The 25 Hottest Patios in Cincinnati for Cold-Weather Drinking

Comfort Station

793 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Located in a former 105-year-old rest area, Comfort Station is an airy nightlife destination full of hip cocktails and outdoor lounge areas. Guests can choose their own adventure when entering, opting to go through either the women's or men's room door. Head through the bright blue ladies entrance to access the main-floor space, replete with original skylights, plush blue-velvet seating and a living plant wall. From the main bar, you can access the back patio, which has multiple seating nooks, including an elevated perch with cushions, as well as a fire pit. The entrance through the men's door leads guests to an eight-seater basement cocktail lounge for “nighttime revelry and good-natured mischief."
Photo: Amy Elisabeth Spasoff

Upper Deck at the AC Hotel

135 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown
Winter weather won’t stop this downtown rooftop patio from keeping the party going. The AC Upper Deck at The Banks has transformed into a winter wonderland, offering cozy, illuminated igloos until the end of February. The rooftop bar features four heated igloos that seat up to eight guests each. The "igloos" are not made of ice, rather a plasticy-transparent igloo-shaped structure complete with warm blankets, pillows, LED lights and even an electric fireplace. Igloos can be reserved in advance.
Photo via Facebook/ACUpperDeck

Pins Mechanical Company

1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
The winter weather is nothing to worry about at Pins — they have special winter cocktails which you can enjoy around the fire pits on their rooftop patio, plus 35 beers on tap. From the Columbus-based Rise Brands, the group behind 16-Bit, this Over-the-Rhine bar has pinball machines and duckpin bowling lanes, plus other “old school” entertainment options like foosball, bocce ball and shuffleboard.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

MadTree Brewing

3301 Madison Road, Oakley
With 32 MadTree-exclusive taps, ambient lighting and an industrial brick facade left over from the building’s factory days, there’s more than enough space to accommodate all the beer-drinking, cornhole-playing and dog-loving humans that hang at the 10,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden on the regular. The garden is both tented and heated in the winter and allows pets year-round; just remember to enter the garden directly instead of through the main entrance if you plan on bringing a furry friend. There’s also plenty of space to drink and hang indoors if you come without Fido.
Photo via Facebook/MadTree

Pearl’s

3520 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum
Located in a historic building in the heart of Columbia Tusculum (Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhood), Pearl’s offers a rooftop bar and large outdoor patio for the warmer months and serves classic cocktails, draft beer and small bites. Named after the building’s last resident — Pearl — the entire establishment was designed to maintain a sense of authenticity and honor its former use as a house. With string lights, ample seating, cozy heaters and even a TV or two, the exterior patio is one of the most comfortable places in town to grab a glass of wine or cocktail.
Photo via Facebook/PearlsCincy

Braxton Brewing Co.

27 W. Seventh St., Covington
Braxton Brewing Co. opened its much-anticipated rooftop patio and bar back in July, but the space has now been covered to keep the chilly weather out. The 5,000-square-foot patio features plenty of seating, a full bar and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati.
Photo via Instagram/BraxtonBrewCo

The Porch at Washington Park

1230 Elm St., Over-the Rhine
Washington Park's porch is the place to drink away the week’s worries with beer, wine and liquor. Enjoy local brews from the likes of Taft’s Ale House, Rhinegeist, Christian Moerlein and Fifty West and specialty cocktails while staying warm next to one of the standing heaters.
Photo via Instagram/WashingtonParkOTR

Queen City Radio

222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
The former auto body shop-turned multi-level Over-the-Rhine hang features 14 rotating taps of local, regional and national beer, canned and bottled brews, a small cocktail program as well as adult-themed treats including a hot apple cider with Screwball peanut butter whiskey. A boozy apple cider begs to be enjoyed gathered around one of their outdoor fire pits. Queen City Radio hopes to add outdoor heaters soon to ensure customers are staying warm.
Photo via Facebook/QueenCityRadioBar

Coppin’s at Hotel Covington

638 Madison Ave., Covington
There’s a strong local identity to the location and the menu at Coppin’s, with nods to history and the new South, the bourbon and the banter that starts at the Roebling Bridge. The hotel restaurant features a swanky bar and lounge space to enjoy a nice cocktail. Guests may also sit outside in the spacious courtyard to soak in the heat from the heaters or enjoy a Manhattan by the wood-burning fireplace. The bar menu features local draft beer, cider, wine as well as cocktails on draft.
Photo via Facebook/CoppinsCovington

The Precinct

311 Delta Ave., Columbia Tusculum
You can always rely on a Jeff Ruby restaurant for a big, rare steak and platters of seafood. The Precinct, housed in a historical Romanesque-style former police precinct, was the first in a long line of Ruby steakhouses. You can’t go wrong with a sirloin or porterhouse, named after current and past Cincinnati sports greats. But there are other options, like blackened diver scallops or something from the tableside service menu like seafood fettuccine alfredo for two. Outside, the patio has been remodeled and has fire pits.
Photo via Facebook/JeffRubysPrecinct

The Blind Pig

24 W. Third St., Downtown
What’s more cozy than a fire pit in the winter? Two fire pits in the winter. This friendly downtown pub has a rooftop patio with not one, but two fire pits to help you stay warm. If the fire pits aren’t enough, you can always warm yourself up with daily drink specials like the $5 Patron on Saturdays and the $4 Crown Apple on Sundays.
Photo via Facebook/TheBlindPig

Monkey Bar & Grille

7837 Old 3C Highway, Maineville
As a family-owned operation, this place has not allowed any monkey business since its transformation from a biker bar, but it does permit a lot of fun. Pull up a dark leather chair at one of two wood-burning fireplaces inside or, if you prefer to brave the elements, enjoy fine bourbon while chatting with friends outside next to one of their outdoor fire pits.
Photo via Facebook/TheMonkeyBarAndGrille

Arnold’s Bar & Grill

210 E. Eighth St., Downtown
Arnold’s has covered its large outdoor courtyard and added heaters to create one of the coziest places in the city to grab a drink or enjoy some delicious food. A friendly, diverse and historic gin joint, Arnold’s is the city’s oldest bar — in operation since the 1800s. Arnold’s draws folks for its food, live music (lots of Americana and Bluegrass), local brews and casual atmosphere.
Photo via Facebook/ArnoldsBar

Rosedale

208 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
When Neons closed in 2016, people were devastated to lose “OTR’s backyard.” Then, 4EG — the entertainment group behind Lackman, Mount Adams Pavilion, Igby’s and more — announced they’d be taking over the space. After some upscale renovations, they reopened as Rosedale in January 2018. It’s a little more classy than comfy-old Neons but has retained the former’s focus on craft cocktails… and the giant, dog-friendly patio which is tented and covered for winter months. Pair that with a delicious hot cider and you have a recipe for a good time.
Photo via Facebook/RosedaleOTR

Mecca OTR

1429 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
This hip OTR hideaway is a welcoming hangout for those interested in no-frills drinking, L.A. vibes, vinyl tunes and free popcorn. Find the main courtyard entrance tucked away down 15th Street, and cross the big-ass gravel patio, past colorful street-art murals, a panoply of rainbow lighting and a plethora of communal seating to enter a world of hanging plants (in summer the patio is decked out in greenery) and the most creatively decorated — dare we say selfie-ready — bar bathrooms in the city. The patio keeps cozy in the colder months with a fire pit to gather round with friends. Get yourself a Chunker, an airplane-sized bottle of liquor inverted into a can of sparkling San Pellegrino flavored water.
Photo via Facebook/MeccaOTR

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

700 Walnut St., Cincinnati
This upscale downtown restaurant is modeled after a 1940s New York Art Deco steakhouse. If you love steak you have about a zero-percent chance of being let down with one of Ruby’s, as they dry-age their own. There are several non-steak options on the menu, including good seafood dishes, but cow is king at Ruby’s. Stop in for a drink and warm up underneath their patio heaters as you sample a rare bourbon or scotch.
Photo via Facebook/JeffRubysSteakhouse

MOTR Pub

1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
This gem hosts some of the best live shows in the city and highlights local and touring Indie, Rock and Folk acts, among other styles, all without a cover. Enjoy amazing music and eats inside, then take a break and head out to the patio for a drink while keeping warm, thanks to outdoor heaters.
Photo via Facebook/MOTRpub

Incline Public House

2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill
With a 1,400-square-foot deck for soaking in vistas and cocktails, Incline Public House’s name is derived from the actual Cincinnati incline that existed in the same spot from the late 1800s to the 1940s. The view can be enjoyed year-round with an outdoor fire pit and two couches. The menu’s upscale twist on pub food features sandwiches, salads, epicurean appetizers and a slew of craft cocktails and draft beers.
Photo via Facebook/InclinePublicHouse

Paxton’s Grill

126 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland
Paxton’s Grill has been a favorite for Loveland natives since its opening nearly 20 years ago. The family-friendly bar and grill boasts a cozy patio, which is sealed and heated for customers to enjoy year-round. Paxton’s has delicious burgers, sandwiches, wings, salads and some local craft brews.
Photo via Facebook/PaxtonsGrill

Hofbrauhaus

200 E. Third St., Newport
Hofbrauhaus has you covered when it comes to staying warm during the winter months. On Friday and Saturday nights, its beer garden is enclosed and heated. The brewery serves traditional German-style bier by the liter, and that’s only the beginning when you look at its expansive menu.
Photo via Facebook/HBHNewport