My favorite restaurant in Cincinnati! A must try if you're visiting or in town. My go to for…read morespecial celebratory dinners. Food: 5/5 Dishes are explained as slightly larger plates than tapas style. My favorites: Wood Grilled Octopus, Crispy Falafel, Bouillabaisse. Love the Moroccan Mint Tea as well! Service: 4.7/5 Very friendly! They course out your plates for you which I always love. They were able to accommodate my pescatarian diet (I.e., meats on the side to give to others at the table). On a less busy night, they offered a free toast for my birthday. I've been for other celebratory dinners here on busier nights where that hasn't happened, so it was a lovely surprise! Ambiance: 4/5 A little busy and can get loud on the weekends with table chatter, cutlery clinks, and the brick walls echoing noise around. Tables are also close together, so you can definitely hear the conversation next to you. The decor is pleasant and the lighting is soft and romantic enough that it is still a perfect date night spot! There are also a couple larger crescent booths for larger parties.

My husband I were visiting Cincinnati on vacation and found this place based on online reviews. We…read moretypically like small plates, bar seating and a lively scene where we can interact with others. This place hit all the boxes. We were able to score bar seats without a reservation and had a nice time here. Parking - we ubered here, it looks like they had street parking but that might have been more tricky. We tried: Octopus - great, a tad salty Gambas - my husband enjoyed this Salmon - I especially liked the crunchy chickpeas Chenin Blanc Normandia White Blend Neon Lights (cocktail) - not my favorite Rosé - amazing, a great porch pounder. (Muga Rose, Spain)

I have become a regular here recently after a wonderful experience I had sitting at the bar! the…read morebartender, Ryann, had great recommendations, was friendly, and made amazing cocktails. I LOVE all of the small bites, especially the Crispy Hallumi, and the "How's your love life" cocktail is 10/10!

We walked by this place on our way to the weekend art fest, and 'twas like 'huh, 1937 eh .. pretty…read morecool'. The place had a bygone era dignity, a european alfresco vibe (a la Sudova), a refined mediterranean food vibe (a la Abigail Street) and there was the whole 1937 thing. When we got there the owner explained this was the descendants of the founder of Gold Start Chili opening this as a homage to his vision of a restaurant as an elevated yet welcoming family place. The place it turns out reflects the fact that they bought what was a refined saloon (where the Brat Boyz might have met in the 50s), along with a decidedly modern vibe in the back. I could ramble on about the food, but the salad makes the point. Everything they have is familiar .. with a twist. The salad is extra fresh because it is a head of romaine artfully sauced with a test for herbivores to practice turkey carving skills. The other dishes mirror that sort of familiar-meets -twist take. Devilled eggs (something I decidedly avoid at buffets) was quite good, with a homemade chili oils and black salt. The staff was quite chill, engaging but not talking your ear off. Much of the staff were childhood buddies who decided (I guess successfully) to test their friendship by going into business to together. The only part I'd quibble is the '1937' thing (it's when the Gold Star owner was born, not 2020 when the restaurant opened). But you know, quibbles get muffled when uttered with a mouth full of Biscoff 'meatloaf' (thick cut) and home made OrangeCello.

Tonight I stumbled into Ripple looking for a glass of wine and ended up finding exactly what I…read moredidn't know I needed. From the moment I sat down at the bar, owner Matt and the bartenders made me feel genuinely welcome. They took the time to learn my name, offer recommendations, and check in throughout the evening without ever being overbearing. It's a rare gift to make a solo guest feel seen while still giving them space to enjoy their own company. The food was outstanding. I ordered the baked brie with the honeycomb (trust me, get the honeycomb) and every bite was delicious. The combination of warm brie, puff pastry, honey, and nuts was incredible. Matt's wine recommendation was equally spot on. What impressed me most, though, was the atmosphere. Ripple strikes the perfect balance between sophisticated and comfortable. Whether you're on a date, catching up with friends, or simply enjoying a quiet evening alone, you'll feel right at home. I arrived as a first-time guest and left feeling like a regular. Covington is lucky to have this place. I'll definitely be back.

Had a lovely Saturday afternoon here courtesy of a gift card I received for my birthday. My husband…read moreand I sat at the attractive, comfortable bar and enjoyed two nice glasses of red - a Barbera and a red blend. We split the six item charcuterie board. Our server was attentive and guided us expertly on cheeses to complement our meats and the assorted goodies, that include nuts, herbed butter and fig spread. The bread from Allez Bakery that comes with the board is outstanding. Look forward to visiting again.

Came here for a special occasion birthday dinner. There were three of us, which I think is the…read moreperfect number for tapas. We were welcomed warmly and seated at what I think is the very best table in the restaurant. It's the booth that feels like you're almost in your own private room. It kind of hugged us into our own little world and was perfect for a birthday dinner. Then there was Joel, the loveliest of servers. Fun, funny, knowledgeable about the food and just delightful. Joel gets five stars all by himself. We all started with the El Luchador cocktails. They were SPICY. Probably a touch too spicy for some people, but we loved them. Now, I'll be honest. When I first looked at the menu, I was concerned. I don't like goat cheese. I know, I know. I like ALL the other cheeses, just not goat cheese. And this is a goat cheese heavy menu. But I jumped to conclusions because there turned out to be plenty for me to eat. We started with the PAN CON TOMATE. Get this. It's amazing. It seems like it should be simple, but they've somehow elevated it to another level. SANDÍA CON MACHA. This is one of those dishes where you imagine someone in the kitchen putting these flavors together and asking, "Is this good?" And the answer is YES. ACEITUNAS ALIÑADAS Y QUESO MURCIA AL' VINO. They were kind enough to keep my olives from mingling with the goat cheese. The olives I had were meaty and delicious. MEJILLONES CON VINO. My FAVORITE. The mussels were fantastic, but the fennel and that dreamy broth were what really did it for me. PULPO. I tried it. It was delicious. Eating octopus just freaks me out because they're so smart. This is not Mita's fault. This is between me and the octopus. TOSTADA DE CANGREJO. My second favorite thing of the night. A party-in-your-mouth situation. YUM. TACOS DE CORDERO. I didn't eat these, but the others in our party were very happy. BROCHETAS DE POLLO. By this point we were FULL, but these were still very good. Tender, nutty and just the right amount of kick. Overall, the flavors here are unexpected in the best possible way and clearly created by someone who really knows their stuff. If you're up for a culinary adventure, this is absolutely the place. And even if you're not particularly adventurous, there are plenty of delicious things here that can make a special night feel even more special. Fantastic food, fantastic service and a fantastic birthday dinner. And Joel, five stars. Sorry about the lack of photos.

TL:DR good service, decent food, nice ambiance for dates or fun group dinners. Not the best tapas…read moreand at this price point, I wanted a little more but all in all fine, not great. This spot was close to our hotel so we made a reservation for a group dinner here. It's a nice looking restaurant with fitting decor that doesn't feel overly stuffy but has a colorful elegance to it. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful with the menu. We ordered a variety of items, including the empanadas, the plantains, 2 ceviches, cheese plate, chicken skewers, and mussels. The empanadas, standard ceviche, and skewers were good. The rest were pretty meh. See my pictures for more but it was a very uneven meal. I got the cheesecake for dessert and it was slightly frozen in the middle. All in all, it's a good restaurant but not great as the food was inconsistent. But if you want to come on a date or for a group dinner, it's worth the visit. Just be selective of what you get.

My husband and I chose Mama's for our anniversary dinner and had a wonderful experience! We…read morefrequent another pasta restaurant in town and wanted to try something new that also had several Italian classics to choose from. It was all delicious, service was wonderful, vibes were beautiful, and I felt the food came at a good value for what we ordered. Mainstrasse in Covington is an experience and Mama's is part of that! We sat outside on the patio to take it all in- highly recommend in nice weather. The building itself is beautiful and both the inside and outside feature artsy details in the decor that I really appreciated. My favorite was the mismatched plates, which were darling and cozy! Our waitstaff was quick and friendly, allowing us to order all at once and bringing things out with great timing- quickly, but not until we finished a course so we weren't rushed. We appreciated getting in and out relatively quick as we had a sitter at home. We decided to go a little all out and try a lot of items together. First, the focaccia and ricotta was enjoyable but not my favorite bread starter I've had. It hit the spot but I wasn't raving about it like another one of my favorite whipped ricotta starters across town. The arancini, however, was fantastic- probably our favorite thing we ate. Hot, crispy, and paired with a delicious spicy marinara that was super standout and flavorful. Next we got the stonefruit panzanella, which was beautiful and really yummy. The burrata was delicious in particular and while the cherries and peaches weren't the best I've had all season, they worked well together in this dish. For our entrees, we split both the chicken parmesan and the limone pasta. The chicken parmesan was huge, we both had a large piece even after it was split. The pasta had that delicious marinara from earlier and we really enjoyed it, which is saying a lot for a simple marinara spaghetti. The chicken was very thin and crispy. I liked the limone even better- it was very lemon forward which can be hard to achieve in a creamy sauce. We only wished we tried more shapes of pasta because it's made in house and the spaghetti was the perfect level of al dente in our opinions. We were super full, but ordered the cookie platter to finish the meal. We split a couple of the 6 cookies that came in 3 varieties, but took the rest home! The chewy almond/amaretto cookie was our favorite and really unique. My husband also had an old fashioned and commented that he liked it a lot. I would have expected this much food to come out to much more than it did- $100! I feel that is a great value for a special occasion considering we were stuffed and tried a ton of menu items. Overall, this was such an indulgent and fun experience and I'd highly recommend Mama's to anyone who is looking for a yummy Italian experience with comfort food classics in a fun, cozy Covington setting.

Here's the deal: amazing Italian restaurant with a unique decor. Great seating outside and even a…read morerooftop section to explore on a beautiful night. The menu is small, but the food is wonderful! Our service was excellent! Highly recommended Mama's

How have I not heard of this place?! I'm in love. Incredible Italian flavor with pasta made fresh…read moredaily. Focaccia is a must and I loved the kale base for their Caesar. PLEASE get the short rib ravioli. The flavor is unreal. The gnocchi was summery and fresh and I enjoyed it, but it wouldn't rank as high as the lasagna for me. We finished with the Italian chocolate mousse pudding with toffee and had zero regrets. The place was absolutely adorable and we never wanted for anything. Service was solid! Moved up HIGH on my list of Cincy favs. I'm telling all my friends

The chicken piccata is one of the better versions you'll find in the Cincinnati/NKY area. Bright…read moreflavor, balanced sauce, and a kitchen that clearly knows how to treat chicken. If you're into Italian classics done right, this one's worth ordering.

Very pleasant experience dining here…read more Wanted a steak tonight and a new place we haven't been. This place checked both of those boxes. The creekstone NY strip was cooked to perfection and seeing the kitchen from our seat was a neat addition. Our server was great as she asked if I was eating Halal (which I was) and ensured everything we ordered was not with ham or pork. Great service and food. Highly recommend!!

Amazing visit to the newly opened Etxe. When you walk in, you know you're in for a dining…read moreexperience. The ambiance is so well set with mood lighting and wood. The staff is very welcoming and patrons are dressed very nice. We were lucky enough to sit near the open kitchen and I highly recommend doing so. It was fun to watch the magic happen in the kitchen. If you can, ask to sit nearby. Now onto the food, nothing we had dissapoint we at all. We started with the queso baguette, amazing, on the smaller side, but amazing flavor. Then we had the artichokes and these stole the show. Great flavors and textures. We ordered the 24 oz waygu to share and it was cooked to perfection. They also let you choose your steak which was a nice touch. Great date night at a new spot!

Let's start with the server, Kali, she was wonderful & very informative about the menu…read more We started with the limoncello spritz & the four roses small batch old fashion. The drinks were large and perfectly blended. The ice cube in the old fashion was even rose shaped. My wife had the short ribs, they were so tender. The server who brought them out said, " I will leave the knife but you won't need it." Boy was he right. I had the shrimp short rib 4 cheese tortellini. The flavors melded so well. It made for a completely different flavor from the regular short ribs. The butter for the table bread was an interesting mix of garlic & herbs (it is green) and full of flavor. We completed our meal with the Bonbonerie Opera Creme Cake, oh my, what a finishing act. The chocolate cake, crem icing and chocolate pieces melded together to make a perfect flavor combination. Sit outside if you can, the area in Covington has a nice view of the local charm. Several restaurants along one of the main streets. Perfect Saturday date night or the dinner before the show, ballgame, etc.

I loved the ambiance of the restaurant. It was decorated very cute and gave a very comfortable…read moreatmosphere. The food was OK - we had the truffle combo, table bread, and shrimp short rib tortellini. I wasn't impressed with the food. Our waitress was very attentive and we sat for a while after dinner to sip our drinks. It was nice they didn't rush us out.