German$$downtownMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-00:00; Sun 10:00-20:00
Hofbrauhaus Cleveland on Chester Avenue downtown, the German beer hall licensee of the Munich brand, runs imported Bavarian beer with schnitzel and sausage.
Signature: Wiener schnitzel, Bavarian sausage plate
Order: Wiener schnitzel with potato salad and a half-liter of Hofbrau Original on tap.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable for Oktoberfest weekends; the communal tables turn faster than the booths.
Italian-american$$$ohio-cityWed-Thu 16:00-00:00; Fri 16:00-02:30; Sat 11:00-02:30; Sun 11:00-18:00; closed Mon-Tue
Bright Side on West 25th Street in Ohio City, Sam McNulty and Mark Priemer's reimagining of the old Bar Cento space since June 2022, runs Sunnyside egg pizza.
Signature: Sunnyside pizza, Rosemary garlic frites
Order: The Sunnyside pizza with runny-yolk egg and pancetta, plus a basket of rosemary garlic frites.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable. The basement Bird of Paradise tropical-themed bar opens after dinner service.
New American Small Plates$$$shaker-squareTue-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
Poppy on Larchmere Boulevard, Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison's small-plates room since March 2023 in a turn-of-century house, carries Salt Lakewood's legacy.
Signature: Rotating small plates, Seasonal mains
Order: Order four to five small plates per pair from the rotating menu, plus one entree to share.
Tip: Reserve on Tock; the dining room sits small. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Vietnamese$$asiatownTue-Sat 10:30-20:00; Sun 10:30-19:00; closed Mon
Superior Pho on Superior Avenue inside the Superior Square plaza in AsiaTown, an award-winning Vietnamese family restaurant, anchors Cleveland's pho and banh.
Signature: Pho tai, Banh mi
Order: Pho tai with raw beef plus a banh mi with house pate and roast pork.
Tip: Cash and card; the small dining room turns fast at lunch Booking recommended for weekends.
Japanese ramen$$ohio-cityTue-Sat 16:00-21:00; Sun 13:00-18:00; closed Mon
Mason's Creamery on Bridge Avenue in Ohio City, the Jesse Mason and Helen Qin ice cream shop since 2013, runs small-batch flavours all year plus a winter.
Signature: Small-batch ice cream, Winter ramen pop-up
Order: Two scoops of small-batch ice cream in summer, a pork tonkotsu ramen in winter.
Tip: Ramen runs winter into spring; ice cream year-round. Cash and card accepted.
Steakhouse$$$$downtownMon-Thu 16:30-22:30; Fri-Sat 16:00-23:30; closed Sun
Marble Room on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland sits inside a restored 19th-century National City Bank, the city's most-photographed downtown steakhouse since 2017.
Signature: Prime steaks, Raw bar plateau
Order: A bone-in ribeye plus a half plateau from the raw bar to start.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable two weeks ahead; the cathedral-vault tables turn slower than the lounge.