Tonight we had the...best...meal...EVER! We sat at the bar and it was nice and quiet. The seats are comfortable and Greg took excellent care of us. If you prefer a quieter setting, then eating in the bar is your best bet because the dining rooms do get loud. We started with the east/west coast oysters and they were so fresh. The passion fruit mignonette was the perfect compliment. I kept scooping out tiny spoonfuls and drinking it after we finished the oysters. The Fluke Crudo was fantastic. The combo of flavors and textures was a delight for the palate. The scallops over the miso leek risotto was one of the best scallop dishes we have ever eaten. The scallops were huge and cooked perfectly and there were plenty of pieces of leek in a lovely, smooth risotto. We're not a fan of hijiki, so the chef prepared the risotto without it - Thanks Chef Jose! And you would think chicken schnitzel would be basic, but not this dish. The chicken was so moist, perfectly seasoned, and pan fried in butter. We asked for the sauce on the side because we knew we wouldn't finish the big piece and wanted to heat it up later and still be crispy (which we did). We were amazed that eating the chicken, almond, asparagus, and some sauce in one bite, was SO good. The best two meals we have had in Cincinnati so far in 2026 have been here, and Mita's. Chef Jose is a real talent. read more

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It pains me to write this review as I am a huge Salazar fan - of his food and what he does for the city. But last night was not it. It was our first time in the new space and we came for our wedding anniversary. The pros- The space is absolutely gorgeous! The food is fresh. Our menu said Happy Anniversary and various staff came by to tell us Happy Anniversary. The wine was good. The little oyster slide was good. We appreciated the free anniversary cheesecake dessert. The cons- It was so incredibly loud in the room we were in. We couldn't even hold a conversation and we could barely hear the wait staff. The couple next to us asked to be moved outside. We should have followed. The service was slow. This was mind boggling because there are so many people on staff running around, yet we felt invisible at times- especially when we arrived and waited a solid 10 minutes to be greeted at our table. Our food also took a long time to come out. I got the Mezzi Rigatoni and I could barely find a bite of crab or asparagus in the dish and the sauce was runny. I was disappointed. We will stick with Mitas next time. read more

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Birthday dinner out in Downtown Cincinnati. Having tried Salazar at their former location, I was ready to experience the new. Service was excellent, food was high quality, and parking was easy nearby. You can tell by the pictures that presentation was a priority. Everyone enjoyed the evening! read more

Salazar - Pasture-Raised Chicken Breast - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

First of all: I need the QR code for their bomb playlist, because I really enjoyed the soulful vibe. Outside of that, the restaurant is beautiful and the food is exceptional. I highly recommend the crab salad! I also loved the cauliflower main dish, it was so full of flavor. I am a gluten free pescetarian but there were quite a few options for me. I didn't love how saucy the salmon dish was but the salmon was cooked delightfully. read more

Salazar - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

So happy they reopened! We went here on none other than Valentines Day (of course got reservations months in advance). On first impression, it feels very upscale. The decor feels like the inside of an architectural digest magazine. Despite it being valentines, the service was still prompt and the food came out very quick. Now let's get into the food. The sunchokes were so unique I have never tried those before and the flavor was so good. A mix of a potato and a mushroom. The grilled bread was great, it came with a bone marrow butter (yummy but soooo rich). And the scallops....those were the best scallops I have ever had. And I have a lot of scallops. So light and perfectly seared, you have to try! We will be back, thanks Salazar. read more

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What an awesome experience at Salazar. This newly opened restaurant delivered. Everything was amazing from the drinks, nibblers, entrees and service. I loved the atmosphere. It's separated into different open style rooms, each with a different feeling. Next time I would choose to sit in the kitchen room and watch Chef Salazar work his magic. I had the lamb shank. It was delicious and filling. It was so tender it fell off the bone. There were many other choices on the menu that looked tempting to try. I'll have to return next time for those. read more

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Disappointing experience, especially compared to other restaurants in this group. We sat for about 20 minutes before anyone came to our table. I'm gluten-free, and when I asked what I could safely eat, our server was guessing instead of confirming with the kitchen. Water refills didn't happen until I raised concerns with a manager. Food tasted good, but not worth the price given the service issues. Nor was the staff prepared to handle dietary restrictions at the level you'd expect for this type of restaurant. read more

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We finally made it in, our first reservation was canceled by snow! The restaurant is beautiful, each area a little different and huge bar area. Its modern and cozy in some of the seating. The service is excellent, we agreed the best in a whole. Paige made us feel like we'd been regulars for a long time the ceasar was good, burger good and our pasta choice was also pretty good. The star for me was the oyster slider. I did not have it at the previous location and generally eat baked oysters. This little slider packs flavor and is well dressed. I also had brand new floral cocktail that was light and refreshing. The butter cake dessert was delicious. I did not take photo of pasta but listed it in the photos. We are already planning next visit to try more dishes. Choosing was a challenge because there were so many things that sounded and looked incredible. Chef Jose does not miss! read more

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Such a great elevated dining experience in Cincinnati! There is not another spot in Cincinnati like this. The food and hospitality were top notch. The food was all prepared and fresh. The care and presentation was definitely noticed. The ambiance of the restaurant made me feel like I was no longer in Cincinnati! My favorite dishes were the snow crab salad, beef tartare, and the burger. The flavor profiles here are amazing and take you on a journey. I loved every dish and think the portions are pretty good. Even the dishes we didn't order and saw all looked good. I wish we had room for dessert. This just means we will have to come back! read more

Salazar - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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10/10 recommend! This new location is simply beautiful! The decor is to die for and I love that you can see the kitchen in the middle room. The bar is breathtaking and perfect for happy hour. For the food I tried the gnocchi which I wasn't overly impressed with. It's filled with cream cheese vs being a potato like most gnocchi. I also tried the Caesar salad and that was delicious. My coworkers tried the Creste pasta, chicken breast and the cauliflower dish and all of those were phenomenal and something I will return for. Our server Jacob was great and very attentive. I love that multiple servers help with keeping drinks full and clearing the table when you're done. All in all I will be back! This place is great for girls night, date night, or work dinners. read more

Salazar - Gnocchi - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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What an amazing meal!! We loved the food and drinks at Salazar, especially the brand new bar, the cozy ambience and the spectacular fresh pasta and the lemon poppy seed dessert. The staff is so friendly and the drinks were DELICIOUS!!! 100% RECOMMEND!!!! Run dont walk to Salazar!!! read more

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Food and overall experience was great. Service was a little slow but they were busy and sometimes tables like to prolong the experience. Was happy to see more vegetarian options than I thought they would have. The pastas were flavorful , pretty salty! Warm butter cake was delicious, interesting pairing with popcorn gave it a nice crunch. Great for celebratory dinners, date night. Hard to believe it used to be Saks, they've done a great job with dining spacing and decor. read more

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Great experience. The space is huge. I like being able to walk past the kitchen and see them work - inc Jose Salazar. The Caesar and spaghetti were fantastic. Don't let the name spaghetti fool you- it was gourmet and full of meat. read more

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We waited a few months before visiting to give the staff time to get their feet under them, since it's a new restaurant. We are glad we did. All cylinders were firing last night. The staff were all super friendly. We were seated in the middle dining room and got to watch the kitchen in action. It looked like chaos to us, having never worked in a kitchen before, but it was obviously a well-oiled machine. Everyone knew what they were doing. Chef Salazar was steering the ship with no doubt. The food was all awesome. We had the sunchokes and grilled bread as "nibblers". We heard several other tables around us raving about the sunchokes as well. Don't miss them! For entrees we had the gemelli pasta and hamburger as our entrees. Both were great. The pasta is all made in house. The gemelli had a really light broth, shredded pork, some greens. Super tasty. The burger and fries were awesome as well. For dessert we had the butter cake and Meyer-lemon tart. Amazing. Don't miss them. We will go back. Can't wait to try new things and see how the menu evolves. I would recommend getting reservations unless you want to sit in the bar. read more

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Same great food you can expect from Jose and his team, in a new, larger restaurant. We loved our meal and the service was also excellent. The only downside was that the restaurant got pretty loud as it filled up! Would highly recommend the lamb and the prime rib and in my opinion the oyster slider is a must to start your meal. Looking forward to many meals at Salazar! read more

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Last night was my first visit to Salazar and I was so impressed with the atmosphere, food and staff. We sat at the bar and were served by Emily for the evening. She was great at explaining the menu and special offerings without being overbearing. We ordered the bread service and oysters. The bone marrow butter was great! For entrees, I ordered the spaghetti and my husband ordered the scallops. They were smaller size portions so be aware of that, but great nonetheless! For dessert, we got the chocolate chip cookie and they brought us an eggnog macaron for our anniversary as well. Overall, a great meal and great service. I definitely plan on coming back. Pro Tip: the bathroom is located near the bar area and has a label that says "WC". This was kind of confusing to several folks throughout the evening. read more

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So happy to have you back, Salazar! In my first visit to the new location, this restaurant didn't miss a beat. The space is expansive but split into little rooms so dining there still feels intimate. Our party of three started with the sunchokes, fries, and the chicken liver mouse. The fries and sauce remain undefeated and the sunchokes were deliciously smoky. The chicken liver mouse though was just okay and there are better versions to be had locally. For my main, I tried the lamb shank. Amazing! The sharp citrus in the accompanying sauce was a nice surprise and broke through the richness of the dish. Dessert was the warm butter cake that was indeed delicious but felt a little one- note by the end. Not an issue if you are sharing. Our server gave great suggestions throughout and our water glasses were constantly refilled by the attentive staff. Salazar remains one of my faves in this iteration. Can't wait to see what's next! read more

Salazar - Warm butter cake - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Sleek new place downtown Cincinnati. Had the lamb shank; it was fantastic. Lots of staff around though I felt a bit under attended. Empty wine glass took time to be noticed and could seem to find a bartender when I needed one though there were 4 working. Ambiance is sleek, very new bright feel. Nice place. Looking forward to a second visit. read more

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Honestly, if you go here and don't get the oyster fried sandwich, what are you doing? I've never ate at one of his restaurants and didn't like it. This has grown to be a staple in Cincinnati downtown. I hope they never change. I've been here before, but with the new location & new menu items I was intrigued. The server was efficient who was also bartending. Reservations suggested, however the bar is beautiful with enough seating if you're lucky. The number five cocktail was made very well with gin but you would never know. The crab salad was $30, seemed a bit pricey for the portion however it was delicious. I also had french fries which was a little pick me up. I have no complaints. Make sure you get area valet parking or you can park in the street garage for a small fee. This is a gorgeous space with great staff. I'll be back sooner than later! Great job, Jose and the team.! read more

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Tried the brand new location and got in last minute through Open Table. We got seated in the "sunroom." We had attentive service and got a great view of the open kitchen. They have a lot of people working the kitchen and got to watch chef Salazar plate a lot of dishes. For me, the lamb entree was so satisfyingly good. We had a three course meal and sampled cocktails and drank Grenache with dinner. We will be back . Love the home concept with each room representing a room in the house. The study looks beautiful. I personally loved it all. Maybe the one suggestion I would make is to maybe lower the volume of the music. The restaurant was pretty full since it's also a Saturday evening. read more

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A dear friend took me to the new location of Salazar for my birthday. As always, the food is delicious there. We shared some amazing gnocchi and for dessert warm butter cake with a caramel corn ice-cream. The only downside was how loud it was there especially the table right behind us. Besides the great food, we had the best server - Davelle sp? He was so informative, friendly and helpful the entire time. Would definitely go back. read more

This was a great choice for our anniversary dinner. We had been to Salazar in OTR a few years ago and were glad to experience the new location. The space is beautiful and it was full on a recent Wednesday evening. We got street parking about a block and a half away but there is a garage across from the restaurant as well. Starting with the service- the greetings from everyone were very warm, ever-circling water attendants made sure our glasses were never empty, our waitress was very personable and gave great recommendations, and the service team was so in tune. Our waitress started by asking if we had anywhere to go after dinner, which was very considerate. As we did not, dinner was paced on the slower side as you would expect from fine dining. From start to finish we were there right at 2 hours. We started with the bread and can't recommend it enough. We also ordered the Mezzi Rigatoni on the recommendation of our waitress and were very happy we did. The sauce américaine was lobster bisque which is what convinced us to order this dish over the gnocchi. It was brought out with the bread. For our mains, he had the steak, which had the most amazing sauce/reduction. I had the sea scallops and the risotto was so bright and unique. I will say the only let-down was every scallop was gritty. I guess that is a risk with scallops, but was hoping they would have been cleaned better as a place like this. We also got a side of fries which were perfectly crispy and the sauce was delicious- tasted like a mix of mayo, mustard and sriracha. For dessert, they brought out 2 macarons with a candle and we should have called it there as we were so full. However, the butter cake sounded too good to pass up and it was so decadent. Can't imagine another dessert being as good. Overall, very happy with our visit to Salazar because of the beautiful space, delicious food and perfect service. read more

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Love it. Don't think I've ever seen Jerusalem artichoke in a restaurant before; I love it, and they had it as an appetizer. Two thumbs up! And the bartender Greg was super friendly, knowledgeable about all the offerings, and really helpful. Thanks, Greg. Ambiance: upscale. Nice decor, subdued lighting but not dim, no television. In the same building (but not part of) the Hyatt Regency, a block away from the convention center in the fountain district. read more

Cool new location with a couple nods to the space's former life. Lots of different rooms with unique decor. We started with the grilled bread and the best Caesar salad I've had in a long time, enough to split with someone else. I had the blue crab pasta, which was really good on a cold night. I also got to try a bite of the cheeseburger and the fries. YUM! The bacon on that burger was delicious. Our server was fun and efficient. While I miss the original location, this feels like the grownup version of the restaurant. read more

20/10 if I could give this place more stars I would!! Amazing atmosphere and staff. Everything on the menus was exquisite. I had the lamb main dish and I am still thinking about it every day after 2 months (went there start of Feb) Everything is worth the price and I would even say this place rivals and maybe beats Sotto and Boca. read more

Start to finished the best service, food, atmosphere & drinks. Can't say enough about our entire experience read more

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First time at the new place and wow, it's big! Food was great. A couple dishes underwhelmed but overall very, very good food. I got the Pasture-Raised Chicken Breast. Really liked it. My wife got the King Salmon and we weren't blown away by that. A couple people got the Tandoori Spiced Cauliflower and loved it. Server hyped up the Mezzi Rigatoni but it wasn't as good as expected. People got the Caesar, Sunchokes, and Chicken Liver Mousse and all were good. Prime Beef Tartare Tartine was a hoss and good. Service was a little slow but he was a good server. We were in a smaller room and it got loud at times with the echos, otherwise ambiance was nice. Lively spot. And huge compared to the old one! read more

Ambiance: This was the worst part of the experience. The ceilings are low, the area is divided into largely closed off sections, the lighting is too bright, and the colors/decorations don't create any particular feel of elegance, coziness, hipness, or romance. It feels like a food court meets a department store. We typically like to spend time at the bar, but this bar isn't attractive or comfortable. The music was bizarre. It included Bob Dylan's protest songs, followed by rap, followed by acoustic Bananorama, etc; every song was from a different genre. We guessed that we were listening to someone's phone playlist placed on "shuffle". Food: Interesting combinations, but no clear point of view or cuisine across the menu. The cocktail No. 5 was very good. Another cocktail had to be sent back. Service: The waiters weren't formal or casual. The pacing of the service was a bit off. It was unclear whether this was supposed to be casual or more formal experience. In short, there were good elements, but there was no cohesion to any aspect of the experience. It seemed as though multiple persons each added contributions without any prior consensus on what the final outcome was intended to be. The restaurant has potential, but it is far from being realized. read more

Wonderful on all accounts! Service was excellent. Food was amazing. Atmosphere was perfect. We tried Salazar as a last-minute decision. Our server was wonderful. She explained the different nibbles that we had questions on. She was very attentive, but also let us take our time. The food was amazing! A very eclectic menu which combined many different spices and sauces. The oyster sliders were delicious. One slider per person was just enough. We split the farm green salad. The carrot vinaigrette was unique and very tasty. We split the mezzi rigatoni and the gemelli. Both were fantastic. We were both so wrapped in our food that I forgot to take pictures. Hopefully I'll remember next time when we return. read more

Salazar is an EXCELLENT RESTAURANT! Still in its infancy only open a few weeks so staff is still working on a few areas. We had some glitches on menu items and drink orders. HOWEVER This is a well tuned machine. HOSPITALITY ! They are cordial with changes to reservations and special needs. 7 in our party of challenging ages. The atmosphere is open and engaging , rather LOUD in the LIBRARY! Fireplace is great addition and the windows! Although the front lobby is too congested for arriving and departing guests! Its new and a few areas need attention but theyre minor. The food; I had the Blue Crab Rigitoni, the flavors were amazing and frankly indescribable . Also tried the Skate Fish with Beans and sauce again WOW! The Chicken Breast! Each Entree had a distinct and unique flavors. Managers checking through each course, engaging, fun, helpful! Andrew checked on us often and provided 3 desserts, Butter Cake is Virginia Bakery Deliousness""! followed by a Dark Chocolate Key Lime and a Cookie Bar Much Success to a Genuine GEM! So much better than Saks! read more

So good! Great lighting and ambiance, nice service, good sized portions and delicious food! Bread was good, tried butter cake & cremeux for dessert definitely recommend! They brought me out a macaroon for my birthday with a candle! read more

Salazar - Ritz caviar - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Chef Salazar and his staff are some of the best if not the best in Cincinnati. The personable touch they put into making all of their customers feel like they are their first is truly a magical experience. The atmosphere is upscale but does not make you feel out of place. The food has so much flavor in every bite and so thoughtful. Highly recommend to anybody in Cincinnati or coming here for a visit. read more

The food and ambiance was amazing but the service was lacking. Took almost 20 minutes for us to be waited on after we sat down to order drinks and we would have ordered more drinks if the wait staff was more engaging. We will be back and hoping the service kinks are worked out in between. A few food highlights - the bread, oyster siders, the lamb and the mezzi rigatoni. read more

Fantastic meal, excellent service, good vibe. We were there for a birthday dinner but there were large groups, people on dates, etc. We left with a list of things we wanted to try the next time. read more

ate at the bar. excellent service. Martini made precise to my request. oysters fresh. strip steak prepared perfectly. solid place. would go again next time in town. read more

Glad to have found this place, and only after telling some local friends about it did I realize what a big deal it was to score a seat (the trick was to walk in and sit at the bar). Food was great, including the fried oyster slider and the crab rigatoni. Ambience was sophisticated and grown-up. The cherry on top was the excellent service, which was friendly without being overbearing. (Where I'm from in Seattle, lackluster service seems to be a point of local pride.) despite the fact that the restaurant is fairly new (or at least in a new location), everything was firing on all cylinders. read more