Restaurants in Cincinnati

Relish Modern Tapas' chefs place a new spin on the centuries-old tradition of socializing with friends over small plates, interspersing their Spanish tapas menu with innovative international dishes. Their kitchen is a flurry of roaring fires and sizzling saucepans as chefs stir saffron into rice paella and simmer up morsels of pork tenderloin, chorizo, and baby back ribs. They fold seafood into Mexican- and Asian-inspired tacos while Italian and Moroccan flatbreads bake in ovens. Out in the sleek dining room, bartenders nimbly move about the bar, whipping up the bold specialty martinis that earned the praise of reporters from City Beat. Wooden beams crown the bar, extending out over spherical arrangements of tabletops and cushy booths. Hanging lights bathe the room in a soft glow, and towering windows provide diners with a glimpse of the glimmering lights and handsome crossing guards of Deerfield Boulevard.

Setting up shop in a formerly run-down launderette, Lavomatic Cafe provides an opportunity to dine on hearty fare without attracting uncomfortable leers from surrounding shirt-folders. Charming exposed pipes and soft tones accentuate Lavomatic’s décor, which creates a perfect setting for sampling the establishment’s well-stocked wine bar. The menu offers a modest yet satisfying selection of comforting classics with a twist, like when grandma gets tipsy and mixes acids with bases. Start with small bites such as tater tots with chives, cheddar, parmesan, and ranch ($7.33). Warm up with tomato bisque ($5.35) or a fish sandwich with gruyere on an onion bun ($9.40). Refresh the palate with a fusion of flavors thanks to the pesto penne with kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and tomato confit ($15.16) or smoked pork chops with Sheltowee Farm mushrooms and red wine caramel ($20.47). Sharable sides such as cornbread ($2.92) and onion straws ($3.64) are also available.

Though the family-oriented grill's atmosphere mostly recalls a comfy Mexican restaurant (down to the homemade chips and salsa greeting you at the table), the menu touts tastes from across the globe. Try the signature Hawaiian-style ribs ($13.99 half order, $24.99 whole) marinated and grilled in a secret-recipe Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce, or take a Bavarian turn with the mett-n-kraut ($12.99), a German-style minced pork with sauerkraut on rye bread. Otherwise, opt for something more Italian such as the homemade meat or vegetarian lasagna ($12.99). Classic Tostado's burgers ($8.49) with your choice of toppings (including mushrooms, bacon, barbecue, and Swiss, Provolone, or American cheese) and reubens ($8.99) bring the around-the-world menu back home. True to its name, though, Tostado’s also serves up Mexican dishes that range from familiar burritos ($9.99–$11.99, depending on filling) and quesadillas ($9.99–$11.99) to the creative Mexican hot dog ($6.99), which comes with sour cream, mustard, and pico de gallo.

Hyde Park Pizzaria specializes in NY-style pies, baked to crispy, thin-crust perfection in brick ovens. Chefs produce fresh, homemade dough daily for their pizzas and top them with the freshest ingredients, including tomatoes so alive they frequently escape from the store and hurl themselves at unfortunate actors. Pizzas range from $6 for a small plain (9”) to $11 for a large plain (15”). You can also order up the brood-pleasing plain family size (14”x18”) for $14. All your favorite toppings, from pepperoni to jalapeno peppers, are available for extra. Specialty pies range from $8.50 for a small to $16.50 for a large, or $19.75 for family size. The Meat Supreme comes loaded with the fruit of the beasts: tons of pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, and extra cheese. You can order up a rival pizza with the Veggie Supreme, holding mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, green olives, and extra cheese. The Meatball comes with homemade meatballs, and the Deluxe Seven features a most-wanted combo of pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, bacon, and extra cheese. It is certifiably the most delicious number-based food, except possibly algebra flash cards dipped in marinara.

The Blind Moose's menu boasts handcrafted fare consisting of only fresh ingredients. The burgers at The Blind Moose come stuffed with their own decadent toppings; the Texas Cheddar Bacon and Barbecue and the Stuffed Blackened Bleu and Cajun (both $8) are popular pregnant meat patties, while the vegetarian-friendly black-bean burger ($8.50) fills its tauntaun's herbivorous belly with a Han Solo of legumey goodness. You can also dip into the wonton-wrapped, deep-fried provolone stix ($6) or pillage a generous pile of french-fried potatoes tucked cozily beneath a steaming blanket of chili and cheese ($5). House-made soups and salads will satisfy the health nut or marmot in your group, while an ample selection of basket-nestled bar favorites such as the buffalo chicken wrap ($7) and the Pier 7 fish sandwich ($7) offer a savory counterbalance.

Essencha's leisurely tea lunch begins with your selection of either a hot pot of tea or a shot of matcha (finely milled green tea). The tea house lets you choose from over 70 varieties of high-quality blacks, oolongs, greens, whites, rooibos, herbals, and organic flavors. Essencha's passionate staff of tea-totalers will help you navigate this voluminous variety until you find the tea you never knew you craved. Next, a soup of the day or miso soup stretches tongue tendons, followed by a fruit salad or a café salad with seasonal greens, veggies, dried fruit, pine nuts, and lemon vinaigrette. After you fill up on finger sandwiches with your non-teacupped free hand, enjoy a scone paired with clotted cream and jam. A cupcake or triple-chocolate-chunk brownie caps off a meal fit for tea tycoons and tea-drinking raccoons alike.