Cleveland Cuisine

Cleveland’s culinary scene blends influences from the more than 100 diverse ethnicities found throughout the city with traditional cooking techniques as well as modern twists. Nationally recognized and award-winning chefs create deliciously memorable experiences that will bring visitors back for seconds.

New and Noteworthy

• Known for his innovative work in foraging and fermentation, Jeremy Umansky opened Larder Delicatessen and Bakery in the historic Ohio City Firehouse in April 2018. This modern-day version of an old-world delicatessen offers house-made breads, pastries, koji-cured pastrami, root beer fermented in-house and locally sourced dairy, eggs and produce.
• Located in the historic bank lobby of the Garfield Building in Downtown Cleveland, Marble Room Steak and Raw Bar added an elegant dining experience to the city’s fine dining scene in September 2017. The restaurant’s menu features prime steaks, seafood and raw bar in an expansive space complete with cathedral ceilings, marble pillars and marble floors.
• Every delicious and addictive doughnut from Brewnuts includes a special ingredient baked into the batter: beer from local and regional craft breweries. The doughnut-themed bar opened in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood in September 2017 and offers beer and cocktails along with a comfortable space for visitors to hang out.
• Collision Bend Brewing Company opened in April 2017 in the Flats East Bank and was recently selected as best brewpub in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice 2018 Awards. Chef Zack Bruell and brewer Luke Purcell feature craft beer, including sours and crowlers, made from local grains and malts along with a concise menu of beer-friendly small plates.
• Ushabu features Japanese hot pot at its intimate Tremont restaurant where each diner enjoys a built-in burner to dunk seasonal vegetables and proteins like Berkshire pork, wagyu beef or live scallops into pots of simmering dashi.

Award-Winning Chefs

• Cleveland native and James Beard Award-winner Chef Michael Symon brought Cleveland’s growing food scene to the national spotlight with restaurants like Lola, B Spot Burger and Mabel’s BBQ.
• James Beard Award-winner Chef Jonathon Sawyer has four restaurants in the Cleveland area, including the first-LEED certified restaurant in Ohio The Greenhouse Tavern, Japanese noodlehouse Noodlecat and the Northern Italian delight Trentina.
• Chef Zack Bruell is known for his fusion cuisine and his ability to cook a wide variety of styles. He has grown his restaurant empire with the April 2017 opening of Collision Bend Brewery, which joins Alley Cat Oyster Bar, Italian restaurant Chinato, French restaurants Cowell and Hubbard and L’Albatros, Japanaese restaurant Parallax and American restaurants DYNOMITE Burgers and Table 45.
• Named “Best New Restaurant of 2017” by Cleveland magazine, The Plum offers an innovative take on American cuisine paired with classic drinks and cocktails. Chef Brett Sawyer, recognized as a Rust Belt Rising Star by StarChefs, highlights the flavors of the season in creative small plates that guests can savor in a modern and bright dining space located in the Ohio City neighborhood

Quintessential Cleveland Food

• Located in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood is the more than 100-year-old West Side Market, one of the first indoor public markets in the country. Visitors can put their taste buds to the test by trying food like pierogi and falafel from one of the 180 vendors at the market, some of whom can trace their roots back to the inception of the market.
• Cleveland’s Eastern European roots are on full display at Sokolowski’s University Inn. Recognized with a James Beard America’s Classic award, Sokolowski’s is the oldest family owned-and-operated restaurant in Cleveland and is known for its Polish cuisine – especially the pierogies.
• Since 1964, Slyman’s has caught the attention of presidents and celebrities with the best and biggest corned beef sandwiches in Downtown Cleveland.
• A Cleveland-creation, The Polish Boy consists of a link of kielbasa placed in a bun and covered with French fries, barbecue sauce or hot sauce, and coleslaw. For a taste of this unusual yet oh-so-good native sandwich. visitors can stop by numerous spots around town, including the Seti’s Polish Boy food truck in the Ohio City neighborhood, Al & B's Barbecue, Kim’s Wings and Banter Beer and Wine.
• In Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, Happy Dog serves gourmet hot dogs with a menu of more than 50 toppings including Froot Loops, Spaghetti-Os and fried eggs. Visitors should stick around for the widely popular Polka Happy Hour.
• With multiple locations in Northeast Ohio, Melt Bar and Grilled features a menu with 20 different gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches like the pierogi-filled “Parmageddon.”
• With milkshakes that have been rated as the best in the country, Tommy’s in Coventry Village serves dishes that will satisfy meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans.

Neighborhood Noms

• For a more casual dining atmosphere head over to Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood where visitors can choose from pizza and house made pasta at Bar Cento, Mod-Mex cuisine at Momocho, French-inspired dishes at The Black Pig, fried chicken at Soho Chicken + Whiskey, creative brunch at joints like TownHall and Jack Flaps or a delicious ice cream cone at Mitchell’s Ice Cream.
• In the Tremont neighborhood, guests can enjoy a range of different meals from a delicious brunch at Lucky’s Cafe or Grumpy’s Café to fine dining at establishments like Dante and Fahrenheit or dinner and drinks at Prosperity Social Club and the New Orleans-style Bourbon Street Barrel Room.
• If visitors are craving Italian cuisine, then Little Italy on Cleveland’s east side is the place to go. Visitors can dive into traditional pizza and spaghetti at Mama Santa’s or enjoy reinvented Italian favorites at Nora. Plus, visitors need to save room for gelato or cannoli at Presti’s Bakery.
• In Shaker Square, EDWINS Restaurant & Leadership Academy offers classic French cuisine with tableside preparations as well as a unique approach at giving formerly-incarcerated adults a foundation in the hospitality industry. At Fire Food and Drink, James Beard nominated chef Douglas Katz delights diners with American bistro fare, including a weekend brunch filled with plates of lemon soufflé pancakes, barbecue pork crepes and almond-stuffed French toast.

Locally Sourced

• The Urban Farmer, located at the Westin Cleveland Downtown, places an emphasis on local sourcing from Ohio ranchers and farmers, as well as simple, straightforward preparations.
• Pura Vida introduces the urban picnic concept to Cleveland with farm-fresh local ingredients that produce creative and unique dishes.
• Spice Kitchen and Bar features a seasonal menu utilizing ingredients produced by small, family farms practicing sustainable agriculture and located within a 100-mile radius of Cleveland. In 2014, Spice Acres debuted when chef Ben Bebenroth and his wife Jackie took over the operations of a 13-acre sustainable family farm located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
• Chef Karen Small at The Flying Fig was a local pioneer of creative, farm-to-table cuisine when the restaurant opened in 1999. The focus on supporting small family farms and local food artisans while creating critically acclaimed menus that evolve seasonally remains strong.