Cincinnati is a better food and drink city than its modest reputation suggests, and the reason is history. In the nineteenth century the city was the center of German America, and Over-the-Rhine, the district just above downtown, was crowded with breweries, beer halls, butchers and bakers. That heritage still shapes what people eat, and the district's restored buildings now hold some of the best restaurants and bars in the Midwest.
The local dishes to try
Cincinnati-style chili is the city's signature, a thin, lightly spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti and ordered by the number of toppings, from a two-way up to a five-way with beans, onions and a mound of shredded cheese. Goetta, a breakfast sausage-and-oats patty of German origin, appears on diner menus across the region. Add the city's long tradition of bratwurst, pretzels and rich ice cream, and you have a regional cuisine that rewards a visitor who tries the local things before the chains. Ask the person at your hotel desk for their own favorite, because locals hold strong and divided views on the best chili.
Start at Findlay Market
Findlay Market, at the top of Over-the-Rhine, is one of Ohio's oldest public markets, with butchers, cheesemongers, bakers, produce stalls and places to eat, and a year-round farmers market on weekends. It is free to wander and closed on Mondays. Go hungry, graze across several stalls rather than sitting down at one, and treat it as lunch. The best way to cover it with a guide is the Streetcar and Findlay Market food tour, which rides the free streetcar through downtown and Over-the-Rhine and mixes three restaurant stops with three market stalls over about three hours.
Drink the history
Beer is the thread that links the city's past and present. The Hidden Brewery Caverns Tour takes you down into the vaulted lagering cellars beneath Over-the-Rhine, built to keep beer cold before refrigeration, and finishes with a tasting; with a 5.0 rating from more than two thousand reviews it is the most popular tour in town. Above ground, the neighborhood holds modern craft breweries alongside restored taprooms, and walking between them is the simplest plan for an afternoon.
Cocktails after dark
If you prefer cocktails, the Over-the-Rhine Cocktail Tour covers four drinks and four snacks over two to three hours with a guide, and is the right choice for couples and groups of friends. For a different sort of evening, the Queen City ghost walk passes Washington Park, Music Hall and Memorial Hall, and is easy to follow with dinner nearby. If you would rather plan your own evening, pick a street in Over-the-Rhine and wander, since the density of restaurants and bars means you rarely need a reservation for a first drink.
Eat on both sides of the river
The Kentucky riverfront is part of the food scene. Covington, a few minutes across the bridge, has historic streets and restaurants, including Coppin's at Hotel Covington, and makes a good second-night destination. Several hotels have their own dining, from Subito and the rooftop Vista at the Lytle Park Hotel to the Art Deco rooms of the Netherland Plaza, and the Radisson in Covington serves dinner on most nights but is closed on Mondays.
Practical tips
Findlay Market is closed on Mondays, and several restaurants in the district close early in the week, so a Monday is the hardest night to eat out; check opening days if you are visiting then. On weekends the neighborhood fills up quickly after dark, so book a table for dinner in advance and arrange rides if you plan to drink. The free streetcar runs through Over-the-Rhine and is the easiest way to move between the market, downtown and the riverfront without a car.
Ordering and etiquette
When you order chili, say how many ways you want it, and ask for oyster crackers if they are not already on the table. Do not be surprised if a chili parlor feels more like a diner than a restaurant, since speed and price are part of the tradition. Breweries and taprooms in the district usually let you order flights, which is the easiest way to sample several local styles without committing to a pint of each. If you have dietary needs, tell tour operators when you book rather than on the day, because food tours plan their stops in advance.
A simple two-meal plan
For a first visit, spend a weekend morning at Findlay Market or on the food tour, then take the afternoon cellar tour and have dinner in Over-the-Rhine. On a second evening choose between the cocktail tour and a quiet dinner at your hotel, and finish with a walk through the neighborhood to see its nineteenth-century buildings lit up. Whatever you choose, leave room for chili at least once.
