These are Some of Greater Cincinnati's Most Beautiful Bars and Restaurants

Alice

1432 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
This colorful cocktail bar doesn’t take its name or inspiration from the one of Wonderland fame, but the spot is just as charming and beguiling. Located in an old garage warehouse, Alice stands apart from the other bar options in the area with colorful industrial vibes and clever cocktails like the Smoke and Mirrors (tequila, house sour, lime and pepper tincture) or the Dinner Party (vodka, green tea, ginger, orange, lemon and bitters).

Somerset

139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine
Somerset offers a lush oasis that brings to mind faraway places. Tucked away in Over-the-Rhine, the bar features a greenhouse bar, outdoor garden, a converted double-decker bus that serves up a globe-trotting menu of street eats and decor from around the world. Indoors, there are two bar spaces, one being the plant-filled conservatory and the other located in their cozy lounge. Outside, you can enter the garden through a set of antique gates from India where you’ll find 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. It’s the perfect place to recharge and bask in the worldly ambiance while enjoying a delicious drink from Somerset’s one-of-a-kind cocktail menu. Not to mention the bar’s winter glow-up, complete with festive decor and new drinks that call up "a vibrant dreamland of global midwinter traditions,” the bar says.

Somm Wine Bar

3105 Price Ave., East Price Hill
Food and wine are perfectly paired at Somm, and the outdoor patio with its fountain, Edison-bulb string lights, fire table and meticulous landscaping is the perfect spot to enjoy them. This Incline District wine bar and restaurant has over 80 kinds of wine to choose from and a menu ranging from charcuterie boards to the Somm burger to filet mignon.

Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge

1432 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
This intimate, 1940s-inspired lounge has the perfect ambiance for a romantic night out or even just a solo date. Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge offers an inclusive approach to wine culture, focusing on minority and women winemakers and producers. They offer 40 wines available by the glass or bottle, including eight on tap, and curated flights, cocktails, spirits and charcuterie boards – the best combination to nosh on while listening to live jazz, soul, hip-hop and R&B music.

Alcove

1410 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Stuffed with live greenery from Urban Blooms and living feature walls, Alcove creates a secret-garden-like feeling. Designers also focused on integrating the rich history of the building into its design. Old photos and news clippings sit framed along the walls, telling a story of a building that has seen many lives since its construction in 1873. The space also features a "lush outdoor patio space for lounging and dining,” and in the event loft on the third floor, there's even a massive chandelier made of ferns. Their drink menu also features housemade cocktails utilizing herbs grown in Alcove's greenhouse bar and MadTree’s own brews.

Son of a Butcher Steakhouse

7630 Gibson St. STE 110, Liberty Township
With an aesthetic and design described as “Alice-in-Wonderland-meets-Baroque,” it’s no wonder Yelp said Son of a Butcher Steakhouse, a.k.a. S.O.B., was one of the five most-photographed places in Cincinnati in 2022. The food, with menu items like USDA Prime cuts, wagyu, caviar and shaved truffles, also photographs like a delicious dream.

Wódka Bar

1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
from the team behind cult-favorite Babushka Pierogies, Wódka Bar carries an ambitious selection of vodkas, stocking over 50 types, including Polish and Ukrainian brands that are lesser known in the United States. It also offers a streamlined Eastern European-inspired menu of bites ranging from pierogies to a Polish sausage platter or stuffed cabbage roll. Inside the intimate space, patrons will be enveloped by deep Prussian blues and rich golds, luxe velvet upholstery and distressed plaster walls, elegant wood paneling and all the intricacies of Eastern Orthodox architecture.

Homemakers Bar

39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Sip like you're in a magazine. With a “slightly retro-mostly modern” vibe, Homemakers is a colorful, fun place to find your next favorite cocktail. The menu is inspired by domestic drinks of the 1950s-1970s and features nontraditional spirits with a cocktail program featuring lesser-known liqueurs, herbal and fortified wines and no-proof cocktails. There are also classic drinks complemented by modern and refreshing takes.

Boca

114 E. Sixth St., Downtown
A trip to chef David Falk’s Italian/French gemstone is an experience to be savored as much as the food itself. Take your time, invest a few hours and allow him and his attentive, knowledgeable staff to unfold an epic tale of two or three courses, plus dessert. The Pommes Soufflés “1949” — puffy french fries — are a call back to the restaurant’s former iteration as the Maisonette.

Ghost Baby

1314 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine
This subterranean nightclub/music venue is located several stories below Vine Street in a 170-year-old lagering tunnel formerly used by Champion Brewing (beer was aged and cooled in lagering tunnels before the advent of refrigeration). The historic, dimly-lit space, which has been vacant since the 1850s, features soaring ceilings with stone archways and decor that is adorned with "crushed velvet and unpredictability," according to the bar. Guests can expect an immersive experience with art, design, cocktails and live music.

Sotto

118 E. Sixth St., Downtown
Located under Boca restaurant, the Tuscan-inspired Sotto offers a more approachable atmosphere and price point than its upstairs neighbor. Its interior calls to mind a rustic Italian wine cellar with its rough brick walls and wooden ceiling beams. 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, Salumi & Formaggi (cured meats and cheeses) and big-ticket items like Bistecca Fiorentina, a grilled Creekstone porterhouse steak.

Sundry and Vice

18 W. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
This apothecary-themed cocktail bar has drinks that lend more textures, colors and flavors than a classic list of libations in a warm, vintage-vibes atmosphere. The list of “tinctures, tonics and remedies” includes the Magical Mystery (rye whiskey, strawberry, amaro, lemon, egg white and bitters), the Night Cure (bourbon, honey, lemon and grapefruit oil) and Penicillin (blended scotch, honey, ginger and lemon), among a menu of other crafty cocktails, beer and wine.

Pepp & Dolores

1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Pepp & Dolores is an Italian eatery from restaurant group Thunderdome and was inspired by Sunday dinners at co-founders Joe and John Lanni's grandparents' house. “We designed the space to have a timeless look and feel with elements of a classic cafe or bistro from the early to mid-20th century on the first level and a lower level that is darker, cozier and reminiscent of a New York City supper club,” says John Lanni. The menu features housemade pastas — like the Butternut & Mascarpone pasta — along with a focus on shareable dishes, salads and bread.

Primavista

810 Matson Place, East Price Hill
Primavista offers their menu of high-end Italian meals along with a panoramic view of Downtown Cincinnati. Their menu specializes in veal and fresh fish, but they offer dishes from all regions of Italy and feature nightly specials. Have an antipasto of fried calamari or bruschetta before your plate of ravioli or veal marsala and top it off with a glass of vino from their extensive wine list. Cap off your dinner with the Gelati Misti or tiramisu for dessert while you marvel at Cincinnati’s beauty.

Lost & Found

22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine
Lost & Found is a funky, community-driven gathering space with an inventive drink menu and small bites inside of a creative, art-filled environment – once a multi-car garage – where work from local artists fill the walls from room to room. It’s located on a quieter street in Over-the-Rhine — if it weren’t for the green light perched outside the bar, you just might miss it. Co-owners Steven Clement and Camilo Otalora want Lost & Found to be a hub where guests can feel welcome and inspired.

Nolia

1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine
Bringing New Orleans-style flair and fare to Over-the-Rhine, Nolia offers diners an upscale, yet approachable, experience. The exposed brick and bold floral wallpaper add a bright and airy feeling to the intimate setting. The menu features delectable Southern-inspired dishes like the Pecan Flounder, Eggplant Etouffee and Duck & Oyster Gumbo. And while you shouldn’t expect Nolia to play zydeco or serve hurricane cocktails in novelty cups, the restaurant’s drink menu will truly laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll).

Mama’s on Main

621 Main St., Covington
Decked out in all the colors of the Italian flag, Mama’s on Main brings traditional red-sauce Italian fare, starting with basic spaghetti and meatballs and extensive wine list, to Covington. In putting Mama’s together, owner Emily Wolff focused on the color red as a recurring motif, having decided that “Mama wears red lipstick.” Red barstools and other prominent splashes of scarlet enliven the two main rooms and adjacent spaces. The restaurant’s most prominent design element and dining room centerpiece is a large stained-glass window salvaged from a MainStrasse church that had been destroyed by fire in the ‘80s.

Bromwell’s Hearth Room

125 W. Fourth St., Downtown
With its dark walls and floors and fiery lighting, Bromwell’s recently renovated Hearth Room is a warm, welcoming place to grab a seat, drink a cocktail or craft beer and listen to some live jazz music. A beautiful fireplace serves as the centerpiece for this stylish, urban lounge, fitting as the bar serves as an extension of Bromwell’s grand showroom of fireplaces and accessories in the neighboring retail space. The business serves coffee and light bites into the afternoon, while the bar offers classic cocktails like Manhattans and Old-Fashioneds, as well as their own cocktail creations and a selection of beers and wine.

The Precinct

311 Delta Ave., Columbia Tusculum
The Precinct, housed in a historical Romanesque-style former police precinct, opened in 1981 and was the first in a long line of Ruby steakhouses. The interior is lavish, with chandeliers, colorful stained glass windows, splashes of red and a large wooden bar. On the menu, you can’t go wrong with a sirloin or porterhouse, named after current and past Cincinnati sports greats.

Bar Saeso

1208 Sycamore St., Pendleton
If you’re looking for an otherworldly escape without leaving the city, or a cocktail menu that takes the work out of ordering, Saeso may just be your new favorite bar. The bar provides an intimate and vacation-like getaway with a limited, but ever-changing menu.