Martini Modern Italian — Restaurant in Columbus

I was able to get a same-day Friday reservation for 2 at 06:00 PM, which was great, and we were given a nice table with a view as I requested. The section we were seated in was not busy (there were at least two empty tables when we were seated). After service, I honestly don't know if this restaurant is supposed to be considered a fine dining concept. Maybe I've been spoiled by good service from enjoying Chicago's fine dining scene when I lived there. The food was excellent, but our server was atrocious. He made us feel very rushed and it became clear that he was just trying to flip our table. I'm not sure if the food warrants a return visit at risk of getting another subpar server.

The server was incredibly disengaged and not warm. He would not have told us about the entrée special if we had not asked if they had one. We started with cocktails as well as the calamari and arancini. We also ordered two pastas (mushroom ravioli, lamb pappardelle) and two mains (ossu buco, salmon). The server didn't even ask if we wanted them coursed out (which seems like common sense, given our party was two people), so as we feared, all of the food dropped at once.

The food runner was personable and cheerful, and he named each dish as he dropped them. The back server was also attentive to us, making sure dirty/empty plates were cleared and waters were refilled. Had I known the server was not going to be there to go over the dishes, I would have tried to memorize the descriptions of what we ordered because there was chili flake and crostini dropped off with the food that I had no idea what it was supposed to go with.

The server stopped by about 10 minutes after the pastas and mains dropped to check on us, by which point we were trying to figure out how two people were going to eat all of this food that was dropped at the same time before it got cold. My martini glass was empty for a while and the server didn't notice or ask if I wanted a refill. He didn't even try to sell us any desserts or dessert beverages and just asked if we needed anything else after we, the customers and not the server, boxed our own food up. It's pretty wild to me that two people racking up $200+ for food and beverages are expected to box their own food, which disqualifies any restaurant from being considered fine dining in my book.

I spoke to the manager and gave him some cash to give to our backserver and food runner, explaining that our server gave us a bad experience but I did not want to stiff the support staff. He said he was sorry to hear that and appreciated that we want to take care of their support staff. He asked what was wrong with the service, and I named off the server acting like he didn't care in general, as well as all the food being dropped at the same time and not being offered a refill on my cocktail glass that was sitting empty for a while.

This place is checked off my list of Cameron Mitchell restaurants to visit, and I think I'll return to Ocean Club if I want one of their fine dining experiences in the future. I guess my search continues for an Italian fine dining restaurant that has top-notch food...

My husband and I were on the hunt for a last minute date night (bonus points if it was somewhere with a restaurant week menu). We made a reservation online and then realized it would be happy hour while there. I called the restaurant to see if our table could be in the bar section and was told while it was first come, first serve she would put a note in our reservation but could most likely accommodate and have a window table ready for us. Thank you, Shelby! Being able to park via valet was a treat (although there is a parking garage very nearby). As soon as we entered, the staff was incredibly kind and enthusiastic. Shelby remembered our conversation and we were given a window seat in the bar area! Our waiter Jack went absolutely above and beyond. His recommendations did not disappoint - I even asked him to just go ahead and surprise me and pick my entree for me because I couldn’t decide! We got appetizers and drinks during happy hour (my husband’s martini was served table-side! My cocktail was incredible. My husband is a bartender and walked over to the bar to ask what gin they had and the bartender (didn’t catch her name!) was able to list the extensive list from memory, which is no small feat and we both acknowledged and found very impressive. The lobster risotto was to die for and the calamari app was phenomenal.) and then my husband ordered from the restaurant week menu and I ordered from the regular. We got the lamb pappardelle (me) and the short ribs (him). The presentation of each was stunning and my lamb dish was brought out and served table-side with fresh parmesan! I would not normally describe a short rib dish as “light” but somehow that is exactly what this one was? Amazing. The lamb was delicious as was the fresh made pasta. Then for dessert we had the lemon meringue tart and vanilla brûlée. I love any dessert with lemon but don’t normally enjoy meringue but this meringue was INCREDIBLE. I gave my husband a bite and then had to fend him off from any more! He loved his brûlée (any time I want to try a new restaurant I just have to see if they have it on the menu and he’s willing to try the new spot). Thank you Jack, Shelby and all of the Martini staff for an incredible...

Okay, let's start with the good news. The good news is it's a great atmosphere. It's loud though it's extremely loud. So if you're looking for a quiet dinner romance with your significant other, this is definitely not the place. It's extremely loud next if you are looking just to go out and have a drink maybe you want somewhere else in ate and you just want to come out and and you know get a drink. You could do that here. Now the drinks are probably about 3 to $4 higher than anywhere else on high Street, but you are paying for that atmosphere. It is nice when they open the window on the summer. But again, that's that for food not the place. Everything is overpriced. Every meal I've ever had there was really overpriced and we just got it just to try. You know something different but you know if you go it's going to be without drinks. It easy. $100 for a food. You can go somewhere else and get way better for half the cost, especially Italian food. There's a Tony's down the street that's way better and it has a quiet, romantic atmosphere. It kind of makes you think you're in a mob. Italian eatery Tony's restaurant this one no I think is just for people who want to say look at me. You know the nordbergs look at me. I'm here. Everything is overpriced now. Service service is great. Every time we go our server is excellent. They will help you. You know get whatever and they actually will tell you. Sometimes this is not a good place. I ordered a plate that they said it was heavy. It was okay but it wasn't on their favorite list just because I wanted to see you know, was it true and she was absolutely right it was heavy. It was a lamb dish, a lamb pasta dish. It was very heavy. It reminded you of beef stroganoff and yes, it was not good at all for basically $35. However, it was an experience. I'll probably never go back, not even for drinks. There's other places that you can go to that you can even get better parking at so for me it's a no. If the food was great and worth that I could do that but it's really not. The only food I would recommend would be the bruschetta. I would do the bruschetta and drinks and...