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Somerset features two bar spaces — one in the plant-filled and glass-roofed conservatory and another in the cozy lounge space. The grounds are also home to a double-decker bus that has been converted into a kitchen with a rooftop seating area (run by the team behind Mazunte); and, the pièce de résistance, Somerset's awe-inspiring garden space, loaded with tropical plants, unique seating nooks and imported pieces from co-founder and creative lead James Fisher's collection, as well as the collections of his friends and family.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pearlstar

1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Located in the former A Tavola storefront on Vine Street, Pearlstar is the brainchild of Nashville restaurateur Terry Raley. Pearlstar offers both East and West Coast oysters and other raw delicacies including crudo, ceviche and tartare. The kitchen — overseen by former Senate executive Chef Leroy Ansley — also features a wood-burning grill to create (non-raw) burgers and steak sandwiches. The bar pours “old-school martinis, frozen drinks and Lone Star Beer on tap."
Photo: Catie Viox

Okto

645 Walnut St., Downtown
Cincinnati-based Earth & Ocean Restaurant Group (the team behind Hyde Park's E+O Kitchen) has brought the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean to the Queen City with the opening of Okto downtown. The menu at Okto includes traditional Greek dishes, like savory tiropita and spanakopita pastries, kebabs, flaming saganaki (a pan-fried cheese) and baklava, as well as branzino (deboned at the table), lobster pasta and octopus carpaccio. The are many options for vegetarian and vegans as well. Okto's bar is stocked with a selection of wine and liquors imported from Greece and cocktails created to pair nicely with the restaurant's Mediterranean flavors — as well as a few non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Mighty Good: Meat n’ Three

1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Mighty Good: Meat n’ Three opened its door just outside Findlay Market in early October. The restaurant offers “Simple, delicious, fresh, Southern food at an approachable price.” As the "Meat n’ Three" title implies, customers choose one meat and three sides (family-style and vegetarian options are also available). Currently, for meats you can opt for garlic chicken, Mississippi pot roast, sweet-tea-brined turkey, spare ribs, blackened redfish and grandma’s meatloaf. For your pick three, choose between macaroni casserole, salad, hominy grits, delta rice and field peas, fried okra, braised greens, creamed corn, hot slaw, butter beans, green beans or cornbread.
Photo: Catie Viox

uGO Gelato

1733 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
A new gelato shop will soon make its way to the Queen City, bringing its award-winning Sicilian-style frozen treats to Findlay Market. Co-founded by ??second-generation gelato maker Mari?a Liliana Biondo, the shop will feature a variety of gelatos, with a focus on plant-based creations. They are slated to open in time for the holidays.
Photo: Facebook.com/ugogelatous

Yuca

700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
Jeremy Faeth, co-owner and executive chef of popular Covington brunch restaurant Cedar, has opened his second restaurant, Yuca, in Bellevue. The eatery took over the space formerly occupied by Fairfield Market. This new Latin-American restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, serving items like The Hangover: two sunny side-up eggs laying on a bed of spicy chorizo and homemade potatoes with pico de gallo and avocado on top. All of Yuca’s recipes are made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients.
Photo: Francisco Huerta

Taste of Belgium Mason

12071 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason
Cincinnati's favorite waffle purveyor Taste of Belgium continues to expand. The new restaurant, located in the old Flipdaddy's, is TOB’s seventh bistro location, not counting its Findlay Market food stand. TOB has bistros in Over-the-Rhine, Rookwood, Clifton, Kenwood, Crestview Hills and at The Banks.
Photo: Brittany Thornton

The Baker’s Table Bakery

1001 Monmouth St., Newport
Despite the struggles of the pandemic-riddled past year on local small business, it's clear that the team and reputation behind The Baker's Table was strong enough to not only pull through, but also find themselves in a position for growth. Chef David Willocks and his wife Wendy Braun have opened The Baker's Table Bakery, right across from the beloved restaurant. The menu features sourdough breads, pastries, espresso and sandwiches, as well as farm-to-table pizzas select days.
Photo: instagram.com/bakerstablebakery

Hathaway’s

25 W. Fifth St., Downtown
While not a “new” restaurant, this classic Carew Tower diner has a new location: in the old Frisch’s storefront. Hathaway's Diner, which has inhabited its turquoise-bedecked digs since 1956, just signed a 20-year lease on the new location, right across the hall. The larger spot can accommodate 116 people compared to 83 and, the big news, this location has its own bathrooms. They also have windows and some curb appeal with the addition of a vintage-style neon sign. While there are no menu changes yet, they plan on adding more dinner plates and extending their hours soon.
Photo: facebook.com/hathawaysdiner

Pilar

56 E. Court St., Over-the-Rhine
Pilar, 4EG’s newest cocktail bar, celebrates Ernest Hemingway’s oceanic legacy and acts as a bridge between Over-the-Rhine and Fountain Square. The new bar takes its name from Hemingway’s black 38-foot fishing boat that he sailed around Florida, Key West and Cuba and Pilar intends to synthesize the feeling of freedom that comes from a salty breeze over calm waves, giving the Queen City a chance to take a quick trip to the tropics any time. Pilar’s menu gravitates around the drinks Hemingway was known to enjoy, including a daiquiri.
Photo: Provided by 4EG

Herban Vegans

1809 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Herban Vegans is helmed by Danilelle Delaine, who began this specific culinary journey in 2017. Her goal is to show diners how tasty and healthy a vegan diet can be — specifically vegan seafood — with a lot of herbs, spices and ingredients. “A personal health scare over 20 years ago, and watching a world succumb to disease and unhealthy choices, became a fire in her belly to help do her part," says a release from Findlay about Delaine and her vegan menu.
Photo: facebook.com/herbanvegans

Looqma

Pop-up
This interactive Lebanese-American-inspired pop-up restaurant offers a very unique experience. Looqma translates to a bite, morsel or taste in Arabic, and owner Dominique Khoury says it is an “intimate expression used when sharing food with your loved ones" — concepts which describe Khoury's pop-ups. She asks everyone to join in on weekly bakery items like “artisanal breads, cookies, and cakes, exploring whole and sprouted grains, spices, and seeds” And to keep an eye out on social media for upcoming pop-ups.
Photo: instagram.com/eatlooqma

Dutch’s Larder

3378 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
Cincinnati restaurateur Brad Bernstein, well-known for his upscale eatery Red Feather Kitchen in Oakley, has taken over Dutch's Larder, which closed its doors at the beginning of 2020. Bernstein has maintained a similar business model to the original Dutch's — excellent eats and drinks, and artisan products so that guests can "shop like a chef," Bernstein told CityBeat in an interview. Their team of sommeliers and wine enthusiasts are available to provide assistance when choosing the right bottle, and visitors can enjoy their wine at retail price when dining in.
Photo: facebook.com/DutchsLarder

The Arepa Place

1517 Springfield Pike, Wyoming
The Arepa Place, owned by Isis Arrieta-Dennis, serves up authentic Colombian eats inspired by her home country. The eatery has become a hot spot in the Findlay Market neighborhood since opening, and with its expansions to Wyoming this fall, The Arepa Place will have the opportunity to grace even more taste buds with the flavors of South America. The new eatery will take over the space formerly occupied by CWC, the Restaurant in Wyoming. Arrieta-Dennis says the new eatery will feature the same fast-casual dining style guests experience at their Findlay Market location, but this space will not have the market aspect to it. However, she says they will offer some dry packaged goods. The Wyoming location will also feature a full bar and outdoor patio space.
Photo: Facebook.com/thearepaplace

Royce

501 Vine St., Downtown
French brasserie Royce will open in the space formerly occupied by downtown luxury jeweler Tiffany’s — right across from Fountain Square — this year. The eatery and bar is by Nashville-based restaurateur Terry Raley, the same owner behind Over-the-Rhine’s Pearlstar oyster bar. The new eatery is described as a “thoughtfully modern brasserie influenced by traditional European Markets, NYC Brasseries, and French Delicatessens,” by Raley.
Photo: Google Maps

Warped Wing Brewing Company

5650 Tylersville Road, Mason
Warped Wing Brewing, based out of Dayton, is opening up a new brewery, taproom and restaurant in a familiar space in the neighborhood this fall. Located in the iconic building that was formerly occupied by Brazenhead and most recently Basil's on Market, the new brewery will boast a generously-sized taproom, outdoor biergarten, "small pilot brewing system," kitchen and an event space (which will come to fruition later).
Photo: Provided by Warped Wing

Mid-City

40 E. Court St., Downtown
Recently opened Mid-City moved into their spot downtown on 40 E. Court in early October. “It’s small, it’s cute and there is delicious food,” says the team behind the operation — the same as popular Over-the-Rhine bar Longfellow. Some of their newly developed dishes include a griddled english muffin with pickle butter, a chicken and artichoke skewer with chili relish and basil as well as the Mid-City Palter with a frankfurt, belly, loin, potato and sauerkraut.
Photo: instagram.com/midcitycinti

Beeline Cocktail Bar

1 Levee Way, Newport
The Beeline — from 4EG, the minds behind such bars as Igby's, The Lackman, Rosedale and Keystone Bar & Grill — opened Sept. 18. This space offers indoor and outdoor seating, with a patio bar and river views. A release says the cocktail menu features seasonal drinks like the Bend the Rails, made with Ketel One Peach & Orange Blossom Vodka, honey-infused simple syrup, fresh lemon and peach juice and club soda. It also serves wine, beer and shots.
Photo: facebook.com/newportonthelevee

Wooden Cask on the Levee

1 Levee Way, Newport
The Wooden Cask, which has operated a microbrewery and taproom in Newport since 2016, opened a 2,400-square-foot outpost on the Levee, with garage-style doors offering an indoor-outdoor vibe. The menu features their craft beer and wine, plus seltzers and snacks including wood-grilled pizzas. It also serves a special Blueberry Levee lager at this location only.
Photo: facebook.com/WoodenCask

Taj Mahal Bar & Grill

726 Madison Ave., Covington
Newly opened in Covington, Taj Mahal Bar & Grill serves up authentic Indian food from Northern India. They say that region is famous for its “savory ‘tandoori’ oven dishes and exotic curries.” The menu features what the owners say are some unique and some popular Indian dishes including chicken tikka, vegetable and keema samasos and saag paneer.
Photo: facebook.com/tajmahalcovington