Best Restaurants in Columbus (2025)

Top Chef alum Avishar Barua’s live-fire tasting menu channels Columbus’ multicultural energy with storytelling plates. Recognized by national outlets like Bon Appétit and Food & Wine, and named a 2025 Restaurants of the Year pick by USA Today. Reservations essential.

Columbus fine-dining royalty inside a former 19th‑century church. French technique, polished service, and a deep cellar have earned long-running praise from Wine Spectator and AAA. A rite of passage for special evenings.

Chef Josh Dalton’s downtown flagship delivers themed tasting menus in a sleek, underground space with an all‑glass kitchen. Frequently cited by local critics and national dining guides for creativity and service.

Speck Italian Eatery - Review - Downtown - Columbus - The Infatuation

Always lively with the celebratory clinks of wine glasses, Speck is ideal for a birthday gathering or night out with the grown-ups. Kick off the meal with a classic Negroni or the Campari-spiked Garibaldi, then order perpetual table pleasers like the speck and burrata starter featuring crisp giardiniera and the gem lettuce salad that comes under an avalanche of parmesan. The pasta here is made in its very own “pasta room,” which overlooks the street-level dining room and churns out noodles for dishes like bucatini pomodoro, sausage ragu mafaldine, and the decadent casarecce with bone marrow. No visit is complete without a digestif and the chewy Tuscan lemon cookies. - Erin Edwards

A German Village institution since 1996 where paella, tapas, and a strong wine list meet one of the city’s most beloved patios. Often recommended by local critics for consistent cooking and hospitality.

A polished omakase with a chef’s counter and five curated “tours” of pristine seafood. Lauded by The Infatuation and local writers for quality fish, smart pairings, and engaging chefs. Reserve the counter if you can.

Family‑run Somali cooking that’s helped define Columbus’ African food scene—spiced rice, goat, sambusas, and bright juices. A favorite of local food writers and North Market regulars for fast, flavorful plates with heart.

Xi Xia Chinese Cuisine - Review - Northwest Columbus - Columbus - The Infatuation

Some of the city’s best Chinese food can be found in a Kenny Centre strip mall at Xi Xia. The restaurant’s specialty is its chewy noodles that are painstakingly made by hand. You’ll find them in their excellent signature dish: stirred noodles with supple pieces of beef shank, bok choy, and a kick of chili oil. The springy strands also show up in soup dishes of rich, slow-cooked bone broth that’s a solid hangover cure. Don’t miss the wonderfully gelatinous spicy chicken feet, the excellent lamb rice pilaf, or the salt-and-pepper chicken that’s an excellent takeout order for the family. - Erin Edwards

Bonifacio - Review - Grandview - Columbus - The Infatuation

For one of the most entertaining dining experiences in Columbus, visit this full-service Filipino restaurant during “Boodle Night,” when they put on kamayan meals you’ll eat without utensils. Tables covered in banana leaves are topped with heaps of crispy lumpia, fried bok choy, sticky adobo ribs, glistening longganisa sausages, and, of course, garlic rice. A crisp import lager pairs well with the umami-forward food, or go for one of the bar’s tropical cocktails that have tangy kalamansi and pandan. These dinners are weekly on Thursdays and Sundays, but it’s also worth coming back another time for a la carte entrees and a weekend brunch. - Erin Edwards

Inside the acclaimed local distillery, Service Bar pairs inventive cocktails with a focused menu from Chef James Tuckey. Profiled by Ohio Magazine; a go‑to for spirited dinners and date nights.

Wolf's Ridge Brewing - Review - Downtown - Columbus - The Infatuation

Wolf’s Ridge has been a triple threat for over a decade, serving equally excellent craft beer, cocktails, and food. This Downtown brewery restaurant offers two distinct experiences: a greenery-filled dining room and a warehouse-esque taproom. The weekend brunch is one of the finest in the city, when the spotlight is put on comfort food dishes like gravy-soaked biscuits, a drippy burger, and eggs benedict with pork cheek. If you only try one Wolf’s Ridge beer, make it their coffee vanilla cream ale, Daybreak, that has a nice balance of sweetness. But their reimagined cocktails like the G & T with gin, yuzu, and elderflower tonic are worth extending brunch for another round. - Erin Edwards

New for 2025 from the team behind Chapman’s and Ginger Rabbit: live‑fire Italian plates, radiatori alla Roma, and a Negroni‑forward bar. Covered by Columbus Underground and praised by local writers for craft and atmosphere.