We were out late drinking downtown and because of the Reds game, everything was packed. We were able to secure a reservation here at 9pm on a Saturday night. A bit late, but we just decided to keep drinking until then. Our table was ready on time. Service was great. We started with the clams casino and the roasted eggplant appetizer. The eggplant appetizer is prepared tableside- they slice it open, loosen up all the flesh, dust it with sumac, tahini and fresh parsley and give you a spoon and toasted bread alongside. Very nice! The burger was the best thing we ordered. Huge party, prepared medium, with gooey cheese and a delicious bun. The patty is clearly handmade, fresh. It was so good. The fries and sauce were nothing special. In fact, ranch or ketchup would've been preferred over their sweet remoulade like sauce. The vongole pasta was good. Small portion. Needed salt. The pasta itself was the best part- tasted homemade. The gnocchi were small and delicate, the pesto sauce was ok. My recommendation- get the burger. It's phenomenal. Bathrooms are clean. No parking lot- street parking vs garage parking. Nice date night spot. read more

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Really continuing to enjoy this place. We recently went and had a great Happy Hour experience. Would recommend everything we had. Bellini Spritz Margherita Mushroom Bisque Roasted Vegetable Salad Yellowfin Tuna Vodka Rigatoni read more

We came for happy hour and had bar bites on a Saturday. Absolutely think it's a great idea that they have Friday through Monday bar bite pricing. The house white red in prosecco were absolutely delicious for $5. A few of their cocktails were $10 and draft beer $5. The mushroom bisque is a very large portion. The fries were tasty The burger was fantastic. The atmosphere and vibe of the restaurant was super classy. The music was a touch too loud. Bartenders and staff were super sweet. read more

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What a delicious and delightful experience! I came with friends on a Thursday night. It was busy in a good way- there was a buzz in the atomosphere without it being too loud to enjoy conversation. We started off enjoying the bread with not one, not two, but three different butters! The shallot butter was delightful and the others were good as well. I moved on to the famed scallops grenobloise for the main course. They deserve their lofty reputation. The way the tangy brown butter sauce soaked the accompanying crouton had me hooked. I cleared my plate! My sweet friend shared some of her frites and they made this potato lover a very happy girl- fluffy inside and crisp exterior, as it should be. The lack of dessert was notable. The flavors are so savory that even a little truffle or cookie with the check felt so needed. I hear this will be rectified soon. Hoping to return for the eggplant or a happy hour burger. read more

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

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Came on a Saturday night and we were able to walk in at 8pm and get a seat for 2 which was nice. Been wanting to check out this new Thunderdome addition. Since we were doing a late dinner and had some pastries prior at Paris Baguette, we did just dinner and drinks, no apps. The interior is very date night like and pretty. It's a bit loud inside with music but I like the vibes. For drinks I got the G&T but subbed tonic for soda water and my friend got the Cosmo. Took some time for the drinks to come out because shortly after our food came. Drinks were decent though I expected some more special and unique cocktails for the menu. The food was good and came out quick. We got the Pesto Malloreddus and Scallops Grenobloise to share. The waitress mentioned the pastas are in the Al dente side and that is correct. The pesto Mallory's which is gnocchi pasta was definitely Al dente. I think the pasta portion should have been bigger. She said it's big enough to be a meal and I don't agree as it's a very small plate. The pesto was delicious though, balanced in flavor. The scallops were the best part of the meal. The bread helped soak up the sauce and the scallops were cooked perfectly where they're not over cooked and rubbery. I do think they could have had a slightly more unique garnish on top for being a more upscale restaurant, but overall a good dish. The only thing that bothered me was that as the waitress was clearing up the table, she knocked my phone off the table and it hit the floor. She said sorry but then didn't seem concerned and follow up to see if it's damaged or not. It definitely cracked the screen protector. Thank goodness I had a screen protector otherwise that's an expensive accident. The other part I was shocked about is there is no dessert menu. They only have dessert cocktails but no actual deserts and for a fancy dinner place, which doesn't seem like a good move. I left some room for dessert but would have gotten an appetizer had I known there is no dessert. Overall, I think I have to try some more things on the menu to make up my mind in this place. read more

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We celebrated a graduation here at The Davidson, and they accommodated a large party. The service was amazing with the servers having knowledge of the cocktails, menus and having great recommendations. The restaurant has an upscale and fleek environment. My family and friends all enjoyed the food. Shared plenty of the cheese fondue, and I enjoyed the steak and frites and tomato cannelloni pasta. I look forward to visiting again! read more

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Have to say I was not impressed with The Davidson. Had dinner here with my family last night and overall was disappointed. I will start to the positive the interior of the restaurant is very cool and it is a great location on Fountain Square. The fondue starter was very good. My wife liked the vodka rigatoni and enjoyed it. My daughters did not love the pesto pasta. I had the veal and it was barely edible. It was dry and lacked flavor. While the glass of Bordeaux I had was good the house red my wife had was not good. The service started well but trailed off as the meal progressed. We were celebrating a birthday,so we asked for the dessert menu but they don't serve dessert and instead direct you to Graeter's. While I love Graeter's I would expect a restaurant in this space to have a dessert menu. I don't understand all the 4 and 5 star reviews. We will not be back. read more

1st time here we went to celebrate my friends wife b day. The decor & layout was great. The old fashioned cocktail, bravo. We had the bread & 3 butters, baked apple fondue, mushroom soup, veal all were great but the real Star of the show the Bone in Pork Chop, great char & very moist. Our server Chris was great & they even treated us to a champagne toast for the bday girl, nice touch. We'll be back!!! read more

The Davidson - Veal Milanese - lemon caper w/ frisée - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great ambiance. "Good vibes, Dad" my daughter said. Waitstaff Is clearly trained good leaders, but are a bit rigid. The food is solid but maybe tries a little hard and is a little too cute. read more

Scallops were cooked to perfection, and arancini was some of my favorite. Service was top tier- Mario, Ella, and Gerret were wonderful and took such great care of us, we had such a fun time! Perfect addition to our Cincy-cation for a wedding! read more

We were excited to try the new space, the Davidson. (Where Royce used to be. And Palominos before that) The appetizers were really amazing. We tried the hamachi, crudo and the clam casino. They were perfectly delicious. I wish I had pictures to show you. Definitely try those. Next time we're here, we're definitely going to try more of the appetizers. And possibly the Italian salad. Anyway, then we had the mushroom soup, which was good. After that we tried the Veal Milanese, and honestly it was delicious with the mushroom soup we still had. We used the mushroom soup as a sauce instead of the lemony sauce that came with it. Also, the portion of the veal was really perfect to share. Zach was our server and he did an excellent job. He was very attentive and knowledgeable. The restaurant has great energy, perfect to be downtown. I so enjoy all of our wonderful Cincinnati restaurants. read more

What a beautifully appointed restaurant and bar. From the moment we walked in the staff was gracious and accommodating. We sat at the bar and had wonderful service from Derrick. The cocktails were outstanding and carefully crafted. We started with the mushroom bisque. Incredibly flavorful with homemade croutons. Our server recommended getting it with a side of the grilled sourdough bread, which was the perfect accompaniment. If you love mushrooms, then this is your soup! I ordered the Scallops Grenobloise entree . There were seven scallops served over a homemade crouton cake with brown butter, capers,haricot verts and butternut purée. WOW! It was so flavorful and filling. My husband had the spicy vodka rigatoni with green peas and Italian sausage which was equally wonderful. All the pasta is handmade. I can't wait to go back! read more

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We fell in love with this place during our visit to Cincinnati, so much so that we stopped by twice. Initially we dropped in for cocktails and found them well-crafted by friendly staff who went out of their way to make us feel welcome and at home. This convinced us to stop by a second time and dine there. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a long marble-topped bar. There are also dining areas including a covered "indoor". patio. The restaurant has a great retro-classic design. It may appear quite formal at first, but business casual attire is quite appropriate for guests. Aside from our cocktails, we had the Hamachi and the Tuna Tartare Cones - both were delicious. Again, I can't say enough good things about the serving staff. They were professional, knowledgeable and clearly working hard to make everyone who was there feel comfortable. I highly recommend The Davidson. read more

The Davidson - Hamachi and Tuna Tartare Cones. Both were wonderful dishes! - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Food is awesome! I prefer to sit at the bar, great drinks from scratch, appetizers are nice size and the meals are always cooked perfectly

the davidson is starting to become one of my absolute favorite restaurants in cincinnati-- the food NEVER misses & you're guaranteed great service as soon as you walk through the double doors! bathrooms are always pristine, music is fitting for the space & never too loud (albeit the crosswalk next to the patio can be a bit obnoxious at times LOL), and the aesthetics of the restaurant make you feel as though you're in a city like chicago or nyc. gorgeous! gorgeous! gorgeous! will continue returning here & recommending it to anyone who will let me ramble on about it! read more

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The Davidson is part of the Thunderdome restaurants. Located in what was previously Tiffany and Co downtown in Fountain Square in Cincinnati. Drinks - full bar with lots of options. Wines by the glass were l limited. I got a taste of the Nebbilo, which was supposed to be on the heavier side, but was very light. I went for the house wine, which was much better, as I like a more heavy red. Seven of the appetizers on the menu. We decided to order the roasted eggplant with grilled sourdough. Very delicious and unique. My husband had the pork chop. A very substantial portion. If you're hungry, this is a good choice. Very flavorful and tender. I had chicken tenders this spaghetti and clams. If you're sensitive to spice, you may not want to order this. Great flavor. However, the clams are really tiny. A Similar to Pepp and Dolores their sister restaurant, there is no dessert option which I find disappointing. Only negative feedback I would have is that the coffee I ordered was lukewarm. Ambience is very trendy and fun. Service was outstanding. We came for dinner prior to the show at the Aronoff. Overall, great experience. Highly recommend. read more

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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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FIRST: If you loved the mushroom bisque from Palomino, THEY MAKE IT. It is just as rich and fabulous as you remember. Oh sweet joy! Overall, I loved it. Another fantastic offering from the locally owned Thunderdome restaurant group. I just don't know how they do it. Each of their offerings is unique and tasty and they hit the mark, again! The atmosphere is upscale and comfortable. Tables are not too close together and we were able to laugh and enjoy a great dinner with friends on a Thursday night. We made reservations, but they weren't too busy so we probably could've walked in. We were seated in the bar area which was perfect for our mood. They also have a gorgeous dining room that looks cozy and comfortable. There's a covered patio that offers year around dining and honestly, when warmer weather rolls around, that patio will be packed. Drinks are on point and delicious. If you enjoy a tasty old fashioned, you can't go wrong with the Davidson Old Fashioned. The espresso martini was beautiful to look at, but I felt like the serving was kind of small (likely just the visual presentation). But It really was a work of art. One of the people in our party does not drink and opted for an n/a mojito (we lovingly call the fauxjito) and said it was perfect. For dinner, we were all over the place. We shared the eggplant which was prepped table side. We were thinking it would be more smokey, but it was not. It was okay. We also had the hamachi and that was excellent. Next course. The salads were generously sized, you could easily share. We ordered the roasted vegetable salad and it was excellent as well as the mushroom bisque which I previously mentioned. Our friends ordered the green salad and enjoyed it - it was large too. For dinner, my husband and I shared vodka rigatoni and it was sooo good. The pasta is prepared al dente and has excellent texture. Our friends ordered the vongole (which they said had good flavor but did not like the texture of) and the cannelloni (which they said was excellent). Price-wise this restaurant is not over the top. Given the absolutely incredible service we received, the delightful drinks, and tasty food, it was worth every penny. read more

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While in town for the weekend we stopped in and sat at the bar. The atmosphere is classy and cool and the bartenders were really friendly and made recommendations. It was happy hour and they had $5 wine and food! We started with apps and decided we would just stay for dinner as well. Everything was Great! We will return when back in town. read more

The Davidson - Sausage rigatoni, bread service and $5 wine - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Popped in for their new lunch. Vibe is really nice, beautiful space, open, airy. Ate at the bar, tried the tuna crudo 5/5, side salad 5/5, huge and really good, fresh tasting, and then the spicy rigatoni 5/5. read more

Good but not great, I would say the Hugo spritz cocktail was better than the actual meal. there's better options in Cincinnati!

Last night my husband and I enjoyed our first meal at the Davidson. I had the salad nicoise and he ordered the burger with haricot verts substituted for the fries. The salad was perfect (although I do prefer mine with anchovy filets), and his hamburger was cooked as ordered. The beans were well seasoned and their juice needed to be mopped up and enjoyed. The only complaint and the reason for 4 stars is the sound level. My husband measured this at 85dB. The music was too loud to have a comfortable conversation. This is the only reason for our considering not returning, although we really do need to try the eggplant! No complaints on the staff or service. read more

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! THE BEST meal in had in Cincy and worth every penny. I got the Tuna tare tare and scallops with a glass of Prosecco. Beautiful food in a beautiful space is always great; I can't wait to return. The service was welcoming and attentive. read more

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Honestly one of the best restaurants we have been to in a long time!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the service was amazing. We got a couple drinks and tried some various menu items and were blown away. The Scallops Grenobloise were out of this world and one of the best dishes I have ever had, I would eat that every single day if I could. We are very excited to go back and try even more of their dishes as everything looked so amazing! read more

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Found this place on Yelp and i gotta echo what the other reviews say... this place is phenomenal. The interior is extremely well decorated and the lighting is perfect. I got the vodka rigatoni (sans the sausage though) and it was chef's kiss, slightly al dente which I love. Not to mention it has peas in it, which adds a pop of flavor that contrasts with the vodka sauce perfectly. Lastly, I'd be remiss to not mention the manager Derek, he was an absolute gem and so friendly! Next time I'm in Cinci, I'll def be back! read more

My honest review of the Davidson. My good friend and I dined here on a Friday evening. Our first thoughts were how beautiful the restaurant was. I loved the look of the bar and the chandeliers. Interior was very nice. Vibe was relaxing. Service was fine, nothing to write home about. Drinks came out in a timely manner, I loved the espresso martini but the olive oil martini was a little too strong for me. Let's get to the food. My favorite dish of the night was the hamachi crudo with blood orange. Balanced, flavorful, fresh, citrusy. I loved it. This was really the only dish that blew me away. The alpine fondue was good - reminded me of the melting pot and I'm happy they served it with apples. The eggplant was suggested - it was alright, no new flavor profiles there but decent. We split the Italian salad and it was pretty good, tasted as expected. The chicken au vin was dry, but the mashed potatoes were delicious. I ordered both desserts and I wasn't impressed with either. The strawberry panna cotta had a VERY watery strawberry syrup on top that threw off the texture. I liked the addition of basil and the brittle - but changing the consistency of that syrup to something thicker and maybe infusing the panna cotta with the basil flavor would put this dish together better. The pot de creme was so boring... think chocolate jello topped with plain whipped cream. I am shocked my server suggested it. Not worth $12 and was seriously lacking flavor. Overall, I would probably return to try a few different dishes. I do think improvements need to be made to their food and they should really dial in with some of their dishes. Some seemed to have much more thought than others. 4/5 is appropriate for overall. read more

The Davidson exceeded my expectations for a birthday dinner. The decor and ambiance were great, service was top notch, and the experience is one I will not soon forget. We had the eggplant and clams casino to start, and I'm not exaggerating when I say the eggplant was one of the best things I've had in a while. I got the steak frites for my entree and it was cooked perfectly and I could bathe in the bérnaise aioli served with the fries- it was a highlight of the meal. Parking at Fountain Square makes it 3 minutes from parking to entering the restaurant. Will be back soon. read more

The Davidson - Steak Frites - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Delicious food, wonderfully attentive staff, and centrally located perfect for pairing dining with a nearby activity. I also LOVED the decoration! read more

Limited menu, not great food, service was fine. That said, they are getting on their feet as a relatively new place. I'll give them another shot. read more

Service was great and the pace of food and drinks were perfect. Nice menu selection with options for vegetarian and meat eaters read more

The Davidson - Bone in Pork Chop with squash and kale - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Food was good! The server recommended a lot to us and explained certain dishes to us as well. We went on a Sunday evening and it wasn't too busy! read more

Everything here was excellent. Very loud of a Friday night but our waitress sat us in a quieter corner that was very cozy. We ordered cocktails and I had the absolute best expresso martini I've ever had. Then we had the tuna tartar appetizer. It was well presented and delicious. We had a scallop dish and yellow tail salad to share for the entree. I've never had Scallops prepared more perfectly. Not one thing we ordered wasn't prepared perfectly. Our waitress was great and we will definitely be back. read more

The hype is real, this place is a home run. The space has been remodeled just a little bit and looks great. Nice wine and cocktail list with reasonable prices. We had two different salads at our table and I had the fondue. Everything was delicious and served flawlessly. I already have one reservation to come back and working on another. This is a great addition to the business district. read more

Love this place! Amazing food and great atmosphere. We had a lovely dinner here after spending the day at Fountain Square. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Excellent service, excellent food! I had the Roasted Tomato Cannelloni - sooo good. Also loved the house white wine - highly recommend!

Fancy but easy going restaurant in a great location and immaculate vibes inside. Professional, friendly and fast wait staff mixed with James Brown music gives this place 5 stars alone. The Vodka Rigatoni was pretty good, although the pasta might've been slightly undercooked tonight. The Italian chopped salad was fresh and delicious. Crunchy bits of prosciutto was the best! read more

The Davidson - Vodka Rigatoni - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great service and food. We had a large party and the staff were so helpful!! Drinks were very good they even gave us free champagne because we were celebrating. Great ambiance as well. read more

The Davidson - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Delicious food and presentation. The service is top-notch. I loved the eggplant and chicken. Will definitely be back.

Will definitely be coming back! The food was excellent and so were the drinks. The tuna cone appetizer was to die for and the eggplant dish had an incredible presentation. The spritz drinks were also delicious along with a very flavorful burger. You can't go wrong! read more

The Davidson - French Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Moroccan eggplant appetizer was so unique and excellently done! Great fun atmosphere with a fun but quaint menu. Good value on the pasta dishes. read more