Metropole blew our minds. You can really tell that every dish has been created with a great attention to detail. Chef Jared makes deliciously flavorful dishes! The service was amazing. Our glasses were never less than 3/4 full. They work as a team which made everything go very smoothly. Our server was awesome. We went big and got a lot of food. Carrot Salad: Very good. Didn't even taste like carrots! It had almost an Ahi Tuna texture which was totally unexpected and fun. Fettuccine: Delicious. Salmon: Generous portion of salmon. Very fresh and flavorful. Duck: OMG this is the best duck I have EVER had and was my favorite part of the meal. I HIGHLY suggest the duck. It wasn't greasy or overly fatty like most duck. The seasoning was incredible. I will definitely order again. If you're looking for a nice dinner, give this place a shot. read more

The location is amazing - attached to a hotel (21c) with a rotating art exhibit - and yellow life-sized penguins that may visit your table. Across the street from the Aronoff, it is classic Cincinnati. The food is amazing. Fresh, seasonal, creative, delicious. We tried things I have never heard of before - and that's not a small feat. Every course was perfection. The only reason for a star deduction is the service. We did not have a bad experience, or even encounter a rude person. But, the service was, on a team level, unsophisticated, unpolished, and not terribly knowledgeable about the food. When your chef is doing this caliber of food, the management should be doing a better job with the staff. read more

I love the lounge for drinks and charcuterie. I really like the olives. The steak was great and fully flavorful with a nice smoky taste. One night we went after a Bengals game in our gear. We had to sit at the community table since we had no reservation but ended up having an amazing conversation with another local chef that lasted late into the night. It was a whole lot of fun and we will definitely do it again. Great food, atmosphere, staff, one complaint: NO HAPPY HOUR! Boo! C'mon help a local sister out! read more

I went to Metropole for my birthday and I was incredibly impressed with the service. The valet wasn't that bad, the food was great and the wine was fantastic. We had to wait for a bit to get our car, but we were able to wait inside which helped. The food was good, but not spectacular. The portions were incredibly small, and the table seating was really close together and felt less intimate than I would have liked. The penguins were cute though. read more

Metropole was a very good dinner. Everything I tried was good, tasty, and perfectly portioned. Started with a cocktail, the Chester Copperpot which was wild turkey based. I love wild turkey but the cocktail basically tasted like wild turkey neat, would've expected some other intricacies to the drink. We had the seared octopus for an appetize which was fantastic. Wonderful flavor to it and a pretty hefty portion of octopus as well. Also really liked the spice added from the hot peppers. Octopus was marginally chewy but that's because it's seared and not grilled, but I would definitely recommend the octopus. For the entree, I had the gnocchi and pork confit. Not generally a big confit fan - certainly prefer meat to be warm and I think had the dish been warm it would've been better. Would've turned into some gnocchi and pulled pork in a tasty sauce at that point, but it was a confit and as it was it was good but not great. The sauce had some interesting flavors as well. I'd recommend the dish overall. Metropole is a good place for a business lunch/dinner. The food will always be good but not truly great. read more

Talk about a complete letdown! I wanted to treat Paul and our boys to a nice New Year's brunch, and I was certain Metropole would deliver. By the middle of the "meal," I was apologizing profusely for choosing poorly. We arrived at our reserved time, and were immediately escorted to the most cramped table in the place, despite the fact that there were plenty of other tables open. Paul said to the hostess, "This is a really uncomfortable place to sit." She just looked at him and then walked away! Our server was friendly, but both he and the kitchen were incredibly slow. I did not mind so much, as I was so happy to be having brunch with my boys that I was concentrating on our conversation rather than service. Unfortunately, others did mind. Next to the rude hostess, the biggest insult was the ratio of the price to quality and quantity of food. I don't mind throwing down cash for a good meal, but $25.00 per person for a prix fixe meal consisting of child-size starters and entrees is simply ridiculous. I had the roasted carrot soup, which was the only thing that tasted exceptionally good. Unfortunately, there were about six bites of soup in the bowl. The guys all had the smoothie in a bowl with berries, which was fine in terms of taste, but again, it was about six bites. I went with the frittata for an entree; it was rather cold and on the bland side. It came with a small salad that was dressed with a vinaigrette that tasted only of olive oil and lemon. Not good. The guys ordered the waffle. They all said it tasted "okay," but again, it was small and nothing was served with it. So, are you ready for the bill? Prior to the tip, it was $116.63 for the food that I mentioned plus two iced teas, a coffee, and a glass of water. I'm not kidding! Paul was so pissed that he passed me the check. When I saw the total, I wondered out loud if we were being charged to breathe air. On the way out the door, Paul said, "Now, where should we go for brunch?" because we were all hungry! All of us run small to average in size, so it's not like we are large folks with insatiable appetites. Shame on Metropole for ripping off their guests! read more

Went here to celebrate our anniversary during the Restaurant Week and it was a very pleasant evening. The service was impeccable. We were greeted with a champagne toast complimentary to our date night. Since they were participating in the Restaurant Week, we went with the fixed menu to see how Chef wants to present his style there. The food came fairly fast and the presentation was phenomenal. My husband enjoyed his pork shoulder cucumber salad. I went with fish and soup. The corn chowder was chilled and I would not order it again, although the sunny colors were very appetizing. For dessert we enjoyed a chocolate tarte, which was a bit too hard and bitter from the cocoa. Overall, definitely a quality place to try. The cocktails are also adventurous and give you an opportunity to go outside of your comfort zone and try something refreshingly new. If I had to mention some imperfections, that would be the atmosphere. It is not exactly romantic, the space is very bright and loud. The tables are too close to each other, so you hear every conversation around you. To get to my seat on the sofa along the wall, the table had to be pushed back and forth each time. It just something that should be better thought over. read more

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Hmm... I think we caught them on an Monday off night. Dining experiences at the other 21C hotels have been over the top good. Expect the eclectic. You have to read through the description and ask the server for footnotes. Oh, maybe because we kinda lost our servers attention to a private dining group, and for me, I had to speak up and ask them to proceed with the entrées...quite a lengthy wait after the starters. Burnt carrots were delish, as was the pork chop and desserts-the ricotta selection was the best. Cheers! read more

I went to Metropole for the first time during Restaurant Week, and actually ended up ordering off of the regular menu because the options looked so yummy! Metropole is another great date spot for a fancier night out. The lights are dim and the ambiance is very cozy! This is another restaurant where I was very impressed by how many vegetarian options were offered. I ended up getting two appetizers to make up a meal, and I was plenty full by the end of dinner. The wine, cocktail and bourbon list is nice and long, so there is something for everyone! Our waiter was very fun and outgoing, and had stellar recommendations for everyone to try. This is definitely worth an add to your "Must Eat" list in Cincinnati! read more

Metropole - Saffron Papparadelle - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great place to walk around and take in some of the art work. Staff is friendly and willing to talk about some of the interesting pieces. read more

Metropole - Art - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I had the opportunity to honor my pal Alice for her brilliant design work on my logo for Red Pearl Dishes. She is an amazing artist and a great friend, so I invited her to dinner and a show at the Taft. Bonnie Raitt was in town and boy was I excited! We both saw her last year at the Fraze Pavillion and that venue did not do her justice. The Taft however is my favorite place for a show so I was really looking forward to our night! I wanted to take her to Sotto but there were no reservations available. The town was hopping and Flashdance was playing at the Aranoff so every place was filled to the brim. I knew however that she would love Metrapole so it was not a big loss. Metrapole is located at the new 21C Museaum Hotel. The first time I ventured in here I couldn't believe I was in Cincinnati. No offense but it was very cool!! So happy we can add this spot to our downtown venues!! IMG_0580 IMG_0581 IMG_0582 IMG_0585 IMG_0586 We had a drink at the bar and they always take good care of me there but we chose to move to the dining room for dinner. We were nestled in amongst multiple deuces and it was very "cozy". Our server took charge and was very efficient. He made sure to accommodated our schedule while providing personal recommendations for us. The menu is one that is a familiar landscape these days- farm fresh, sustainable, small plates. Metrapole offers a contemporary take on old world fireplace cooking techniques. I love it because even though the dishes are contemporary and, a bit funky from a traditional perspective, they really work for a down home palate. I was very satisfied !! We choose to split several things and especially enjoyed the shaved brussels sprouts with ceaser style croutons and the caramelized Ko mushrooms with salami butter and crispy kale. These are menu items I would not imagine I would love, but the chef knows better. The food is amazing. I was even surprised by the sweet potato ice cream that our server insisted we order. I can't wait to come back and see what's new on their menu! Red Pearl read more

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Haven't had a chance to fully sit down and dine in here but for the view and drinks alone I'll have to give this place a 4 star. We started up at the terrace rooftop bar and ordered the white pea miso toast ( which I do not recommend). The manager greeted us and asked hw we were doing and offerer to take our picture. He was courteous, friendly and easy to talk with. Great service made up for the taste of the pea toast. We soon headed down back to the bar because the weather was a bit chilly ( the heat lamps weren't too effective with the wind the evening). The bar has a great feel with a knowledgeable staff, which is always a plus. The triple fried fries was a great choice to accompany my late night drink. Crispy on the outside, yet light, airy clean and moist on the inside ! Great stuff, definitely will be back to enjoy the full experience !! read more

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Wow. This is the quality of cooking I've longed for since i moved to Cincinnati. I'll start with everything besides the food. The decor was awesome, especially the bathroom lol. I thought I'd just stepped into a CGI movie. Then they've got cute little penguin that"move" throughout the restaurant. The waitstaff were all very nice and service oriented. Now, the food. We started with the charcuterie- cheddar, goat cheese, ricotta, fennel salami, roasted grapes. Everything was delicious. Then at my table, i tasted the swordfish, pork chop, the chicken, sides of leeks, and eclairs and fennel cake desserts. Yeah! And it was all 10/10. The chicken and pork chop were my favorites. read more

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Should have known, when you call ahead and are put on hold three times for over 10 minutes...something is off. All three times I was asked by the same hostess, "Can I help you?", before she finally successfully takes my reservation. So we show up for the reservation and (obviously the same lady) her greeting/seating method is about the same. No eye contact even and we are the only people waiting at the hosting stand right in front of her for literally 5 minutes. She moves at approx about 1 mph, doing various tasks. Finally we are acknowledged by another hostess who appears from the horizon moving at 2 mph. She disappears to "check on our table" (in a half full restaurant) before hostess #1 finally says, "Hellooooo" awkwardly out of the blue. Not "Can I help you?"...I guess she just hangs out there? This was like a parody of bad service. My friend and I both had to laugh and informed her that we had just been helped (right in front of her) 1 minute before her first acknowledgement. At this point we are talking about 7 minutes standing alone at the stand without even being offered some of her sedatives. Rude. Hard to come back from that. Food was decent, but for the price, I expect to at least be acknowledged by a host when I have made a reservation and we are the only customers in sight. Just reflects poor management. I would hate to see them when they are busy. And for the price, I've literally had better service at McD's. Server was kind of the opposite. Obviously didn't have much serving experience. But at least she was polite. Won't be returning...first impressions count. read more

We had Valentine's Day dinner here and it was really delicious. Only downfall is we had our reservations for over a month and they tried to sit us in the most awkward and weird area out in the hallway.... Didn't even feel like we were part of the restaurant but instead on display to the sidewalk, however they accommodated and moved us to somewhere nicer. read more

http://www.katsuandgravy.com/#/metropole-21c/ This restaurant is very peculiar to say the least. The yellow penguins, the odd projection of someone eating soup at a table, and the mod chic bathrooms made this a memorable dining experience. Aside from the ambiance, the food was equally great. Unfortunately, I was with a large party, and as a result, we had to pare down our menu. In exchange for the smaller menu, the portions were large for the type of restaurant. I ended up trying the wagyu steak tartare as an appetizer, which was paired with the grain mustard that added a nice flair. The crispy shallots also provided a nice crunch texture. For my main dish, I had the mushroom pasta dish, which had some very unique flavors. There was a bit of a citrusy-lime taste along with juicy mushrooms. There were some peppers thrown in to provide a kick, and of course, the ricotta topped it off. After my two dishes, I felt like I ate pretty heavily, so I decided on ice cream for dessert. They paired white chocolate with orange, which was a delectable ending to the meal. read more

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First, I want to give a shout out to my waitress at The Eagle because it's Thanks to her I decided to come here! Location: Downtown in the 21c Hotel. The place: Beautiful decor, super classy, well spaced out. As usual, I arrived in my hiking shoes and baseball cap after spending the day shooting in Lexington. I didn't get any funny looks so that was a bonus. Truth be told, I clean up good - I really do! It I was too tired and lazy. Oh, they have an awesome private room if you've got a special event you want to plan! The goods: My oh my. Why did I initially look at the menu and hesitate, thinking it might not be for me? I've been sleep-deprived for weeks now so let's blame it on the insomnia, eh? They have a fabulous menu - for real. First, I ordered a cocktail - A Night at the Roxbury. It was delicious. Because I wanted room for dessert, I resisted the urge to order a 2nd. Please do yourself a favour and order this. You'll be better for it. Next up was the burnt carrot salad [i just squealed in my head as I typed that]; charred carrots with avocado and feta and oh MY. Best entrée ever! The portion was sizeable as well, but I didn't feel stuffed at all which is great because I wasn't planning to leave anything behind. As a main, I had the squash lasagna. Dear God was it ever good. So much so that I don't even remember what was in it. Ask the wait staff and they will explain to the concept of cooking lasagna on coal. Absolutely delicious. If I wasn't going to Please tonight, I'd be back to Metropole. For real. For dessert, I had the fudge tart with barley ice cream. Fantastic. Service: Good. My waitress wasn't a Chatty Cathy but she was quick and polite. The manager (not sure?) also checked in during my meal and I thought that was a nice touch. Price point: All of that goodness was $57 tax in. This also included coffee. So basically, for half the price of Jeff Ruby, I had a fantastic bloody meal. All y'all need to check this place out! read more

I like popping by for a weeknight drink with an impromptu date or a late dinner with a friend here. Handcrafted cocktails and seasonal flavors make the bar a rotating array of choices. The bar is small but allows for a nice mix of locals and patrons from 21C which keeps conversation interesting. They make fresh ginger syrup in house. Next time I plan to try the ricotta dish! read more

As part of the 21C family I was so impressed with the service at Metropole. Our waiter was great and even laughed at our jokes. Even though they probably weren't funny. The food was amazing and came out in a timely manner. We were greeted by multiple managers, which was very nice. I will definitely be eating here again the next time I'm in Cincinnati. Highly recommend. Plus, there's a museum attached with amazing rotating art! read more

Top tier restaurant with incredible food at a reasonable price for what you get. Everything is fresh and the atmosphere is best in class! If you are a foodie this will be a fave. read more

Service and food was outstanding! The crispy rice with the duck was hands down one of the best dishes I have ever had!

We ordered coffee, juice and two c21 breakfasts. The waitress first forgot the coffee then forgot spoons. Time ticked by as other tables seated later got their meals. She then brought shovel size spoons, explaining there were no clean regular spoons despite the restaurant being 25% full. Then the shovelspoons were filthy, by which I mean a whole segment of dessicated onion clung to one. We waited fully 25 minutes for our food and left with nothing in sight. read more

Housed in the 21C museum hotel. We ended up here for some late night snacks and I was really impressed. The burger was AMAZING. Beef tartare was filling and yummy. Cheese/meat tray really good and like most places, could have used more. Would definitely go back and try to actually sit down for dinner. read more

Definitely a nice dining experience. I was not overwhelmed however. Good food - not great. Good service - not great. Friendly staff, but lacking in the enthusiasm that one should expect at this level. I will return soon and try again read more

If you like "nouvelle" and creative stuff, this is your place. I've given them 4 stars even though my friend and I both agreed we would not go back --- we are more "traditional" in our tastes, and some of this was just too far out there. Her salmon was on a bed of chopped up stuff that was COLD when she expected that it would be hot. They seem to have a "thing" for serving things charred -- my bread, peppers, and lemon were all BLACK in some areas. After seeing other people's food, I passed on the restaurant week menu, and instead chose the charcuterie board of 3 meats, olives or cheeses from a nice selection, served with honey, chutney, mustard, and some grapes. It was very good and a generous portion, but, really the only thing not rather "weird" on the menu! The lemon cotton candy that comes with the check was a fun finish. The service was great and we weren't made to feel 2nd class because we are non-drinkers. It is VERY noisy once they get busy. It wasn't our style of food, but, they do it well if this is what you like. read more

Ok...should have listened to the concierge at the Downtown Cincy Rennaisance Mariott. She said the Metropole restaurant in the Metropole hotel was her #1 choice in downtown Cincy. I said I don't eat in hotel restaurants. Tried to get a reservatuon in 6 others to no avail...defeated.... my wife and I settled for the Metropole. Well....that was not settling. Atmosphere was cool, waiter was top shelf...Jeremy was a GREAT waiter. Encyclopedia of wine and food....also quite charming. And the food arrived timely and was outstanding. Started with the raspberry, gouda toast ( that was based on a dare and tasted excellent). Wife had salmon and gelato. I had brined chicken in huckleberry sauce with Olive oil cake (again another dare that panned out). Jeremy hit a homerun at the end by bringing out lemon cotton candy. Lemon is my wife's favorite. Topped the evening off with the art around the hotel! Yep, sometimes you just get lucky read more

Located in the 4C hotel, this is a contemporary and comfortable place to dine. Pretty small, ala carte menu but diverse selections. Smallish portions but not inadequate. Salads and desserts were great and shareable. Duck and fish were both excellent and perfectly cooked. Very good, attentive and knowledgeable service. Decent wine and beer selections as well as a full bar. Don't have diet soda however, but do have complimentary cotton candy as you depart. Valet parking available and was not much more costly than the public garage around the corner. Walk thru the hotel and elevator lobbies and view the outstanding artwork! read more

Now that my wife and I live in downtown Cincinnati, we like to explore our dining options. We stopped in at Metropole early on a weeknight, and sat at the bar while we waited for the dining room to open. My wife enjoyed what she said was an excellent Cosmopolitan. We were first seated and got one of their corner booths -- great because we both get comfy seats without having to sit on the same side. We both ordered the cauliflower side. I had the octopus app, and she got the corn fritters. All were very good, well balanced dishes. The octopus was tender and balanced char and acid -- amazing! The cauliflower was very flavorful. Highly recommend both. Oh, and the custard dessert was great, but the best part was the tea-poached pear that topped it. Lots of delicate, subtle flavors without cloying sweetness. read more

"That was the most inventive food I've had in a long time," I remarked to my husband after we finished dessert. Seemingly forgetting- or did I?- that we had just eaten at Le Cirque in Vegas over NYE. I loved every thing I put in my mouth at Metropole. From the charcuterie plate to the steak tartare to the pastrami-spiced duck breast to the chocolate hazelnut cake to the house-made lemon cotton candy to the cocktails.. everything was just exquisite. Nice vibe- I did get the feeling that the floor space was inefficiently utilized, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it- in a beautiful interior space. Very good service, everybody was friendly and several different waitstaff spoke to us or greeted us at various points throughout the evening. But really, the food was what did it for me. It's nice to live in Cincinnati now, at its current point in history, with all of the culture and growth that's occurring downtown. Metropole elevates that scene. read more

Being somewhat of a foodie, when I read an article about a restaurant that I'd like to try, I tack it on my bulletin board in my kitchen. This became of great use as we were going to the Aronoff with friends & were looking for a place to eat downtown. After I checked Yelp for downtown restaurants & the one name matched one on my board, I called the restaurant called Metropole to make reservations - the article I had saved was from The Cincinnati Enquirer in January of this year. Conveniently, it is right across the street from the Aronoff and they offer a pre-theater prix fixe 3-course for only $35. Our waiter, Clinton, was a huge help in deciding what to order and we will seek him out when we go again. He let us know that the menu items change quite often, but one food that has never been taken off is the Burnt Carrot Salad. Clearly that says a lot, so I (along with everybody else) ordered it. You know what - parts of the carrot did look burnt, but didn't taste like it at all, plus they added goodies like avocado & goat cheese to it. No wonder it is a staple there. However, the Sunchoke Soup sounded very appealing primarily because I've never heard of sunchoke before. (Can you tell I like to try unique things?) Clinton explained that it is the root of a type of sunflower. The 3 entrees offered were String Roast Chicken, Roasted Walleye w/gazpacho and NY Strip Steak, which was my choice. Honestly, it was one of the most amazing steaks I've had in a long time, (sorry Precinct ) - tender, flavorful and cooked exactly as I requested. I don't normally even order strip steak. Luckily, my husband shared a little of his String Roast Chicken and that was quite delicious, as well. The divine ending to our sumptuous repast was a malted chocolate mousse bar! Almost as a postscript, they brought a mug filled with lemon cotton candy. Because it is a part of a museum hotel, you will find contemporary art all around. Although that genre of art isn't my thing, it was fun to seeing the iconic yellow penguins being moved around the restaurant. One joined us for awhile & made for a great photo op. As we say in our household, this one's a definite do-over!!! Do yourself a favor and try it! read more

Love this place. They are an eclectic restaurant. Very rare. Passionate about their quizine. Ambiance is comfortable. I only had something from the charcuterie bar but it was great. I am an olive fanatic, the warm olives were great. I had cold soaked grapes, who ever heard? Loved them. read more

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I hate, hate, hate panning a place during its opening week. There were some highlights to the evening, but this place really needs to get its act together if it wants to be a premier spot in Cincinnati. We were greeted by friendly staff able to seat us pretty quickly. Metropole is very cool looking. I'll let people better than me at pictures show you. Kudos for keeping the mosaic tile floors and building the decor from there. The mostly-open kitchen is very dramatic and added to the intrigue of the space. The drink order took a while, but was worth the wait. The "Don & Dirty" was a great twist (cranberry, I think?) on an old fashioned. I don't remember the names of the drinks others had, but they were good - new twists on classics. The only downside here was how long it took to get them, as evidenced by the server's comment: "I've woken the bartender; your drinks will be here soon." Appetizers brought seared octopus. Delicious. Tender and well-seasoned. I'm generally not a fan of grapefruit, but it was just right for the dish. Main course was the skirt steak, Brussels sprouts, and, unfortunately, a death spiral. I have had and understand skirt steak. This is not a melt in your mouth cut - but it should be chewable. The flavor on the steak was very good - nice and juicy, and the espresso and cocoa was present yet not overwhelming. But I could not chew it. I left 70% of the steak in chewed blobs on my plate and gave up on the last 20%. The 10% I could actually eat was good. Maybe it was one bad cut, but my guess is they didn't remove the membrane. Others had the chicken and the burger, which they described as adequate. The sprouts were cold. If they were meant to be served room temperature Caesar style then I understand what they were trying with the dish and it simply didn't suit my palate, but these were cold and lacking flavor. In a Caesar salad I want the cheese and anchovies to punch me - these were bland. We passed on desert - at this point we'd been there over 2 hours. They had a lot of service staff, but only a few of them - including our server- really knew what they were doing. Everyone else was pissing themselves and in the way. There was an uncomfortable amount of time between courses. I hope this improves as they work out the kinks. I want Metropole to do well and add to the collection of great dining experiences available in Cincinnati. I really want them to rival their sister, Proof, and become a destination location. They have a long way to go. I'll be sure to update this review - if I go back. read more

A few years ago we went to Louisville, visited the 21c hotel there and enjoyed a FANTASTIC meal at the in-house restaurant, Proof. Despite finding nothing vegetarian on the entree list we had been assured in advance that the chef would be able to concoct something special for my wife to enjoy. They did not disappoint, she still raves about what they cooked for her to this day. So, with the 21c Hotel opening in Cincinnati, we waited until a special night - our wedding anniversary no less - to try _its_ in-house restaurant, Metropole. Upon booking the reservation we were given a menu which, like Proof, showed zero vegetarian options amongst the entrees. But, just like Proof, the staff at Metropole verbally assured us - on no less than 3 separate occasions - that the chef would be able to put something special together for my wife. The difference between 21c Louisville and 21c Cincinnati was one of the veritable chalk and cheese variety. Let's start at the very beginning, a place Julie Andrews assures us, is a very good place to start... When initially booking the reservation, I requested a specific table I had spotted, over in the far corner from the entrance. It not only enjoyed good views and some sun-setting daylight through the nearby window but it was also the furthest away from the barely separated bar area which spans one entire side of the restaurant Upon arrival, I immediately noticed the requested table was occupied. To be honest, we should've walked out there and then. Instead, and with NO apologies or excuses whatsoever, we were seated .... you've guessed it... right next to the extremely noisy bar area. Which rendered all 'romantic anniversary conversation' impossible. Here's where I maybe nitpick a little. I don't know who chose/designed the furnishings for the restaurant area but they evidently didn't have much of a clue. If you get a chair to sit on you're fine, but if - like us - you end up perched on the upholstered benches, you'll find the table is too high to eat with any comfort. Basically, those bench areas have been constructed too low. Also, every single table in the place is supported by a centre leg with a wide/tall contoured plinth, making it impossible to place your feet comfortably on the floor in front of you. I witnessed loads of people around us constantly shifting their feet to try and find a 'sweet spot', none of them successfully. I'd expect this kind of oversight from a cheap burger joint, but an upscale restaurant? Klaxon alert! Then came the food. "Disappointed" is an understatement. I tried the Steak Tartare as my appetizer, assured by our server it gets "stellar reviews". I cannot understand why. Tellingly, I left 2/3rds of it behind on the plate, the taste of the ingredients surprisingly bland. My entree was the Metropole Cheeseburger, a definite step-up from the appy, but far from the magnificent flavor sensation suggested by a recent Cincinnati Magazine article. As generally 'mediocre' as my own eating experience was, it still towered several hundred storeys above my wife's. Having been promised the 'vegetarian earth' by no less than 4 people now - including our server who told us the 'pasta dish' could be made without the crab and other meat, but with lots of vegetables - she was served... a small plateful of pasta with a sauce and a few herbs plopped on top. THIS was their $25 vegetarian option? Lots of people now eat vegetarian food, not all of them on moral grounds, but because they know it's better for them. To not have a single veggie option on your entree list is incredibly remiss in this day and age. To then pretend that this pasta variant is a credible alternative just paints a poor "zero imagination" picture of your kitchen staff. To her credit, my wife sent the laughable pasta dish back. She was then forced to order a couple of sub-standard items from what was basically the 'sides' as her Wedding Anniversary meal. The whole event became so unromantic in nature we humorously wondered at one point if we could actually sue the restaurant should the meal lead to our eventual divorce. After we'd had our dessert I guess news of our general dissatisfaction had reached the restaurant manager who came over, apologized for the shortcomings over the order and comped us our shared dessert and my wife's pot of tea. It was extremely easy for me to contain my excitement at the gesture. Sadly, it was all too little too late. Metropole officially goes on our "sh*tlist" as somewhere we will be sure to tell other people about... but for all the wrong reasons. I've said this before and I'll say it again, if you turn away a vegetarian diner by not offering a credible vegetarian option you ALSO turn away all of their carnivorous friends and family members who would/could dine with them. Based on our experience, Metropole proved itself as not only somewhere that does not comprehend a vegetarian's needs, but also a restaurant that undermines its own assurances. read more

I somehow overlooked the Cincinnati opening of Proof's (Louisville) sister restaurant! I can honestly say the best thing I have ever eaten came from a plate at Proof and I haven't found a place with the same ambience over the years. After finding out this morning, I new I had to go for lunch immediately. We arrived a little before 1pm and lunch ends at 2. The place had a few tables with business folk, but the dining area wasn't crowded at all. Our waiter was friendly and dressed as casually as we were, which was comfortable. The decor is simple, contemporary and clean. It's larger than I thought it would be and lots of open space with wooden dividers breaking up the surrounding areas. Being a charcuterie fanatic, the open kitchen was my absolute favorite feature. We ordered the Ploughman's plate, fries with pickle aioli, seared olives, cauliflower soup and the fried shrimp poe boy. Nothing disappointed. After reading reviews about small portions, I was surprised that the charcuterie plate was pretty substantial and ended up taking half of it home. It came with house salami, aged cheese, a 7 hour egg (delicious), some relish, mustard and amazing smokey bread. The olives were of many varieties and served warm after being seared. I hate taking pits out of my mouth and putting them on my plate, but I would order them again. The fries weren't anything special, but they were cooked perfectly. The aioli was mellow in flavor, but rich and yummy. The cauliflower soup was thick, silky and had a very sweet garnish that worked well. I'm not sure what it was, but the bite I had tasted like sugary pickled raisins. The shrimp were cooked perfectly in the poe boy although by the time I tried it, the breading was soggy. It ended up being $40 for a two person lunch with coffee. Kind of pricey, but I can't wait to go back. I highly recommend this spot for lunch and will be back for drinks soon in the evening. Bottom line...is it Proof on Main? No. But this is the closest thing to it I've experienced and am so excited Cincinnati has a restaurant of it's kind. read more

I've now tried Metropole for lunch and dinner. The space is awesome- elegant, modern, with lots of windows and a big bar. There are big yellow penguins hanging out at some of the diner's tables and a funny little art projection installation on one of the walls. Service is great. Lunch: when I went, ordered an avocado toast. It was.. avocado toast. I was completely underwhelmed and still hungry. I don't think something I could replicate myself for about 3 dollars is worth what it cost for a lunch. However, I didn't give up! I'd heard of the tasty dinner so we went for date night and were not disappointed. Delicious! Loved the charcuterie board, especially the duck pastrami and the smoked grapes. Yes, smoked grapes. They are delicious. I had a chai bourbon cocktail which was truly delicious. I had salmon and the husband had a strip steak- both were well executed and tasty. Really loved the lemon cotton candy! You're not walking out of a dinner at Metropole for under $100, unless you eat like a bird... and don't drink? But, very nice for a special night out. read more

Celebrated a birthday here recently with friends at the chef's table. The table itself is very cool, especially seated facing the kitchen with a view of the open hearth. Bread for the table is from local Blue Oven bakery, which is delicious by itself, but put over the top by the house-made cold-smoked butter (ask your server, it's an interesting process). There were lots of interesting looking things on the menu, but I didn't go too crazy on my first visit. I shared 2 starters with a friend from the "vegetables & grains" section: quinoa fritters and shaved asparagus, and both were delicious. The fritters weren't really enough to share, but the bite I got was really good, nice crunchy/seedy texture. The asparagus was delightful--bright and well balanced between the lemon and pecorino cheese. I like asparagus, but I can't often say that I really couldn't stop eating it! I couldn't resist getting the grilled sirloin for my entree and wow, was that a big, tasty slab of meat! The beef had a rich, almost melting texture and was well accompanied by little bits of potato, onion, and mushroom. I finished my meal with a goat cheese cake from the dessert menu and it was nice and fluffy with a slight tartness--a nice riff on a strawberry cheesecake if you're not in the mood for a super sweet dessert. Service was very good--our waiter was informative and personable, if slightly effusive about the restaurant's strong points. And the large yellow plastic penguin who joined our table for a while was a fun conversation piece and photo op. Most of the art in the public spaces was a bit out there for my tastes, but definitely gave the whole place a very modern, cool urban vibe. On a side note, this is my 300th review...woo-hoo!!! read more

I've dined at Metropole a total of four times since they opened in Cincinnati. All four times they have nailed it on service; 3 out of 4 times the food has been on point. I love the location, I love the affordable (and always friendly!) valet options ($8, just skip the garage), and the decor/ambiance is crisp, modern, funky-fun but still elegant. The yellow penguins crack me up (but why yellow? Why not red? Or orange? The deep thoughts that haunt me...); and I like that the restaurant can either be upscale or chill (hello, denim-clad scenester servers!). And speaking of servers, all of my experiences at Metropole lead me to believe that it has some of the best service in the city. They all collaborate to complete your dining experience, but you never feel shoved off on someone else; they unobtrusively are always present to refill drinks, clean the table, etc.; and the best thing is that while they offer impeccable, classy service, they seem very warm and without a hint of snootiness. This is saying something, since three times I was there with large groups, and our servers weren't overwhelmed or snotty, and even the hostess that I called to increase our guest count had made sure that the restaurant accommodated our needs. I had a younger dinner guest voice her concerns that her general experience with finer dining establishments is that she felt looked down on. However, after eating at Metropole, she agreed that the staff were courteous and friendly (hence one of the reasons we have chosen twice to have group work dinners there with out-of-town visitors). The food is crazy inventive and flavorful. Sometimes the combinations sound unappealing to me on paper (i.e., the menu is seasonal, in the farm-to-table style, and changes frequently), and it bums me out when they get rid of favorite items. However, some of the dishes the chef creates are sometimes just mind-blowing good. You cannot go wrong with their cheese plates and charcuterie as starters: for example, their grilled toasty bread, topped with cheese, eaten with smoked butter or smoked grapes, the honey, the coarse ground mustard - oh my goodness! I also always get the grilled octopus, which is heavenly (the 7-hour egg is for the bravehearted, IMO). The last time we were there, several people ordered and raved about the steak, but I don't think you can go wrong with their chicken, in whatever style they are serving it at the time. And get dessert! Hopefully they will still be serving the blackberry shortcake with lime ice cream (one of my new favorite desserts, and it doesn't even contain chocolate!). Another weird-sounding combination but it was just so, so good. Metropole is definitely on the pricey side, but I think it makes a great date night spot or an impressive place to take guests. read more

Metropole - I heart the penguins - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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My husband and I dined here tonight, and were more than a little disappointed. The food was good, but not as savory as it should be given the prices - worse, my pork chop was composed of nearly as much fat as meat. The service, though, was what really ruined the dinner for us. We were seated immediately, and drink orders were taken promptly, but we clocked 27 minutes from being seated to being asked for an appetizer order. I'm a fan of not-overbearing service, but we felt completely ignored. Later, when the server came by to check that our food was satisfactory, he failed to notice my husband's empty glass. A relatively small detail, but we expected better. If they put as much effort into their service as they do into maneuvering the yellow plastic penguin about, it might have turned out better. read more

I don't get the hype about metropole. The decor was very modern and the ambiance is perfect for bringing clients for dinner, which was what I was there for. They also had great customer service, but all the service in the world couldn't offset the food. We started with drinks, which were decent, and moved on to order every appetizer on the menu. The 7-hour egg is pretty good, but they only give you that one egg. What a tease. The cheese platter came with absolutely delicious honey and meats. I ordered the burnt carrot salad because of all the raving reviews. It was more of a grilled vegetables dish which I enjoyed, but it didn't live up to expectations. The other salads around the table were worse. ...and then came the main entrees. Most of us did not finish our food. I heard the steak was good, the amish chicken was barely touched and half of us did not finish the salmon. I had the salmon myself and it tasted like it was just fished out of the ocean. It tasted completely like salt water and was the worst piece of salmon I have had in as long as I can remember. It was pretty terrible. It reminded me of the times I ate at some shady restaurants in Thailand and the fish tasted sketchy. It was that bad. When it came to the desserts, again, we ordered everything on the menu. The cheese plate for dessert is pretty much the same as the appetizer cheese plate but they switch out a cheese or two. The honey bourbon ice cream tasted like it was drunk. Yes, that much alcohol in it. The pineapple upside down cake was delicious! It was very very sweet, which is what I love in my dessert! All the dessert portions were small and not meant for sharing, but I got my hands on everything because I have such a sweet tooth. We ended the night with their complimentary lemon cotton candy, which was again, oh-so-sweet. All in all, come for the appetizers and desserts and stay away from the salmon. Ugh, that absolutely horrid salmon. I'm still having nightmares about that one. read more

It's been a few months since our visit, so I don't remember the details of our meal that well, but I remember leaving with a great feeling about the food and overall experience, and a definite desire to return again. First of all, we were VERY late for our 6:15 PM reservation (see tip/note below) but they were totally cool about it, making absolutely zero stink and seating us right away. Service was attentive and friendly. I got the pork dish, which was good, but my fiancé got the chicken, which was even better. The ingredients were high quality/fresh, with the natural flavors bursting through, and everything was prepared perfectly. Sadly we did not get a visit from one of the infamous penguins, but it was still fun to watch them move around the room. Tip: The Fountain Square lot is usually a good option for parking, but we went on a busy Friday night (Reds game, holiday weekend) and it took (no joke) 30 min to get down 5th and Vine alone. So be aware of when you're going, and consider your parking options. The 21c hotel does offer valet parking ($8) but there is also a public garage on 7th between Vine and Walnut -- right next to Hustler -- which is where we ended up going. read more