A restaurant with a good view automatically makes dinner feel a little more special.
Maybe it’s the sunset over Lake Erie, the Cincinnati skyline lighting up after dark, or a river rushing past your window while you try to decide what to order. Ohio has more of these spots than you might expect, and some are worth planning a whole outing around.
Here are the restaurants where the scenery is part of the reason to go.
Twenty-eight floors up at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, Stories on High gives you a pretty good excuse to put your phone down and look out the window for a minute. The rooftop restaurant and bar serves up views of the Short North and downtown Columbus, along with cocktails and dinner with a little altitude. Just keep in mind that it’s 21 and up and closed Sundays and Mondays.
Location: 404 N. High St., Columbus
Website: Stories on High
Bridge Park has plenty going on at street level, but Vaso gives you a reason to head upstairs. The rooftop spot in Dublin serves Spanish-style tapas and craft cocktails with horizon views. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., and the calendar also includes tasting dinners and mixology events.
Location: 6540 Riverside Dr., Dublin
Website: Vaso
Primavista has been serving Italian dinners from the top of Price Hill since 1989, with views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River that make a strong case for letting the dinner conversation run over into dessert, and maybe drinks afterward. It’s a popular spot that only recently reopened after a fire, so plan accordingly if you’re hoping to visit, because Primavista is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Location: 810 Matson Pl., Cincinnati
Website: Primavista
Speaking of gorgeous views from Price Hill… Incline Public House traces its history back to William Price’s Price Hill House, which opened not long after the Price Hill incline began operating in 1874. Today, panoramic windows look out over the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati, and the deck offers another 60 seats when the weather cooperates. The menu sticks to crowd-pleasers, including brick-oven pizzas and sandwiches made with the help of a smoker, with local craft beer on tap.
Location: 2601 W. Eighth St., Cincinnati
Website: Incline Public House
A winery, a restaurant, rolling hills, and ponds? Vinoklet Winery makes a pretty compelling case for a dinner outside the city. Founder Kreso Mikulic planted the first vines here in 1986, and the property now covers 30-plus acres in Colerain Township, with the restaurant tucked among the vineyards. If you need another reason to visit, Wednesdays are spaghetti night.
Location: 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati
Website: Vinoklet Winery
Pier W has been perched above Lake Erie in Lakewood since 1965, and the building itself looks a little like a ship ready to set sail. Inside, the seafood-focused restaurant serves dinner and brunch with lake views that do a lot of the heavy lifting. The deck closes for the season and reopens in spring, but you can still watch the water from the dining room when Ohio decides it’s winter again.
Location: 12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood
Website: Pier W
For a meal along the Cuyahoga River, Merwin’s Wharf puts you right in the middle of the action in Cleveland’s Flats. Operated by Cleveland Metroparks, the restaurant has outdoor tables along the water and a seasonal menu, making it a good option when you want to enjoy the river without having to pack a picnic. Seating is first come, first served, except during special events and select holidays.
Location: 1785 Merwin Ave., Cleveland
Website: Merwin’s Wharf
At Beau’s on the River, the view isn’t just a distant stretch of water. Floor-to-ceiling windows look directly down at the rapids of the Cuyahoga River, giving the dining room a front-row seat to the action. The restaurant opened inside the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls in May 2013, and Sunday brunch offers guests another reason to make a reservation.
Location: 1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls
Website: Beau’s on the River
The Oaks Lakeside pairs a meal with a little lakeside scenery at an 1800s estate on the shore of Chippewa Lake. The property doubles as a wedding venue, so it already has the romantic setting part figured out. Sunday brunch is on the menu, but remember that the restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Location: 5878 Longacre Ln., Chippewa Lake
Website: The Oaks Lakeside
If your idea of a good dinner includes a vineyard, a restored barn, and maybe a detour to a spa afterward, Gervasi Vineyard in Canton is worth a look. The Italian winery resort opened in 2010 and centers around its own lake, with the Bistro housed in a restored 1800s barn. The outdoor Piazza sits beside the vines but closes for the season when the weather turns, and the property also has a distillery and spa if dinner is only the beginning of your plans.
Location: 1700 55th St. NE, Canton
Website: Gervasi Vineyard
Sunset over Lake Erie is the main event at Horizons Restaurant, inside The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake. The glass-enclosed octagonal dining room puts the water on display, while the patio offers an outdoor spot to watch the sky change colors when the weather cooperates. The menu changes with the seasons, and the lodge recommends making reservations, especially if you’re planning your visit around that sunset.
Location: 4888 N. Broadway, Geneva-on-the-Lake
Website: Horizons Restaurant
You don’t have to leave the state park to find a meal with a lake view. Water’s Edge Restaurant, inside Maumee Bay Lodge at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, Ohio, has a wraparound view of Lake Erie. The menu ranges from pub pretzels to fish and chips, so you can keep things casual while taking in the scenery.
Location: 1750 State Park Rd., Oregon
Website: Water’s Edge Restaurant
Hocking Hills is already a pretty good place to spend a day looking at trees and rock formations, but the Rock House Restaurant lets you keep the scenery going through dinner. Located inside Hocking Hills State Park Lodge, the restaurant has windows overlooking the surrounding park. The current lodge opened on October 8, 2022, on the site of the previous building, which burned in December 2016. Dinner reservations are required.
Location: 20020 State Route 664 S., Logan
Website: Rock House Restaurant
Addresses come from each restaurant’s own site. If one of these closes or moves, please feel free to email hello@columbusnavigator.com.
The post Where To Eat In Ohio When The View Matters As Much As The Menu appeared first on Columbus Navigator.
