6 Best Restaurants in Ohio, USA

This is the place to go for special occasions, particularly romantic ones. Indulge in caviar and foie gras while enjoying stunning views of Downtown and the river from the top of Mount Adams. Some dishes with a Caribbean twist share the menu with such classic French fare as veal medallions and Dover sole sautéed in lemon butter.

In a 1929 building with a steeple, this dining room has large windows, a high ceiling, chandeliers, and nautical murals. Lunch brings an array of fish choices and sandwiches evenly balanced among meat, poultry, and seafood; dinner is heavy on steak and seafood, with such high-ticket favorites as Alaskan king crab legs and steak and lobster.

The true test of any ice cream brand is the vanilla, where there are no candy pieces to hide behind; Graeter's is superb, a deliciously creamy yet light blend. The chocolate chip improves it by adding huge slabs of dark chocolate. The full rainbow of flavors is available, including seasonal favorites like peach. The neighborhood ice cream parlor has multiple locations, including a dozen in Cincinnati and many others in Kentucky, Indiana, Dayton, and Columbus. Get in the inevitable line and start pondering your choices.

Opened in 1981, this steakhouse was the first restaurant started by Jeff Ruby, now forever known as the man who refused to serve OJ Simpson (in May 2007). Servers introduce you to your food before you order. They'll show off, for example, the 28-day-aged Colorado Angus steak and the gigantic South African lobster tail that's part of the surf-and-turf combo. Entrées include all the oven-baked bread you can eat, salad, and baked potato. Spotting of local celebrities, particularly athletes, is a common pastime in the noisy, crowded dining rooms.

Panoramic views of the city can be savored from this restaurant perched on top of Price Hill. Interesting antiques, from old wine boxes to odd sculptures, are displayed throughout the interior. The menu emphasizes classic northern and southern Italian dishes—antipasti, pasta, veal, beef, lamb, poultry, and seafood. Try the salmon basted in a light butter sauce.

Summer means open-air dining in the courtyard; winter means drinks in front of a blazing fire in the cocktail lounge. The menu, which also changes with the seasons, might include rack of lamb, beef tenderloin medallions, and fresh seafood dishes. The wine list tops out at more than 900 selections. Northwest of Downtown in a restored church dating from the 1850s, the restaurant charms with exposed brick walls, stained-glass windows, and wooden beams.