Ripple Wine Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Cincinnati

We were excited to try Ripple Wine Bar, but unfortunately, the service experience was so poor that we won’t be returning.

We arrived around 4:00 PM and were told there was a 1.5–2 hour time limit for the original table offered. We chose to move to a sunnier spot on the patio, and no one clarified that the same restriction applied to the new table. We ordered three dishes, purchased two bottles of wine, and were mid-meal, mid-bottle, mid-conversation and still planning to order more when, at 5:30 PM, a manager came over and told us we’d need to be gone by 6:00 due to reservations.

We expressed how surprised and disappointed we were — we had no idea there was a hard stop, and we were actively dining. Her response? “Well, what am I supposed to tell the people with reservations coming in?” I replied, “Well, do you think this is a great experience for us as customers?” She shrugged.

We asked, “So is this what we should tell people? That Ripple’s nice but you only get one and a half - two hours before you’re pushed out?” And she said, “Yeah, we’re a very sought-out restaurant — people want to eat here.” That doesn’t justify making paying customers feel rushed or disposable.

We even offered a solution — we mentioned that many higher-end restaurants, when running slightly behind on a table, will offer the next guests a complimentary glass of wine while they wait a few minutes for the other table to finish (keep in mind— this is still 5:30, 30 minutes prior to their “reservations”). The manager didn’t even let me finish. She literally turned her face and started talking over me, ignoring the suggestion entirely.

The “solution” we were offered was to move inside — while we were still eating and drinking. Not reasonable, and not how a hospitality-driven restaurant should operate.

What’s worse, when 6:00 PM came and went, the patio still had multiple empty tables. No one was ever seated at ours, even after we left.

It also took almost 10 minutes just to close our tab after putting our cards down.

The food and wine were good, but none of that matters when the service makes you feel rushed, disrespected, and unvalued. Ripple might be “sought-after,” but from this experience, they’ve clearly lost sight of what hospitality...

I am beyond baffled that this place has anything less than 5 stars because it is exquisite in every single way! Starting with the location, it's a great spot because it's not right in the heart of downtown cincy so it's a little more quiet, less hectic, and down the street from East Walnut Hills which we really like as well! The parking lot behind it is large, therefore parking was smooth (that does matter, lol). The asthetic of the outside and inside is very pretty, and the inside layout is open while being cozy! They have a large dining room, high top bar seating, bar seating, and a nice and spacious outside patio! We sat at the hightops in the bar area, and we loved it! It was busy, but it felt good. Had good energy and didn't seem crowded or congested! The service was friendly, attentive, and on the ball. We got the BEEF WELLINGTON POPOVERS and the SEARED AHI TUNA for our appetizers, the KOREAN BBQ PORK BELLY and the LUMP CRAB CAKE for our entrées, and the ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS for our side. I can honestly say everything was unique, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! We were so pleased with our whole experience!...

I visited Ripple on Madison Rd last week with friends. We were informed of a two-hour seating limit, which we were mindful of. However, partway through our meal—while we were still eating and enjoying a second round of wine—we were pressured to leave.

Instead of trying to find a comfortable solution, the manager handled the situation with a surprisingly rude and dismissive attitude. She even suggested corking the wine and sending us on our way, which felt abrupt and inappropriate given that we were mid-meal and had just ordered more. We were seated on the patio, and the alternative offered was to move indoors—but it felt disruptive and unwelcoming to be asked to shift tables in the middle of our dining experience. We were probably going to be done on time but the manager seemed uninterested in resolving the situation gracefully and handed us the owner's card with a “call whoever you want” attitude, which left a very negative impression. The food and setting was nice, but the lack of basic hospitality really impacted the experience. There were so many gracious ways for the manager to have handled the experience...