Upscale in Cleveland: 32 editor picks

32 upscale places in Cleveland, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Cleveland: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Cleveland food.

EDWINS Wine Program ★ 4.8

cleveland-heights · 12383 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

EDWINS in the former Nighttown space on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, Brandon Chrostowski's culinary training restaurant, runs a French-leaning.

Cordelia ★ 4.7

downtown · 2058 E 4th St, Cleveland, OH 44115

Cordelia on East 4th Street, chef Vinnie Cimino and Andrew Watts's Midwest-leaning dining room since 2022, runs comfort cooking and multiple James Beard.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable three weeks ahead; the East 4th pedestrian block stays busy from 18:00 onward.

Velvet Tango Room ★ 4.7

tremont · 2095 Columbus Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113

Velvet Tango Room on Columbus Road in Tremont, Paulius Nasvytis's craft cocktail lounge since 1996, runs scratch pre-Prohibition drinks nightly.

Fahrenheit ★ 4.6

downtown · 55 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44113

Fahrenheit at 55 Public Square in downtown Cleveland, chef Rocco Whalen's two-story wood-fired dining room since the 2023 move from Tremont.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable for Friday or Saturday; Tuesday and Wednesday dinners stay quieter.

EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute ★ 4.6

cleveland-heights · 12383 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

EDWINS, Brandon Chrostowski's French restaurant and culinary school for formerly incarcerated students since 2007, moved to the old Nighttown Cedar Road room.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; arrive early to walk the expanded teaching kitchen and the new oyster bar.

Zhug ★ 4.6

cleveland-heights · 12413 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

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.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; small-plate dinners run faster than the prix fixe.

Poppy ★ 4.6

shaker-square · 12502 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120

Poppy on Larchmere Boulevard, chef Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison's small-plates room since March 2023, runs a tight rotating menu in a converted.

Tip: Reserve on Tock; the dining room sits small. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Great Lakes Brewing Company Brewpub ★ 4.6

ohio-city · 2516 Market Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

Great Lakes Brewing Company on Market Avenue in Ohio City, Ohio's original craft brewery since 1988, runs the in-house brewpub with Dortmunder Gold.

La Cave Du Vin ★ 4.6

tremont · 710 Jefferson Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

La Cave Du Vin on Jefferson Avenue in Tremont, the reopened wine bar from former Coventry manager Erich Lasher and Will Hollingsworth since December 2023.

Poppy ★ 4.5

shaker-square · 12502 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120

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.

Tip: Reserve on Tock; the dining room sits small. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Astoria Cafe and Market ★ 4.5

detroit-shoreway · 5417 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102

Astoria Cafe and Market on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District, a Mediterranean restaurant and import shop since December 2016, runs mezze.

Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; the dining room takes reservations for Friday and Saturday.

Society Lounge ★ 4.5

downtown · 2063 E 4th St, Cleveland, OH 44115

Society Lounge on the East 4th Street pedestrian block, a speakeasy-style cocktail room in a Warehouse District basement, runs vintage decor.

Mallorca ★ 4.4

downtown · 1390 W 9th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

Mallorca on West 9th Street in the Warehouse District, the Spanish-Portuguese dining room a 2026 James Beard semifinalist, has poured the flaming Spanish.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable a week ahead. The flaming coffee is $30 for two and worth the show.

Jukebox ★ 4.4

ohio-city · 1404 W 29th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

Jukebox on West 29th Street in Hingetown, a neighborhood bar with craft beer, simple pub grub and a heated outdoor patio, has anchored the firehouse corner.

Prosperity Social Club ★ 4.4

tremont · 1109 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

Prosperity Social Club on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, a 1938 tavern with original wood-paneled walls and Wednesday-night polka, runs pierogi-and-kielbasa.

Market Garden Brewery ★ 4.4

ohio-city · 1947 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

Market Garden Brewery on West 25th Street across from the West Side Market, the Sam McNulty and Andy Tveekrem brewpub, runs a full kitchen alongside.

Vero Pizza Napoletana ★ 4.4

cleveland-heights · 12421 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

Vero Pizza Napoletana on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, an expanded 2024 room with a 10-seat marble-topped bar and Italian wines by the glass.

Astoria Cafe and Market ★ 4.3

detroit-shoreway · 5417 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102

Astoria Cafe and Market on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District, a Mediterranean restaurant and import shop since December 2016, runs mezze.

Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; reserve the dining room two weeks out for Friday and Saturday.

Mabel's BBQ ★ 4.3

downtown · 2050 E 4th St, Cleveland, OH 44115

Mabel's BBQ on East 4th Street in downtown Cleveland, Michael Symon's smokehouse since April 2016, builds Cleveland-style BBQ on fruitwood smoke and Bertman.

Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; reserve the dining room on OpenTable two weeks ahead.

Trattoria on the Hill ★ 4.3

little-italy · 12207 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106

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.

Tip: First-come, first-served seating most nights. Little Italy parking is tight outside the lot.

ABC the Tavern ★ 4.3

ohio-city · 1872 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

ABC the Tavern on West 25th Street in Ohio City, a long-running neighborhood tavern reopened by the current owners in 2009, runs late kitchen to 01:00.

Boss Dog Brewing Company ★ 4.3

cleveland-heights · 2179 Lee Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

Boss Dog Brewing on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, a Cedar-Lee district brewpub, runs house lagers and IPAs alongside burgers and pizzas in the east-side.

Saucy Brew Works Pinney Dock ★ 4.3

ohio-city · 2885 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

Saucy Brew Works on Detroit Avenue in Hingetown, the Pinney Dock taproom for the Brent Zimmerman brewery, runs Love Juice IPA and an in-house pizza kitchen.

Masthead Brewing Co. ★ 4.3

downtown · 1261 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114

Masthead Brewing on Superior Avenue downtown, a 300-seat brewery with a 100-foot bar, runs Belgian-leaning house ales and wood-fired pizzas daily.

Mabel's BBQ ★ 4.2

downtown · 2050 E 4th St, Cleveland, OH 44115

Mabel's BBQ on East 4th Street, Michael Symon's smokehouse since April 2016, builds Cleveland-style BBQ on locally sourced fruitwood and Bertman Ball Park.

Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; the dining room takes reservations on OpenTable two weeks out.

Trattoria on the Hill ★ 4.2

little-italy · 12207 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106

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.

Tip: Reserves through Tock; the patio opens in warm months and Little Italy parking is tight outside the lot.

Bright Side ★ 4.2

ohio-city · 1948 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

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.

Tip: Reserve on OpenTable. Bird of Paradise basement bar opens after dinner service.

Gillespie's Map Room ★ 4.2

downtown · 1281 W 9th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

Gillespie's Map Room on West 9th Street in the Warehouse District, a pub with more than 100 beers and brick-oven pizza since 2005, anchors the Warehouse.

Hofbrauhaus Cleveland ★ 4.2

downtown · 1550 Chester Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114

Hofbrauhaus Cleveland on Chester Avenue downtown, a licensed branch of Munich's 1589 Hofbrauhaus, runs Bavarian beer and oompah in a 600-seat hall.

UnBar Cafe ★ 4.2

larchmere · 12635 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120

UnBar Cafe on Larchmere Boulevard, a woman-owned coffee-and-wine bar that doubles as a Larchmere gathering room, runs evening wine alongside daytime coffee.

Bright Side ★ 4.1