35 New Cincinnati Bars & Restaurants You May Have Missed Over the Pandemic

Subito

311 Pike St., Downtown
Downtown's new The Lytle Park Hotel opened to the public this past June, along with their in-house, upscale Italian eatery Subito and sophisticated rooftop lounge, Vista at Lytle Park. Subito's menu focuses on homemade pastas, stone-oven pizzas, fresh seafood, steaks and antipasta. Head to their bar for a selection of white, red and sparkling wines — including their own house sparkler by Ohio River Valley. They also boast spirits and cocktails.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cedar

701 Main St., Covington
Scratch-made brunch spot Cedar opened its doors last summer in Covington’s former Main Street Tavern space. With co-owner and chef Jeremy Faeth at the helm, the eatery’s mission is to take diners on a one-hour vacation through food and experience. The menu elevates classic dishes through local, housemade elements, like spreading homemade bacon jam and green olive-garlic aioli on their Cedar Burger, and serving sandwiches on bread from Sixteen Bricks, a local artisan bakery. With funky combinations like spicy candied bacon in cocktails, omelets topped with shrimp and crab cream sauce, or infusing lamb into their chorizo gravy, it’s clear Cedar brings fresh ideas to the table.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Rosie’s Cocktails & Pies

300 E. Seventh St., Downtown
From the team behind downtown's Crown Republic Gastropub and Over-the-Rhine's boutique steakhouse Losanti, Rosie’s Cocktails & Pies opened to the public on April 28. The East Coast-style pizza spot opened in the space formerly occupied by Money Chicken. Rosie's features a unique style of pizza made with house dough, which is then layered with cheese, toppings and sauce on top — creating a light and crisp pizza from the crust to the center of the pie. Ingredients are either made in-house or sourced from Ohio-based businesses. Along with a small variety of house pizzas and build-your-own options, the menu features a few appetizers and salads, like fried mozzarella balls (using homemade mozzarella), wings and meatballs; a Caesar salad; an antipasti salad, topped with deli meat; and cheese roll-ups. For dessert, enjoy the eatery's homemade gelato. Rosie's also has a menu of craft cocktails (including one that comes on fire!) and a selection of wine and beer.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Khora at Kinley Hotel

37 W. Seventh St., Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati’s new Kinley Hotel is home to Khora, an eatery hailed by Vogue and Food & Wine magazine as one of the “most anticipated” American restaurant openings of 2020. Helmed by chef Edward Lee and executive chef and Cincinnati native Kevin Ashworth, the menu puts "a modern Midwest spin on classic recipes." Named for the ancient grain khorasan, the dishes play heavily on pasta, including a riff on Cincinnati chili. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner — approachable during the day with a "destination restaurant" vibe at night. It has been open since October.
Photo: Facebook.com/KhoraRestaurant

Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge

1432 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge, which officially opened last summer, features bottles from women and minority winemakers, as well as eight wines on tap, live music, a limited selection of spirits and beer, and small plates from local businesses.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

e|19

1905 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Founded by the minds behind Cincinnati's LGBTQ+ Tea Dance series, e|19 Lounge Bar & Discothèque — located across from Rhinegeist — opened last fall. In a press release, the establishment says it aims to bring together "high-caliber music, exceptional customer service, and top-notch entertainment in a beautiful, inspiring setting." Owners say the goal is to make "e|19 a much sought-after venue for this underserved community and provide a safe, diverse and inclusive entertainment space.”
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Kanji

1739 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Local restaurateur behind Clifton's Drunken Bento and Drunken Taco, Inho Cha recently opened his third Cincinnati restaurant with Kanji in Findlay Market in the former Harvest Pizzeria space. The restaurant's menu focuses on sushi and Korean cuisine and was inspired by Cha's desire to plant more of his South Korean roots in the Queen City, offering a glimpse into the culture and flavors of his home country.
Photo: Catie Viox

Galactic Fried Chicken

624 Sixth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky
Former food truck Galactic Fried Chicken opened a brick-and-mortar in Northern Kentucky's Dayton neighborhood at the very start of the pandemic, right next door to Unataza Coffee. The restaurant, owned by Shane Coffey and his wife Kathy McDonald, serves fried chicken, chicken tenders and sandwiches, along with a variety of sides ranging from mac and cheese to deviled eggs, fries and salads. They also offer a vegetarian option of fried jackfruit nuggets.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Green House Bar

424 W. Sixth St., Covington
A well-known MainStrasse watering hole turned over a new leaf. After 26 years, Pachinko Bar has transformed into a chic and breezy West Coast-inspired drinking establishment called Green House Bar. The new bar and restaurant opened in August and offers a trendy spot for visitors to "kick back, relax, have good conversation and a little tomfoolery.” The menu offers several seasonal cocktails, like Recession Proof with CBD seltzer and vodka, and The Green House, a vodka, lemon and lavender cocktail, plus classic cocktails, craft nonalcoholic beverages and a petite list of wines. In addition to sips, they also have a few light bites like pimento cheese and Tommy Dip.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Ivory House

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood
This West Side eatery opened its doors in July and prides itself on specializing in “familiar food, elevated,” offering a fresh take on nostalgic-inducing dishes.?The menu offers nearly 10 small plates like smash sliders and tomato bruschetta, as well as eight different steak options, and lunch dishes like the vegan club, lobster roll tacos and a pimento grilled cheese. They also offer a pretty delicious brunch menu.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Saint Francis Apizza

3392 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
Saint Francis Apizza opened in Hyde Park in February. Formerly known as Parlor Pizza Project, the team had to rebrand after just over a month in the new shop due to a trademark issue. Owner Alex Plattner, a Cincinnati native, has made pizza for many years, from when he lived in Minneapolis to after he moved back to Cincinnati in June 2020. Parlor Pizza Project did a series of Sunday night dinner pop-ups at Oakley Wines from August 2020 to January 2021 as well before opening the brick-and-mortar shop in Hyde Park. The popular new pizzeria offers a variety of house pies, like the pepperoni and olive and the Fancy White Pie, as well as a $23 weekly special on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Customers can also build their own.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Mochiko

1524 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills
The Japanese-style pop-up has been a local favorite for years, and recently opened its own storefront in East Walnut Hills. The shop specializes in fusion cuisine known as “yoshoku,” which borrows elements from Asian and Western cooking styles. Some savory dishes and sweet treats on Mochiko’s menu include melonpan and ramen kits. The eatery is currently offering takeout and first-come, first-served guests in their “Quick Dine-In Noodle Bar” — you have 15 minutes to finish your meal.
Photo: Francisco Huerta

Eishaus

117 Park Place, Covington
Covington’s Roebling Point district got a little bit sweeter this past fall with the opening of German-inspired ice cream, eats and coffee window Eishaus. The creamery features the unique frozen treat “spaghetti eis,” an ice cream dish with ice cream “noodles” and toppings that resemble sauces and meatballs. They even have a locally-inspired treat that looks a Cincinnati chili 3-way.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Fifty West Burger Bar

7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township
Fifty West Brewing Company continues to build upon their Columbia Township empire with the addition of the new Fifty West Burger Bar, an homage to the 1950s roadside root beer stand. Offering a variety of proteins from flat-top hot dogs to burgers (including the vegetarian-friendly ‘Beyond patty’), each is offered in 12 different ways and named for the 12 different states U.S. Route 50 travels through.
Photo: Savana Willhoite

Teak OTR

1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
After closing its doors in Mount Adams in 2017, the owners of Teak Thai have reopened in a fresh, new space across from Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. The eatery is known for its top-notch Thai cuisine — including their incredibly popular pad Thai — and their sushi offerings. Talented longtime chef John Lee from the Mount Adams location joined the new Teak OTR, and brought his sushi expertise with him.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Haven Cafe

332 Scott Blvd., Covington
This Covington coffee shop opened up in August and offers natural coffee, pastries and baked goods from local spots like Brown Bear Bakery, as well as light bites like avocado toast. In addition to your typical coffee-based bevs, you can also order creative and tasty sips like the matcha lemonade, mint mocha latte and the chagachino (made with chaga mushroom powder).
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Oakley Fish House

3036 Madison Road, Oakley
Oakley Square welcomed a deliciously nostalgic addition over the course of the pandemic, taking over the space formerly occupied by long-time eatery Habits Cafe. Though Oakley Fish House, from the team behind Teak OTR, opened its doors in November, owner Chanaka De Lanerolle says it took roughly 14 months to build out the space into their new home. The eatery takes inspiration from De Lanerolle's former Mt. Adams Fish House, which closed about a decade ago. The menu includes what you would want in a seafood-oriented establishment, with a couple of landlubber offerings.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Standard

434 Main St., Covington
The dynamic duo behind popular Covington dining and drinking destinations Otto's, Frida and Larry's opened their most recent project, The Standard, breathing life into a familiar corner in the neighborhood. Co-owner Emily Wolff says that when the opportunity to embark on a new journey to transform the former garage and filling station on the corner of Fifth and Main streets presented itself, they were all in. The Standard's food menu features bright and playful flavors that complement the warmer season. The Standard has both indoor and outdoor seating, with plenty of patio space beneath the garage's canopies and beyond to spread out and socially distance.
Photo: Savana Willhoite

Sugar n' Spice

1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine
Cincinnati's cult favorite breakfast eatery Sugar n' Spice opened up their Over-the-Rhine location in the former Joe's Diner in July of 2020. The Paddock Hills eatery, which opened in 1941, is well-known for its "wispy thin" pancakes, vibrant decor and rubber duckies that come with every meal — elements that traveled to its second branch. You can expect all of your favorites from the original location and more.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Nomad

225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
Bellevue bar and eatery Nomad opened its doors in September. They serve craft cocktails and beer, but the main attraction is their boozy (and virgin) milkshakes, tater tot baskets and tacos. The bar offers a dreamy, string-lit patio for outdoor dining and drinking, as well as seating inside — including a pretty sweet game room with a big comfy couch.
Photo: facebook.com/NomadKY