Went for Mother's Day'. The Food was really good. Kind of a long wait though. Beautiful dining room.

Everything was absolutely delicious! I was shocked about the salmon and the everything bagel- it was absolutely phenomenal!!!!! Would 10/10 recommend you give this place a try. We shared the berry French toast as a table and it was delicious!! We brought our out of town family and they were so happy we went here. Cute, local place that we will absolutely be returning to. read more

See all

Ate here for a Mothers Day Brunch. Food was great but the restaurant has such a weird identity crisis to me as it is somewhat trendy but also old fashioned but slightly elevated. It's very hard to describe the vibe. All that said it is a solid restaurant for all meals. We had traditional breakfast items, avocado toast and mimosas. All were good but simple. read more

It was so busy. We waited like an hour. Waited at the table, it was around holiday time so it makes sense. The food was pretty good. I got a basic breakfast plate, this was the strawberry banana Nutella crepe. It had syrup drizzled on it. For how busy it was I was not the happiest but they seemed to have a wide variety of foods so I would love to come back and try! read more

The National Exemplar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The dark wood decor and dimly lit restaurant is not the most lively, but executed a solid bison burger. Wednesday is burger special day, and was pretty reasonably priced for dinner (~$15). The carrots with nuts on top were very thanksgiving flavored with cinnamon or nutmeg. I think the carrots and the burger were not a good match, but I enjoyed them both. read more

The National Exemplar - Honey Glazed Carrots - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Short rib hash The Comeback Burger with an egg Traditional Mariemont Breakfast Good food for breakfast, about a half hour wait. Service was subpar, not very friendly or attentive and had to ask for creamer and sugar for the hot coffee. Very busy spot for Sunday breakfast. read more

See all

I love the Mariemont area of Cincinnati. We discovered the National Exemplar as we were looking for a good breakfast in the area. Great experience all around at 10am on a Monday. Very nice menu, excellent surroundings, super-duper service, and clean bathrooms (thanks for that). I can't wait to return for a dinner. It is attached to the Mariemont Inn. read more

See all

This was my second time here. I happened to bring my mom and daughter this time because I raved about the pot roast that we had two weeks ago. I am sorry that I did. It was terrible. I feel that something was off with the sauce. The meat was good, but the rest of us were disappointed to spend $29 for a meal that wasn't good. I will come back, but I definitely will not get the pot roast again. The service is always great and the restaurant is always clean and it's in a nice little area . Was a little bit busier last night with large parties. read more

The National Exemplar - Pot roast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Came here for brunch on a Saturday; they use virtual waitlist on Yelp, but didn't even need to use it for our party of 4 at 11! We were able to get a table right away. Everyone enjoyed their food and we had excellent service. Definitely can't wait to come back and try some other brunch items and possible come back for dinner as well! read more

See all

Came in for breakfast during the week. It's in a beautiful little spot in Mariemont which is already such a cute area. The food was really good and the service prompt and friendly. Our waitress was around without being intrusive. There were other guests but it wasn't crowded or loud which made it easy to catch up with my friend. I had the trifecta with a blueberry pancake, eggs over medium and goetta. Everything was great. Had to take half the pancake home because it was huge but delicious enough to want to take home. I'll gladly return maybe even to try dinner read more

We came here for a nice family date night on a Sunday evening because my husband wanted to show me how cool the vibe was lol. It's a really old school place - my husband's kind of vibe lol. Anywho, we had a nice dinner here. Overall I would like to give my experience here a 3.5, but I'll round up. Our server was really nice and attentive. Our food came out in a timely manner too. - Volcano Pork Shank: This was definitely the star of the night. The pork shank was tender and cooked to perfection - this was really a perfect dish! And it was a huge portion! - Mushroom Truffle Garganelli: Your girl right here loves a good mushroom truffle dish.. but this.. was not it. I was honestly disappointed on this dish.. a few things here.. the dish was very watery.. meaning that they did not reduce the liquid from the mushroom enough and it lacked salt and cheese. I took half of this home and added some heavy cream and parmesan.. reduced it down and it tasted SO MUCH BETTER. Overall a nice experience, but I wish my dish was better. read more

See all

We have been going here every Easter for brunch and the food and atmosphere is always great. Fast friendly servers. And the Easter Bunny always makes an appearance read more

Came in for some brunch this past weekend, it was my first time here and I was so pleasantly surprised! The indoor and outdoor dining area is very spacious, everything felt super cozy and comfortable. My fiancé order from their brunch menu and I got a couple things from their lunch menu. The service was quick and super friendly! There is a lobby attached that you can go and grab drinks and relax. We got their traditional breakfast plate and their half sandwich and half soup lunch special. For their sandwich I got the Donna chicken salad for their soup. I got their special of the day, chicken and vegetables with noodles. I would definitely come back to try other menu items, their dinners look amazing! read more

The National Exemplar - Half sandwich and half soup lunch special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

The weekend brunch has some delicious menu items but the star of the show was the Bloody Mary!! It could be an appetizer by itself! So good I took my mom the next day lol. We will definitely be back! Our server Kyla was the sweetest. read more

The National Exemplar - Bloody Mary - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great place for lunch Hungarian soup is amazing as are salads and sandwiches I'm sure dinners are wonderful as well read more

The National Exemplar is amazing. Great food and ambiance. Love the historic building and all the history behind the inn and restaurant. Sitting by the fireplace is the best! read more

Many restaurants view themselves as Gourmet. There are a few restaurants that do not view themselves as Gourmet, but they are. And this is one of them. The world needs to know about this place! Everything is sensational. The atmosphere is at 10, the servers are a 10, the food is a 10! Casey was our server, and she was sensational. We went to this restaurant 2 days ago and the server we had then was spectacular as well. I had the lemon ricotta pancake and The Works omelette. No I could not eat at all. But it was fantastic! I never had toast like that. So I bought a loaf of their bread to go. Best ever! We are traveling from Florida to Michigan. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the return trip to visit again. read more

I guess this place has been around for a long time but we recently moved to the area and had to check it out. It feels like there's been a shortage of brunch places in the general Cincinnati area compared to what I'm used to. Anyway, there's plenty of parking in the adjacent parking lot. Inside looks old and classy and well put together! Our waitress was very friendly. I had the eggs benedict which were pretty darn stellar! Very well cooked and everything just came out well. Surprisingly the prices were like really fair for all the good food we got. A lot of people have raised their prices lately and I'm sure they did here too but still it seems very fair. Overall a really good breakfast on a weekday morning! read more

We visited last night for my book club and really had a lovely time. The atmosphere is cozy, which was perfect for a dark, cold night. I was thrilled to discover that Monday night they have $1.50 oysters. A few of us shared a dozen and they were delicious. I opted to create my own meal, and tried the mushroom soup and mussels for my dinner. I definitely agree with other people that if you enjoy mushrooms, the mushroom soup is worth ordering! The mussels came in a cream sauce that was rich and perfect to scoop up with the brea. Our waitress made sure that our drinks were refilled and that we had everything we needed. I would like to return and try their brunch! read more

I have been going to this restaurant for years and have usually been pleased but in the last year I feel the quality of the food has gone way down. The menu is very limited so one would expect that preparation should be well practiced and consistent; however this is no longer the case. For example I have always enjoyed the creamed spinach but it was awful, tasting of raw flour as the cream sauce was not done properly. So I have made the decision to stop going to this restaurant which is sad since I have been a loyal customer for many years. read more

If you're looking for a restaurant, be at breakfast, lunch or dinner, that consistently serves great food with great service look no further than National Exemplar in Mariemont, Ohio. If you get the opportunity to have Emilie as your server, you are doubly blessed. read more

The National Exemplar - 55th CCDS Class Reunion - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

An amazing breakfast menu. We love the breakfast tacos, the hash and the Bloody Marys!

Food was delicious, ambience is excellent, Service was good Wait time was 30 minutes on a Saturday morning read more

Been frequenting The National Exemplar for quite a while -breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The setting is like walking into an old British Pub. However, they must have changed cooks since the food that comes out of the kitchen is not consistent or up to its previous standards. For instance, I had the prime rib for dinner -one of my favorites - and it, along with the mashed potatoes, came out tepid. The broccolini looked old and not palatable. My wife's and my daughter's entrees were also tepid. They took a few bites and then left things. Very disappointing. Kitchen and wait staff really need some work. It's not like it used to be. Another time, I had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict - my go to breakfast item - and it came out looking like the cat got hold of it. Thrown together roughly on the plate. The hollandaise was tepid and like paste. The wait staff is wanting in some regards. I had dinner last night with the family and our waiter was very, very slow and we had to wait for too long to even have out orders taken. However, I am a devoted customer and will continue to patronize the National Exemplar and hope that with time, things will get back to like they used to be. read more

Honestly, this was the best meal of our trip to Cincinnati. Everything was plated beautifully with lots of fresh ingredients. Our server, Mandi, was friendly and we got our food quickly. They leave the pot of coffee at your table which is automatically bonus points in my book. I started with the Morning Glow juice, which was delicious. I also had the steel cut oats topped with berries and pecans and a blueberry muffin on the side. I would eat that everyday. My brother had the smoked salmon bagel and my mom had the strawberry banana crepe. Both looked amazing. They have both indoor and patio seating. They do close midday but are open early for breakfast and lunch and then reopen again for dinner. If you're staying at the Best Western Mariemont or even just nearby, this place is definitely worth stopping in for a meal! read more

See all

The food, the service and the atmosphere is great! I love being able to join the waitlist through Yelp!

We had a very enjoyable Father's day dinner. The service was great! Our waitress was very responsive with iced tea/water refills and clearing dishes, bringing the next course, offering dessert, and check. Many good options and a few specials like meat loaf and ribs. I had a great filet with a tasty sauce served with spinich and mashed potatoes. My wife had scallops, and my son had the mushroom pasta. For appertizers, we had the salmon and mussels. All top notch. All came with sourdough bread. read more

See all

Every visit is wonderful and it is one of my most favorite places to visit in the area. The staff is always friendly, it's always clean, and the food is always perfect. I highly recommend all of their breakfasts! And the Hungarian mushroom soup is superb. Great for families, a business lunch/meal, or out with friends. A true Mariemont gem! read more

The National Exemplar - Turkey Dill Crepe with English muffin and fruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Amazing food and service! Make sure to join the online waitlist to be seated quicker for breakfast/brunch.

Their carrot cake is divine! Had a wonderful brunch experience here twice, but the carrot cake is definitely the star of the show.

A surprising combination of warm, low-key, but detail-oriented and high-quality food and service, located in an old-fashioned hotel, it very much feels like a cultural exclave that fits the Marriemont vibe. The prime rib was delicious but gigantic, so be sure you're ready for it because the portions aren't sparse! read more

Getting old sure does change perceptions. And maybe the National Exemplar itself has changed, but I wouldn't really know because I never stepped through its doors until relatively recently. When we first moved to Cincinnati, I was barely 40, and the National Exemplar barely registered on my consciousness, even though it was 10 minutes from where we lived. I figured it was too fuddy-dud suburban and so conventional and bland food-wise that only scaredy-cat old folks dined there. Now that 60 isn't that far away on my horizon, the old-timers bit really isn't an issue anymore. (Holy shit, I'm almost an old-timer, too!) And it turns out the spacious seating and lower-than-normal noise levels are perfect for the wife and me to dine with the mother-in-law and her husband. At this point, I don't really remember what was on the NE's menu 16 or 17 years ago, but I was pleasantly surprised by the menu when we were invited to eat there three or so years ago. Contrary to what I remember from back then, the NE seems pretty solidly anchored in the 21st century at this point. And its kitchen does a consistently nice job at executing most of it: For example, grilled branzino (served with (Israeli?) cous cous and a bit of a Latin-oriented prep (chimichurri, lime, cilantro)) is a better fish dish than all but the most renowned restaurants in the metro serve. And Volcano Pork Shank is a massive and hugely flavorful bit of comfort-food eating, with grits and root veggies. The NE can be depended on to cook salmon to order more than most restaurants in town, and on the one recent occasion when they overcooked it, the manager absolutely insisted on having the kitchen given my wife a new, properly cooked dish. There are occasional misfires: the charcuterie plate, for example, is pretty subpar. And it'd be nice for the restaurant to change up the menu occasionally, even if there are good specials (get the pot roast if its offered) that appear now and then. Another big bonus is the breakfast/brunch/lunch menu, which has a long menu of interesting choices at reasonable prices. The decor, not surprisingly, sort of carries over the baronial Tudor style of the hotel its housed in. It's somewhat goofy, but it's pleasant enough, and as noted above, not too loud. Service is usually by really young folks who are mostly very good and evidently well-trained by management. The Gen Zers and younger millennials probably won't be interested in this place, and that's understandable, but I have found it surprisingly dependable and good after 6 or 8 visits over the last three years. Recommended, and four-stars plus. read more

The National Exemplar - Pot roast special--delicious, even if that parsley looks a bit wan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Had New Years Eve dinner here and the service food and ambiance was excellent as usual. My prime rib was awesome as was my drink- the exemplar !! Highly recommend for any meal read more

The National Exemplar - Prime rib - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Always a great location, and experience with great food and great service. Get a reservation on yelp or you'll be waiting a while.

My husband discovered this spot on the road trip because they offer an oyster special on Mondays. How can you say no to fresh raw oysters? We made a 6 pm reservation and were initially seated by the cozy fireplace, but it was a bit too warm for our liking, so we asked to move, and the staff kindly accommodated us. The restaurant was bustling, and we noticed oysters were a popular choice at many tables. Our server, a friendly college student, shared that they typically go through around 600 oysters on Mondays and limit orders to 18 oysters per person, in increments of six. Naturally, we went for two dozen, especially since they were from Prince Edward Island, one of my favorite places! Go Canada! We also ordered the chopped beet salad and Hungarian mushroom soup. The salad fell a bit short for me as I couldn't taste any of the black truffle whipped goat cheese and the almonds were definitely not smoked. My husband enjoyed his beer, though I can't quite recall which one he picked. All in all, it was a pleasant dinner with a great oyster deal. The restaurant is connected to the hotel, so parking was easy and convenient. read more

See all

I had lunch during the holidays. The restaurant and surrounding hotel are decorated beautifully for Christmas. We ordered drinks a mimosa a Bloody Mary and yummy coffee. I had the farmhouse hash with potatoes avocado cheese bacon and onion. Delicious. A side order of goetta sealed the deal. Enough food for two meals. Our server Ava was delightful. read more

See all

Wow! This place is amazing, came here for our anniversary because my husband loves prime rib and I saw that this place has great prime rib, super tender and well seasoned. I opted for the Friday and Saturday night special which is the pot roast.. my husband made fun of me because he said "seriously you're getting pot roast instead of salmon or steak..?" After trying the pot roast he said "well I guess all pot roasts are created equal" it was literally the best pot roast I've ever eaten, highly recommend. This place is connected to a hotel. The home inside makes you feel as though you're eating at a very nice establishment, but doesn't make you feel as though you need to dress up. Very well priced and staff were extremely nice! read more

Great food. Try the pot roast when they have it. The house dressing is also recommended.

A group of seven of us came here for one of our monthly lunches. The plan was to meet at Noon. We arrived a bit early and asked for a table for eight (one ended up not showing). The place was busy, but they were able to accommodate us and by the time others started to arrive, we had our table. Our waitress was sweet and helpful. The decor of the restaurant is reminiscent of the shire in Hobbiton. We had our choice of breakfast or lunch. There was also a menu of specials on the table. So much from which to chose! I had a Kale Refresher Juice to start, with Kale, fuji apples, cucumbers and lemon. It was absolutely delicious. For lunch or had "Choose 2 Lunch Special" with Hungarian Mushroom Soup and the Arugula-Kale Salad. This was not a lot of food, but that's good and pretty much what I expected. The soup had a nice flavor, though it was a bit on the salty side. The salad was refreshing, but didn't have a lot of flavor. This is actually good because the salad was not swimming in dressing. It was lightly dressed. The manchego cheese was there, but it didn't seem to add much flavor. Mark had the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, which he said were quite tasty. He ordered a side of the Griddled Ham. He mentioned it was not worth the price. The rest of our friends enjoyed their meals. I've passed this place a gazillion times over my lifetime, so it was nice to finally stop in for a meal. It was good, but there was nothing that had us thinking we need to find time to come back again. read more

See all

I had heard a lot of great things about National Exemplar, particularly their brunch, and had wanted to go. We went on a Saturday morning and didn't have to wait - a rarity for Cincinnati brunch. Our waitress was nice and met us right away. The atmosphere is pretty rustic. The food was good. Maybe my expectations were too high, as I had heard that this is THE place to go, but it wasn't anything super special. It felt comparative to First Watch. Now that's not to say it wasn't good food - it was - just wasn't the most standout. Would like to go again and try something else on the menu. read more

See all