One of Cincinnati’s most prominent chefs is leading the charge on two new restaurants downtown.
Brad Bernstein, who owned and operated the beloved Red Feather Kitchen in Oakley alongside his other restaurants, Dutch’s and Postmark, before closing all three and becoming the executive chef of Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny, is helming two restaurants inside the upcoming Fidelity Hotel. The flagship restaurant, titled Gwynne, will officially open on July 28.
Named for the historic Gwynne Building that now houses the hotel, Gwynne promises a distinctly American restaurant rooted in the flavors, history, and culinary traditions of the Ohio River Valley that have shaped dinner tables all over the Cincinnati region.
The restaurant will offer a seasonal menu, allowing regional ingredients to take center stage throughout the year. It will offer dinner, weekday breakfast, weekend brunch, a lively lounge, and private dining. Signature dishes at the restaurant will include fried green tomatoes with native Appalachian sassafras cream, pork belly with sweet corn and maque choux and sweet corn & crab bisque.
Followers of Bernstein’s work in the past will not be surprised to learn that the restaurant has a major focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. As a Cincinnati native and a storied restaurateur, the menu is built on the enduring relationships with local farmers and producers he’s established throughout his career. Partners of the restaurant include Urban Stead Cheese, Maple Leaf Farm, Freedom Run Lamb Farm, Marksbury Farm Market, Weisenberger Mills and more.
“Growing up in Cincinnati and coming from a family that’s been part of the city’s culinary community for generations, I’ve always been inspired by the ingredients, traditions, and hospitality that define this region,” Bernstein said in a statement. “Gwynne is an opportunity to celebrate those influences through a restaurant that feels unmistakably at home in Cincinnati. Our goal is to honor the Ohio River Valley while bringing a fresh perspective to the table.”
The second restaurant, Cora’s Café, will be more of an all-day neighborhood spot. The cafe is inspired by the neighborhood corner shops and historic market culture that once defined downtown Cincinnati.
Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., the cafe promises house-made pastries and coffee for breakfast in the morning — including an all-new blend exclusive to the hotel titled Fidelity Single Origin, an Ethiopian single-origin coffee from Cincinnati-based roaster Urbana — before shifting to a neighborhood gathering place in the afternoon with seasonal spritzes, local craft beer and thoughtfully crafted cocktails.
Signature pastries at the cafe will include croquembouche, chocolate croissants, dirty martini scones, and lemon blueberry cookie stacks. Cora’s will also feature grab-and-go breakfast and lunch offerings, like egg bites, salads, chef’s daily sandwiches and protein and snack boxes.
“Our goal was to create spaces that feel authentically rooted in this city — connected to its history while looking ahead to what will be next,” Bernstein said in a release. “While Gwynne and Cora’s Café each bring their own distinct flavors and vibes to the table, both are designed around connection — places where people naturally gather, settle in, and feel at home in downtown Cincinnati.”
The Fidelity Hotel, owned by Texas-based company New Waterloo, sits at the corner of Main and Sixth downtown. It launches July 28 and features 165 guestrooms, including 17 suites and 2 bunkrooms, and more than 7,700 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. The Fidelity Hotel in Cleveland won a Michelin Key in 2025, a distinction that the company is no doubt trying to achieve once again in Cincinnati.
For more information on both restaurants, visit the hotel’s website.
