One of the reasons I return here is the incredible service from all the wait staff. They all are magnificent and will go the extra mile. Today was no different. I've been to dinner here but never brunch. For something different, I met friends for brunch. We were all impressed with our food. I have to agree with my friend that The Keep has the best French Onion Soup in the city. The sweetness of the carmalized onions and sherry was very subtle and rewarding. My roasted potatoes pictured here were roasted to perfection. I had a large enough portion of my omlet that I took home to eat later in the day. Next time you're go for brunch, go for the bottomless French press. 2 personal carafe later, I was in heaven read more

The Keep - Salmon eggs Smoked Salmon Egg Benedict - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Legendary fresh oyster bar. Theu have two different varieties: an East coast and a West coast. They'll shuck 'em in front of you and give you a little a quick tutorial on shucking in the process. read more

The Keep - Ginger Pineapple Mojito - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We went back this year and again had an awesome meal. Their manhattan is always a good start. Then we had the pork belly to share before the salmon and scallops which were both really nice. We finished up with their boulevardier which is another solid drink on the list. Overall, this is a great spot in Columbus read more

Great drinks, food, service, and location. We had the charcuterie board, grilled and chilled oysters, mussels, ribeye, and pork shank to eat, and In House Barrel Aged Manhattans, Masala Chai Old Fashioneds, Torontos, and Happy Campers to drink (and we were). Service was top notch. read more

Went there for brunch and had the short rib hash and it was delicious. Anna was a awesome server, very nice and very attentive

Solid drinks and really good food. It was a bit pricey, but worth it. Definitely have this on my list to have again next time in town.

You know what I really like about this restaurant? Nothing! I stayed at the Leveque Hotel just four floors above the restaurant. In order to get it delivered to my room, I was told I had to order through Door Dash and pay for delivery. I was shocked that the restaurant had a Door Dash delivery man pick it up from the restaurant, walk out of the restaurant and 20 feet into the lobby, and then call me to come down and pick it up! Are you kidding me?! The food was barely warm and less than mediocre. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. read more

Feeling French yesterday ate lunch at The Keep yesterday and opted for the Frisée Aux Lardon. Without knowing it I ordered a dish that visually represents Spring. Before taking the first bite I experienced a visual feast in the form of the vibrant shades of green (frisée), yellow (egg), pinkish brown (bacon). The balance of flavors was spot and the mustard flavors in the dressing tied the dish together nicely without overpowering it. Overall it was a nice meal to have before heading to the ballet. As always the staff was pleasant and the speakeasy inspired decor make dining at The Keep a memorable experience. read more

The Keep - Frisée Aux Frisée Aux Lardon - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We were excited to try The Keep before seeing a show next door at the Palace Theater. The food was great, but we found the service lacking. We ordered cocktails which were great, and put in an order for the Charcuterie board. Our waiter then took our order for entrees. Our waiter seemed either overwhelmed or disinterested. Awhile later he came back and asked if we had gotten our appetizer yet, which we hadn't. Then he came back and told us that he had forgotten to put in our order for the appetizer. Ok. Not a huge deal. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine. We had been there over 45 minutes and had no food. A runner finally brought our entrees. (We got the Steak Frites and the Gouda Mac and a salad - all great!) But, We never got the charcuterie board. There was never a question of whether we still wanted it, he just "forgot" it and apparently decided to never put it in. As we had a show to catch we just decided to eat and get going. After our food came, our waiter never checked on us and we had to ask him for the bill. I am not usually one to complain because I appreciate how hard servers work. But for a nice restaurant and the price, we felt very disappointed in the experience. read more

The Keep - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Our waitress was one of the beat we've had in awhile, so friendly, funny and helpful. Food was excellent, yes, order the Brussels. Hand held sammies, yum! And the Fry Cakes were perfect light ending to a fabulous dinner. read more

I was here a couple weeks back for some drinks and casual bites after the work day was done. The Keep is in the Le Veque hotel, and getting there from the lobby entrance is easy - straight up the staircase, to the left, puts you there. It's a nice cozy spot (befitting of the name of the spot), and grabbing some space by the bar was simply enough at 5 PM, although it got a little more crowded by the time we were done a couple hours later. The bartenders were very attentive in giving us menus, taking our order and ensuring proper hydration, but the flip side is that the restaurant seemed to be out of a number of food items of the menu, and there were no draft beers at all - limiting the selection to macro bottles, which is a bit of a shame considering there were a few local options that should have been available on tap. The cocktails were solid overall - not the fanciest drinks I have had, but pretty prepared well overall. As for the food, the bar bites were solid overall - the lightly candied nuts were fairly standard; the poutine was quite good (particularly the braised short ribs), even if it really wasn't proper Canadian poutine; and the chicken drumsticks were alright, if a bit drenched in sauce. In all, it was a solid experience, and I wouldn't have an issue coming back for drinks again, or perhaps sampling the sitdown menu. However, being out of a good number of the food and drinks, even given our relatively early arrival, makes me wonder about how well provisioning overall is done. read more

We should have checked the Yelp reviews before we tried THE KEEP RESTAURANT for Brunch...it was horrible! The staff was friendly. The restaurant has a cool vibe going on, but the food was terrible. Not sure how you can screw up a burger and fries...but they both were so greasy you couldn't eat and they even remade my meal and it was still really bad. Husband had the omelet and it was bad. It's a shame that the restaurant doesn't have its act together bc the Hotel and The Bar are really nice. Definitely stick to the bar. DON'T TRY THE RESTAURANT. read more

I've been here a few times and the good service and cocktails at always good. Everytime I visit I always enjoy a few oysters which have always been good as well as a mix of the following dishes: charcuterie board, French onion soup, the now deprecated short rib (so sad, it was tasty!), The burger which is still good, but not great and the filet which has always hit the spot. They have a pretty good rotating tap of some good Midwestern beers as well as some nice cocktails, however I haven't sampled because I usually just go with a Bulleit or Blanton's old fashioned. I see some other reviews about service... I always sit at the bar and have had exceptional service every time so I can't comment on the restaurant but I can recommend the bar. Great Ambiance and very friendly bartenders. read more

If you are looking for a fancy dinner with a great atmosphere you have come to the right place. Located inside the leveque tower which is very elegant! Amazing "chicken and waffles" would highly recommend! read more

The Keep - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I will start this off by saying that giving a bad review is not my thing... We were super excited to finally check out this spot and the brunch menu looked great! Our res was at 11 so it wasn't packed just yet. Our waitress was hands down the worst waitress I have had in probably 10 years. The croissant with jam was the worst I have ever had - completely over cooked (the jam was good). We then ordered our meals and I will say that the beef hash wasn't bad but we also got the avocado toast to share and it was not good at all. They used what seemed to be about a 10 day old avocado and put it on a non-toasted large piece of bread. I immediately regretted even taking the one bite I did. So with the above said, I know that people have bad days... but the food wasn't good and I stand by our waitress being the worst. She all bit refused to refill our water glasses and never asked if we needed anything. Stick with the bar. read more

Upscale Restaurant with a bar area that is a bit more casual. I sat in the bar area to have dinner and a few drinks before catching a show at the Palace Theater. Many menu items offered are things I would not eat, I am not a seafood fan, however my friend got the escargot and was in heaven! I went traditional with a club sandwich. This place was packed on a Wednesday night, but our service was excellent! Without the excellent service my score would have probably been lower because it is just not a place I would choose to go with the food selection and price. But for the upscale foodies out there is Cbus, I am sure you would not be disappointed. read more

This is our favorite new restaurant in Columbus. The ambiance is amazing. When you walk into Leveque Tower it feels like you're stepping back into the 1920's. The restaurant combines extravagance with a quaint, homy feel. The drinks are spot on. If you're a bourbon drinker there are two house cocktails to try: the in brasserie fashioned and the citadel (a flavorful take on a Kentucky mule). The bar, which is a great place for a drink before a show at The Palace, is off to the side of the restaurant so you'll have to be patient for your drinks. But it's worth any wait you may have. The menu is split into threes with cold apps, tapas, and entrees. The shrimp are large and have creole seasoning to make it different than your standard shrimp cocktail. On the tapas menu the braised short rib shouldn't be missed. We wish it was an actual entree. The new salmon dish is also a must try. We like the lump crab that sits on a suspension bridge of brioche over gazpacho, but I'd put the other two dishes ahead of it. For entrees, the scallops are some of the best I've had inland. The green tea soba noodles with mushroom broth is a great mix. The filet was cooked perfectly and the potatoes that are cooked in duck fat were really good. Chicken and waffles is a great plate for the price. The waffles are basically potato wisps and they taste great. The chicken has some good spice to it. The steak frites is another good value but I'd spend the extra and get the filet. For dessert, the beignets had a great presentation and the chocolate bread pudding was tasty and very filling. Can't wait to go back. read more

Leveque has really turned it around. One of the most unique buildings in Columbus to begin with, someone decided that it was a great idea to add luxury high-rise apartments, a hotel, and most importantly a bar and restaurant. I'm actually with these people. The additions are sublime. Walk up past the Starbucks and climb the stairs and The Keep is on the left. It's dark (as keeps are generally dark) and well-furnished with an eclectic collection of bar stools, half-back chairs, and couches. There's actually a lot more space than the place lets on, however the bar is a bit crowded, no thanks to a huge pillar dividing either half. I ordered a Fiz(?) which was generally a good drink, however not for me. The real treat however was the next drink I ordered: Grapefruit juice and vodka. The bartender who ordered my drink, Beth, told me it would be a few as she got the grapefruit to make my beverage. I shrugged this off as I was with a colleague talking about something probably worthless. To my surprise she actually did come back with 4 real grapefruit. They were big and plump. I asked what they were doing. They were going to juice them for my drink. Well of course I put this on my snapchat and Beth became and instant star. Ashley did the honors. A+ for effort. The drink was sweet, but not overly so; tart, but not overly so. Absolute perfection. 10/10 would recommend again. read more

My wife and I were really looking forward to this place. There were six of us going out for a birthday dinner. When we arrived we were "greeted" by the most indifferent host staff I have ever encountered. The appetizers/meals were good not great. Most of the food was overly salted and the steaks were over cooked compared to the order we made. The service is some of the worst I have had in a long time. When our server took our order he didn't write anything down. About 20 minutes after taking our order he returned and said "there was mix up in the kitchen" and he had us go back through our whole order. I am assuming he didn't put it in or put it in incorrectly. It was another 20 or so minutes before we got our meal. When the food was delivered we needed another set of silverware which we told the gentleman who dropped off the food. He did not get it and we had to wait a few minutes before our server walked by to ask again. After we ate it took an extended amount of time to get our check. The restaurant wasn't very busy so all of this didn't make much sense. But to top it off he included a 20% tip in the bill because we were a party of 6. I almost always tip 20% anyway but this service was not deserving and it felt like a slap in the face. When you spend $450 for a meal you expect so much more. I never leave reviews. I was so disappointed i was compelled to do so this time. read more

This was a very mixed experience for us. I think the recipes are VERY interesting and creative. However we had the following issues: 1. Both wines I had: a Malbec and a French pinot were probably not opened today; they'd had too much air. 2. The charcuterie platter was very expensive when you consider it had some very common cured meats, nothing bespoke like sausages or housemate items, and unremarkable cheeses. Also one piece of our cheese was cut across the block and had rind or 'ends' on both sides rendering a third of the piece inedible. Couple grapes and a strawberry... it was a probably the worst platter I've had. If they charged 7 I'd not complain. At 26, it should be.....something. 3. Our scallop dish, 2 of us got it, was an incredible idea but the scallops smelled and tasted strongly of fish. They were not fresh...probably under one day til they would be unusable. For the price, I'd expect a fresh supply. Service was also a little off, long waits for fleshing up water, wine, cocktails. read more

I came to the Keep to give my girlfriend of two years an engagement ring. She has a milk allergy that is very serious and could cause her significant harm if there is any cross contamination. Low and behold, she ended up having a reaction after our meal. I have attempted to reach out to the restaurant three times, leaving my name and number and I haven't heard back from anyone. If you are looking for a restaurant that accommodates to allergies, I wouldn't go here. read more

The atmosphere alone at the Keep is 4 stars- but throw in some super craft cocktails and now food and it's definitely a KEEPER in Columbus () The Leveque building just oozes fancy from the elevators to the walk up to The Keep's floor. I have yet to sit in the dining area, or even eat for that matter, but when I want to go somewhere special, this is my spot. The bar area curves around and has several different spots to sit and enjoy your company. You can even walk over and check out the lobby in the adjoining hotel area. The place overall feels fancy and like somewhere my grandma would have loved back in the day. I can't wait to make it there to try out the menu sometime, and edit my review! The only reason to not give five stars is that the drinks are so fancy they have seemed to take quite a while to make. The Keep is definitely recommend for a fabulous date night drink spot. Quiet, romantic and fancy! read more

This place was suggested by my cousin (Kasual Life), she went when it was lunch and said the food was good so I decided to try it out. I took my wife here for her bday and the location was very easy to find. It's inside of a hotel so it can be confusing but the reviews on yelp definitely helped! We were seated immediately and the mood was very romantic. The lights were dimmed and the settings were very soothing. The place isn't entirely that big but it felt like it with how they designed the place. I love how thy had a bar with what it seems like the kitchen as well, right in the middle. He staffs were very fast with their orders and delivery of food/drinks. The food was decent, I got the melted eggplant and marinated tuna to start it off. The melted eggplant was very different and quite surprisingly good. The texture and taste was not what I had imagined it to be. I've had many different ways of eggplant but this was something unique. The marinated tuna could use some work. It was a bit sour, I think marinated too long. The tomatoes made it very deceitful with how much food you were getting. The main course, my wife and shared the whole fish. It was bigger than what I thought. It comes with some bread, peppers, onions, mint, and parsley. The bread were soggy from sitting at the bottom. The fish was very delicious. Kind of surprising to see this dish outside of a Chinese restaurant. I would recommend this, if you don't mind getting down and dirty with your food. Hands are the best utensil for this dish! They gave us free dessert of choice for my wife since it was her birthday! Kudos to them for that! read more

First time dinning at The Keep. We ordered Salmon Ceviche, Escargot, Duck Confit, and Grilled Bronzini. Food and service were outstanding. Only complaint is that we also ordered a half dozen oysters but they were not prepared well, there were a lot of shells in the oysters and a few shells arrived broken. Atmosphere was comfortable though there was a bright light above the table that was a little harsh for one person sitting in the both, we jokingly called it the interrogation spot. It would've been more comfortable if it were tilted to the side instead of directly shinning down on table. Due to the quality of the food we would return and recommend. read more

My husband and I dined here Saturday night for our monthly date night and to celebrate his promotion. I was really excited as pictures of the food on their Instagram page looked delicious. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed. First, we were seated at a wobbly table. While the staff did try to level out the table a couple times over the course of the night, the table never stayed level and wobbled throughout most of our meal. Secondly, we ordered the half charcuterie board as an appetizer. It took an unusually long time to come out. Our server apologized several times unprompted. Once it did arrive it was just okay, nothing special. Lastly, the main course was blah. I ordered the Steak Frites. The steak was cooked perfectly (medium- pushed) but it lacked flavor. All I could really taste was the char on the steak. For $30 I was expecting something really flavorful. My husband had the meatloaf. He also complained that his dish lacked flavor, particularly the vegetables. Really disappointing, especially for the price. To wrap it up, the location is nice and the staff was attentive . However, the food lacked flavor. We probably won't be returning. read more

Environment was great and the server was amazing but both our meals seemed undercooked. My pork tenderloin was very fatty and my date got duck that was almost entirely pink. Drinks were pricey but good. read more

The Keep - Pork tenderloin. - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Bang for your buck: 6/10 Quality: 8/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance/Location: 10/10 Overall: 8.5/10 Really good but SO expensive! We went for brunch and between the two of us, we spent $50. Despite the food and service being great (not to mention the ambiance and view!), that kind of money is hard to justify for brunch. read more

Loud atmosphere (not a criticism, just a fact). Food was awful. One of us got the Bronzina, which was so full of bones it was inedible. The other got the Chicken and "waffles" and the chicken was just plain breaded chicken. Because it was a special occasion we also got a free dessert. The dessert, begniets, we're also awful. They tasted like they had been fried in the same oil they use to fry the fish. Service was equally as bad. I would have given the server a chance to correct the situation with my meal, but she never once asked how the meal was. She just whisked my uneaten fish away without a word. There wasn't anyone I could identify as a manager, so I let the hostess know the situation on the way out. Hopefully they can get their act together. read more

Did not love it here despite everyone telling me to love it. I felt oddly out of place and not happy about the bar food menu and the cocktail list was a little boring to me with a discouraging price tag on everything. Not sure I'd go back unless I was meeting a swanky date and wanted to start or end an adventure there. The space was in a cool location and well decorated. read more

Tonight was a special night for our grandchildren... it was their first downtown Columbus play and then we wanted to take them to a nice restaurant after. we chose the Keep given its proximity. To say I was beyond disappointed would be an understatement. people with children beware. our waiter said, as he approached our table," oh... I didn't realize there would be little ones" I asked him if the restaurant no longer allowed children, since we had been there for several family celebrations years prior. I can tell you, this definitely is NOT the same Keep. They let our burger sit for fifteen minutes waiting on my pasta, needless to say it arrived cold. Our waiter never came back with fresh ground pepper, or even asked how everything was and ignored us on several occasions, since he also was playing hostess. The service was below sub par. Unfortunately, it has turned into another mediocre at best, hotel restaurant. The new manager has a lot to learn About the Columbus scene. read more

Beautiful atmosphere, our food was cold when it was serviced to us and took awhile to come back out.

The hotel industry after many years of mediocre (at best) breakfast and dinner offerings has changed it's tune. We have found ourselves going to these restaurants inside hotel properties as a destination more frequently . The Keep is no exception. The selections were varied and all sounded delicious. We settled on Egg in The Hole, which was delicious but decidedly on the rich side with it's slathering of Mornay Sauce, Brioche and Tasso Ham. The staff was helpful, nice and spot on. If you're looking for an upscale breakfast in downtown Columbus, The Keep is a place to take your friends, family and business associates. read more

My wife and I went for an anniversary cocktail on a Saturday evening. We both agreed that the atmosphere was pretty spot on but our cocktails however did not follow suit. Bartenders did not know how to make the most basic of cocktails. While the bartenders were fairly nice neither of them appeared to know the fundamentals of making a very basic classic cocktail. When I ordered a boulevardier (a negroni with rye whiskey) our bartender seemed to not know what I had ordered so I politely informed her of the equal parts cocktail ingredients but I still received an incorrect version of what I had ordered. My issue here is "the keep" charges upwards of $12-$13 dollars for a cocktail. I could fully understand this pricing if I were to receive a proper cocktail from a trained bartender however that did not seem to be the case. I ordered the same cocktail a second time to see if anyone had made an effort to dial this in but the cocktail that I received was completely different than the first and still made incorrectly. All cocktail snobbery aside I just can't justify paying their prices for an incorrect version of a very basic cocktail. While The Keep gets an A for aesthetic it also gets a D for execution and content. Hopefully the management staff encourages some training or staff picks up a couple books on the basics of craft cocktails. Just my 2 cents. ****UPDATE**** a quick response and appropriate action was taken by the management team to correct any issues that we had during our visit to The Keep. We were assured that on our next visit we will not encounter the same issues. Management went above and beyond to make good on their promise. Much respect to them for doing so. We will return sometime soon. read more

Stick to the bar rather than having a meal here. I came here months ago for drinks and was very pleased thus decided to bring my girlfriend for Valentine's day during which the menu was prix fixe. Atmosphere was great, drinks were enjoyed, food lacked flavor/substance that I would expect from such an establishment. Problems: 1) Our waitress didn't really know much about the menu that was created for the holiday and in fact told us that the staff didn't know what was going to be on the menu until that evening. 2) Despite appearing very appropriately staffed, it seemed to take about 20-30 minutes between courses; there were five. This meal ended up lasting 3 hrs. Our res was for 5:30 and we had plans thereafter, which ended up being cut short while we waited to eat. 3) Courses were plated very well, but flavor was significantly lacking. This meal was 11 days ago and nothing stands out other than how bland it ended up being. I do recall the steak being avg at best. I really had high hopes based on my initial experience at the bar months prior. I would suggest sticking to the bar, maybe an appetizer or a burger, but don't venture far from that. =/ read more

wanted to explore columbus and try something new and a bit on the higher end. the keep is a beautiful restaurant located inside of the leveque hotel downtown columbus. there is plenty of street parking, and finding the restaurant inside can be a little tricky! you have to go up the stairs! once you arrive though, the host was very warm and welcoming and immediately sat us at a booth. their open kitchen concept was pretty cool, but i wish their food and service matched the concept. drinks were average for the price ($12-$15), nothing special. we ordered the mussels and cheddar dip- we wanted oysters but were not informed that it's only a wednesday special. muscles were cooked in a white wine sauce and portion was good. the cheese dip was average, though came hot and fresh- but the bread left our mouth very raw and it was extremely stale. steak frites was cooked to perfection- but lacked flavor. fries were also not "truffle or parmesan" like indicated in their pictures online or on yelp. for dessert we tried their buckeye trifle, which was small enough for one, but again lacked flavor. not sweet at all and tasted bland- liked whipped dairy no sugar. service was below average, for such a nice place, you would think they'd take better care of their customers. not sure if we'd come back, experience and food wasn't worth it read more

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If you're a guest of the Hotel Leveque, this place is worth checking out. I would not, however, recommend going out of your way to stop here. The place is very dimly lit, which is fine. The menus are written in a tiny font, so much so that old-fashioned magnifying glasses are strategically placed on the bar to aid you with reading the menu. This is where "whimsical" crosses the line into "poor customer experience." The specialty drinks on the menu were strong, which was welcomed, but none of the drink choices my husband and I made were ones that we would order again. I was really hoping I would like this place more, especially given its close proximity to The Palace Theater. I won't be in any hurry to go back though. There are plenty of better bar choices nearby on High Street. read more

This place has great ambience and is located on the second floor of the hotel. While there they weren't very busy, and the server seemed a bit out of it. I ask for a side of béarnaise sauce and she brought me back something different. While there a homeless person came up to my table and was asking me for $$. One of the staff saw this and asked the person to leave, I guess this is what you expect when dining downtown. The restaurant knocked off my drink for the inconvenience. read more

Nice fancy beverages. Came in for a tapas meal, but selection is limited. Had the deviled eggs and brie with onion jam - not really jam more like caramelized onion. Nice music & atmosphere. Staff is attentive. Bar wasn't too busy whilst I was there. read more

I stopped in here before a concert not long ago and sat at the bar. It took a bit to even get a menu or place an order. Being on a time crunch, I was a little annoyed. I ordered the In Brasserie Fashioned and it was incredible. Do yourself a favor and get it. As a bourbon lover and Old Fashioned fanatic, I was not disappointed. I followed my drink with a lobster roll, and it wasn't anything to write home about. It wasn't awful, but it was a little bland. read more

I have no idea why this place seems to have mediocre reviews. Service was amazing, and food was sublime. It was everything I wanted in a French comfort type restaurant. Would go again in a heartbeat. read more