French$$$cleveland-heightsTue-Sat 16:00-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
EDWINS, Brandon Chrostowski's French restaurant and culinary school training formerly incarcerated students since 2007, moved into the old Nighttown space on Cedar Road in February 2025.
Signature: Classic French bistro plates, Steak frites
Order: Steak frites and a glass of Burgundy from the wine cellar.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; arrive early to walk the expanded teaching kitchen and the new oyster bar.
Spanish$$$downtownTue-Thu 12:00-21:00; Fri 12:00-22:00; Sat 14:30-22:00; Sun 13:00-21:00; closed Mon
Mallorca on West 9th Street in the Warehouse District, the Spanish-Portuguese dining room a 2026 James Beard semifinalist, has poured the flaming Spanish coffee since 1997.
Signature: Paella Mallorquina, Flaming Spanish coffee
Order: Paella Mallorquina for two plus the tableside flaming Spanish coffee.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable a week ahead. The flaming coffee is $30 for two and worth the show.
Middle Eastern$$$cleveland-heightsMon-Thu 16:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00; closed Sun
Zhug on Cedar Road at Cedar-Fairmount, chef Doug Katz's Middle Eastern mezze room named one of Esquire's best new restaurants, runs a casual high-energy dining experience.
Signature: Mediterranean mezze, Tagine
Order: Order four to five mezze for the table including the namesake zhug sauce.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; small-plate dinners run faster than the prix fixe.
Italian$$little-italyMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; closed Sun
Mama Santa's on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, the family-owned Sicilian pizzeria since 1961, anchors the Italian-American block with hand-tossed pies and homemade pasta.
Signature: Sicilian pizza, Handmade manicotti
Order: Sicilian sausage pizza and a plate of the manicotti to share.
Tip: Takes reservations and walk-ins; the patio opens in warm months. Closed Sunday.
Italian$$$little-italyMon 11:30-20:30; Tue-Thu 11:30-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:30-22:00; Sun 11:30-20:30
Trattoria on the Hill on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, an Italian-American dining room since 1988, runs hearty traditional pasta plates and veal mains.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Veal piccata
Order: Eggplant parmesan and the chicken piccata, plus a slice of cassata cake to finish.
Tip: Reserves through Tock; the patio opens in warm months and Little Italy parking is tight outside the lot.
Neapolitan pizza$$cleveland-heightsTue-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
Vero Pizza Napoletana on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, a 900-degree wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria with imported Italian flour and Vesuvius tomatoes.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Locally made gelato
Order: A Margherita from the wood-fired oven plus two scoops of locally made gelato.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive by 17:30 Friday and Saturday to avoid the wait. Closed Sunday and Monday.