It’s no secret that the Queen City’s restaurant and bar scene is popping off. From rooftop patios that resemble a treehouse to secret drinkeries hidden in historic public restrooms and sophisticated comfort food in a “grandma chic-styled” establishment, these hot new spots are exploding with creativity and flavor.
Lost & Found OTR 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine’s newest cocktail bar is a funky, community-driven gathering space with an inventive drink menu, small bites inside of a creative, art-filled environment. Co-owners Steven Clement and Camilo Otalora are the masterminds behind the bar, with the goal to create a space where guests can feel welcome and inspired. Work from local artists fill the walls from room to room. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
HomeMakers Bar 35 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati hospitality mavens Julia Petiprin and Catherine Manabat have opened HomeMakers Bar at the corner of 13th and Walnut streets. The duo worked together to create a space inspired by a retro vibe and the domestic cocktails of the 1950s through the 1970s. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Yonder 621 Main St., Covington Inspired by owners Chris and Tess Burns’ love of Kentucky State Parks, this new concept by the folks behind Covington’s Commonwealth Bistro features a chic treehouse-esque rooftop bar with a small rotating menu and craft cocktails, as well as inventive mocktails. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Comfort Station 793 E. McMillan Ave., Walnut Hills From the team behind OTR’s Sundry and Vice comes Comfort Station. Opened in late June, this cocktail bar is located in a century-old Walnut Hills rest area. Guests enter via the original women’s room door into an industrial and airy space with skylights, inventive cocktails and a living plant wall. A back patio and lounge creates an indoor/outdoor feel. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Braxton Brewing Co. 27 W. Seventh St., Covington Braxton Brewing Co. opened their much-anticipated rooftop patio and bar on July 20. Guests can now enjoy an entirely new experience at the brewery with the 5,000-square-foot-patio, which features plenty of seating, shady umbrellas, a full bar, a living wall and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Holiday Spirits and Forty Thieves 1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Helmed by Dan Wright and his wife Lana (Senate, Abigail Street and Pontiac Bourbon & BBQ), this space at the corner of Liberty and Race streets is meant to evoke the vibe of a dive bar and offers a menu of Middle Eastern street food. The bar features 15 beers on tap and about 10 different cocktails ranging from a tequila old fashioned and a Hurricane to a Cinnabon-inspired drink and their take on a Harvey Wallbanger. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Branch 1535 Madison Road, Walnut Hills The team behind The Littlefield has opened this new concept in East Walnut Hills in the former Art Deco Central Trust Bank Building at the corner of Woodburn and Madison avenues. Branch is the restaurant portion of the space and is located upstairs while Night Drop, the bar, is located downstairs. Both have a focus on local art with mosaics, chandeliers and murals created by Cincinnati artists. The menu at Branch is overseen by executive chef Shoshannah Anderson and offers a mix of “classic and contemporary American with ethnic influences.” Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Lonely Pine Steakhouse 6085 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge Pleasant Ridge’s restaurant scene has really beefed up now that Lonely Pine Steakhouse is open. The casual dining destination takes a simple concept — quality food at an affordable price — and elevates it with Southwestern flair and retro decor. The newest venture by Gorilla Cinema Presents, Lonely Pine is the first foray into food service for the company. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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 upward of 60 types including many Russian, Polish and Ukrainian brands that are lesser known in the United States. It also offers a streamlined Eastern European-inspired menu of light bites. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Goose & Elder 1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Located near Findlay Market, Goose & Elder is chef Jose Salazar’s third Cincinnati restaurant venture and offers American comfort food along with healthy and gluten-free options. Salazar describes the restaurant as “Midcentury grandma,” sourcing colors and patterns that evoke a sense of the 1970s and ’80s. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Mikey’s Late Night Slice 2014 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Mikey’s is known for its giant, foldable pizza slices and drunk-friendly menu items like the Pizza Dog — a hot dog stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, which is then wrapped in a slice of pizza — and the Cheezus Crust and Baby Cheezus, which is American cheese melted on top of two slices of pizza and pressed together into a sandwich. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Delwood 3204 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout Nestled at the intersection of Delta and Linwood avenues in Mount Lookout Square, Delwood is a family-friendly Peruvian-inspired gastropub from owner Trevor Snowden, formerly of the Thunderdome Group. Snowden comes by his Latin American inspiration honestly; his mother is Peruvian and that country’s recipes and ingredients infuse the menu with an uncommon flair. Photo: Brittany Thornton
The View at Shires’ Gardens 309 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown The View at Shires’ Garden is located on the 10th floor of the City Club Apartments with views of the riverfront and the surrounding cityscape. This new rooftop spot features an indoor dining room, an outdoor patio and a private event lounge with a bar, cigar patio, baby grand piano and firelit tables. The décor mixes modern furnishings with the style of the original Shires’ Gardens from the 19th century — a historic Queen City amusement resort of sorts in this same spot at Vine and Third streets. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Taglio 56 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine Taglio, the Columbia Tusculum pizza joint from brothers Nick and Jared Wayne (also of A Tavola) and partner Jake Goodwin, has expanded into Over-the-Rhine in the space once occupied by sports bar Lachey’s. Taglio is known for both its traditional and deep-dish Detroit-style pizzas, among other menu items, and the fact that they deliver their entire menu — including wine and beer. Photo: Holden Mathis
Social OTR 1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Social OTR features an ambitious New American menu and two spaces: a front dining room and a cozy back bar with an entrance from the alley. The menu includes about eight “Snacks,” 10 to 11 “Small Plates” and just two “Large Plates,” with a drink list that’s almost longer than the food offerings. Whether you prefer tequila, rye, gin or any other spirit, the house cocktails have you covered. The nonprofit restaurant also aims to fill a multitude of societal and business needs in the community through its workforce development program. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tortilleria Garcia 5917 Hamilton Ave., College Hill Popular Springdale Mexican eatery Tortilleria Garcia opened a second location in College Hill. The restaurant uses old-fashioned techniques for their straightforward cuisine like freshly-made corn tortillas, tamales, burritos, housemade salsas and rotisserie chicken — in addition to their beloved tacos. Photo: Paige Deglow
Fairfield Market 700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue This hip new market, coffee and wine bar recently opened in Bellevue. The fresh, light-filled space is a perfect place to start or end your day. Try one of their build-your-own charcuterie boards with their happy-hour wine special or stop by for a sammy or picnic salad at lunch. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Mazunte Centro 611 Main St., Downtown Madisonville’s cult-favorite taco hub recently put down some downtown roots. The downtown menu features tacos, tostadas, tlayudas (a sort of Mexican-style pizza), soups, sides and alcohol. Taco fillings range from al pastor to chorizo con papas (housemade ground sausage and potatoes) and mushroom and beet to beef tongue. They also offer a menu of local beers and housemade, bottled margaritas. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
BlaCk Coffee 822 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine This new coffee shop is from the owners of BlaCk OWned and recently opened on July 19. BlaCk Coffee’s coffee is supplied by La Terza and their house “Wakanda” blend is a mix of Ethiopian, Rwandan and Brazilian beans. All of the food served at BlaCk Coffee come from black-female-owned businesses in Cincinnati; pastries are provided by Sweet Petit Desserts, the cakes are from Shana’s Sweet Treats and sandwiches are made by personal chef Chanel Jordan of Chanel’s Upscale Homestyle Cooking. Photo: Liz Davis
Mom ‘n ‘em Coffee 3128 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington Brothers Tony and Austin Ferrari opened Mom ‘n ‘em Coffee in Camp Washington to honor mom Theresa. Mom ‘n ‘em serves coffee and espresso drinks along with toasts and pastries, as well as a diverse offering of wines selected by certified sommelier Austin. They also have a full liquor license with cocktails like a classic negroni and Manhattan, and a smart selection of beer in their cooler. Their menu features items such as cheese and salumi, anchovies, sardines and an egg sandwich named the “Dirty ‘Nati.” Photo: Hailey Bollinger
HighGrain Brewing Co. 6860 Plainfield Road, Silverton HighGrain offers a wide range of styles, brewed by Matthew Utter, a former head brewer for Christian Moerlein. Utter, who lived in Germany for a decade, takes notable inspiration from the country’s beers and, where applicable, sticks very closely to the Reinheitsgebot purity laws, 500-year-old regulations that dictate the ingredients allowed to produce beer (water, barley, hops). Photo: Sean M. Peters
Ripple Wine Bar 4 W. Pike St., Covington Inspired by the title of a Grateful Dead song, Ripple Wine Bar is one of those sweet little spots that hits all the right notes: good wine, lots of it, paired with good food. The bar offers 40 varietals by the glass or half glass, bottle or half bottle and also does a $10 half-bottle happy hour for gun-shy consumers or folks dining solo. The menu’s overall vibe is laid-back, a true “California kitchen,” with wine-friendly food that’s seasonally inspired. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Parlor On Seventh 43 W. Seventh St., Covington After the closure of Alto Pizza Kitchen + Bar this past spring, Parlor on Seventh has taken over the space, offering Southern comfort food in a laid-back environment. The restaurant is nestled alongside Braxton Brewing Co. Photo via
Hoppin Vines 8150 Montgomery Road, Kenwood Located in the former TGI Fridays in Kenwood, Hoppin’ Vines combines duckpin bowling, pizza and alcohol. The bar offers 40 rotating beer taps with a focus on craft brews — local, regional and national — plus more than 30 wine flights. The bar is also home to an outpost of Delicio Coal Fired Pizza. Photo: Facebook.com/HoppinVines
Fausto 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown Foodie entrepreneurs and brothers Tony and Austin Ferrari — the minds behind downtown’s Ferrari Barbershop & Coffee Co. and Camp Washington’s Mom ‘n ’em Coffee — have tackled a new venture inside the lobby cafe of the Contemporary Arts Center. Fausto offers all-day “coffee, cocktails, wine, beer, good California style cuisine and always good company.” They now offer a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for $39. Photo: Hailey Bollinger