I've been there twice in the last couple of weeks and the experiences were consistent. I've eaten here often over the years and found it pretty consistent but recently, at least in my experience, it's gone downhill. it may be the summer months, or the particular shift or........who knows what? But the dinning experiences have left much to be desired. Service has always been leisurely but the waiters are clearly interested in becoming magicians and have now perfected the art of disappearing. Our waiter would simply vanish for 20-30 minutes at a time and I eventually left right after the dessert menu was presented but, unfortunately, not before my legs had gone numb after sitting in their always marginal chairs for 2 hours and 45 minutes. If the waiter had ever bothered revisiting our table after our entrees were served, he would have discovered that the food came cold, the meat was overcooked and no, everything was not delightful. However, he was nowhere to be found and was probably somewhere combing out his artfully coiffed, brightly colored hair doo. Certainly he seemed to be more interested in himself than in our table. One bad experience I can excuse, two is harder to swallow, although not as difficult as an $18 dollar, poorly prepared, cold over-cooked hamburger patty accompanied by a third of plate of pathetically limp, rapidly cooling french fries- with no condiments offered or served. We won't be back any time soon and will try again in the fall when hopefully, the wait-staff will have turned over once again and the cook will not be a summer replacement (or cooking like one). Meh! read more

A great destination for downtown dining.. We had the charcuterie plate, oysters, and the steak. It was all really good.. The wine and craft cocktails we spot on as well. Check it out! read more

I was in Cincinnati visiting some family, and they took us to Metropole. They had been here before and really talked it up. I was ready to be underwhelmed, but surprisingly I was not. This place was great! The place had a neat kitschy vibe to it which was very comfortable. The servers and greeters were very nice and definitely made you feel welcome. I dropped some of my drink (the mellow yellow - bad name, good drink) when I tripped over a small stair I didn't see, and they replaced it quickly with no charge. It made me feel like they really wanted me to enjoy myself. The food was excellent as well. The octopus was fabulous. Very tender and not rubbery at all. The Brussels sprouts and kale were surprisingly delicious as well. Even my husband liked them and he normally hates Brussels sprouts. The eggplant was only so-so, but you can't like everything. The pork and polenta, however, were out of this world. My husband said the polenta was the best he had ever tasted, and he couldn't decide whether that or the pork was the best part of the whole meal. For a meat-eater like him, that is saying something. Anyways, summary is: great place for a nice meal. read more

I really wanted Metropole to be as good as Proof on Main at the Louisville 21C, so I went in with pretty high expectations. That was my fault. That being said there we a few few really good menu items; foie gras, octopus that you could get past even the pickiest eater, and the charcuterie selections. Our server was somewhat knowledgable and friendly, but couldn't tell me where some of the menu items originated, a must for a place boasting a fresh and local menu. Where Metropole really falls short is the overall experience of dining. The ambience- loud, stark white and a little obnoxious. The wood-fired menu- fine for a few items but too much for the entire menu. Surprisingly the most memorable item was the slightly smokey bread they serve. I'm craving some now. I suggest using the oven for bread every night and adding a pizza night on Sunday. My prediction is Cincinnati will tire of this cooking method before the end of the next 100 degree heat wave in July. Then what will they do? read more

Food: Charcuterie plate was amazing. We got the 7 hr egg, blue cheese, goat cheese, and pate. All choice quality with interesting accents, the goat cheese in particular. The house mustard and blue oven bread didn't hurt either. For dinner I went with the pork shoulder con polenta. Served with a stake knife, it was slow cooked to fall apart with a spoon. The rich smoky "health" of the buttery cut of meat was nicely balanced by the sweet roots. Service: couldn't expect better. Knowledgable and excited about the food. There was a drink spilled at our table, and after a brief whirlwind of activity, the table was dry and the drink was replaced. If they were any faster or on it, they would have caught the drink as it tipped! Ambiance: One word; penguin... There was one staring at me for a good portion of my meal. It is one of the most interesting places in the city. There is alway something that you didn't pick up on each time you look up. Why wasn't it more crowded on a Friday night! We will be back soon, and I hope to have a wait when we are. read more

It was interesting and beautiful, staff was attentive, the penguin visiting the table was quirky and fun but the food........oh my, very limited menu and not great. Only one steak offered and it was thin and less than flavorful and, for $35 came with little more than a garnish....the best thing we ate were the french fries we ordered for the table and my drink was top notch. Stick to this for dessert and coffee or a drink...don't waste your money on dinner. Our party was 10 people and all felt the same........... read more

My bad for not looking at the menu before choosing this restaurant but they lacked a vegetarian entree option. Is that so hard to put together? Tried to piece a vegetarian meal together with the carrot soup (very nice complex flavors) and a couple of the sides but was left with - Ok but not so fine overall meal. When I roast asparagus at home and mistakenly overcook a few that end up black and shriveled - I don't serve them - no such scruples here. The avocado semifreddo dessert was enthusiastically recommended by a passing server for dessert, we were less enthusiastic after trying it - landed squarely in the its OK but not great pile. Service was excellent. read more

Overall, an amazing place with a very unique vibe. We went 2/18. My drink was a gin & tonic with their house-made tonic. Was the best G&T I've had. Wife and I started with the charcuterie. We had a couple Italian hams and 3 cheeses (Cheddar, Goat, Blue). The condiments provided (mustard, chutney, etc.) paired extremely well. We then split the burnt carrot salad. Was unique and very tasty. I ordered the Salmon, cooked medium....and it was medium. I'm in shock at how many restaurants can't cook a medium salmon. This was done to perfection. Wife had the chicken which I liked more than my salmon. Our side was the cauliflower. It was arguably the best side dish I've had. It's usually not good when a side is the highlight but the cauliflower was out of this world good. The only reason for the 4 star was the service. Our server was just average. He didn't stand out in any way. read more

We love the food & drinks here! The staff & service are wonderful. We eat here whenever we stay at 21C & feel pampered by the excellent service. The chef always has innovating ways to pair unexpected flavors together - making for an artistic, creative, culinary experience. We had a delicious dessert with cotton candy as a garnish - it was so creative and special (I don't believe it is on the menu anymore.) read more

I have been to Metropole twice. I am a fan and so is my daughter. I order the octopus and loved it. The only problem I didn't get much of it becuase my daughter ate it all. The server was knowledgable and attentive. I like that they have local ingredients. The rooftop bar is a fun place to start out on a Friday or Saturday night. I need to go back to try some of the new items, it has been awhile. I stop in every once in a while to the museum. read more

Update: Went back to the Metropole from breakfast and ordered the breakfast sandwich. Probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had in my life. It came with sautéed russet potatoes which were also delicious. Would highly recommend for breakfast. read more

The service was satisfactory and polite. But the food stands out the most. The salmon is great. The cucumber lentil salad is amazing. The 7-hour egg is ok. The two knock out dishes for me were the warm ricotta and the hot olives, or warm olives I can't remember the name but they are phenomenal. Each olive packs punch of flavor in your mouth. It sounds silly that an olive could have such a complex layer of flavor. I'm Greek and have had many olives throughout my life but these are stellar. The creme brulee -pass! It was burnt and bitter. Should have sent it back. Service was great and they helped us with our wine bottle selection. The ambiance is nice and I will be happy to go there again. They don't have a large menu and certainly not your typical American fare which is perfect!! read more

Tried the rooftop bar here tonight. The entrance to the rooftop bar is in the alley, which is no big deal, but the "lobby" and elevator area to go upstairs needs some serious work. It basically is a service/freight elevator, and that whole area is dingy & unimpressive. It was a beautiful night, nice to be outside, and the decor of the bar was very cool. The view from the rooftop was not. Just meh. Best part was Mt Adams in the distance. Will not be back, will try another outdoor patio next time. read more

On Saturday evening, six of us had an exquisite dinner. Everything~the service and the food and the ambiance ~ were excellent. We ordered the duck, scallops, chicken, the burnt carrot salad and the farro salad, and the hamburger...and we loved the shrimp that the chef sent to us. David Kelsey has breathed new life into this restaurant and its menus. Don't miss it! read more

We enjoyed a wonderful dining experience last night. Jeremy was our server who took great care of us. He wanted to make sure that we got to our show at the Aronoff on time and made some great recommendations. The Japanese artichokes were a delicious shareable. I am glad he recommended to keep the fries with my burger because they were tasty. My burger was perfectly medium rare and the red onion remoulade topped it off with great flavor. Great experience. The staff was welcoming. I highly recommend this for dinner before a show or just a night on the town. read more

The latest addition to the downtown restaurant/lounge scene is the hipster cool locale in the lobby of the brand spaking new 21C. This beautiful old hotel has been updated to a modern day art museum and bar. It's a great place to wonder around with a crafty cocktail while you wait for your table. There are lots of spaces to grab a seat and contemplate the meaning of a brass sea turtle. The restaurant itself is a spacious dining room with open kitchen and bar. Wide open windows and original tiles make the space feel old and new at the same time, but do make it a bit noisy. The staff is eager eager eager to please but professional. I think they might have some kind of hipster-off contest going on within the male waitstaff especially, but their service left nothing to be desired. So why 3 stars? Unfortunately, the food is not just not exceptional. The menu is small and experimental, which I really appreciate. Bone marrow and brussel sprouts don't often sit next to each other in Cincinnati. But most things were underspiced and just not blow your socks off good. We had a large group and I tried most of the menu and overall, it was just ok. I really hope the food game steps up to meet the level of the atmosphere and the excitement because this has the potential to be the next best thing in Cincinnati. read more

i can only give 4 stars because i have not eaten here yet. but i loved it. very nicely done, and i really dig the original floor tile. i shall be back and review the food asap! read more

Love this restaurant and have dined here about five times, so I have been remiss in not rating it. Staff is cool and hip, but not annoyingly so. They are engaged and know their stuff. I had the kale salad with chicken. I could use a bit more sweetness in the dressing but it was still a delicious salad with a good amount of crunch and variety. Companion had an omelet with onion straws and other fillings and ate every bite. The decor of this room is wonderful. You can see the kitchen and chefs doing their work. The floor tiles are original and there are massive Windows that give it an open and light feel, even though it adjoins a closed space. Oh yeah, I love the bar and the apps they offer. Get the cheese and charcuterie board, they'll bring you extra bread and it's a great start to a night out or pre-dinner. Look around at the art, relax here and see how creative restoration can succeed in making an aging building a gem. read more

This place was good, not exceptional. The bread and house smoked butter are really good! We ordered a cocktail recommended by the waitress - I asked if it was very sweet and she assured me that it wasn't. It was, in fact too sweet for me and not a drink I would describe as "not very sweet" by anyone's taste. The burnt carrot salad which is a house specialty was very good. I ordered the salmon, which was fine. The waitress said that the temperature on the fish comes medium-rare, and asked whether that was ok. I said of course. The salmon arrived at what I would describe as a well done temperature. It was still delicious, but once again not what was described before ordering. Overall it was a very good meal, but not an exceptional one. read more

Went and had a late breakfast at Metropole. It was great! A little expensive, but about what you would expect at 21C. Alec Baldwin was sitting next to us which was kinda cool. read more

Upscale, artsy atmosphere, thanks to the adjoining gallery. Between those two things and the rooftop terrace, you can have a nice evening out without ever leaving 21C. We started with the charcuterie, which was excellent, including the duck breast ham, lomo, smoked blue cheese, and a hard goat cheese, served with some very flavorful honey, smoked grapes (yum), house-made chutney, stone ground mustard, and pickled green beans. We were intrigued by the 7-hour egg, but it was barely discernable from a simple hard-boiled one. Entrees were the salmon and pork chop. The salmon was great, cooked perfectly and paired with a very earthy and satisfying squash ragu. The pork chop was good, though it relied a little too much on the chow-chow for flavor. A little more romesco would have helped. We shared the charred kentucky sweet corn and compressed melon sides. The corn was good, though a little dry. The compressed melon was outstanding. Very refreshing, great contrast between the melon, the almond cheese, and the "cherry bomb" hot sauce. Dessert was the dark chocolate brownie with bourbon toffee, ice cream, and banana brulee. The bourbon toffee was amazing, but with so many components in the dish, it was difficult to assemble good bites. Overall a very enjoyable dining experience and worth a visit. read more

Metropole - pork chop, cornbread, pickled salad, romesco - New American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Rating on a curve, but for a guy who lives in Austin and previously San Francisco, Metropole, specifically the bar, is 5-star in my book for Cincinnati. Had a great variant on the old-fashioned (the "Don & Dirty"), and a delicious bison burger with grilled tomato and homemade pimento cheese... perfect end to a long travel day and a great introduction to downtown Cincinnati! read more

Good menu, fun location, and good drinks. The prices could be better especially since their portions are small. This place is good if you are looking for a trendy atmosphere with somewhat high prices and small portions. read more

Pretty crazy menu, and I consider myself adventurous, but the steak wasn't too great that was the big disappointment. So a little over rated to me. read more

Was lucky enough to choose Metropole for restaurant week tonight. Paired with free Wednesdays at the CAC it was an indulgent semi-frugal night. The food at Metropole was amazing. Started off with a chilled corn soup that was well-executed. The burnt carrot salad my friend ordered to share was even better than the two starters offered on the prix fixe restaurant week menu. For the entree I chose the seared pork shoulder steak. It was insanely good. The seared outside layer tasted like bacon and everything else was a deliciously tender and fatty succulent chunk of pork. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked throughout. For dessert the apricot semifreddo did not disappoint (though to be honest I was still coasting from the high of the pork entree). Seriously one of the best meals I've had in a couple years. read more

We come here every Thanksgiving to dine like kings. The food here is phenomenal and the staff waits on you hands and knees. The warm and cozy atmosphere offers up endless bottles of wine and gossip. With my family we ordered the duck, which was a little undercooked and extra greasy. Other than that the food was good. It was the atmosphere and drinks that keep us coming back. read more

Visited Metropole for the first time this past weekend and had a wonderful experience! I was unfamiliar with many menu items, but our waiter, Clinton, was happy to explain what anything meant. He was extremely knowledgable and friendly. The entire wait staff was awesome - they were VERY quick to bus and always made sure the waters were full. We started with the meat/cheese board and that was all delicious. I tried the Ricotta Gnuchi which was just delightful and amazing... If you like cheese, then I highly recommend! Everyone liked what they ordered. The ambiance and setting was very nice - but Clinton really made the experience. One of my friends (who I ate with) went to use the restroom and saw Clinton helping an older guest walk to the bathroom.... we were all blown away by his kindness! They finish the meal off with some lemon flavored cotton candy which really cleanses the palate and satisfies that after dinner sweet tooth! Great spot and experience! We will be back. :) read more

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Service was good, reservation was right on time, our table was ready , the menu is somewhat small and Lacks any type of shellfish but the meals were well prepared and tasty. Restaurant takes itself very seriously and is somewhat expensive for the small portions you receive. My only real complaint is that after spending $300 on a meal I was chased down while leaving because they missed ice cream dessert and needed to charge me for it. I found that to be extremely tacky and unnecessary as we had already finished paying the bill and they should have just let it go really ruined the experience for me unnecessarily read more

Came here for dinner with friends on a Wednesday and the atmosphere was splendid. We basically explored the entire dinner and it was amazing from the cocktail to desserts. read more

I lived in Cincinnati years ago, and the only place to write home about at the time (I was in college), was the Montgomery Inn. That soon became irrelevant when I moved to the east coast and went to far better steakhouses. But Metropole, a strange museum meets hip restaurant, feels like something out of New York or San Francisco more than Cincinnati, which is what makes it great. When you enter, the relatively tame-looking dining area is decorated with life-sized yellow plastic penguins and button-tufted sofas. The 1-page menu includes a number of options both for the meatlover and the vegetarian, though neither are for the faint of heart (read: boring eaters). We started with a number of dishes (asparagus, ramp toast, chaat), all of which were flavorful (especially the chaat!) and interesting. I also had a fantastic Zinfandel. For entrees (scafata, porgie, chicken), the options were still flavorful and interesting, but less so on both fronts. The carmelized banana cake was again flavorful and interesting, and helped complete this great spring-weather meal. All dishes were fairly sized, not to big or too small. After the meal, we wandered the halls of the sculpture gallery, bathrooms and second floor gallery, the experience of which reflected our flavorful, light and interesting meal. read more

I really want so much to love this restaurant. I love the ambiance, love love the hotel. The service is always great. But the food. There are just not enough vegetarian options. If we are paying $120+ for our meal then I want a choice of entree and not just to feel like I'm getting stuck with the only thing available. And the food I've had the last two times has been lackluster at best for entrees. Even my meat eating husband was less than impressed with his expensive steak dinner. Honestly the cheese plate and burnt carrot salad were the best parts of the meal... I expect more. read more

A wonderfully enlightening dinner, great contemporary ambiance, excellent service and food that will have you coming back again.

I've eaten at the Metropole several times and I'm not certain how to put this. It's okay, but I'd rather eat at home. It's very noisy because it has no carpets. So, it's not a great place to eat with more than four people. The larger the table, the less you will hear each other. The menu has also been OK. It's just that there are so many better restaurants nearby. It's a good place to go for a drink and walk around their museum lobby. Their bar has jumped on the gin and house tonic bandwagon and I recommend you try it. It's not your father's classic gin and tonic. read more

Ate there when it first opened and had an exceptional meal...I've been back several times since and it gets less appealing...I've eaten at three of the chefs other spots in Louisville and Lexington and felt they were ok but not as good as I expected or hoped...I'll go back in hopes I can recapture that first meal...menu can be limited...ate there on Easter Sunday brunch a couple of years ago and they had rabbit on the menu...that's a bit demented... read more

I was staying at the 21c Hotel for a business trip and decided to stay in house for dinner. The food is unique but phenomenal!! I had the chicken and it was tender, juicy and tasted wonderful. The sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts that accompanied it were just as tasty. I sat at the bar, and the staff was studious and quick to respond. At the end of my dinner, I wanted a liquid dessert. Nothing on the menu looked appealing, so I asked the bartender if he had any ideas. Within minutes, there was a chocolate glass of greatness in front of me. Just superb and Highly recommended!!! read more

Did New Years Eve here and was very pleased. You pay top dollar, but I think it is worth the cost. The service issues mentioned in earlier reviews seemed to have cleared up. Only downsides: house music was pretty loud, and the large plastic penguins kept falling over which was very annoying. read more

WOW. Extremely impressive! Best restaurant I have been to in a very long time! Great staff, unbelievable service, and even better food! The skill and abilities of the staff is unreal! The food, oh my! I had the steak, was the best steak i have had in a LONG time! I dont think there is such a thing as a bad choice of food here. The menu is outstanding, and i would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone! Keep up the great work!!! read more

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I have mixed emotions on this dinner. Parts were fantastic and parts we well off the mark. Everything from the charcuterie was great. The St Angel cheese is divine. My favorites starter was surprisingly the burnt carrot salad. The octopus didn't live up to the hype. We ordered the seafood stew and it was awful. Very fishy with very chewy hunks of octopus. All in all we left pleased but the kitchen missed a few times. Service and atmosphere were excellent. read more

We tried Metropole during restaurant week. The food was good. David started with the chilled corn soup, which I of course also tasted, it was delicious! I stared with a salad which was good but would recommend the soup instead. For the main course I hade the potato gnocchi which was very good. David had the grilled amberjack which he said was alright but probably wouldn't order next time. The lemon cotton candy is also a fun touch! Over all a good meal but what actually sets the restaurant apart is visiting the museum in the 21c hotel attached. Makes for a fun night, nice dinner and drinks and some fun wacky art viewing! read more

Always fantastic. Great service, inviting atmosphere and amazing food. The museum is really a treat and well worth the visit. This establishment really knows how to treat their guests. Happy to have such a great place to dine in such a lovely location! Bravo! read more