Fire star taste for these apps: pretzels, shrimp, bread board and brie. Fish and chips were delicious and crispy! Steaks done just right and lobster mac & cheese was spot on. From an out of towner's perspective I'd highly recommend this establishment. Ask if they are wearing a skirt or a kilt! Interesting answer :) read more

Totally unauthentic upscale British food--oatmeal crusted trout, glitzy fish-n-chips kinda thing--but the food is always well prepared and the people are always nice. read more

Really enjoyed the potato soup here- hands down best potato soup I have had in the Cincinnati area. Went really well with Strongbow. The pub crisps were good- nothing I would rave about. The turkey and bacon scot brown was filled with some of the most delicious turkey, though. Service was good, atmosphere was nice. We went at 8pm and it was not crowded whatsoever. Good experience. read more

I'm a menu window shopper. I browse several menus and then choose the venue. For a new year kick-off, my boss, John B., asked me to choose a lunch place for our sales team to kick-off the new year the right way... borderline gluttony and a smile. So, I did as I was asked and started my menu window shopping. I'm a runner and a health freak. Though, I train to eat and sometimes, I cave to the greasy goodness and fried pickles are my weakness. Before I could finish reading the menu's description of this savory little appetizer, I was on the phone making a reservation for 6 please. When we arrived, they had a table ready for us and our server was wonderful. Each of us ordered something different; the Reuben, the grilled chicken salad with dried cherries, Short Rib Benedict, Turkey Club, Fish and Chips and Potato Soup.. and Fried Pickles to start! Most of the lunch was spent in delicous silence. We were too busy enjoying our order and eyeing other's around the table. Delish! This isn't a place I would pick to eat before heading for a night out on the town, or for a date, but it's great for friends who want a cheat meal. Go for it. read more

Stopped in here for drinks while waiting for a cheer competition. Staff was super friendly and attentive. Food smelled delicious and looked good. Will definitely be going back down here to try the food. read more

We decided to come to this place for our last dinner in Cincinnati because it had poutine. Though it was good, this was not the poutine I was expecting, and I think because of they brie cheese, the taste changes a lot from what one expects with traditional poutine. Our waiter was attentive, though as it got busier he came less and less often. We like all the drinks we got, and the waiter helped a lot with our choices. We ordered the beet salad and it came without any beets! When we pointed it out, the waiter brought us the beets, but the quantity wasn't much bigger than a thimbleful. Anyway, even with that, we had a great dinner. The place is huge! Side note: I'm surprised there's no baby changing station to be found in the ladies' room. read more

Nothing about this menu sticks out. The price point is a bit high for their "theme". There is a beautiful outdoor area in the back of the restaurant. I used this resturant's private dining room to host a 20 person dinner. read more

We went here on a Saturday tour of the city and decided to get some drinks and snacks. Naturally, we had to have the Scottish eggs which were delicious! We sat on the patio and took in all the activity going by. Good drinks, good food and service make for a pleasant visit! read more

Unbelievable scotch selection but their fish and chips has slipped big time over the last few years.

Four of us went to Nicholson's last night. We intended to eat at a restaurant across the street and there was a long wait so we went to Nicholson's. We were seated right away(check).It is very close to Fountain square so there is plenty of parking close by (check). What a very remarkable surprise! Great Pub environment! My wife and I love Most Pubs! It also was a great, authentic Pub design inside! (Check) Everyone wore Kilts and we're very pleasant and friendly. I was in a couple of Scottish Pubs when I went 2 years ago and they did a good job for an American version of a Scottish Pub. There was a decent selection of food that was all great and cooked perfectly (check). I had the trout which was delicious. The prices were a little high, but I felt it was worth it. They had a great selection of drinks too (check). It exceeded all of my expectations! I will go back and have a new favorite restaurant on my list! I highly recommend it. read more

Great atmosphere and service. I had the fish & chips. A bit pricey, but overall I enjoyed the visit.

Solid Irish pub. We stopped in here for a quick meal since it was by our hotel, and everyone was quite satisfied. I'm sure it's a good spot on the weekend or during a game. read more

The best meal I've had in a while. The buttermilk fried chicken is fantastic and the mac and cheese is on point.

First time to Cincinnati, found Nicholson's on Yelp. excellent service, excellent drinks and excellent food, can't get much simpler than that! favorite appetizer was the scotch egg, balance between the egg and its sausage shell was awesome. shepherd's pie was really good too, could've used a bit more mashed potatoes to cover the dish. when it first came out, the portion size looked a bit smaller than expected, but after finishing it, i was very content with the amount i ate. great place to catch a bite after a ball game. read more

We came on Valentine's Day and made reservations expecting it to be packed. The place was only 1/3 full at best around 6:00-7:00 pm (with a show at the Aronoff too). That should have been our first sign. Appetizers were just ok. Sent back the spicy cheese dip for being room temperature. It was pretty gross and I'm not about to get sick. Keep it cold or make it hot! My husband and I both got the fish and chips. We remembered an awesome beer batter that we had there in the past, but we were extremely disappointed with the bread crumb coated fish. It was just like the frozen stuff I get at Costco, total bummer! The "cole slaw" in the condiment container was a complete joke as was the "homemade ketchup". Nothing short of nasty!! (And I'm an adventurous eater!) The overall experience was so disappointing. We felt like we were at Applebee's (blahhh!) and not in a good way. So sad to see this place slip so far! read more

If you want a large selection of scotch this is the place for you. Known for the fish and chips. I have found the food to range from tasty to ok. Great location by arnoff. read more

Don't miss the fish and chips... hands down the best I have had anywhere, including the UK! Home made tarter sauce also makes for good eats, however the service both times I have been here is less than stellar. Burgers are also very very good. read more

I have been going to Nicholson's for years. It is a great place to hang with friends. If you enjoy scotch, this is the place to hold your tasting. The scotch menu is extensive. If your preference is beer, then you will be happy by the huge selection on tap and in bottle. The food is generally good, but, can be spotty. The range of pub food is adequate, with a few other additions (I like the Ahi Tuna: yeah not Scottish, but still good) . The shepherd's pie or the Scot Brown are good choices for cold/damp days (get a table by the fireplace). Many people like the fish and chips, but it isn't high on my list. read more

I like the atmosphere albeit a bit more open and loud than a more traditional and intimate establishment. The decor is nice, the staff was knowledgeable yet condescending to members of our group. The glaze on my meat tasted like an off the shelf, sodium laden dining faux pas. Drinkers will appreciate the bars large selection of beer and liquor. read more

Extremely disappointing. I should have believed the review on Four Square. The decor and drinks are absolutely wonderful and misleading because the food disgusting. Four at our table. Ordered Lamb sliders (I was so hopeful because I love Lamb) Curry spring rolls, scotch egg, cheese plate and potato soup. the lamb was dangerously undercooked. rare in the middle doesn't cover it more like an E coli laboratory. The curry springs roll were deep fat fried (dark brown like old oil was used) in these wraps that were thick and very unlike a spring roll more like hard winter roll. The content was confusing and terrible and ti was served on a plate of with mustard and ketchup criss crossed for dipping (what??? -). The scotch egg which several at the table had eaten before said they were dissapointed but I can't say why. The cheese was some warehouse hard crap and the almonds were stale. STALE! Finally the potato soup was both oily and bland. I just didn't get how everything they served was absolutely disgusting. The drinks were lovely. Great Ciders etc. The wait staff was lovely. So as bar yes! as an eatery RUN don't walk. there are some great restaurants very close by. I'm curious about the folks that liked this food read more

First off, I like the concept of this place and my lunchtime visit probably isn't fair to judge a pub, but I'll try anyways. I had a BBQ beef sandwich, which was the special and a Belhaven Scottish Ale - neither were great. The sandwich was a bit like a pulled pork sandwich, but beef . . . and mushy. I've never had a Belhaven Scottish Ale before, so I have no basis for precise comparison, but I am a bit of a beer geek and my pint seemed, well, off. First off, it was a nitro pour, which was not mentioned on the menu, and the beer very dry for the style (perhaps too cold? stale lines?) Keep trying folks, this place has potential. read more

in town for business and walked past this place on the way to somewhere else for lunch. decided to take a chance and walk in there instead. i ended up with the lunch of champions! a flight of three amazing scotches and duck fat fries! what else do you really need? if you are a single malter you need to go here. and the wait staff in incredibly knowledgeable. if you mention one kind you like they can recommend 15 others you would like. very educating. and the food isn't bad either. i highly recommend. read more

12:16pm in the afternoon, 5 people at the bar (including me). 12:28pm I finally got a lunch menu, which I politely requested 10min earlier. My order came out in a timely manner. I'm by far a very patient individual... BUT it doesn't explain why it took 12 minutes to get a lunch menu. The burger I got was out-freakin'-standing! However, I'm not a big fat of the Duck Fat Fries... I feel asleep at the wheel on the way home... lol read more

The burgers are amazing and the fries are served with house made ketchup. If you are used to Heinz 57 your taste buds will be in shock. Apparently Duck fat is high in Triptafan and left me drowsy afterwards. read more

Good burger, found the beer selection a bit limited but nice bar. Only one TV hard to watch the baseball playoffs. Other than that it was defiantly Scottish and not Crap! read more

YUM. The food here is just so good. I stopped in here for dinner the other night with my husband before we went to the Aronoff to see The Piano Guys. We arrived a little early - around 5 - so luckily, there was no wait. The place didn't start to fill up until around 6. Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. She immediately brought glasses of water over after we sat down - and we had drinks from the bar about 2 minutes after that. We ordered the Crisps & Dip off of the happy hour menu. It was spinach and artichoke dip, beer cheese, and some crispy chips to dip with. Both the dip and the cheese were excellent. The chips were fresh and hot and paired really well with both options. My husband ordered the cuban sandwich - our waitress actually suggested that he dip it in their scottish bbq sauce and he wound up really enjoying that. She said that she randomly tried it one day and now she recommends it to everyone. I had the fish sandwich - it was huge! The piece of fish was nearly a foot long. I cut it in half and tried to cram it all onto the bun! The fish was really good - fried but not greasy. I enjoyed the duck fat fries. Didn't care for their ketchup but then again, I loathe the taste and smell of ketchup anyway so that didn't surprise me! We were too full for dessert, but I'd love to go back to try more menu options. Their drink menu is extensive. They do have a happy hour which we took advantage of. Some of the scotch and whiskey prices are outrageous. I can't imagine spending $85 on some scotch. lol. I'm sure others do though! We had a lovely experience and I cannot wait to go back :) read more

Loved visiting here. Loads of beer and scotch and Irish whiskey. Food is super good too.

Had the fish and chips. Food took 40 minutes to arrive after ordering. The place was not crowed. Fries were lukewarm and soggy. Fish was barely over room temperature. The fish pieces were thin, looked like something you could get from the frozen food section at Kroger's. Slaw was tasteless. I had not eaten all day and was hungry, but did not finish anything on the plate. read more

Good atmosphere and food in downtown Cincinnati. You can come here for the standard fare you'd find at Pubs in Scotland and England

I liked this place. Kilts, good food, lots of beer (heavy on selections from the British Isles), and huge list of blended and single malt Scotch. I had Cuban sandwich (ok, weird choice for pub food) but it was made with pulled pork and was really good. It was served with duck fat fries and house made ketchup. Yum. The fish and chips are good too - haddock in panko crust (also not truly "British") but tasty nonetheless. Service was pleasant and responsive. read more

Great food, atmosphere and drinks. Looking at the menu it was very hard to decide what to get and this is a place where you see servers bringing different dishes to other patrons and you do want one of everything. I tried the fish and chips and it was really great. My only regret is that I had theater tickets so I could not stay as long as I wanted. This is such a cozy place that will not disappoint you!! read more

I like the new menu. Smaller portions on the fish n chips which was ok except they do need more coleslaw. Rather have two large pieces of fish to reduce fried batter. Service was good not GREAT. I am critical of service though. Love the smoked Salem app! Wedge dressing is tasty and different Had a fun band which was a treat. Floyde and the Walkman read more

This place is usually packed. I guess we got lucky. We got a table right away. I am a picky about restaurants, but found many things I was able to eat on the menu. I loved the Scottish flair to the place and the menu. I got a burger with lamb in it with a sweet potato and brussel sprout side. I loved it! Can't wait to have an excuse to go back! read more

Good food and fun atmosphere! Grab a table by the band and drink some good beers with friends while listening to live music on the weekends! read more

Don't come here for the food. It's a bunch of greasy fried bar food. This place is all about the beer. And what a selection of fresh tap beers it is! Plus an incredibly knowledgeable bartending staff that knows its beer. A nice variety of UK brews, including Chocolate stout. They also have lambic ale on tap, and Chimay on tap as well. Also a great selection of local brews, including one from Kentucky that comes in a mason jar. You won't go home thirsty. read more

Wow, what an amazing experience! They have changed things in the right way, the chefs have really gone out of their way to prepare an amazing menu, all prepared with local ingredients! If you are looking for a very diverse menu prepared perfectly you should visit this location! read more

We were in Cincinnati for business and three of us happened to walk into Nicholson's because it looked interesting from the outside. Be warned, the hostess station is hidden and the sign is hard to see. If you just sit in the front they will think you are there for the bar and will find it hard to get served. Go past the bar to the middle of the restaurant for the hostess station if you want a table. They have a great selection of beers from the local to those from other parts of the country. There is more of an Irish theme here so if you are looking for Whiskey and Scotch, you have found the right place. Being they are directly across the street from the Aronoff Center Theatre this would also be a great place for before show drinks and hors d'oeuvres as well as after show dinner and drinks. As there were three of us dining that evening and so many things looked good, we opted to get several small plates and one entree to pass and share so we could try several items. We started with the Poutine. For those of you not familiar with this dish, it is often just a combination of french fries, brown gravy and cheese curds. Some may already be doubting this choice but this was stepped up several flights of stairs. The fries were their duck fat fries, it was not swimming in the gravy which was a ragu of mushroom and truffle with fresh cheese. The flavors just popped on everything and at that point we did not care if they were fried or not as our flavor palette was piqued to try the next dish. If you don't feel adventurous enough to try this, just get the duck fat fries and share them. They will melt in your mouth. We then moved on to the Chicken & Dumplings and the Cured Meat Board (suggested by our waiter). The Chicken was tender and juicy, the broth was light and flavorful but the most interesting thing that caught our eyes was the polenta dumplings. Now sometimes polenta (I often joke and say this is the Italian form of grits) can be a little gritty, dry, or maybe chewy. Their chef did these perfectly. They were light, flavorful and complimented the chicken and the chive broth perfectly. Personally, I could have eaten a plate of this by myself. The Cured Meat Board was a nice sampling of various sausages and pate all with their own unique tastes and textures, if you didn't like one there was another there for you. For an entree we selected the Pan Roasted Salmon with caramelized Brussel sprouts, honey glazed carrots, and herb butter sauce. The Salmon was tender and flaky, the carrots were not over cooked and the herb butter sauce. Brussel sprouts I find most people either love or hate and most say hate. Don't turn your noses up just because of the past experience with the sprouts. The grilled won me over and I will tell you that I make these at home now because of how much I liked them. For dessert we split a warm apple cobbler. They have their own pastry chef so the pastry was stellar and that vanilla bean ice cream just finished out the fresh flavor of the apples. Just a visit for the desserts would be a good idea as well. Don't complain about the prices being a little high, you are getting the quality you pay for. I can't wait for my next trip back to Cincinnati to go there again. read more

My partner and I really like this place. It is a great location to have a beer/drink, some fish and chips, and watch people. It definitely has a cozy pub feel to it. There is a parking garage on the other side of the block from Nicholson's that makes parking easy. read more

Really awesome atmosphere! We were seated quickly, our server, Tony, was awesome! Our food came out pretty quick and was delicious. Overall great experience with awesome love music read more

I have never eaten here but great place to have drinks. Normally its not too full so its a great place for big groups or just two people. Great selection of bourbon and whiskeys according to my husband. read more