Top New Restaurants in Cincinnati, OH

It’s time to dine deliciously, Cincinnati. If you’ve been looking for dynamic places to savor the best food and drink in the city, visit the following top new restaurants.

Bee’s Barbecue

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Brendan Hague, who goes by the name Bee, is a true Cincinnati soul who sought an opportunity to bring his pop-up barbecue experiences to a brick-and-mortar business in his hometown. When a space in the Madisonville neighborhood opened up, he wasted no time securing it and transforming it into a delicious destination for tasty barbecue. His restaurant officially opened its doors to the public in April 2021. Since that time, he has served legions of barbecue lovers across the city.

Bee’s Barbecue delivers the spicy and smoked specialties that you crave when you want superb barbecue, everything from turkey breast and ribs to brisket and pulled pork. Signature Bee’s Barbecue sandwiches include The Bee Sting, a pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw, Grippo’s barbecue sauce, and Bee’s infamous hot sauce.

Location: 5910 Chandler St.

Telephone: (513) 561-2337

E+O Kitchen – The Banks

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World-class ingredients, superior flavors, and an inviting ambiance are the signature qualities behind E+O Kitchen. The dining establishment created its home base in Hyde Park in 2015 but opened a second location in The Banks in late autumn 2021.

The E+O concept, which celebrates the best of the earth and ocean, reflects an Asian infusion of cultures from the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian nations. Each dish prepared by the E+O Kitchen culinary team reflects the highest quality local ingredients and imaginative preparations.

E+O Kitchen – The Banks offers something for every guest, with imaginative lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch specialties. The perennially popular Buddha Bowls pair exceptional salmon poke and ahi tuna with pickled red onions, cucumber, and sushi rice. Entrees reflect a medley of flavors and textures as they embody the culinary team’s ingenuity. The Togarashi spiced salmon combines a piquant wasabi aioli with stir-fry vegetables and sweet soy.

Traditional-style sashimi and sushi both star on the menu, along with nutrient-packed salads such as the E+O Famous Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad.

Location: 56 W. Freedom Way

Telephone: (513) 684-1720

Emery

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Bringing an urban dining experience to the heart of the historic Mariemont Square, Emery offers casual and sophisticated dining spaces within the same building. Looking Glass Hospitality Group opened this restaurant in December 2020, and since then, it has quickly gained a reputation for fine cuisine and service.

Whether you’re visiting for an intimate dinner, cocktails, or family celebration, Emery is a hub of hospitality that will elevate every one of your special occasions and celebrations.

Hearty entrees will satisfy your appetite and introduce you to a medley of imaginative flavor pairings. Sample the pan-seared halibut served with marble potatoes, sweet potatoes, fennel, carrot-curry puree, and a grapefruit-orange frisee salad. Steak lovers will adore the dry-aged New York strip steak. This sumptuous creation features a 14-ounce bone-in strip steak served with roasted mushrooms, farro, rosemary, and thyme oil and accented with a red wine demi-glace.

Let Emery’s master mixologists go to work crafting you a memorable cocktail. Try the Clyborne’s Peach Old Fashioned, a lively libation featuring Cooper’s Craft bourbon infused with ginger peach tea, fresh ginger syrup, peach puree, and Luxardo cherry. The Lemon Meringue is a luscious cocktail pairing Caravella Limoncello with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and heavy cream.

Location: 6914 Wooster Pike

Telephone: (513) 272-5150

Somerset Bar

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If you’ve ever dreamed of enjoying exceptional drinks on an island paradise of your own, Somerset Bar offers an experience that comes close to approximating an island getaway. Owner James Fisher, the co-founder of Somerset and Lost Hospitality, opened this nouveau cocktail garden bar in Over the Rhine as a jungle oasis featuring found materials from around the world placed in an exotic garden and conservatory setting.

The drinks on the menu reflect global spirits and cocktails with creative interpretations. The Molotov Mule unites vodka with a red wine float and house ginger beer. Sip a Tokyo Toddy, a concoction of apple cinnamon-infused sake, lemon, honey, and tea.

According to a Cincinnati Enquirer article, Somerset Bar has teamed up with food truck Mazunte Tacos to offer bar guests global street food with a Mexican influence.

Stop by for happy hour between 4 and 7 p.m. weekdays for $2 off all cocktails, spirits, and draft beers.

Location: 139 E. McMicken Ave.

Telephone: (513) 246-4187

Yuca by Cedar

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If your palate packs a penchant for Latin American cuisine, you’ll want to plan your next dining out excursion to Yuca by Cedar. Jeremy Faeth, co-owner and executive chef of the popular Covington brunch establishment called Cedar, opened Yuca, his second restaurant, in nearby Bellevue, Kentucky, last summer.

Delivering a “one-hour vacation to our guests with a Latin twist,” this restaurant offers patrons an introduction to the flavors of Latin America with some of the culinary team’s distinctive touches. Open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, Yuca offers a pleasant, casual dining ambiance, complete with a one-of-a-kind tequila vault.

Breakfast dishes include The Hangover, a lively combination of sunny-side-up eggs, chorizo, potatoes, avocado, and cilantro. A Peruvian shrimp ceviche celebrates South American influences with shrimp cured in lime juice, along with queso fresco and a fire-roasted corn pico de gallo.

Cocktail creations blend bold flavors in hand-crafted drinks such as the Yucalada, featuring lime and pineapple juices, coconut rum, and Camarena Silver tequila.

Location: 700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, Kentucky

Telephone: (859) 360-0110

Now that you’ve had an opportunity to preview some of Cincinnati’s top new restaurants, it’s time to make your reservations. We hope this preview of our community’s dining establishments will encourage you to leave the cooking to someone else and treat your taste buds to thoughtful pairings of textures and flavors on your plate and in your glass.

What did you think about our list of restaurants? Did we miss one of your favorite places to dine in Cincinnati? Write to us and let us know. Our team members at Performance Honda enjoy sharing our city’s culinary gems and up-and-coming restaurants with customers and visitors.

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