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We've compiled the best of the best in Ohio - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
The oldest bar in Cincinnati, opened in 1861, caters to a diverse customer base and also serves a basic but solid Italian menu with such entrées as spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant marinara, Sicilian linguine, and sandwiches. The patio, where bands play Thursday through Saturday, stays open year-round and is covered in winter. Portions tend to be on the small side.
The traditional grub at this pub southwest of downtown in Ohio City includes wood-fired pizzas, burgers, Irish stew, and ribs. Great Lakes also has lighter options, such as salads, fish, and vegetarian dishes. Of course, every item has a recommended beer pairing, the best reason to come. Open-air dining is available in a courtyard with 25 tables. There's no smoking here.
This publike eatery in historic Ohio City has an open kitchen and a glass garden atrium filled with plants. A Cleveland institution, Heck's has been around for more than 40 years and is known for its bouillabaisse and (arguably) the best burger in town.
Specialties on the diverse menu include pad thai, saté (marinated meat grilled on skewers) with peanut sauce, and extensive sushi selections. Circular stairs, an industrial stainless bar, and a soothing pastel dining room adds stylish chic to this Pan Asian–style restaurant in the Short North.
This German tavern in Corryville near UC was once a gathering place for opera stars and singing societies. Grapevines stretch over the biergarten (beer garden), and the mahogany bar is always well stocked. Traditional German dishes such as sausages, noodles, and soups are on the menu; for dessert, there's coffee-toffee black-bottom pecan pie.
This French countryside–style restaurant in the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel has bright murals on the walls and a massive stone hearth. Hearty foods—especially seafood—from the coasts of Spain, Morocco, Italy, and France are highlights. Fish and steak, for the most part, are the order of the day, with such entrées as tuna, salmon (served with a potato-eggplant tart), New York strip steak, and veal chops. The bouillabaisse with shrimp, mussels, clams, lobster, and scallops is a specialty.
Decorative objects scattered around this low-key Market Place restaurant—brass objects and large paintings—are as traditional as the northern Indian cuisine. There are many vegetarian selections on the menu; the palak paneer (creamed spinach) is popular. The lunch buffet is a steal at $7. There's open-air patio dining with garden view, and a salad bar, too.
This deeply rooted German Village restaurant has a bright dining room with pink-and-beige walls and linens. There's an extensive antipasti menu. Entrées might include pasta specialties such as spinach-and-cheese canneloni or veal classics such as saltimbocca, piccata (thinly sliced and sautéed, with a sauce of parsley, lemon juice, and pan drippings), or marsala.
