It’s a common saying among chefs: you eat with your eyes first. While this usually applies to plating a dish, there is something just a bit more special about eating in a stunning restaurant, too. Whether you’re planning for a big event, celebrating a birthday, or trying to impress a special someone, Cleveland offers a number of gorgeous eateries that offer a feast for your eyes as well as your mouth.
L’Albatros
11401 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland
L’Albatros seduces diners with a roster of classic brasserie gems like escargot, roasted cod, and an outstanding selection of cheeses. But since this is a Zack Bruell restaurant, guests can count on more than a few contemporary menu twists, all served up in a series of intimate dining spaces and, in season, one of the region’s loveliest secluded patios. Credit: Scene ArchivesThe Marble Room
623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
Downtown in the old National City Bank building, it’d be hard to find a more beautiful restaurant in town then the swanky Marble Room. The name says it all – the beautiful marble columns and intricately designed molding is absolutely stunning. The immaculately preserved interior boasts 40-foot ceilings, weighty columns, ornate chandeliers and storybook staircases. Credit: Scene ArchivesThe Foundation Room at the House of Blues
Whether it’s before or after a show or just on any night you want to get a drink in a quiet place, you should check out the Foundation Room at the House of Blues – but make sure you know someone who’s a member in order to get in. This funkily-designed bar makes you feel like you’re somewhere in the far East, with Persian rugs and Indian designs giving the place a very relaxing feel. Credit: Scene ArchivesRed, The Steakhouse
417 Prospect Ave., Cleveland
Luscious slabs of beef and creative, indulgent salads, sides and desserts make this modern American steakhouse a prime location for well-heeled meat-eaters. A well-organized wine list, gracious service and contemporary decor with a Napa-like sophistication complete the elegant steakhouse. Credit: Scene ArchivesSociety Lounge
2063 East Fourth St., Cleveland
Everything about this space, from the lit up drinks, to the classy, modern design, is just really cool. Located in the basement of an East Fourth Street building, this place is definitely worth checking out for the decor and the craft drinks. Credit: Scene ArchivesPier W
12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood
This Lakewood seafood restaurant has won Scene’s best of ‘most romantic restaurant’ multiple times, and for good reason. The views of Lake Erie and the city are unmatched, the atmosphere is sophisticated and elegant and the seafood is delicious. Credit: Scene ArchivesGiovanni’s Ristorante
2550 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood
One of the last remaining grande dames of the region’s formal dining scene, this elegant Italian restaurant offers impeccable appointments, attentive service and a luxurious menu of steaks, veal chops, seafood and pasta. Yes, it is expensive. But the chance to put on a suit and feel like a grown-up? Priceless. Credit: Scene ArchivesThe Velvet Tango Room
2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland
Stepping into this Ohio City bar is like being transported in time back to the 1920’s, where you needed a password to enter the bar. Good thing alcohol is legal now and the old timey, warm and charming decor and craft cocktails makes this one of the most unique bars in town. Credit: Scene ArchivesBodega
1854 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights
Set a few steps below street level (in the former Utrecht Art Supplies space), Bodega greets guests with a sleek waterfall, handsome wood floors and shimmering linens, and offers top-flight beers and a staggering amount of martinis and wines. The kitchen turns out cold tapas like stuffed grape leaves, scallop ceviche and beef carpaccio, and hot plates like bruschetta, paella and mussels in saffron. “I love Miami,” says owner Said Ouaddaadaa. ”I thought, why not bring Miami to Cleveland?” Credit: Scene ArchivesSpeakeasy at Quintana’s Barber and Dream Spa
2190 South Taylor Rd., Cleveland Heights
A barbershop in Cleveland Heights doesn’t sound like a place that would have one of the most beautiful bars/restaurants in Cleveland. But when you go above the barbershop, and through a secret bookcase, you’ll find a dimly-lit bar with comfy leather couches and some of the best drinks in town. Credit: Scene ArchivesChez Francois
555 Main St., Vermillion
Nestled on the banks of the Vermilion River, this quaint French restaurant reminds us of why we might never need to visit France. While it’s a bit of a hike out to Vermilion, this is dining at its finest and well worth the trip. Credit: Scene ArchivesAcqua 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. Credit: Scene ArchivesBlue Canyon
8960 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg
Perched on a hill overlooking the Ohio countryside, this rambling lodge offers a lovely backdrop for their hearty American fare. While entrées like short ribs and mac ‘n’ cheese may sound homey, count on the restaurant to update them with luxury ingredients and season them with culinary magic. Credit: Scene ArchivesBest Italian Restaurant: Luca
2100 Superior Viaduct., Cleveland
One of the best Italian restaurants in town also contains one of the best views of the city. The sacchetti, which contains white truffles over ricotta stuffed pasta shells, may sound heavy for the summer but you have to get it while sitting on the patio at this Superior Viaduct located spot. The husband and wife team behind Luca recently opened a more fish forward output called Acqua Di Luca which is one of the hottest new restaurants in town. Credit: Scene ArchivesBartleby
1430 West 28th St., Cleveland
For years, the historic United Banking and Trust Building in Ohio City had been home to Crop Bistro. Soon, it will reopen as Bartleby, a “modern supper club” from owner Morgan Yagi. Designed by renowned Cleveland architecture firm Walker & Weeks, the dazzling space features 35-foot ceilings, an original mural and a lower-level bank vault. Credit: Scene ArchivesCordelia
2058 East 4th St., Cleveland
When speaking of hotly anticipated openings, nothing topped Cordelia taking over the former Lola space. Owner Andrew Watts calls East 4th Street “the best address in the city,” and in July, he and executive chef Vinnie Cimino officially became that street’s newest operators with an approach they call “Midwest Nice”. To complement that “Midwest Nice” hospitality, Cimino has devised a style of cuisine that he calls “Modern Grandma,” which reimagines familiar Midwest classics that many of us grew up enjoying around the family dinner table. A year’s worth of interior work has left the former Lola space lighter, brighter and more lively thanks to a greatly expanded bar and lounge area. Best described as granny chic, the colorful restaurant artfully melds mix-and-match cane-backed furniture, vintage silver and tableware and grand floral-print wallpaper. Other notable improvements to the property include an enlarged kitchen counter, broader front patio and retractable front windows. Credit: Scene ArchivesJoJo’s Bar
87 West St., Chagrin Falls
With Jojo’s Bar, Chagrin Falls finally gets the restaurant it deserves and restaurateur Rick Doody can take that well-earned vacation.For his latest opus, Doody appears to have plucked all the best nuggets from his portfolio of restaurants, which includes 17 River Grille, Cedar Creek Grille and Bar Italia. Those pearls are polished for a more critical audience and presented with New York swagger in a drama-filled space. Rather than go one route or the other, the serial restaurateur opted to marry the timeless appeal of an elevated Italian trattoria with the flair of a classic American chophouse. Once again, Doody has partnered with designer (and wife) Wendy Berry to create a cohesive interior dripping with good taste. Credit: Scene ArchivesJaja
2050 Gehring Ave., Cleveland
Before opening Jaja, Intro, the new nine-story apartment complex across the street from the West Side Market, already had unveiled Edda Coffee Roasters, the all-day café, Pioneer, the wood-fired sports bar, and Truss, the rooftop event space. They then opened Jaja in October, which is described by president of hospitality Dan Whalen as a sexy shared-plate steakhouse with Latin American and Mediterranean influences. When guests exit the elevator on the second level, they will be immersed in a drama-filled space that was designed to foster a fun, casual, free-spirited vibe. Executive chef Brian Whalen has devised a wide-ranging menu that is divided into categories for vegetables, meat, fish and seafood. A large majority of the foods will be coming off the massive live-fire cooking suite at Pioneer. The 20-foot wood-fired grill was designed to be large enough to support both restaurants. Credit: Scene archivesPioneer
2407 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
Pioneer, the new wood-fired sports bar at Intro in Ohio City opened in June. As the name implies, Pioneer captures the spirit of the great outdoors and camping culture, but filters those activities through a new-school lens. Owner Dan Whalen describes the menu as “American food with hints of Latin and South American flavors.” Most sports bar follow a typical format that includes cheap domestic beer, sticky floors and deep-fried everything. Whalen surveyed the landscape and saw the potential for a more elegant version of the sports bar destination. Credit: Scene ArchivesCru Uncorked
34300 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills
Maybe the fanciest joint in town, this Moreland Hills French fine dining restaurant is truly one of a kind in the region. If it wasn’t for the table settings, it would be easy to forget that you were touring a public restaurant and not the private home of the wealthiest family on the street — a street that also happened to be located in the ritziest zip code in town. The actual building looks like it was plucked from the Normandy countryside.
Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene ArchivesGigi’s on Fairmount
3477 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights
This chic and funky wine bar is one of the cooler decorated joints in town. Three always changing entrees are offered in addition to a wide array of their signature bruschetta bars, paninis, salads and small plates. We love their brunch as well. Credit: Scene ArchivesIl Venetian
100 St. Clair Ave. NE., Cleveland
From the team behind Marble Room, and the fabulous Lockkeepers in Valley View, Il Venetian opened to rave reviews in 2018. While the city in general is full of Italian restaurants, downtown doesn’t have a ton of them. Venetian is up there for the best Italian in town, with a creative menu and beautiful decor. Credit: Scene ArchivesStrip Steakhouse
36840 Detroit Rd., Avon
Housed in a 160-year-old Pennsylvania Dutch barn, this steak house is anything but old-fashioned. Owner Ron Larson spiffed up the interior in ways that will pleasantly surprise diners expecting doilies and drapes. The two-story barn features a first-floor lounge with open kitchen and a spacious loft dining room. First-rate steaks and chops share the menu with less conventional steakhouse fare, like smoked chicken, pasta Bolognese and horseradish-crusted grouper. Credit: Scene ArchivesHyde Park Prime Steakhouse
Multiple Locations
What started off in 1988 as a standalone steakhouse on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights has turned into 5 different restaurant concepts and 13 Hyde Park’s – including three around Cleveland and one in Akron. And while sometimes chains mean lower quality, this franchise has kept up the quality of their delicious steaks and fancy dining rooms, which are seasoned with their special steak butter. Credit: Scene ArchivesML Tavern
34105 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills
With Hyde Park being around so long, it’s almost an afterthought in the Cleveland steakhouse scene, but that shouldn’t be the case with ML Tavern from the Hyde Park Restaurant Group. Thick-cut steaks, a healthy portion of chicken milanese, lobster mashed potatoes and the roasted corn are highlights at this beautifully decorated Moreland Hills joint that will make you feel like you’re sitting in a Ralph Lauren advertisement and are dining after you’ve finished riding your horse. Credit: Scene ArchivesCabin Club
30651 Detroit Rd., Westlake
Big, juicy steaks, an annotated wine list, and friendly waitresses make this the place for expense-account types to unwind after work or to entertain on the weekends. Excellent choices include the Cabin Club strip steak, the center-cut rib-eye, a behemoth porterhouse, and a buttery filet mignon. A few seafood and poultry items are also available. Credit: Scene ArchivesLockkeepers
8001 Rockside Rd., Valley View
Owned by Milennia Hospitality Group, the same owners of the beloved Marble Room and Il Venetian, the recently redesigned Lockkeepers is one of the best Italian spots in town. Located in a beautiful setting on the historic Erie Canal and Cuyahoga River, the picturesque setting is hardly the only star of the show here. The veal chop parmigiano, sausage-stuffed peppers and seafood fra diavolo pasta are all to die for. Credit: Scene ArchivesThe 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. Their brunch matches up with the rest of the restaurant, with tasty offerings like their brûlée French toast, chilaquiles, steak and eggs, shakshuka and much more. Credit: Scene ArchivesAmba
1430 West 28th St., Cleveland
Walk into Amba and it’s clear you have the makings of another one-of-a-kind experience from chef Doug Katz. The building is divided into two connected but distinct spaces, the main Amba dining room and the smaller Bar Amba. As at Zhug in Cleveland Heights, the aim is to foster an energetic, lively and informal atmosphere where diners can feel comfortable standing, talking and visiting with nearby tables. Also reminiscent of Zhug, the menu at Amba is loaded with small plates built for sharing. There are two dozen items that range from small, zesty condiments to composed meat and fish dishes. Many of these “Indian-inspired” street foods have a clear through line all the way back to the tandoor oven at Fire. There are options for vegans, gluten-free diners, seafood- and meat-eaters. Credit: Scene ArchivesFilter
740 W. Superior Ave., Cleveland
Since opening his first Sauce Boiling Seafood Express restaurant in 2019, Kyler Smith has gone on to open four more locations in Ohio, with more on the way. In February, Smith opened Filter in former Take 5 Rhthym and Jazz space in the Perry–Payne Building and the changes are dramatic, to say the least. Sporting a lounge-like atmosphere, with shimmering fabric panels, a DJ booth and lengthy bar, the 120-seat restaurant and bar is already attracting a ton of attention.
The menu is under the control of chef Jarrett Mines, whose client roster as a private chef includes top players from the Cleveland Browns. Diners can look forward to American fare like pasta, fish, lamb chops and steak. Credit: Scene Archives
