The Hottest New Greater Cincinnati Restaurants and Bars of 2024

Alara

5410 Medpace Way, Madisonville
Alara is the newest concept from Looking Glass Hospitality and offers fine dining inspired by experiences its owners have enjoyed on their travels. Described as contemporary American and high-end, Alara offers an immersive dining experience and a menu of innovative dishes that encourage exploration and sharing. On the menu, you’ll find a seasonal selection of small plates, ranging from BBQ pork buns to a smoked edamame hummus and sourdough crostinis; a seafood platter; pastas; large plates, which include dishes like branzino tacos, chicken Milanese and Faroe Island salmon; and prime cuts of meat like the Wagyu Sampler, Tomahawk ribeye and lamb chops, all served with rosemary truffle butter, a bone marrow demi and chimichurri.

Safi Wine Bar

1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine
Chef Jose Salazar operated his self-named restaurant at 1401 Republic St. in Over-the-Rhine for 10 years before announcing at the end of 2023 that he and his wife would be moving the restaurant into the former Saks Fifth Avenue building in downtown Cincinnati. They said they would keep the original Salazar space and introduce a new concept there: Safi, the idea of which came to the couple after a trip to Morocco. Safi opened in June and sports a laid-back atmosphere, with a menu that’s approachable, but still offers some “fancier” dishes, as well as small plates. The menu features dishes like chicken pastilla cigars; slow-cooked lamb shank tagine with made-from-scratch Israeli couscous; an eggplant and tomato compote called Zalouk; Briwat, a Moroccan almond pastry; and the trendy "caviar bump."

Fifty West Burger Bar (Deerfield Township)

5224 District Park Drive, Mason
Eternal summer camp Fifty West Burger Bar held a soft opening of its second Greater Cincinnati location in August. The new burger bar offers all the fun and deliciousness as the original, with tons of activities to enjoy, like sand volleyball and pickleball. The menu features bread-and-butter diner specialties like classic cheeseburgers, flat-top hot dogs and loaded crinkle-cut fries. Don’t miss the 12 specialty burgers named for the 12 states that U.S. Route 50 runs through, and make sure you grab a house-made root beer or orange soda to wash it all down, or choose from a wide range of Fifty West canned, bottled or draft beers and seltzers.

Pata Roja Taqueria

52 E. Court St., Downtown
Pata Roja got its start in 2019 as a food truck that could typically be found behind Bar Saeso in Pendleton. From there it grew in popularity, becoming known for its authentic street tacos and Mexican dishes. Owner Derrick Braziel opened Pata Roja in a brick-and-mortar space in February. The restaurant is modeled after the iconic taquerias of Mexico City, with colorful tiles and a central focus of the trompo, a meat rotisserie that’s front and center in the kitchen and is used to roast pork for the authentic tacos al pastor. On the menu, guests will find a variety of street tacos, including the al pastor and the popular campechano, which combines several meats into one taco, as well as frozen margaritas and fresh salsas.

Wildweed

1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
Wildweed opened in its permanent location in Over-the-Rhine this summer, offering a variety of pasta dishes made from regional grains and served with non-traditional sauces. Guests can choose between two different dining experiences, including an à la carte menu and the chef’s counter, which offers a view into the kitchen and each menu offers a story of seven ingredients over about 12 dishes, painting a picture of time and place. The chefs interact with guests and talk more about the dishes. And while the menu is designed to feel extensive, the time commitment is not. And while the food is the star of the restaurant, don’t forget to take time to admire the space’s artwork by local artists, including a colorful mural by Blake Lipper at the entryway and another mural of mushrooms by Maxwell Redder.

Immortal Vibes

230 Main St., Hamilton
Sporting an aura of class with a rockstar edge, Immortal Vibes offers a vintage guitar experience along with its drinks. The bar opened in December 2023 with a menu of coffee and cocktails, some named after famous musicians like the Freddie Mercury or Eddie Van Halen, along with more traditional drinks, including two house old fashioneds. The menu also includes coffee-infused cocktails. Customers are also welcome to come in and experience the collection of vintage guitars that line the wall.

The Davidson

501 Vine St., Downtown
American-style brasserie The Davidson opened in The Foundry in February, taking over the spot formerly occupied by Royce. The menu is described as “a classic American brasserie meets French and Italian influence.” It features dishes like handmade pastas, steak frites, the Davidson Burger (gruyere, caramelized onions, dijonnaise, french fries and bearnaise aioli), bone-in pork chops and a selection of soups and salads.

Alley Baby

2810 Highland Ave., Norwood
It started with a gyro cart and a dream one mid-October night during BLINK in 2022. Having been in the restaurant industry for years, Over-the-Rhine resident Alex Frohlich decided to take a chance and set up a recently purchased gyro cart in his apartment's courtyard during BLINK for neighbors and passersby to try some of his dishes and give their feedback. As luck would have it, the feedback was positive, and Frohlich remembers thinking, "There's something here; I'm gonna keep working towards this." And so Alley Baby began. After spending two years moving around Cincinnati in a food truck, Frohlich is getting ready to open Alley Baby in a brick-and-mortar space soon, and the menu will include some classic crowd-pleasers, like wings, a coconut chicken sandwich and burgers. He also hopes to introduce different dishes each week to keep customers on their toes.

Bourbon’s Craft Kitchen & Bar

199 E. Sixth St., Downtown
Bourbon’s Craft Kitchen & Bar opened in downtown in April and offers a menu of gourmet street food, plus craft cocktails and over 130 whiskeys. Classic starters include wings — including cauliflower wings for a non-meat option — and chips and dip, plus potstickers and lettuce wraps. Entrées feature a variety of steakburgers, tacos and tasty chicken options, like tenders and chicken and waffles. To accompany your meal, you can opt for traditional barbecue-style sides like fries, coleslaw and mac-and-cheese or pick from salads, French onion soup and elote. The whiskey selection is lengthy and even carries some rare options like Blanton’s, Van Winkle 10 Year and a special New Riff bourbon pick. The cocktail list leans heavily on bourbon drinks, but there’s also a featured margarita and mojito, as well as some wines.

Kawa Revolving Sushi (Oakley)

3880 Paxton Ave., Oakley
Kawa Revolving Sushi was the first restaurant to bring the concept of the revolving sushi conveyor belt to the Greater Cincinnati area, opening its first location in Symmes Township in 2023. Following its success there, the restaurant recently expanded to Oakley. At Kawa, you can pick and choose plates of sushi as they rotate around the restaurant, or you can order from the iPad at your table. Along with sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri, Kawa also offers ramen; appetizers like edamame, gyoza and spring rolls; and tempura and teriyaki dishes.

The Green Line Kitchen and Cocktails

25 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas
Charming and welcoming, The Green Line Kitchen is an upscale family restaurant that opened in the heart of Ft. Thomas in March. The space is convivial and lively, with a menu of traditional offerings like prime rib, salmon and porkchops, as well as pastas like the bolognese and chicken parmesan and sandwiches, including the burger, a prime rib dip, turkey club and fried cod. To drink Green Line offers an extensive list of wines, both cocktails and mocktails, beer and seltzer and champagne.

MaineTowne

8143 OH-48, Maineville
Diners can find new restaurant MaineTowne at the village’s four-way stop, serving elevated bar food crafted with high-quality ingredients and never in a fryer. Like the restaurant’s location, its menu is an intersection that combines American fare with hints of Mediterranean, Mexican and Thai influences. The menu is divided into appetizers, salads and handheld options. Appetizers include a variety of flatbreads, like the Whipped Feta (served with sweet-and-spicy peppers and honey), the Hot Honey (red sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, provolone and house hot honey) and the Buffalo Chicken. Handhelds feature dishes like the American ever-classic Sloppy Joe, made with smoked brisket, fried onions, pickles and pickled peppers and served on a brioche bun; a chicken tinga torta; and the B.L.M.T. (bacon, arugula, tomato, caramelized onion, pesto mayo and mozzarella on Italian bread).

Almost V’gan Lounge

34 E. Court St., Downtown
Almost V’gan, a health-conscious eatery with a mix of vegan and traditional dishes, opened downtown in July. The space features a restaurant with bottle service on one side and an upscale bar and lounge on the other. The menu features a similar vegan pairing for every traditional dish, like jackfruit or pot roast tacos, grilled tofu or salmon sliders and grilled watermelon salad, among others. Diners will also find a selection of handcrafted cocktails and signature drinks.

Twelve08

1208 Springfield Pike, Wyoming
Visit Twevle08 in Wyoming and let Claudia make you a meal. No, Claudia’s not a person, but the restaurant’s pizza oven. The menu at Twelve08 is pizza-forward, but this isn’t your average pizza joint. Twelve08 says their dishes are made with intention, focusing on healthy and freshly prepared ingredients, and inspired by flavors around the world, like the seasonal Street Corn Pizza, which features cilantro, roasted sweet corn, jalapeño and tajin. In addition to pizza, Twelve08 also offers salads, wings and a variety of beer, bourbon, wine and cocktails to drink.

Ziggy’s

213 Woodward St., Over-the-Rhine
Ziggy’s, described as “not your average dive bar,” opened just steps away from Ziegler Park and its pool this spring. The menu features an array of summer and poolside-coded alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages like frozen cocktails, canned wines, draft beers and Coke products. The space is bright and playful, decorated with lush hanging plants and other greenery, and there’s indoor table seating, plus more seating at the horseshoe-shaped bar. Ziggy’s also has two dog-friendly patio areas, one with seating and another with shuffleboard. While it is a drinks-only concept right now, patrons are welcome to bring in outside food.

The Aperture

900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
The Aperture is the real deal, a first-rate addition to our city’s dining firmament. Not downtown or in Over-the-Rhine, The Aperture opened in January in the center of Walnut Hills, enriching the up-and-coming neighborhood with a Mediterranean-inspired, palate-thrilling splash. The restaurant says its menu focuses on three pillars — intention, balance and focus — and critical thought is put into every component of each dish. The menu isn’t divided into the traditional appetizers/salads/entrées deal, rather, it flows from lighter to more substantial dishes, beginning with a couple of items that go well with cocktails and proceeding through interesting vegetable preps to pastas and seafood.

Mercer Social House

6623 Main St., Newtown
Mercer Social House, named after Newtown’s original settlement, Mercersburg, opened in the former Urban Grill on Main space this spring. The restaurant offers a friendly and laid-back atmosphere, born from the owners’ desire to create a place where the community can gather or you can make memories with friends and family. The seasonal menu features American fare with a modern twist, including handhelds like burgers, grilled cheese and a spicy chicken sandwich, as well as pasta, ribs and bar-fare apps like smoked wings, fried mozzarella and pretzels and beer cheese. Diners can also enjoy elevated wine, beer and cocktail offerings.

San Jeanetta’s Table

7714 Montgomery Road, Kenwood
For some chef-quality comfort food, San Jeanetta’s got you covered. Before opening their brick-and-mortar store in Kenwood, husband-and-wife team Chef Dion and Tiffany Metts were making a name for themselves by selling their famous mac-and-cheese bowls at food and beverage park Covington Yard. The menu at the Kenwood store, which held a grand opening in July, features the mac-and-cheese bowls, along with grits bowls, all-day brunch and chicken in tender, wing and sandwich form. You can also get Southern-style platters, including blackened salmon, biscuits and gravy, cauliflower wings, chicken thighs and fried cod.

Court Street Kitchen

7 E. Court St., Downtown
Court Street Kitchen, the first self-created concept from experienced restaurateur Braheam Shteiwi, opened downtown this February. The menu features New American fare, with a focus on steak and seafood, alongside traditional American favorites like the classic hamburger. The restaurant also offers Sixteen Bricks bread service, as well as starters, salads and soups to complement entrées like filet mignon, branzino, roasted chicken and more.

Vinology

3181 Linwood Ave., Mt. Lookout
Vinology held its grand opening in June. The new wine bar and bottleshop in Mt. Lookout offers a selection of more than 400 wines, most of which have been curated from a master list by wine critic and journalist David Schildknecht, who is also a local resident. Vinology’s tasting bar shares a space with Lookout Joe Coffee Shop and offers a place where patrons can taste, learn about and enjoy these exclusive wines. And if you like something you try, you can purchase bottles from the extensive cellar and bottle shop located just down the hall. You can also learn more about the art of wine and wine-tasting at Vinology’s Cincinnati Wine Academy, located on the second floor of the building.