Every year, CityBeat publishes the Best Of Cincinnati®, wherein readers and staffers alike pick which bars are the booziest, which people are the coolest and which shops are your best bet for dropping a pretty penny. Cincinnati proper has a fantastic dining scene, with plenty of meal and drink options for any kind of diner, but we can’t forget to show Northern Kentucky restaurants some love. From farm-to-table, rustic dishes to blazing hot Chinese food and some of the best German fare in the city, Northern Kentucky proves time and time again that downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine aren’t the only places that can shine when it comes to culinary excellence.

Keep scrolling to see the Northern Kentucky restaurants CityBeat readers voted as the best of the best.

The Baker’s Table 1004 Monmouth St., Newport The Baker’s Table is a Newport bakery and restaurant that opened last winter. The eatery is owned by married couple Dave Willocks and his wife Wendy. Brunch is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. which currently includes appetizers like upscale salad, potato and donut dishes, mains like sweet potato hash and different egg and chicken sandwich options. Sweets and sides are also offered. They recently began dinner service. Photo via Facebook.com/BakersTableNewport Photo: Facebook.com/BakersTableNewport
Bouquet Restaurant 519 Main St. Covington Working closely with local sources, Bouquet’s upscale farm-to-table approach means a fresh, frequently rotating menu packed with seasonal ingredients. Elegant small plates, entrées and thoughtful wine pairings set the stage for an intimate dining experience. Photo: Bouquet Restaurant
Agave & Rye Multiple locations Diners flock to Agave & Rye to enjoy its vibrant murals and funky decor while chowing down on unique tacos, with proteins including kangaroo, duck, crab cakes, lobster, crispy cauliflower, fries and crispy chicken — in addition to more familiar bases like steak, pork carnitas and mahi mahi. Try the Crown Jewel, a double-shelled taco with butter-poached lobster, shiitake mushrooms, mac and cheese, truffle oil and shaved green onions if you’re in the mood for a unique flavor combination. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 7 Best Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Libby’s Southern Comfort 35 W. Eighth St., Covington This Covington eatery pays tribute to Southern classics like fried chicken and half-shell oysters served alongside a variety of bourbon drinks and other local favorites. The atmosphere is hip but with cozy touches to make you feel at home. Menu recommendation: Oyster Po’Boy: Seasoned deep-fried oysters, baby arugula, tomato and remoulade sauce served on a 16 Bricks Cubano Roll. Honorable mention goes to the appetizer Goetta Hush Puppies, made with Glier’s Goetta and served with remoulade. Photo: Provided by Libby's Southern Comfort
Greyhound Tavern 2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell The Greyhound Tavern has offered down-home comfort food to Northern Kentuckians since the 1920s. The atmosphere is pleasantly country-fied, with wood paneling, vinyl tablecloths and multiple fireplaces, and so is the menu. The tavern is known for its herbed secret-recipe fried chicken, available daily with family-style specials on Mondays and Tuesdays and a starring role on the Sunday brunch buffet, which also features a carving station, casseroles, goetta, biscuits, mashed potatoes and other hearty fare. Photo via Facebook.com/GreyhoundTavern Photo: facebook.com/greyhoundtavern
No. 10 Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar 368 Madison Ave., Covington Photo: Hailey Bolliger
KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia 521 Madison Ave., Covington Quaint and comfortable with a huge beer list, AmerAsia offers all the usual Chinese dishes and chef specialties, but the food is anything but the usual. Chef Chu makes it all from scratch. His motto: “Do not take short cuts and do everything with passion and love.” Enjoy it all while taking in the eclectic décor of Kung Fu movie posters and paper lanterns. Favorite dishes include the inferno-hot Dragon Breath wontons and General Chu’s orange and sesame street chicken. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tuba Baking Co. 517 Sixth Ave., Dayton Specializing in artisan sourdough Swabian-style soft pretzels, this German gastropub in Northern Kentucky packs a punch of flavor with its made-from-scratch Southern German cuisine. On the menu, you’ll find fare like Flammkuchen (a sort of German flatbread/pizza), Spätzle (a type of egg noodle) and the Christoph Von Bayern, a massive sandwich topped with pork loin, ham, gherkins, Gouda and a house-made spicy, whole-grain mustard. Tuba Baking Co. also has a bar with German-centric beers, wines, liquors, cocktails and ciders that you can enjoy inside or out in their new “brezelgarten.” Photo: Drew Rath
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky) Winner: Pompilios Runners-up: KungFood AmerAsia, Greyhound Tavern Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Walt’s Hitching Post 3300 Madison Pike, Fort Wright Walt’s Hitching Post is a kick-back, casual place where everybody knows your name. Open in some iteration since the 1950s, classic menu items include Walt’s Legendary Fried Chicken, Steak Diane and fried green tomatoes with chicken livers. All steaks are dusted with a unique seasoning blend and charred to perfection. On Fridays, Kosher-salt encrusted prime rib is on special — while it lasts. This is a hot spot for regulars and locals, so try to make a reservation in advance. If you can’t, be prepared for a wait on weekends or try to squeeze in at the bar, where you can request a dram of their more than 100 bourbons. Photo: Paige Deglow Photo: Paige Deglow