This might be my favorite restaurant, well if I had not had any food for two months and my choice was eat here or death. So I ordered the short rib which was mercifully flavorless mostly but when it did have flavor it was cloyingly sweet from their "wine sauce" which overpowered the under seasoned ribs and lukewarm pile of flavorless, lifeless starch they described as "creamy grits". In addition my father ordered the pasta dish with chicken. The pasta was from an outside vender so it was automatically better than the horror show of food provided by the hapless kitchen, the chicken however seemed to be from the prestigious vender Tyson's. Despite the outside help the kitchen managed to serve this at a temperature conducive for rigor mortis. Lastly my mom has celiac disorder, which is essentially a terrible gluten allergy which can lead to intestinal cancer if exposed to gluten asked the waiter if the fried carrots on the sticky sweet meat pile were fried in gluten free oil. The waiter, more on him later, said curtly "if it says gluten free it is" well my mom almost instantaneously got a headache and an upset stomach, you know something that happens to people with celiac when they are exposed to gluten. Now the waiter, he started off with a joke saying we were the first table he has ever served which is in line with saying "a shred of truth in every joke". None of the food came out at the same time my wife started her foray into mediocrity 20 minutes before any of the rest of the party could join in the Bataan Death March of culinary experiences. Overall restaurants like this irk me, terrible food and service and mediocre food. Essentially they pretend to be fine dining and sucker people in until they run out of suckers. read more

Placed our group of 16 (2 tables of 8) in the alcove which worked out very well. Was like having a private room without being cut off to the restaurant atmosphere. Decor is modern and simple. Bar tenders very attentive and we were served quickly cocktails sized appropriately. Moscow mule also a popular cocktail with our group. Greek salad big, so shared by 3 which was plenty with dinner. Friends enjoyed the flavorful mussels - great sauce. Had filet au poivre which was tasty and tender. Thought it should have been plated with gravy on the plate then filet and then topped with potatoes. Instead the gravy was pored over the filet and potatoes giving it a pot roast look. Nonetheless I enjoyed it. Husband had Delmonico said it was OK but was disappointed with roasted potatoes he sub for Broccoli Gratin. Said they tasted like they were out of a bag, overcooked, dry and tasteless. I had same ones but they were smothered in gravy. Were fine for me. Loved the Fire and Ice desert (lava cake with ice cream). Baked perfectly with a tender cake shell with yummy warm rich chocolate center. Others enjoyed the Double Chocolate Ganache. Don't let the Espresso Kahlua Soup description throw you. A few of us would have ordered it but the "soup" description turned us off. Our loss. Mint Kiss, Dark and Dulce and Fighting Irishman all popular after dinner drinks and coffees at our table. This is my second visit to restaurant and I would go again. Service good though our server could have been a bit more helpful in explaining menu items. Not sure if he didn't know or just hurried. He was good and attentive. Menu isn't one that will knock you socks off but there's enough variety and prices are fair. read more

We decided to try this restaurant after we could not get a reservation last week before the Lewis Black show. We were seated off in the northwest corner of the restaurant and it was cold to the point of being unpleasant. The acoustics are horrible and it's hard to hold a normal dinner conversation. The waiter demeanor was perfunctory and inattentive. The food was uninspired and bland. The Beef Beaujolais was especially disappointing because the cut of beef was 50% untrimmed fat. Disgusting! I asked for the manager, who turned out to be the owner, to talk about the Beef Beaujolais. His lame response was to give me the restaurant's business card and promise to make my next reservation at the restaurant. He was obviously too busy parading around a bottle of his favorite wine to various tables to care much about me or the food served in his restaurant. At any other descent restaurant in town, the manager would have insisted on comping the meal, buth the thought never entered his mind. Don't bother with this restaurant. There is much better dining close by. read more

On News Year Eve, myself and seven friends came in for a nice meal before ringing in the New Year. I must say, I was a bit skeptical after reading previous reviews. District did not disappoint! It was a 4 course meal & everything was excellent. Our server was professional and attentive, which can make or a break the meal. I enjoyed the calamari which was unusual to any other calamari I have had. The Filet came out with crumbled goat cheese that soon melted onto the steak, delicious touch. I will be back to try their regular menu very soon! read more

Fair food, very good service. Salads came out so fast they had to be premade. Tasted fine but not parallel to the price points. Seafood risotto was on the salty side. Fire and ice dessert was very good. Shout out to the tall thin hostess who was walking the floor looking side to side making sure everyone was taken care of and all details seemed in order. Good bet before a show at playhouse square, though you might get a higher tier of food execution elsewhere for the same prices. read more

Do yourself a favor and pick another place. Atmosphere isn't the same as it used to be. Food was overpriced and mediocre at best.

My wife, another couple and I went to District last weekend before going to see Wicked. We arrived at 5:45 for our reservation, in plenty of time for a 7:30 show start. Our server never came to the table, so after 15 minutes of chatting, we went to hostess to tell her. Our server came over right away then, but she was clearly in the weeds. She was not rude, but not overly sorry or apologetic for the delay. We ordered cocktails and apps, the calamari, which were very good and timely. Then she disappeared for a long while. Then, finally, we ordered the entrees. We had the salmon, the filet special and our friends shared a wedge salad and the seafood risotto. The food took a long time and came out, and when it did, was luke warm at best. The manager offered to re-fire the entrees, which we took advantage of. More time. At about 7:00, he brought us comp'd desserts. Nice, but not needed. He didn't offer or ask us if we wanted them. We would have rather just had my wife's salmon comp'd because she didn't eat it, even after a re-fire. The food had good taste, but just wasn't hot. After the delays, our server brought the bill, which was divided completely wrong. We pointed out the errors and she was off to correct. Now, 7:20, so our wives left to get to the show and we stayed to pay and rush to the show. Our server returned and the bills were still wrong. At this point, we just paid as we were going to be late for the show. We ended up missing the entry time and the first 12 minutes of Wicked due to this. I would put 100% of this on the service. All of the delays and cold food was due to our server. The location is great and food has potential, but I think I'll wait a good while before going back, if at all. Too many other great places in the area to endure another disappointment with poorly trained servers. read more

This is a great addition to Playhouse Square. My husband and I had a wonderful dining experience there this evening before seeing Guys and Dolls at the Hanna. We enjoyed the wine flight recommended by our waiter. My salmon was excellent as was my husband's steak/scallop entree. Kudos to Eric the personable manager and his very attentive staff. read more

We dined there on Thursday before the play, Eric suggested that I try the Goose Confetti. It was fantastic, I have never had goose before and I was very pleased with my meal. My wife had the Ribeye another great meal. Definitely give this place a look. Howard read more

Family of 5 before a show. Location to playhouse square is great, service outstanding, food was on time to make show, delicious, and well prepared. Rolls are outstanding (but they only give you one/person at a time). Wine list is very good and reasonable. Our daughter has food allergies and they navigated the options to keep her safe very well and went the extra mile to provide options. Service was top notch. Best dishes were salmon, filet and gnocchi. Will return. read more

Went on a Tuesday night with a large group. Made reservations for 5:00 in order to have enough time to make a show at the palace. Service was excellent and the food was amazing. Several in our group ordered the flat iron steak (excellent), several ordered vegetarian dishes (excellent), and I had the barramundi (AMAZING). We will definitely return! read more

Excellent service. Nice view at window seats. Salmon and trout were excellent. Emptied out at showtime which is fine! Wine list reasonable

Stopped for an early evening dinner and was not disappointed. Seared tuna was perfect. Barramundi was excellent with lemon sauce. Crab cakes and falafel also tasty. Excellent presentation of the meals. Would definitely return for another dinner. read more

My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner at District this summer and it was one of the highlights of our Cleveland wedding! The manager, Eric, made this such an easy experience; he even helped us make a custom menu for the night. They setup the patio for appetizers & drinks and then we moved into a section of the dining room for our meal. Eric and the servers took great care of our friends and family, all 25 of them, everyone was so impressed! We love exploring Cleveland's restaurants and have been to District several times before the rehearsal dinner. We think their menu is incredible and everyone is friendly. There are a few favorites we get each time (Beef Stroganoff with angel hair pasta) and we always find something new to enjoy. Their chef doesn't hesitate to put together specials that show he's one of the best in Cleveland. Seriously, this is a talented kitchen. We also make sure to spend some time at the bar; they have really friendly tenders, a great happy hour, and cocktail recipes that always do the trick! If anyone asks me where a good place to eat in Cleveland is, District is the first place that comes to mind - I recommend it a lot and will be back often! read more

Four of us dined here prior to a show. We all enjoyed our meals and dessert. Our waiter was quite fun too. One thing the District management should know is that I have often heard people asking if the District is actually open for business (I work in the area). From the outside it looks closed due to the darkened windows. They should do something to the exterior of the restaurant to bring more attention to the place. Every time I walk past I think "it really does look closed". I want this place to succeed, but if people don't even realize it's open that is a real problem. read more

Dined at District and everything was outstanding! The District Sidecar is one of the best I have had. And I had the soup and the Angel Hair Stroganoff which was amazing. Everyone at our table really enjoyed their meals. The owner stopped by and was delightful. This will be a lunch and pre-show spot! read more

Amazing food and drinks! Server was so accommodating for our large party. A wonderful addition to my trip.

Won't go back. Server was pleasant food was underseasoned and way overpriced. I sent my dish back and the manager assured me that it would be better and he had the chef taste it. I think the chef needs new taste buds. read more

I had to make a late reservation in downtown Cleveland, after 9 pm. Very difficult to do, but District took the large party reservation, designed a tasting menu for 25 people, kept very professional staff on to serve, and even the chef stayed late to welcome us. This is one of my new favorite restaurants. Thanks District, you are superb. Food is excellent, ambience quiet and classic, service wonderful. And they will stay open late. I'll be back. read more

This place was just okay. Went here before seeing a show at the Playhouse and was expecting better. I got the strip steak which was cooked very well but I was disappointed because the broccoli served with it was way over cooked (barely had color) and it was obviously frozen. My mom said her brussel sprouts tasted frozen also but my dads asparagus was fresh so that was confusing. Both said that all the fish meals they've had there previously were delicious and my dads salmon was good. However, the fire and ice dessert was tiny. They gave a lot of ice cream but the cake was very small. The chocolate ganache was good and the raspberry sauce was delicious but it came with a chocolate covered rice crispy treat which was good at first but then I got to a different size and it was frozen and hurt to bite--weird. Overall, just kinda hit and miss with this one. read more

My daughters and I ate there tonight 10/21/17. We had two orders of Peach pork chops with red skinned potatoes and Brussel sprouts. The pork chops were rare with little flavor, the potatoes were browned but rock hard and little pieces and the brussel sprouts, well we just weren't too sure what they were. Mine needed to have been cleaned better first. Having been given good recommendations for this restaurant we were sorely disappointed. The mixed drink I had and the bread were excellent. Staff was friendly. My other daughter had a Greek salad with side of brussel sprouts. The salad was good. Will we go back? No way! read more

My family and I visited this location on New Year's Eve prior to a show (Elf) at Playhouse Square. Jared who I believe is the manager at the location was truly amazing from the point of reservation throughout they meal. Also our waitress was very thorough and helpful as well on menu selections. Our daughters loved their salads and again went above and beyond when my daughter didn't know what type of dressing she'd like and they brought out samplings of each dressing for her which not only put a smile on her face but helped her find the right dressing...which at the end of the day was just the house made balsamic. My wife and I ordered the flank steaks which were just "ok", what really bothered me was that thy set the steak on the Parmesan risotto and when you order a medium steak in then turns your white risotto into a reddish/pinkish color which was beyond appetizing and neither of us are it, which surprised us as our waitress didn't ask. Also the desserts were pretty good but very very small for the price. Would I be back for a meal? Doubtful...but maybe drinks before a show and the opportunity to valet park. read more

The food was great - filet of beef prepared exact - tender well seasoned along with the Brussel sprouts and potato purée- service was friendly and quick. The atmosphere is simple but chic. One great thing, the butter was soft and spreadable unlike allot of nicer establishments that serve cold butter that can't be spread! read more

Very American dining experience with a menu slightly unique but classic in some ways. The service was quite exceptional. Not my first choice to visit again but not a place if avoid. read more

Went here for lunch based on the reviews and references. we found it to be underwhelming. Ok food underseasoned and not value for the price. Server was overly friendly - but never refilled the ice tea glasses. read more

Great staff that made sure we were taken care of and made sure we made our play on time. Highly recommend especially if you are attending the Playhouse Square father dinner. read more

We had a table of 5 and were not in any hurry. We arrived 30mins ahead of our reservation so we sat at the bar and were served pretty quickly. Drinks were served promptly and the place was packed with the theater crowd. By the time we took our table at 730 the place was pretty well deserted and we had the place to ourselves allowing for easy conversation. We all had salads and soup and a shared starter: beet and apple salad, butternut squash salad and Greek salad, onion soup, and the mussels. The mussels were a bit late but the manager explained they were out of the stock (ale and cheddar) but made them for us with a broth from an earlier menu ...I say stick with this, light and citrusy really highlighted the flavor of the mussels which were excellent. The whole table ordered steaks 4 filets and one steak bavette. All the steaks but one came out as ordered and the manager offered to refire but we opted not to. The steak bavette was excellently prepared and was very flavorful. The portion sizes were perfect as well. Not too small not too big. The filets came with mashed potatoes which were creamy and light with a sweet reduction that complimented the Brussel sprouts well. My steak bavette was served with creamed corn which was nice and didn't drown the polenta or steak. For my palette the dishes are seasoned very well. My suggestions would be strictly based on preferences of the table were bread to be warm although tasty and light would be made better if warmed, and a couple lighter starter options. Overall service was good and attentive by our waiter and manager and food was tasty. I will go back to give it another whirl but will target the non peak times as the place was packed for the theater crowd. We had 730 reservations and when we arrived at 7 it was hopping. Take a seat at the bar and enjoy the comfortable atmosphere before dinner. Reservations highly recommended for pre show dinner. read more

Ate here Friday for the first time. Very good service, great drinks, and good food. As we were going to see a show after they were very fast and got us out in plenty of time! Cant wait to go again read more

Excellent grouper dinner, delightful ambience right in the theater district. Highly recommend this restaurant before or after the theater.

We went on a Saturday night before Playhouse Square with a group of 8. Without prompting, the server asked what time we needed to be at the event. Everyone in our group enjoyed our meals. Service was good, and we had plenty of time. read more

What a gem! Staff was very helpful and accommodating as we were going to the State Theater and DID not have reservations! Four of us sat at the bar and were treated like royalty. There were so many delicious items on the menu. the homemade rolls with three choices for dripping or spreading were super. I had the ahi tuna which was melt in your mouth. Overall a fabulous experience, remember to get reservations IF you want a table before a show. read more

My friend and I ate lunch there today (Friday 2/27). Our lunch was very slow in coming and my order was wrong (asked to eliminate the mushrooms) but it came with them anyways. Waitress did not apologize, just said oh well someone else has your dish! I couldn't believe it! Also, both of us had ordered a glass of wine for $6.00 each according to the price on the menu we were given for lunch. When our bills came, we each were charged $9.00 each and the waitress had said we had ordered the larger one and that the cheaper one was the $6.00 (tasting she called it). She had never told us that and it was not called out on the menu we had. LOOK OUT! That is a good way to rack up some more money from people. If she had said there were differences, we would have had a chance to think about it and decide for ourselves. Left a bad taste in my mouth!! read more

I often order sole when it is on the menu, so I ordered it at District. Well quite honestly, it really did not look or taste like sole to me. My friend said that maybe there are different kinds of sole and that I had never eaten this one before. As far as I was concerned, they gave me a piece of old who knows what kind of fish on a bed of dried risotto. I will not go back there. read more

Went there last week with friends. We had just been to the theater, and District is at a perfect location for dinner before or after a show. The food was very good, and the service was excellent. Everyone was happy with the experience. read more

I've tried this restaurant 3 times this theater season with a group. It has not been good anytime. The service is fine but the food quality has declined. My prime rib last night was tough while others said their meals were mediocre. It used to be full before theater but there were only 4-5 tables last night. I really enjoyed it the first year they were open. Sad to say but we won't be going back. read more

I just have to say that the staff went above and beyond for us at District. I was traveling for business with a group and we had a long evening with no opportunity for dinner until after an event, so we rolled in rather late. They welcomed us just as they were thinking of closing (and even sat another couple after us). And yet our waiter never rushed us and was friendly and fun through the whole evening. I can't speak for the others in my group for their food, but when our waiter declared the goose the best thing on the menu, I went for it and it did not disappoint. I was far too full for desert, but I did have a yummy bite of the apple crumble. It was a great autumnal meal. The fact that they pulled together a lovely, atmospheric evening for us in a nearly empty restaurant, right before closing, says a lot to me about how dedicated this staff is. Thank you for a lovely end to a long day of work and travel! read more

Jared (our waiter) was charming and informative. The menu was interesting, but not inspired (creamed corn, really Chef?). Presentation was nice, the wine menu a surprise. We stopped by on Saturday after a matinee at Cinema on the Square and it was fun to watch the wedding parties arrive across the street (stretch limo's and tennis shoes with tuxes and gowns). Would I go back? Out of convenience, yes. But I've also been know to stop at Burger King out of convenience. Although palatable (District, not Burger King) I was not wowed, especially for the price. Again, Jared (our server) was awesome, Dessert I found uninspired and a total disappointment. I ordered the creme brûlée with berries and was surprised to find it to be an ice cream, not Creme Brûlée! Not a very pleasant surprise, nor was it a creme brûlée. Worst of all it was tasteless. Dessert should be a final remembrance of a good meal, not distract from the whole experience. It left a bad taste in my mouth, literally and figuratively. Go for the excellent service and convenience, expect slightly above average food and skip dessert. Thought about it more. When a Chef has to "reinvent" a classic, it shows a lack of culinary talent & imagination. read more

Problems at many levels. Starting with drinks, they have 4-5 draft beers and they were out of the two good ones, including GLBC Conway's, which just came out. Also such an inconsistent pour on two different glasses of wine that we had to ask why, and they said they have a small and a large glass, which seemed odd and I don't think it's in the menu but we took their word for it. Bread was good, not good that it was the best part. The biggest problem was the long wait for food that wasn't hot. A diabetic member of a party had to ask for more bread to stop from crashing due to the wait, and then wasn't able to eat the $26 plate when it arrived. Waiter was apologetic but no interaction with management. The chicken teriyaki I had was supposed to come with rice pilaf and mixed veggies but it looked like plain white rice to me, and it was a full stir fry which I wasn't expecting based on the menu. It tasted ok but the meal overall reminded me of the Japanese place at the mall that hands out samples all day. They also only have one stall for women, so my wife had to wait forever to use the washroom. Overall, very disappointed and won't go back. Head across the street or to 4th street if you want a nice experience before a show. read more

went to the district before a show at playhouse square. we ordered the goose confit and the sole. the goose was tasty but nothing special. the sole...the sole was cold and the risotto was COLD and the consistency of plaster - inedible. on his rounds of the room the manager stopped by the table and took the plate back to "warm it" (his words). he brought it back and the fish and risotto were still cold, very unappetizing. risotto has to be served freshly made or it turns to paste quickly - this was worse than paste. one bite and i was done, and still hungry. he offered to bring something else, but by this time we had to leave for the show. he took the sole off the check, but I had no meal that evening. and to top it off, after the waitress brought us the original meals, WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN. she never came back to our table even once to refill drinks or anything else. let me repeat, we were there for almost an hour and the waitress never returned to our table one time. I'm sure this was not the normal experience for this upscale restaurant, but we will not be back. read more