Mid City Restaurant — Restaurant in Cincinnati

We can’t say enough about this GEM of a spot! Everything we’ve ever ordered from their brilliantly creative menu is so perfectly thought out, prepared, and seasoned, we haven’t found one thing we wished had been done differently. We start with the “griddled bread,” from Allez Bakery, & the “mushrooms in foil,” and use the bread to soak up the incredible broth from the mushrooms. (It’s almost embarrassing how happy it makes me.) And it’s the perfect start to the meal, which is always an event…an experience. Truly…every single plate is perfection. Each time we’ve been there, their tempura vegetable of the day has been a type of pepper (shisito, poblano, etc.), and it’s just ridiculously good. Minimal heat, and sooo perfectly crisp & seasoned. We always start out talking, but then realize we’ve moved to just closing our eyes, and making happy little sounds. Ha.

The servers are genuine foodies who know their stuff, and it’s wonderful to trust them to pair the right small plates for you, and really help guide you through a little culinary journey. Always warm and never intrusive, yet so very attentive.

And, lastly, the atmosphere — absolutely perfect. The thoughtfully low lighting just BEGS one to relax and enjoy (and it disguises the peanut butter that might remain on the corner of your mouth after biting into the incredible house burger). We could not be more thrilled to have Mid City Restaurant in our neighborhood, but we would drive in from the suburbs to the GORGEOUS Court Street, if we didn’t already live here! Hoping for a long and successful run for this...

First of all, the ambiance didn’t quite live up to the hype. The acoustics of the space create a loud and echoey environment, which made it difficult to hold a conversation—at times, I even struggled to hear the servers. The tables were packed too closely together, compromising any sense of intimacy or comfort.

The cocktails were underwhelming. El Presidente, in particular, lacked both the visual allure and the layered complexity I was expecting; it tasted flat and uninspired. The potato salad was passable, though nothing memorable. The mushrooms in foil were overly salted, masking any earthy nuance that good mushrooms typically bring to the table.

The lamb skewer came with a pleasant avocado sauce that added a creamy freshness, but unfortunately, the lamb was overcooked and dry, lacking the tenderness and succulence one would hope for. The meatball skewer was overwhelmingly salty to the point of being unpalatable.

We also tried one of their featured cuts of meat, which turned out to be excessively fatty, with richness that felt more greasy than indulgent. The shrimp encased in pastry puff with béchamel sauce sounded promising, but the execution was off—the texture was doughy and the flavors clashed rather than complemented.

For dessert, we went with the baked Alaska. While the presentation was attractive, the balance of flavors didn’t quite come together, and overall it landed somewhere between mediocre and forgettable.

In sum, it was a disappointing experience that fell far short of the culinary standard I was hoping for. The menu reads better...

I don't hand out 5 star reviews. This restaurant was worth the hype! Every dish was a flavor explosion, a whole experience! As a foodie, I have never tasted so many new and exciting flavors and flavor combinations in my life. We had the tempura Shishido peppers, baguette and pickle butter, mushrooms in foil, duck fat potatoes, the buffalo meatballs, the herb stuffed duck, the baked Alaska and the torched fruit (plums). Everything was amazing, but of these, our favorites were the Shishido peppers, buffalo meatballs, and torched plums. The chef and cooks here deserve a raise for their skills and creativity, it did not go un-noticed.

Additionally, our service was absolutely outstanding. Our waitress was super attentive and helpful. My husband is a cocktail connoisseur and he gave rave reviews of the two classic drinks he ordered. Our waitress also did a great job recommending and letting us taste-test wines to find one we liked.

It is definitely pricy if you plan on tasting enough to fill you up, but we were here celebrating a promotion so we were expecting to spend what we did. Overall, fantastic restaurant. I will visit Cincinnati again, if anything just to come back to...