20 Most Anticipated New Restaurants Opening in Cincinnati This Year

Sugar n’ Spice 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine The Paddock Hills staple will open a second location in Over-the-Rhine on July 11. The eatery will consist of a 1950s-style dining car and larger dining room which will serve classic breakfast and lunch items but, unlike the original, it will also include brunch drinks like mimosas and bloody marys. Photo: Tony Frank

Teak OTR 1200 Race St., Over-The-Rhine After closing its doors in Mount Adams in 2017, the owners of Teak Thai are reopening in a fresh, new space across from Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. Slated to open this summer, the eatery is known for its top-notch Thai cuisine — including their incredibly popular pad Thai — and their sushi offerings. Talented longtime chef John Lee from the Mount Adams location will be joining the new Teak OTR, bringing his sushi expertise with him. Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Bellevue’s New Rooftop Bar 700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue The owners behind Bellevue’s popular Fairfield Cafe + Bar and Fairfield Events are opening a rooftop bar above their eatery and event venue this fall. The new drinking destination will be the first rooftop bar in the neighborhood, and will offer spectacular views of the city and historic Fairfield Avenue. Photo: Provided by Kate Moeves

Goodfellas Pizzeria 6099 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge Pleasant Ridgers can have a piece of the pie now, too, with the opening of Goodfellas on Montgomery Road. Craft your own pizza or calzone, or indulge in a specialty pie like the Fuhgetaboutit, which is loaded high with every single topping available in the restaurant. The regional pizza chain is well known for their massive slices and has two Greater Cincinnati locations in Over-the-Rhine and in Covington. Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Copper and Flame 1115 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Become your own bartender with Copper and Flame’s pour-your-own-drink concept, slated to open in Over-the-Rhine this summer. Choose from over 52 local and national craft beers and nearly as many draft wine and cocktails. Complete your night by ordering from the bar’s extensive menu of elevated Central/South American and Southeast Asian street food. The bar inhabits the space formerly occupied by game bar The Rook. Photo: Google Maps

Covington Yard 401 Greenup St., Covington Covington Yard is slated to open this summer and will feature repurposed shipping containers housing local restaurants like Django Western Taco, Slide In, Mr. Bulgogi and Yard Bird. The dog-friendly food hall will offer a space for the community to gather, with yard games, seating and great views. Photo via Facebook.com/covingtonyard

Taqueria 251 4110 Hamilton Ave., Northside Slated to open this July, this Northside taqueria plans to offer traditional Mexican flavors with an “avant-garde twist” and a focus on the experience in addition to the food. Owned by Emilio Santos Sada the eatery will offer menu items like tacos, tortas, churros and esquites — plus a full cocktail menu and draft and canned beers. Photo: Provided by Taqueria 251

Nomad 225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue New Bellevue bar Nomad will serve craft cocktails, coffee, carefully selected wine and beer and late-night donuts. But the main attraction will be the boozy (and virgin) milkshakes and tater tot baskets. 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 in August. Photo: Meagan White

Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge 1432 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine With the goal of opening this summer, Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge is inspired by the “Cincinnati Jazz scene of the 1950s and 60s” and will make “customers wistfully imagine the days when Jazz legends Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey thrilled crowds at the fabled Cotton Club within the Sterling Hotel,” says a press release from 3CDC. Owner and entrepreneur Tammie Scott will offer a wide selection of vino — and spirits — in an unpretentious environment with a focus on BIPOC and women winemakers. Photo via facebook.com/NostalgiaOTR

Khora at Kinley Hotel 37 W. Seventh St., Downtown Downtown Cincinnati’s forthcoming Kinley Hotel will also be home to Khora, an eatery hailed by Vogue and Food & Wine magazine as one of the “most anticipated” American restaurant openings of 2020. Helmed by chef Edward Lee and executive chef and Cincinnati native Kevin Ashworth, the menu will put “a modern Midwest spin on classic recipes,” says a release. Named for the ancient grain khorasan, the dishes will play heavily on pasta, including a riff on Cincinnati chili. It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner — approachable during the day with a “destination restaurant” vibe at night. It’s slated to open in October. Photo via marriot.com

Ivory House 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood This West Side eatery is scheduled to open in July and prides itself on specializing in “familiar food, elevated.” Salads, soups and entrees are taken to the next level with classic culinary techniques and modernist inspiration. Plus, Ivory House has partnered with O2 farms to provide customers with organic and locally sourced produce. Photo: Provided by Ivory House

Esoteric Brewing Co. The team behind East Walnut Hills’ forthcoming BIPOC-owned Esoteric Brewing Co. is in the process of renovating a century-old building on the corner of East McMillan Street and Gilbert Avenue. They plan to offer an elevated beer drinking experience, using locally sourced and grown ingredients and creating “a sumptuous experience that changes the way you think about beer.” Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Good Plates Eatery 235 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights This Clifton Eatery plans to open just before the fall to offer University of Cincinnati students a place to feel at home where they can enjoy comfort food like grilled cheese and tomato soup. The restaurant takes over the space formerly occupied by Cilantro. Photo via Instagram.com/GoodPlatesEatery

Westwood Nation Kitchen & Bar 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood Nation Kitchen & Bar might not agree with the anti-booze ideology of its namesake, the axe-wielding teetotaler Carrie Nation, but it has embraced her love of hatchets. The restaurant offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches like the popular Nation burger, with a 6 oz. brisket patty, smoked cheddar, whiskey barbeque sauce, onion straws and horseradish aioli on a challah bun. They also offer a boozy bottomless brunch on the weekends. After slingin’ patties in Pendleton since 2015, the Best of Cincinnati-winning eatery will open a second location in Westwood in the revitalized Junietta Avenue Firehouse. Photo via Facebook.com/NationPendleton

Taste of Belgium 2971 Town Center Blvd., Crestview Hills Northern Kentuckians will soon be able to enjoy a variety of sweet and savory Belgian classics from this Cincinnati staple. Although a specific opening date has not yet been announced, ToB staff is hard at work preparing for the grand opening and have been hosting a variety of interview events. Interested applicants should visit ToB’s Facebook page for more information. Photo: Brittany Thornton

The Frost Factory 7547 Bales St., Liberty Center Slated to open this summer, the Frost Factory at Liberty Center will offer a variety of boozy slushies. Choose between ordering a flight of different flavors, a 12- or 20- ounce chilly beverage or go all in with an icy fishbowl! Photo via The Frost Factory’s Facebook

Fillo Greek Bake Shop 1505 Race St., Over the Rhine It’s no secret that Cincinnatians love their gyros and Cincinnati-style chili, both of which have Greek roots. So rest easy because the owners behind Fillo Greek Bake Shop, a cafe coming soon to Over-the-Rhine, know what they’re doing. Evan Papanikolaou is slated to open his 2,300-square-foot day-to-night bakery concept on the ground floor of the Rennen & Beecher Flats project at 1505 Race St. in Over-the-Rhine. The name is inspired by phyllo (or filo), a pastry dough used to make everything from sweet baklava to savory spanakopita. Photo via Facebook.com/fillogreekbakeshop

The Emery 6914 Wooster Pike, Mariemont This new eatery coming to historic Mariemont Square will be a “polished casual full-service restaurant, with a seafood-leaning menu,” according to a release from Looking Glass Hospitality Group. Slated to open this fall, Mark Bodenstein (S.W. Clyborne Provision & Spirits, Piccolo Casa, Via Vite) will act as opening executive chef. In addition to seafood, the menu will feature “fare from the garden and farm” as well as a hearty wine list, craft cocktails and craft beer. The two-story space will offer more than 5,700 square feet with a casual pub and patio on the first floor and a dining room and private space on the second. Photo: Nancy Parrott

Catch-a-Fire Pizza 9290 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash Popular food truck and an Oakley brewery/pizzeria favorite, Catch-a-Fire announced last fall their plans to open a second location in downtown Blue Ash in 2020. The new location will be a full-service restaurant, with a bar and bottle service. The dining and bar spaces will offer a casual atmosphere with a view of the kitchen where chefs will be making the pizzas. In warmer seasons, guests will also be able to enjoy a spacious outdoor patio. Photo via Instagram.com/Catch-a-Fire Pizza

Oakley Fish House 3036 Madison Road, Oakley A new eatery will soon be opening In Oakley’s former Habits Cafe. From the same team behind Teak OTR, the new restaurant will be named Oakley Fish House. The owners formerly owned upscale seafood restaurant Mount Adams Fish House, which closed in 2011. Photo: Google Maps