My wife and I ventured down to The Davidson for our anniversary. The atmosphere was elegant and the food and service were excellent. The only red flag I noticed came with the bill. Earlier in the evening, my wife and I each ordered a pour of bourbon. The waiter asked if we'd like large, round ice cubes with it. We said yes. When the bill arrived, I noticed that he had charged us an extra four dollars for the ice. That's round, frozen water for $4.00. If it means that much to them, just build it into the price of the drink, but don't charge people for ice. It pisses them off. read more

The Davidson - The Davidson, with a chocolate, olive, paprika, and gold color palette, was quite inviting. - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I enjoyed the scallops, and the eggplant appetizer. Our server very good. The view of fountain square very nice.

Wow, one the top restaurant in Cincinnati! From the moment I walked in, my entire dining experience was exceptional! They have a great corner location downtown next to fountain square. The restaurant had a spacious open concept with vibrant music. Our server Morgan was the best- she was knowledgeable, friendly and very attentive. Every single dish that we had was truly spectacular- the clams casino, tuna tartare cones, roasted eggplant, vodka rigatoni, brick pressed chicken. read more

So impressed with the menu and the food quality. Came here with a group of 4 for a double date. We started with the tuna tartare cones which were refreshing and fun to eat. Great shareable for the table. One got the mushroom soup she said it was delicious. We all tried a bite of the rigatoni. Very good! Most of us opted for the steak and frites and it was insanely good! The sauces here at the Davidson alone will bring me back for more. The cocktail menu was pretty impressive a few of us got the margaritas which were delicious and they have a large wine menu which I prefer. We also received a complimentary glass of champagne, a pleasant surprise. I loved how they have the option for coffee after as some restaurants don't and they do not offer deserts which I also love- don't ask me why Will definitely be back, it was a great night with amazing food and the complimentary matches are a nice touch! read more

Amazing ambiance, excellent staff and delicious food. If you are a Thunderdome fan make sure to add this one to your list. We loved everything we had from the Eggplant starter to the delicious Italian salad and finished it off with pasta and scallops. We left wanting to try other items off the menu! We will definitely be back. The Davidson is centrally located in Fountain Square. Easy to park in the garage and walk in. We made a reservation which I definitely recommend but if you are just walking by it looked like the large bar was first come first serve. Can't wait to try additional dishes. Thunderdome does it again! read more

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What a great night at our new favorite restaurant downtown Cincinnati. The restaurant was so cool inside. Our waitress Ray was perfect. Food was amazing. read more

The Davidson holds an interesting place in my world, even before it opened. The previous restaurant in that space was where my fiancé and I planned to celebrate Valentine's Day during a period of long-distance dating, it then closed suddenly that same weekend. Living close by, my fiancé became obsessed with what would fill the space; from it being purchased, developed, and opened, it was a constant conversation topic. My fiancé would often peek through the windows to catch a glimpse of the progress. Being regulars at other Thunderdome restaurants, with City Bird being my favorite, she was excited and I was open minded to try The Davidson. We've visited twice now, and our experiences have been quite different each time. Our first visit left me somewhat disappointed, though I attribute this more to our choice of dishes than the quality of the restaurant itself. We ordered a variety of items: the burger, the pork chop, a shared pasta dish, and the eggplant appetizer. While most of the food was of quality, my burger fell short. The meat was loose, lacked notable flavor, and overall, it was unremarkable. It reminded me more of meatloaf on bread, which I know is burger like, but a good burger is not that. On the other hand, the pasta was well-made, though the pesto was just passable. My fiancé enjoyed their pork chop, my fries were very good, and the eggplant appetizer stood out as the best part of our meal. When we returned a few months later, I was not expecting much, but my fiancé was heavily invested. Luckily our experience improved significantly. This time, we started with the tuna tartare appetizer, split a side of mashed potatoes, and ordered the cannelloni with the pork chop being our star. The mashed potatoes were good, but we found the fries that accompanied the burger on our first visit to be far superior. I think swapping the mashed potatoes for fries would create the perfect meal. Everything we ordered on our second visit was phenomenal. The pork chop is a must-have, the cannelloni was exquisite, and the tuna tartare was among the best in Cincinnati, second only to Metropole's similar dish; a high praise from me. This combination of dishes was just the right amount of food for two people, making it an ideal menu selection. Both times we visited, the service was exceptional, and the cocktails were very good. Recently, I've developed a taste for martinis, and their olive oil martini was quite impressive. The atmosphere and environment, both inside and outside, are outstanding, and the staff is equally commendable. While our first visit was lukewarm, the second experience won me over. The Davidson has now earned a spot in our regular rotation, and I look forward to many more visits. read more

My son took me here for Mother's Day celebration, first time going. Will definitely go back! Food and service were excellent! We both had the Old Fashioned which was very good, waiter said they sell 3 times more of those than any other cocktail. Great location and atmosphere, right across from Fountain Square. read more

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The vibe is very hip and a great place to eat at the bar. Warning the kitchen is very fast so you might get all your food at once. I order appetizers and hold back my entree order. Just my $0.02. read more

My Salade Niçoise was delivered without the tuna! ..After corrected, it still had no egg. But there was a ton of lettuce! Unfortunate.

The outdoor area has tons of flowers and heated lamps during the winter. It's gorgeous and the cocktails are great!! Even better is the roasted chicken dish-- which I think is the star. read more

Wow. These menu prices do not match the level of service, attention to detail, and quality. Absolutely perfect. Ambiance... mid century modern... comfortable but chic. Perfect location right next to Ruby's across from fountain square. Drinks... unique twists on classics. I got a Manhattan and my husband got the old fashioned. Both delicious. Really loved their house wine serving options by carafe. The red was delicious. Their bottles are affordable. Food was stellar. Clams, yellowfin tuna, vodka rigatoni, veal milanese. Every bite more delicious than the previous bite. Service was perfect. So many people around making sure everything was perfect. Everyone had a purpose and role in making sure their customers had an exceptional experience. We're making reservations for the next several visits because I imagine this will be difficult to get into once word gets out. read more

I went for my friend's graduation dinner. Service and food were great. Best espresso martini I've had! Loved the atmosphere. We sat on the enclosed patio. Only complaint was that it was a little too warm out there. read more

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The food was tasty. Carpaccio was good but could be a little better with less toppings and more seasoning to the beef. Service was not great. We could only get service when we flagged the server down ( I do not waving or saying "excuse me"). Never asked how food was or if we wanted anything more. Planning to go back and trying more. Hope for more engagement with staff read more

Awesome food, awesome service, lovely atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and will definitely come back! Everything we ate was delicious! read more

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Very loud. Needs sound deadening material. Excellent appetizer, wine and salad. Entrees both had an excessive amount of garlic. No desserts available. read more

We (2) arrived 15 mins. early and were ok to wait. We were told we could be seated in 5 mins. Ok great thank you. We are walked to a high top right by the door. Not ideal and we had had the reservation for several months but we said ok no problem...but should have asked for a different table looking back. Worst table in the place but we had been before and loved our experience. It took 10 minutes for our server to appear. We weren't in a hurry so no big deal. We ordered drinks and those took a bit, no big deal. Then we ordered pretty quickly. Our server came up and said let me check on your food maybe 30 mins after waiting. Never saw again until she asked if she could bring us anything and we said our food. 55 minutes later we got our dinner after asking after she said her manager was checking on it. She was very apologetic. Then after we finished, another server came up and said sorry for your wait and had duplicate of our meals. She was like oh you are already finished and walked away. My husband wanted to write "train wreck" on bill and I wouldn't let him. They comped our dinners which we appreciated. Burger was not medium and it was dry and overcooked and cold for a $22 hamburger yikes. The chicken was good. Sadly we have been before and maybe they were having a bad night. But there are too many other great places to go. We won't be back. read more

Great food. Great ambiance. Great staff. I love coming here for a date night or post-work cocktail!

My husband and I returned to The Davidson for the third time. Our waiter CJ was outstanding. My husband had the veal which was way overcooked. My scallops were the best. The time before my husband got the pasta and clams. No taste, four clams. Were most likely done with The Davidson. Denise Rocklin read more

This meal was so so so good. Everyone at my table tried something different and everyone loved their dish. Portions are great and the scallops. Omg the scallops. The housemade crouton that they sit on was as amazing as the scallops! Service was really great and they got us in and out in time for our Broadway show. My only little issue, I wish they had a dessert menu. read more

The Davidson - Scallops - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The server took too long to bring our drinks. I mean really. Then my salad should have had chicken on it and they brought it like 15 min after. And the server said Chicken Paillard was Italian and it's French . The chicken sounds fancy but it was your basic frozen chicken breast ..... blah. And to top the evening off, as soon as I got home I had terrible cramps and was in the bathroom. Yeah food was not good. I won't be back. Nice location but yeah... read more

The ambiance and our server was great, however the food and cocktails was not the best... the cocktails barely had any alcohol and the food was so bland. We tried the vodka rigatoni and the noodles were hard, no flavor at all. The best thing on the menu were the fries... read more

Great food, ambiance, and service! Moroccan roasted eggplant and tuna tartare cones are my favorite. I've tried vongole pasta and Davidson burger, and they are both really good It is not a huge restaurant, so I may be hard to get a table if you don't make a reservation in advance! read more

Great location, great service, great atmosphere and food. Hostess Eden and Server Kia were perfectly welcoming and accommodating. read more

So far so good. Our server informed us that the chef from Pepp and Delores was there and there were definitely a lot of similarities! I had the roasted tomato cannelloni and it was very similar to the Swiss chard dish as pepp. This is a heavier pasta with more sauce. Amazing flavors of tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. While it is heavier, the portions aren't huge so you don't leave feeling disgusted with yourself. Service was very attentive and over staffed for opening weekend. I have no complaints. I also got the Bellini cocktail and it was tasty and beautiful. The atmosphere is upscale casual. There is a very large bar that takes up a big portion of the restaurant. Hoping to come back and try the patio seating in the summer time. read more

The Davidson - Roasted tomato cannelloni - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Amazing! Don't second guess, go. Staff food and beverages are amazing. We were in town for a quick one night and were amazed. Most opening weeks are weak.... Not here! Will stop here again on our way back through Cincinnati! Order the Steak Fritte and Bone in Chop!!! read more

Chicken, scallops, And vodka rigatoni. Everything was great! The service, the drinks, the vibes all great. Scollops was my favorite dish. I will say the vodka rigatoni lacked a little flavor for me and was a little dry but I am also a vodka rigatoni snob so it still was good just not my favorite. I will be back! read more

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First time here! Visiting brother in Cinci! The eggplant appetizer was amazing! great flavors!!! Well grilled, not soggy! wonderfully grilled bread to accompany it! Chopped salad with crispy prosciutto was fabulous! Great dressing, light! Mushroom soup, good flavor! Was thick but not gummy as some can end up! The veal cutlet was fantastic! Great lemon butter/caper sauce! and the vodka pasta was hardy and delicious! My personal preference is that there could be more cream in the sauce. The fat from the sausage takes some of the cream flavor away! Bellini Spritz was delightful!!!! Service was great! Fluid, attentive without being pushy and the place was packed on a Wednesday night! Loved to see that for sure! read more

Great food, cool vibe and reasonable pricing! Enjoy blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah read more

Ordered the Eggplant that they were known for. Dish prepared tableside. Presentation was great, but the eggplant we received was not hot. It was barely warm and as a result soggy. Other food we had was excellent, so good and bad ... a mixed review. read more

This place is amazing. The pork chop was huge and delicious. The raw tuna with blood orange was one of my favorite appetizers I have ever had. The service was great and the Manhattan was tasty for sure. read more

We stumbled upon Davidson on our way to Jeff Rubys- we are so glad we stopped here!! is absolutely fantastic.!!! The food was amazing delicious And the service was incredible We had a tuna appetizer, a roast of vegetable salad, chicken entrée, and the scallops. All of them are incredible. It's a must in Cincinnati.!!! read more

Always want Yelp to give half stars as 5 is big for me. Just fantastic. Great menu, service and drinks!!! Had the burger and veal Milanese. Both outstanding . Enjoy!!! read more

First off our server Xavier was amazing! After that The Davidson gets a failing grade! We were seated SOOOOO CLOSE to a party of 4 on our right and a party of 2 on our left that we might as well have all been together. The egg plant was so/so as a starter. The martini my friend ordered came in a VERY small glass that looked like it belonged in a small doll house. The pork chop I ordered was dry. It was just a bad experience that I paid for. Probably will never be back! read more

My husband loved the pork chop tonight and said it was one of the best he's had. And our server was super sweet and knowable.

A fun place and the food was good. I am gluten free and they were very helpful. My big surprise is that they don't serve dessert.

I have been to The Davidson twice now; the menu looked so good that I had to go back to try more things! Both times, I shared everything with a friend so we could taste more dishes. My favorite dishes were the roasted vegetable salad, the scallops, the clam pasta, and the eggplant spread, prepared tableside. The flavors are pretty spot-on for most dishes--I'd say the schnitzel was the exception, as it needed lots of lemon and lots of salt, which I had to go to the bar to ask for. I had to ask for salt at the first visit for the clam pasta as well. The crunchy, buttery toast under the delicious and generous portion of scallops was a delight, and the fun texture of the homemade pasta held the sauce well. The prosciutto on the Italian salad is cooked and crispy--not my fave preparation. The flavors, textures, and dressing of the roasted veggie salad were excellent. Both times, we ate on the patio rather than in the dining room, which also looked lovely, and service was fantastically paced and executed. I'm looking forward to trying a few more new dishes next time! read more

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Excellent entrees, vibrant and fun atmosphere. The staff were attentive and kind. My only disappointment was making a reservation over a month in advance to be seated right in front of the kitchen. ​ read more

What a nice change from the restaurants in the city! The food was great, the ambiance was wonderful, and the service was so lovely. Recommendations are the fondue, the tuna cones, and all of the pastas! read more

Food was good, not great, but definitely solid. Restaurant is very cool, but definitely a little too loud. Service unfortunately wasn't good at all, although seemed like they were maybe understaffed or missing someone because our server was running around non-stop. We went at 7:00 on a Saturday, so probably their busiest time. After checking in, we were seated and we were checked on right away (one or two minutes after sitting), but weren't quite ready to order. Took 20 minutes before anyone came back to take our orders (there was a clock by our seat so these are all actual times for waiting, not even guesses). Ordered a martini and an appetizer to have with it. App came out quick, but legitimately took 30 minutes for the cocktail and it didn't come out until after we were done with the app. Later ordered a bottle of wine, which also took ~20 minutes to get to our table. Ordered mains and a salad to share. Our mains were good, not great. Salad never came and we had to ask it to be taken off the bill. Would have asked about it but after the mains were dropped off no one checked on us for 20 minutes. Food was good, but honestly the whole dinner experience was ruined by waiting on drinks and service. Would have expected more for the prices. We got one cocktail, a bottle of white wine, one appetizer, and two of the less pricey mains (burger and vodka pasta) and our bill with tip was $200+. We won't be back and don't recommend The Davidson, although there are probably worse options in the city. read more