22 Hard-to-Get Cleveland Restaurant Tables That Are Worth the Wait and Effort

Vero Pizza

12421 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights

Vero doesn’t take reservations, and this pizza spot in the former Gelateria fills up fast. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is cozy, so give this Heights restaurant a shot on a weekday when you’re craving pizza.

Cent's Pizza

5010 Lorain Ave, Clevelands

Cent's is all about the details, from the dough to the toppings to the goods for sale in front and the stunning design.
While hand-shaped and baked in a wood-burning oven, the pies can only loosely be described as Neapolitan. They are larger, more uniformly round and lack the soupy middle and wild crown typical of the genre. Also don't miss the Wonder Bread: After a quick spell in the wood-fired oven, a doughball is transformed into a nearly spherical steam-filled loaf. Of course, it tastes even better when schmeared with the house-cultured butter or the 'nduja.

Il Rione

1303 West 65th St., Cleveland

It's safe to say that there are no other pizza joints in town quite like Il Rione. The warm lighting, stylishly weathered interior and upbeat soundtrack spinning out tracks combine to create more of a pizza lounge than pizza shop. But here’s the kicker: the New York/Jersey style pizza is phenomenal so if you can snag a reservation, do it.

Acqua Di Luca

500 West St. Clair Ave., Cleveland

For those looking for a restaurant to celebrate life’s big moments, thankfully, there’s Acqua di Luca, the latest restaurant from the husband-and-wife team behind Luca Italian Cuisine and Luca West. In true “special-occasion restaurant” form, the menu is unabashedly extravagant. The walk-in coolers are filled to the brim with shellfish, fin fish, veal, filet mignon, Kobe beef and menacing tomahawk chops. Those luxe foodstuffs are gilded with saffron, brown butter, Nebbiolo wine reductions and freshly shaved truffles. It's packed, and it's worth it.

Zhug

12413 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights With the unveiling Zhug, Doug Katz has created a new gravitational center for this side of town, attracting diners with such force that many get turned away. If your idea of Middle Eastern food consists largely of tightly wrapped falafel sandwiches, shawarma carved from a twirling spit and grilled beef shish-kabob on a bed of rice, Zhug will expand your culinary horizons in a million little ways. With its dazzling small plates, meticulously crafted cocktails and ripped-from-Tel Aviv-vibe, this cosmopolitan eatery upends every Cleveland dining convention.

Amba

Though Amba has its roots in a former ghost kitchen of the same name, this fully realized version has little in common with that take-out-only operation. Katz and executive chef Cameron Pishnery have crafted a tantalizing menu of Indian-inspired dishes that range from finger foods on up to full entrees. Like Zhug in Cleveland Heights, Amba all but demands the passing and sharing of plates, which need not be ordered all at once. If charting a course from a roster of 25 or so uncommon items seems daunting, lean on the servers, who are keen guides for the journey.
Better still, consider ordering a chef’s tasting for two, four, six or eight people. Our party of four went that route and was treated to course after course of stunning food for the more-than-reasonable amount of $123 (total, not each).

The Last Page

100 Park Ave. Ste. 128, Orange Village

Within a tsunami of fast-casual monotony, The Last Page at Pinecrest is a welcome detour. This modern-day supper club offers an immersive, upscale experience, from the luxuriously appointed waiting area to the grand bar in the rear of the drama-filled dining room. A lengthy menu avoids categorization of any kind, presenting instead a blitz of appealing items that lean on various cultures and cuisines.

Martha on The Fly

2173 Professor Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

This breakfast concept took their pop-up concept and turned it into a brick and mortar spot that opened in Tremont in 2022. At this micro-diner, patrons can look forward to breakfast sandwiches perfected during the pop-up run, items like the Betty, Shirley and Doris egg sandwiches and their phenomenal cornmeal fries. With just a few seats at the counter for those who want to dine in, be sure to plan ahead and maybe wait a bit. You'll be handsomely rewarded.

Thyme X Table

583 Dover Center Rd., Bay Village

In Bay Village, Thyme Table, which opened in 2019, has quickly established itself as one of the best restaurants in the near Western suburbs. Chef-owner Michael Smith captured the curiosity and support of the community with his spiffed-up tavern concept, where the menu is approachable at nearly every turn. Thyme Table is the opposite of a special-occasion restaurant, but that doesn't mean there is nothing special about the place. Lobster tater tots? Don't miss them.

Ginko

2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland

If you take a seat at the Ginko sushi bar and say “Omakase,” you will have the best sushi-eating experience available in Cleveland. Working with the highest quality of fish, the chefs there will slice and present a sparkling parade of sashimi that almost looks too good to eat. But eat you will, as Cleveland has been doing since Ginko swung open the doors years ago and welcomed everyone to a dining room that's always full.