Dined in Saturday at 4:30 pm (had to make a show). Service was friendly. Place was empty aside from a few people at the bar. We had a reservation for two and for some reason they sat us directly next to the loud kitchen. Entire building open and we got bad seats just baffles me. The prime rib carpaccio was basically lunch meat with arugula. We liked the crispies but overall it's not something we really enjoyed and would not order again. It would have been better served on toast maybe. This was something we'd never had before and did not know what to expect so that's on us. 22 oz ribeye and potatoes are ok, a lesser version of sotto. steak was crisped well, not as much fat as usual which i liked. the crispy lasagne was ok. sauce is a tad spicy which was fine. kitchen manager or head chef came out to speak with us and he was very friendly. our server was Jenna. espresso martini - great, done well with strong espresso flavor and foam on top the red borough - very good, comparable to a manhattan blueberry spritz - very fruity, easy drinker s'mores was ok but honestly could do without the ice cream The ambiance is nice, very cute and clean. chairs were different and comfortable! Overall, it was ok. Not one of our top ranked places in cincy. read more

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Came in for restaurant week and everything was delicious, our service was so nice, and the place was so cute! The drink that was on special for restaurant week was fun, but pretty sweet. The carbonara croquettes were SO TASTY. The bianca bolognese was an interesting twist on a classic. The s'more's dessert was very good, but very rich, so sharing would be perfect. We'd love to go back' read more

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The place was cute. The server seemed nice and knowledgeable. Food was delicious. We had the bread focaccia and the carpaccio to start it , both were great the carpaccio was fantastic and the crunch of the potatoes was excellent. The crispy lasagna was nicely put together with just enough crispy edges and red tomato sauce with just the right amount of heat. The chicken was something new but good the potatoes cooked perfectly and the orange sauce was outstanding, took everything not to lick the plate clean. The dessert special was very light and well balanced. Overall pretty good experience!!! read more

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We had reservations for 6:30pm on a Sunday night. It was probably the coldest day in recent Cincinnati history, so we were not shocked that the place was fairly empty. We were one of three tables occupied in the place. The decor was lovely, albeit totally akin to a hotel restaurant. We sat at a booth table that was very comfortable. There is individual LED lighting on each table bright enough to see the menu, which was great. Our server was energetic, helpful, and she kept a close eye on us without being intrusive. Here are our thoughts about the food: We read that the croquettes and crispy lasagna were dishes Pennyflower is known for, so we ordered those. The croquettes are gooey and rich but came to us barely warm. The lasagna was a very browned huge slab of layered pasta with ricotta and surrounded by an arrabbiata sauce. The flavors did not quite hit anything special for us, and the crispy aspect was way too much so. I also missed the meat, as we do prefer meat in our lasagna (I did order knowing it did not have meat). The burger was...well, just a burger, but the fries were fantastic. The best dish of the night was the house salad. It was perfectly dressed with bits of candied almonds, feta, and thin slices of fennel. We would order this over and over read more

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Cute and clean vibe. Part of a hotel. Food was good, but wasn't wow'd by flavor. Staff were friendly. Had glasses sit empty for a bit, but also they weren't over-bearing which is a plus. Had the baked Brie appetizer. Flavor was good, but bread was dry. Our friend had the chicken tikka masala and enjoyed it. I had the smash burger and it was good just not real set apart. read more

Pennyflower Bistro and Bar - Diners Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I am pleasantly surprised, and pleased with the new ambience of this location. It's a perfect place to grab a quick lunch during the workday, and get a filling meal. The staff was very attentive and make sure we were okay the whole time. The food there was solid. I did enjoy the crispy fries and got really full eating half of the burger. read more

Pennyflower Bistro and Bar - A burger, a chicken sandwich and croquettes - Diners Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I ordered the halibut and it was the best fish dish I've had in a long time. Just delicious and perfectly cooked. The service was very good and it has a nice ambiance. I highly recommend! read more

Our first time dining and it was a rare date night occasion to celebrate my husband's birthday. The food was so fresh and flavorful. The presentation was also nice. The portions were larger than expected so we have leftovers, my husband's favorite. Our waiter forgot to give us the dessert menu after we asked for it and gave us our check instead so we will come a different time to try dessert. read more

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This is my new favorite restaurant!! Good parking right next-door the bar, the restaurant area, the lounge area are perfect. I can't wait to go back. Don't sleep on this one!!! read more

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Great spot for a quick afterwork happy hour on east side of downtown near P&G. Nice happy hour prices and a nice casual comfortable modern space to relax and catch up with friends and coworkers. read more

The drinks were a 10/10 - I'm saying a hit every time. We tried the spiced pear margarita, the smoked butterfly, and the pumpkin spice milk punch. Every flavor in the description was in the drink, which I found very impressive. Kudos to whoever developed that menu. Now onto the food: the appetizers were tasty, but the entrees were somewhat disappointing. We were there for Restaurant Week and chose the prime beef carpaccio and carbonara croquettes. These were quite fun to eat. For entrees, we'd gotten the grilled filet and the rigatoni. We'd ordered the steak medium, but it came in pretty well-cooked and tough to chew (but nevertheless, I persisted). For the rigatoni, the description had it as a pistachio pesto, but it was more of an alfredo sauce (which harkens me back to the college days that completely ruined that sauce for present-day me). This brings us to the service: 20/10. When the staff heard we didn't want to continue with the pasta, they offered to replace our entree with any menu item regardless of the predetermined Restaurant Week arrangement. We declined since we were ready for our desserts. They ended up bringing in a third dessert for us and comping the uneaten entree and were all just so genuine about the exchange. Life is life, and not every dish will be for you, but the way our experience was handled was more than what I could've asked for. And I should mention, I typically do not enjoy creme brulee, but theirs was *exquisite*. All in all, I can say we will definitely be back to support Pennyflower Bistro. read more

Pennyflower was a great spot for a dinner out with friends. The croquettes stole the show, I almost ordered a second plate! I would definitely come back for more. Service and ambiance were excellent too! read more

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I'd recommend to everyone! Everything we got was amazing. Diverse menu. Service was great. Rachel waited on us. I really hope word gets out and they survive since there's so many good restaurants downtown. Awesome atmosphere as well. The white cheddar pearl couscous/risotto under the steak was GREAT read more

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I had higher expectations, but may need to give it another try. Came on a Thursday night for dinner to catch up with a friend. This place replaced Spoon and Cellar downtown on the corner of 7th and Broadway, inside the Clair Hotel. The dinner menu is exactly the same as the Lunch menu for apps with the exception of the Bone Marrow and a lot of the Main Entrees are also similar. This was surprising to me and something I noticed and looked at on the site AFTER dining. I was looking forward to some delicious appetizers but what we got felt a bit underwhelming, especially for the price. We both were lot starving so were there to just try a few different things and make sure we had room for dessert as we were both eyeing things on the dessert menu. We decided to start with the Carbonara Croquette and Soft Boiled Egg Toast. We really wanted the Salmon Agua Chile as it sounded different and unique as it was like a salmon ceviche. However, they ran out of it which was a bit disappointing since there was nothing else to replace it and nothing else similar. We also each got a Lobster bisque soup and then my friend got the Exotic Mille Feuille and I got the Creme Brûlée for dessert. The croquettes were my favorite of everything. The lemon Aioli was refreshing with this and the prosciutto made it different than typical arancini. The Toast was so underwhelming. Like eating egg salad sandwich on contra bread. The pickled onions were seldom and not that much flavor as the egg salad over powered it all. The lobster bisque felt too garlicky for me and I wish it has some sort of garnish other than just some green onions. It was missing something special about it. I did like my crème brûlée as it was not too sweet and the custard was amazing. The longest part was waiting for dessert the rest came out super quick as it felt that had that all ready and warmed it up or played it but the desserts are made to order. We didn't try any entrees as I was not that hungry but I did think the pork chops sounded good. I guess I'll have to come back to try that and maybe skip the appetizers. The service was quick and waiter was attentive but a bit too attentive. I felt we would be in the middle of a convo and constantly interrupted. Sometimes I think the overall vibes of the convo at the table and body language needs to be taken into account a bit more. He kept apologizing for interrupting but it became a bit too much as if he really wanted us to order more, but we did start of saying we were thinking just some light bites. He was super friendly and energetic so no complaints there but we could have used a bit less of the check-ins. Will have to keep an eye on the menu to see if anything new peeks my interest to come back if not for the ribs at least and try some of the entrees on a weekday. read more

Pennyflower Bistro and Bar - Lobster bisque soup - Diners Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Amazing experience!! My advice: go with a group to try more things on the menu. The rigatoni and crispy lasagna were phenomenal. We had a very cheese forward dinner and also started with the whipped feta toast and baked Brie. My personal favorite was the crispy tuna bites!! The cocktails/mocktails were also so good we all had at least one. Will be coming back again! read more

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Service was 10/10- had the sweetest waitress who treated our birthday girl like gold! We loved the ambiance and everything we ordered. Rigatoni was a huge portion but the rest were fairly small for the price. read more

Pennyflower Bistro and Bar - Diners Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great casual dinner place with wide ranging choices for ever taste. Lasagna with lovely creamy filling. Chicken tilapia masala made just right served with freshly made naan. Very cool bar with local craft beers as well as unique cocktails. The service was warm and hospitable which is great for a hotel. read more

Great little restaurant. The decor is so cool. Food was good. Parking garage next door. The problem is - no one was there! We had reservations at 5:30. We were the only people in the restaurant. For hours. Finally two more tables came in. It's is really hard to give an honest review when no one is there. The atmosphere was severely lacking because of the silence. Why aren't people eating there? Maybe people think it's a "hotel restaurant?" If this place was busy, it would be a great dining experience. read more

A charming restaurant with friendly service. We enjoyed almost everything we tried, but some were better than others. The best: watermelon crudo, feta toast, pork chop, and Bourbon Cream Soda. The one's that I'll skip the next time are the Smoked Butterfly drink and Spicy Tuna Bites. read more

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Food 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 Service 3/10 We had a 5:30 reservation and left after 8... we were ok with the extra time to linger and chat and adding time to our parking... but the lack of service was a down side. Our server seemed very new and unprofessional. No greeting or introducing himself when he walked up to the table. He seemed annoyed that he was there. Didn't check on if we needed drinks. He had a lot of tables and could tell he was slammed. The guy in the white coat running food or the manager could have stepped in and helped him out with checks. He was clearly flustered. It was restaurant week - so maybe there would not be a worry on another evening. I'm glad we tried it because I am not sure with the location that I would have for any other reason. I will try them again bc I loved the decor and I appreciated my meal. I thought the pistachio rigatoni was outstanding and so was the pumpkin cream brûlée. The butter that was with the bread basket was also great ! read more

Had my birthday dinner here with my family this year. Saw a lot of positive reviews on Instagram and Yelp and decided to try it out myself. Was very pleased! I had the chicken schnitzel. It was packed with flavor and loved the fries with it too. The bone marrow, though, was the real star--probably the best I've had anywhere. The salad had a fantastic dressing that tied everything together. The only thing I wouldn't reorder was the bread, as it didn't quite stand out compared to the rest of the meal. That said, the service more than made up for it--our waitress was hilarious, cracking jokes throughout the night and making the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, delicious food, a fun atmosphere, and great service. I'd definitely come back! read more

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Delicious and well curated food. Compliments to the chef and the lovely host who was very friendly.

We have been wanting to try Pennyflower Bistro for awhile and were finally able to tonight. It definitely did not disappoint. Ambiance - it was pretty quiet for a Saturday night, but really rainy so may have impacted the crowd. It was cozy and nicely lit. We were sat in a two top that made us feel like we had the place to ourselves. Our server, Tucker, greeted us immediately and was such an added bonus to the experience. He gave an overview of the drinks and answered our questions about the menu. He was patient, funny and struck a perfect balance of making us feel taken care of, but also giving us space. We ordered the whipped feta toast and the croquettes for appetizers- both were incredible and a must order! We split the Caesar (which Tucker plated separately - thank you!) and thought it was one of the better ceasars we have had out. It was fresh, flavorful and clearly homemade dressing. My husband ordered the pork which was Smokey and well flavored. I got the pressed Chicken. Don't let the appearance fool you! It looks similar to a pork belly, but is in fact chicken. It was a creative spin on a classic and was delicious. Both entrees had great and well seasoned sides and were generous portions. We would order both of these dishes again. Tucker convinced us to get dessert and we are glad that we did. The smores plate was the perfect ending to a great meal. I'm kind of skeptical on s'mores desserts as they are rarely done well, but this one was great! Rich graham cracker crumbs, topped with vanilla ice cream, a huge (torched?) marshmallow that was almost like a pillowy pudding texture with chocolate. There were clear "burnt" elements that gave it the true s'mores taste. We ate every bite. Such a great experience and will absolutely be back! read more

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I really wanted to love this place, but it missed the mark. There were some hits and misses for sure. The good- the carbonara croquettes! Holy cow these were amazing. The lemon aioli on there makes the whole dish. I would come back and get this. The lychee martini was 10/10 and beautiful. Some of the misses- The server was very pretentious- not warm and friendly. Very off putting vibes. The space seems way too big. Even with others in there - it feels empty. The whipped feta appetizer was too salty, the bread was grilled but soggy (too thick). We actually didn't even finish this. The grill on the bread made it taste charred/ burnt. The crispy mushroom lasagna was just okay. If you got a bite with all components it was good!! But some layers are just noodle on noodle, others have mushroom, and others have cheese. It's hard to get a bite with all of them together. I would come back for an appetizer and a drink, but not for dinner. read more

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The appetizers were good, but the entrees were disappointing. My steak was overcooked and the portion was not worth the value. Both our entrees were very salty and the service was very slow and not the friendliest. Not sure if we would come back, a little disappointed since we were looking forward to our dinner here. read more

The food was subpar, was very disappointed. The appetizers the bone marrow and carbonara croquettes were okay. Service was good the entrees were Tikki Masala and Amish Chicken. I thought food would be elevated since the chef used to be at Boca. It was typical hotel lounge restaurant feel. We will not be back with so many other choices of places to go in Cincinnati. read more

This spot is in a hotel lobby, so a little different, but plenty of space. On a rainy Sunday night, it was pretty quiet for dinner. Our server was very friendly and made a few recommendations. We started with the bread and the salmon croquettes, both very tasty. I went with the chicken dish that tastes like pork belly, it was outstanding. The salads that others had were tasty as well. I'd stop back in here to try some of the other items on the menu. It's a quieter part of downtown but deserves a visit. read more

Mother's Day Brunch was fantastic. Best we've had. Great food and service. We eat out frequently and I generally don't wrote reviews, but want everyone to know about the restaurant. read more

Dinner with friends here this evening. Started with the Baked Brie. Very tasty- the fig jam was an excellent accompaniment to the cheese. Toast had a nice crust but soft enough on the inside. The lasagna was good but would not have traded it for the rigatoni that I had, but almost. The cream sauce was complemented by the sun dried tomatoes. The third entree at the table was the chicken tikka marsala. The presentation for all these was very nice. Billy took good care of us, nicely pacing the meal as well. Definitely would recommend. read more

In fact, I did not try the food yet. But this should be helpful for people who want to stop by for the breakfast here. I checked on website menu showing only lunch and dinner. Found out that breakfast is buffet and it likes hotel buffet. So if you want to try food from chef Jacob, you should come on Lunch or Dinner. read more

Pennyflower Bistro and Bar - Signed up... location underneath the hotel - Diners Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Our server was quirky and fun and also knowledgeable on the menu. We were able to ask questions ab the menu and ingredients and it helped us make decisions. We had the Feta Toast and Croquettes for start and they were both delicious and good portion size. Had the salmon and chicken for dinner and they were both okay. Very interesting presentation on both. They were fine but not really anything to write home about. Overall it was a fine experience both service and food. read more

I ordered wedge salad, dressing on the side. Maybe 1/3 iceberg lettuce head. One quail egg split. Two cherry tomatoes split. Maybe one half bacon strip (oh, excuse me, lardon) crumbled. $17.00. Offensive. I guess they count on the dressing covering the paucity of ingredients. Truly stupid. Had a far superior wedge at a chain, Montana Mike's. $5.00. My friend's Pork Banh was Pork Meh. Beautiful interior. If you want to go and sit at the cool bar and enjoy the decorator's good taste, go soon. It will not be there in six months. read more

If I could have written a dream menu- this is it! Something for everyone and executed perfectly! Server was super friendly and had great suggestions! I had the classic wedge and the broth. I also tasted the bisque- all amazing! read more

Service was great - food was delicious. Croquettes were super rich, perfect cheese and prosciutto combo. Wedge presentation was excellent- lots of blue cheese and bacon! Chicken pressade was creative dish - chicken thighs in delicious sauce (not traditional chimichurri but more creamy red pepper). Surprised there weren't more people there (although it was a Tuesday) but will definitely go back! read more

Excellent service On time seating Some unusual options The protein portions are small and the portions could use a vegetable. Overall the table of 11 was satisfied, but males were not quite filled. Atmosphere of the connect hotel lobby was very neat. read more

The Pennyflower had great service, our waiter was very attentive and kind. The short rib bone marrow dish was delicious we got a second one because the first was so good! Also had 2 great salads, the house salad and Caesar salad. For the main course we had Amish Chicken Pressade and the Grilled Prime New York. Both were delicious! The aesthetic of the restaurant was lovely, but it was slightly noisy, could use a touch of music or something. read more

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The food and service was fantastic. We split the butternut squash soup and it was delicious. We had the pork chop cooked perfectly and the Amish chicken and both were wonderful. The service was friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend this place. Beautiful decor as well. read more

What a great find! We loved everything we tried. For appetizers, we tried the feta toast (which was awesome) and the burrata (I was skeptical thinking 'how good can cheese on oranges be?'......I was wrong, it was excellent). For entrees, we tried the Amish chicken and grilled prime New York which were both top notch. This place is a hidden gem and we will absolutely be back. read more

We had not heard much about this restaurant so we didn't have high expectations. We were very pleasantly surprised. Beautiful interior (I particularly liked the tile floor). Very friendly and knowledgeable waiter who made great recommendations, and the food was excellent! We thought the Caesar salad, the salmon and the Amish chicken pressade were especially good. Oh, and a friend had the shrimp cocktail and reported it had nice sized shrimp, perfectly cooked. Another bonus is that we realized Pennyflower is within easy walking distance of the Aronoff, so it would work as a dinner before a show. read more

Went there for a birthday dinner, but I think any occasion would be a fantastic experience. Food was fantastic! Drinks were great too! Our server was fantastic too. Great atmosphere, great service, great time! read more