Ripple Wine Bar | Wine Bar & Restaurant | Covington, KY — Restaurant in Covington

My husband and I were on an impromptu trip to Covington and OTR for the July 4th holiday. We had done some research on some restaurants but typically like to let local bartenders/servers guide our dining experience when we visit towns we have never visited. We started at Louvino for brunch/pancake tacos, and while there we were told that Ripple was a spot to have dinner at. So we decided to eat at Ripple Monday evening and the only time available was 9:00pm so I took the reservation. We had a mid-day old fashioned at Hannaford and thought let’s just check at Ripple to see if we can get in any earlier. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the kindest smile and most welcoming gal (who we would eventually find out was Gabby.) She asked how she could help and we explained that we had reservations a bit later but were wondering if we would be able to come in any earlier. She said, “I got you.” She walked away to check on seating and came back to let us know she could get us in, but we wanted to go back and change into dinner clothes. She said absolutely not a problem, you come back when you are ready and we will get you seated. An hour later we showed back up, and with a packed house, Gabby stopped everything to find us seats. She said do you mind the bar and we said we prefer. We were seated and greeted by a sweet young gal named Trisha. She was so helpful and proceeded to guide us through the menu, helping us decided on what would work well together and what we should try. We decided on the Beef Wellington popovers, a Sicilian flatbread and the Shrimp and Grits. The food was timed perfectly allowing us to enjoy each dish separately while drinking a wonderful bottle of wine. As we sat and watched the kitchen and Gabby run the show as if she was a conductor of the symphony. We were taken back on the efficiency, approachability and love that exuded from Gabby. It was as if it was her own restaurant. Her passion for her work and ability to show love for each individual customer is something you can’t teach. I have worked as a server and bartender and most restaurants we visit fall short, not on the food, but on the service. Ripple not only had amazing food, but honestly the most wonderful customer relations that we had ever seen. Gabby is a true gem and her warm nature is hard not to notice. She celebrated us with a taste of her favorite bottle of wine and sent us home with a bottle of Asti just so we could try the effect of the bubbly with the salted caramel cheesecake (that was outstanding.) I am not sure how you could make the experience any better. Thank you Gabby and Trisha for your attention to detail and the love of what you do, it didn’t go unnoticed. If/when we are back in your area we will be back in for another...

We ate at Ripple in Covington on a recent Friday night. Initially, I was uncertain about a reservation at the bar, but truthfully, I think I'd choose the bar next time as well. It was comfortable, spacious, and fun to see all the action.

What I couldn't keep my eyes off of was the kitchen at the front of the restaurant. It is smaller than my apartment-sized kitchen at home! With three chefs or cooks! But the food was absolutely delicious. I didn't see or hear a microwave, but I imagine they have to prep a lot before the dinner rush. I couldn't figure out how they do it, but the food was fresh.

The beef Wellington popovers were perfection. The dough was light, the meat was well seasoned, and the dipping sauce was just right. My son got the scallops and wouldn't share them, but he said they were perfectly cooked and the puree was very good. I had the mushroom pasta (which is an orzo) with blackened shrimp. The pasta was so good! Creamy, mushroomy, and with just the right amount of garlic. The shrimp are my only slightly negative comment. They were a bit small. I would have preferred fewer, bigger, and juicier shrimp. Oh, and we ordered the blackened brussel sprouts. Again, they don't seem to be cooking them to order, or the place would smell of blackened brussel sprouts, but they were good. Not too charred, tender, and flavorful.

My son ordered the Candyman cocktail, and it was so yummy. I could develop a drinking problem if I had access to that drink all the time! I loved seeing the bartender taste the drink as well, to see if it was spot on. And it was. They have draft-type pours for the wine, and the variety is good but not so large that you cannot decide. You can also get half-size glasses if you want to try one or two.

Our server, Mitch, was new but perfect. He was so kind and attentive. They seem to have a good crew there, which makes the experience even better. I will definitely be back -- and soon! Thank you Ripple for a...

I have been to Ripple so many times. It used to be one of my favorite places to go with friends. Our last visit ruined it all. I had a reservation for a table on a Friday night. There were three of us girls celebrating my best friend coming in town. She drove here from Chicago and I haven't seen her in months. I love the wine at Ripple! My favorite is the Pullus orange wine. We had wine and we all shared the food. We ordered a charcuterie board, the burrata, and the truffle gnocchi. Nothing tasted off. We were having the absolute best time laughing, eating and drinking wine. We had three bottles of wine so our bill was quite large. Ripple is one of those places where it seems to be encouraged to share food and enjoy wine but when it's busy we were rushed. Our server became quite rude when we were told there was a reservation waiting for our table. However, I noticed no other table around us that got there at the same time as us were rushed out. It was just very off-putting. The server definitely needs to learn how to be more gracious because that alone really bothered us especially when we just spent a pretty penny. We had one more drink at the end of the night across the street and then we went home. I woke up in the night extremely, violently sick. My friend who was in town woke up sick shortly after. And then the other friend who lives in town texted me and she was extremely sick too! All three of us had every symptom of food poisoning which made sense because we all shared the food. We spent the entire weekend sick, barely able to eat or drink. What a horrible way to spend a long awaited weekend with your best friend!!! I did email the restaurant my concerns and they seemed to blow it off because no one else reported any issues. I'm so disappointed because Ripple really was one of our favorite places but we most definitely...