Great beginnings full of hope and promise! It is a lovely atmosphere with the flare and excitement that has been in short supply for over a year. Good variety with fresh and unique options that combine what is familiar with the artistry only a talented kitchen can produce. Looking forward to many enjoyable returns as options and an upbeat crew come into a solid groove. Welcome to Dayton! Best wishes into the future! read more

Jollity - New American Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

This place has a nice vibe. We went in for a late dinner and sat at the kitchen bar, which was fun. I was most excited to try the Brussel sprouts but was a little disappointed. It's an amazing presentation but they are just a little too . . . much, for me. Literally, a friend and I shared the dish and I still took a large portion home, and figuratively, it was just so rich and sweet, my palette got tired of the dish after just five bites or so. The beet salad was interesting. But the scallops were fantastic - I don't think I've ever had a scallop more perfectly cooked! The house sangria was very tasty. The service was excellent as well. There are several other dishes I'd like to try from their menu and I'm impressed with the number of gluten free and vegan or vegetarian dishes. read more

See all

Jollity is a wonderful place - outstanding food and a really cool vibe. I had the steak (ribeye maybe), and while it was perhaps a bit pricey for this area, it was one of the best steaks I've ever had, at any price. I've taken away a star because they simply have to figure out the parking for this place. On-street is practically impossible, and when you call they mention there is a lot behind the restaurant. Sweet! What they don't tell you until you get in the restaurant is that if you're parked in one of the unnumbered spaces, your car will likely get towed because the apartment building owns those. Even if you park in a numbered space, you have to stuff cash into a small slot that corresponds to your number - no using your phone to pay by credit card. My wife went to move the car from an unnumbered space to a numbered one, but there were no numbered ones left. It took her 35 minutes to find a spot 5 blocks away. Granted, the Dragons were home and there was an event at the Schu, but our reservation was for 5:30pm! C'mon Dayton, do better. read more

Amazing! There are very few restaurants of this quality in Ohio, especially outside of the "three Cs" (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati). Pricey, but well worth the price. (It may not be clear from the menu that most of the items are smallish plates, you'll likely need at least three courses to fill up if you have a big appetite.) Casual hipster vibe. I felt comfortable, which i don't always at expensive places. Outstanding food with a modern flair. Every dish felt special and different from the others. Care was paid to flavors, textures, service, and ambience. Eclectic menu with Asian and Southern influences. I learned that they have rotated the menu multiple times in the couple months that they'd been open. I was served at a bar/counter looking the kitchen area by Brendan, one of the three chef-owners, in conjunction with a waiter working on the other side of the counter. He told me that the place was started by the three of them because they were unhappy with the restaurant industry and wanted to open a place to their own standards like nowhere else, and bring modern fine dining to Dayton. When one course, the radicchio salad, was accidentally brought out early, he offered to redo it. (Not necessary, but i appreciated the commitment to quality. It still tasted amazing after i finished my scallops.) When I told him i was going hiking the next day near Yellow Springs, he got one of his staff to recommend me restaurants there as well (since Jollity is closed on Sundays) and those recommendations were great. There were two desserts on the menu. I ordered and enjoyed the misoscotch (butterscotch) pudding. As they were cleaning up i saw the other dessert being cleaned up and asked him about it, and he gave me a free taste. It's clear that Brendan and his team care deeply about their restaurant and the satisfaction of their customers. I wish them all the best success. read more

See all

Jollity is a good addition to Dayton in the Fire Blocks district. I'm happy to see a restaurant trying to do something different. Starter: "Frybread: Butternut Squash Chutney/ Apple/ Walnut/ Manchego Cheese/ Herbs $13". This was a bit strange. There was a lot of sweetness with the applesauce taste but this was strange with the pungency of the cheese. The pepitos that came on top were nice. They had a good popcorn flavor and were crispy. Overall I thought this dish was going to be more savory and herby but it was a mix of apple+cheese. Starter 2: Ohio Corn Fritters - $12. This was a bit of a weird mix of toppings that were on the plate around the fritters. There was nori powder and spicy honey. I'm one who likes unique flavors but I'm not sure this was great. It did not taste bad but I think they tried too hard to incompatible flavors together. Main: Shortrib. This was a shortrib that had korean flavors. I liked this one. The meat was very tender, and the puree is actually quite nice. They change around the menu a lot but this one came with pickled peppers are good. It had the same issue though - I maybe the shortrib was marinated or something so the flavor of the meat matched the toppings more. read more

Joliet is absolutely outstanding! Fantastic service and incredible food - already looking to go back!

Jollity offers exceptional service with food that taste to match! I have been to Jollity twice, sitting at the bar to oversee the chefs craftmanship both times. I've enjoyed their whole experience and I'd put their restaurant on the top of my list in the Dayton area. If for no other than because their menu rotates often which leaves no room for excuses on not returning. I also found the quality of price paired with the freshness of the meal exceeds many other fine dining establishments in the area. read more

OMG, who would have known that Dayton is so freaking awesome? This restaurant rocks, if you like delicious nouveau riche, eclectic and most delicious food!! We thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back. Kudos!! read more

Jollity - New American Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

This was our first time eating at Jollity. We had been excited to try it as the menu looks to rotate often, incorporate a lot of Asian flavors and ingredients. Having spent 10+ years in SF and moving back to Ohio, access to these flavors and cuisine has been a painful separation. TL;dr -- Great service, surprisingly mediocre flavors, interesting drinks and dessert. We'd try it again but there are other restaurants, admittedly more expensive, that we would go back to first. Service: Front of the house was great and our server was knowledgeable and had recommendations. That's always a big thing to us. It shows a well trained and dialed in staff. One busser, who must have been new was constantly coming to ask us if he could clear away our plates even while we were in the middle of taking a bite. It got pretty annoying. My wife overheard someone counseling him to help him dial in his flow. So they are paying attention. The flow was kind of annoying. We were there to try something off every section of the menu and enjoy a long evening before a show. They just kept shoving the food at us, forcing us to rush our bites. Eventually though, it calmed down. Atmosphere: Trendy/hip without being pretentious. That is accomplished by having well trained wait staff that offset the edge. Good balance of light and dark, music that you can't feel without disrupting the flow of conversation. Good people watching. All sorts in attendance. Cocktails: Admittedly interesting. Lots of custom flavors. I had the brown butter bourbon and my partner had the ginger lemon honey miso. Both tasty and if you're out for a special night of trying new things, a good option. I'm probably just too old fashioned but I like a good old fashion and would have preferred that to what I got. A red flag in the sophistication of the drinks was that the cocktails were iced with ice straight out of the ice machine. It deflated the overall vibe of the drinks. A single large orb or cube would have been the tops. I probably could have ordered an old fashion, but it wasn't clear if orders off menu were available. My bad for not asking. Otherwise, you can't go wrong here for the experimental sorts. Kudos for using Luxardo cherries, they really are the best. Wine: One glass of Sauvignon blanc and a red blend from Mendocino. Mendo is one of our favorite places in the Bay Area and we used to spend every Thanksgiving at a bed and breakfast there. Wine selection was good but I'm not really that into wine in general. Our choices were well paired to our meal. Appetizers : They don't really call them apps because they don't want to pigeon hole folks to one side of the menu or the other. No worries. We had the Cheese-It, tempura mushrooms and scallops. Cheese-it was fun and paired well with my dark and smoky/toffee bourbon. The mushrooms were great and locally sourced, the overall they weren't that flavorful. The scallops, big risk in the Midwest. We've been spoiled having had access to the freshest seafood and restaurants in the world for so long. They weren't gritty or chewy and certainly weren't rubbery. So not frozen but definitely not fresh. Pretty uneventful and without flavor. No essence of ocean. That's one of the biggest drags about living in Ohio and the Midwest, no fresh seafood. Kudos for trying though. Mains: Wife had the risotto with egg and I had the pork shank. The risotto was eh, bland and not well cooked. It was gluey, which killed it. The braised pork shoulder was good but just kind of like whatever. Perhaps we should have tried something else but the mains weren't really that inspiring or flavorful. Dessert: We had the pineapple upside down cake. Absolutely delicious. Spectacular even. Ultimately, this ended up saving the meal experience. Otherwise, I'd have gone with two stars. Their coffee options are limited. But glad to see they have coffee on the menu. French press (32oz) or cold brew. 32oz of coffee at 7pm is just wasteful and over the top. I don't know if this is a trend in Dayton or people just haven't gotten the hint: you must offer espresso options if you're going to offer fine dining. This is a non-negotiable. The coffee was tasty. Espresso would have made it perfect. Flavors/presentation: for advertising bold and unique flavors, I'd say good effort but it wasn't really a home run for us. Presentation was nice and plating looked good. Price: Surprisingly good for the quantity. Out the door with 20% top we were less-than $250 and we didn't skimp on any selections. Overall: 3 stars. We'll come back and give it another try but not soon. read more

Jollity is one of the best new restaurants in Dayton - if not the premier restaurant of downtown. The menus - food and cocktail - change frequently and are fresh, inventive, fun, sexy and creative. Highly recommend the experience of eating at the kitchen bar where you can watch all the action and food being prepared. There's separate regular dining area and another bar area where you can sit to eat. The atmosphere is truly beautiful and something to experience. The food menu has a lot of Asian influence. The desserts are not to be missed here! read more

See all

Cool atmosphere, delicious food, but no appetizers, no sides (or some tiny crumbles of a "side") and no substitutions. You get what the chef makes for you. The dishes are expertly crafted by professional chefs, which is something rare in Dayton. But if you're going with two people, order three entrees and share them, that way you can try more food and get enough to eat. I wish the servers explained this a little better. read more

I first heard about this restaurant from Foxhole Farmer on Instagram. So I've been following along for a little bit before I had a chance to go out without the kids (IMO not a place for children). At first there were no tables available, but then I saw the spots at the kitchen bar. Sitting at a kitchen bar is always a great experience, and this didn't disappoint either. We started with the farm plate and Brussel sprouts. Do not skip the Brussels; so good! For our mains, I had the trout and my husband did the mushroom plate with a side of scallops. Both fantastic! We couldn't decide between the deserts, so we got both Jollity delivers with experience and unique flavors! Can't wait for our next visit! read more

The space is delightful and service was warm and friendly! I was so excited to dine here because Ive heard wonderful things about it, including amazing flavor profiles and incredible layers of flavor. There were 4 in our group; we were divided on our meals. I was horribly disappointed in mine. I ordered one the the chicken dishes and even though the chicken was dark meat, it was dry as a bone and very bland. Another person at our table was shocked at the cost of what she thought was small plate. The other two people were very happy with their meals. I am willing to go back and give them a second chance, but my friend who was unhappy with her meal will not go back. read more

SPOT ON This place is the perfect new Gastro pub! It has all the amenities of a new trendy restaurant! 1. The noise level was the highest I've been in any restaurant so congratulations you win. 2. The prices are exorbitant for a steak that had it only a few edible bites, very tasty bites but a lot of gristle and fat. And that's what great trendy restaurants are. And they're right there at the top. The service was nice from what I could tell, because we couldn't hear each other talk to the waitress or each other. I know, as old folks should go back to MCL cafeteria and enjoy our little 5 o'clock dinners. I wish I were young again and could enjoy the loud atmosphere, food that is way overpriced, wine that I'm sure I could do better at 7-Eleven. Enough clues? I'm done with this place. read more

This was a very trendy spot and some of the dishes were phenomenal. We ordered a spring roll appetizer, mussels and scallops as entrees. The entrees were great, the appetizer was just ok. We both just had water to drink. Spent around $60 for the two of us and ended up wanting more food after we left. read more

Just wanted to say I love this place! The service is top notch. The food is amazing. If you haven't tried it you should!

Just Outstanding! This was our first time at Jollity's, and it was a great experience. Friendly atmosphere, and the drinks were exceptional! The menu is a little different, and I understand they change it every couple of months, but the waitress did a great job explaining many of the dishes. Two of our party ordered a Pork Ossobuco, and said it was fabulous. I ordered a crispy trout with a puree and I have to say, it was probably the best fish meal I've ever had! The flavors were varied and all incredible! Overall, a fabulous meal and I would highly recommend Jollity! read more

Absolutely delicious. I forgot a pic of my app but I had the hallumi cheese and it was amazing. It was a really nice evening read more

See all

Enjoyed Jollity for the second time last week. The food does not disappoint! I really like the ambiance when dining there. And the service was excellent. I had good cocktails there too! Worth checking out as part of the dining scene in Dayton. read more

Went here based on a strong recommendation from Blake at Toxic Brewing. He was spot on with this gem. Great vibe, friendly service, chefs, bartender, etc. Tried the Brussels, Beef Tartare, New York Strip and finished with some pineapple upside down cake. My wife and I split all of these and we very satisfied and nice challenge to our taste buds! The tartare was the most unique as it had a whipped fluffy consistency which I have never had before and I have tried easily 30+ different takes on tartare. Nice work, Fellas! Next time you make it to Detroit, try Grey Ghost. You will all appreciate what they are doing as they would feel the same about you. Collab maybe? read more

See all

Definitely some of the best food I've tried in Dayton. I liked that they were able to accommodate dietary restrictions. All the items we ordered were very fresh, cooked properly, and flavorful. Non-alcoholic drinks were nice too. Service was excellent and the restaurant has interesting decor/ambiance inside. If I had to nitpick one thing, there was a bit of a clash of textures with one dish but that is just my personal opinion. I'd definitely go back for another meal in the future if I was in the area. read more

Amazing flavors, great ambiance and fun kitchen counter bar to sit and watch master creative the dishes. Everything we ordered was excellent: Brussels are out of this world, scallops and polenta - I am still dreaming about, pork belly was tender and crispy at the same time - fabulous dinner. Their cocktail menu is great. Loved their award winning cocktail : We can roll that. read more

Jollity - We can roll that - New American Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Great atmosphere and adds the Dayton touch we needed! Great owners who truly care about their creation on every plate.

This place is heaven on earth. Best food I've eaten in a long time and especially in Dayton. The flavor just explodes in your mouth. Fun drinks too. 2 bars and open concept kitchen. Street parking which works. Definitely check this place out. It's not a big place so reso would be a good idea. read more

See all

Service was great and every bite of the food was amazing. I have been there 3 times now. Always pleased! Will definitely visit again!

My colleague and I were in town for a conference, and we booked a table at Jollity after seeing the good reviews on Yelp. The good reviews were well deserved based on our dinner! We split the Brussel sprouts and bone marrow for apps; both delicious! For the main, we split the steak and trout dishes; again delicious! Service was quick and very pleasant, ambiance was great, the chef checked on us, and the bar service was awesome as well. I'll definitely be back the next time in town! read more

Food was good and enjoyed the unique options they have but portions were a little on the small side . Like the fusion vibe.

We had dinner at Jollity a few evenings ago. I would definitely recommend giving this spot a try. The cocktails were well done, the service was good, and the food had great attention to detail with flavors and presentation. We shared our plates and really enjoyed working through the menu. The only plate that fell short were the clams. Overall a very pleasant dining experience, we will be back. read more

The best food and service!!!! 10 out of 10! I highly recommend!! Great atmosphere!!! If they have the Koji burger you MUST get it!

Food, cocktails and ambience were great. The front of house hostesses were curt and I felt condescended a few times. The waitress and bartenders were nice and helpful. read more

The workers there were not friendly. One of the owners told me to move out of the way when I stopped to say hi to an old friend!

Fantastic, hip scratch innovative kitchen and open kitchen concept. Great drinks too.

Jollity is by far the best restaurant in Dayton. Just opened in the last few months the atmosphere, food, and service was amazing. We went there ok. A date and sat at the counter in front of the kitchen. It was delightful to be able to chat with the chef's and watch the artists at work. They change some of their menu weekly which will keep this place fun and interesting. Head over to Jollity, you will not regret it! read more

See all

The ambience here is just perfect! The restaurant design, menu and staff all knock it out the park. Their rotating menu keeps if interesting, although I'd like the lamb shank to STAY FOREVER! read more

The bar has been raised. Everyone in our foursome was pleased to the max. Their cocktails, their appetizers, and main courses and side dishes, everything was superbly prepared. Don't let their casual clothing mislead you into thinking otherwise, this place has mastered the culinary arts. read more

Definitely a hidden gem in Dayton! I've been here twice now and both times have had excellent meals. The wine selection is great, and the food is seasonal and delicious. Definitely on the more expensive side, but a great place to come for a special occasion! read more

Jollity - Risotto - New American Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

First, the staff is very inviting and friendly and the space is beautiful! We ordered drinks first, and I was beyond pleased that they had fun options for non-alcoholic beverages available. They did have a fantastic looking cocktail menu, but I ordered the sencha green tea, because it is my fave and it was perfect! All of the food was fabulous, but hands down, the charred cauliflower starter was my favorite! I'm not going to try to describe it because there were so many delightful flavors going on, and you should just go try it yourself! Also, our server told us they change their menu pretty regularly, so you better hurry just in case! Check it out! read more

The food was excellent. Especially recommend the corn cakes and brussel sprouts. We could not get a reservation and sat at the bar which was absolutely lovely. We will be back. Thank you so much all right take care. read more

This place was phenomenal to say the least. Environment is friendly, open and relaxing. Our server was knowledgeable and attentive. Lastly, the food left me speechless, so much flavor and sooooo good! We will be back, and definitely recommend! read more

See all

We went here for my boyfriend's birthday and it was great! Portions were all over the place some tiny and some huge. But other than that this is a great restaurant. Great atmosphere and excellent wait staff read more