The Aperture

Great dinner with a friend that came into town! The shrimp & polenta and the lamb ribs were stunning, as were our drinks. All bursting with flavor. The focaccia (if you can call it that) was highway robbery, lol, so skip on that. But great service and a ton of thought put into the menu. Probably best to make a reservation if it’s a weekend after 7!

The food was great! I got the lamb ribs, that were mixed with pistachios and other stuff. It was fabulous and heavy. Make sure to share that with someone cause it’s 4pieces and they look small in enough to eat with the spaghetti, however it’s HEAVY! The spaghetti was great as well! Not sure if it was just me, but it did seem loud to me there. But I think most restaurants are loud either way with their music and everything else happening.

We very much enjoyed our first trip to the Aperture. We were seated right next to the kitchen, which we (especially my husband, who could see through the window) loved- it was fun to see all of the food being prepared fresh. My husband had the Dew Drip cocktail, which he highly recommends for gin drinkers, and I had the orange wine, which was fun and a bit funky compared to a typical dry white. We started with the roasted garlic and eggplant hummus and the scallops, which were both delicious. The housemade pita was beautiful spiced and had a fluffy texture. The sundried tomato puree under the scallops was also a surprising delicious bite. The roasted carrots were my favorite dish of the night- a good amount of spice, so avoid if you don’t like spicy food. The lumache pasta was ok but with Calabrian chilies as an ingredient we were hoping for a little bit more spice; when we come back, we will probably try a different pasta option as they all sounded great. The short rib was my husband‘s favorite, and even though I’m not a huge fan of red meat I also really enjoyed it. The meat was very tender, and the sauce and veggies that accompanied it were a great pairing. There were definitely fatty pieces, which is expected with short rib, and my husband enjoyed those pieces especially. Finally, for dessert, we tried what I think may be a newer option, which was the smoked butter cornbread. While definitely not your typical dessert, this was a really interesting and, to us, delightful way to end our meal. Not overly sweet, the cornbread texture was perfect, and the goat cheese ice cream was slightly funky and paired well with the savory cornbread, apple, and caramel sauce. Service throughout the meal was great- our water was consistently full, when we were ready for drinks our waiter was prompt, and the meal was coursed out well. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be back to try new menu items!

Lovely experience! The atmosphere is clean and open yet cozy, and you're fine in nicer clothes or jeans, it's casual yet refined. The staff were all very personable but professional, and knew the menu top to bottom, you are never rushed. The food was very good overall - they do make heavy use of sauces, but many dishes still felt light and bright. Pretty good selection overall, not great vegetarian options, but good fish and meat dishes. Everything was very well prepared and seasoned. We will be back!

This place had been on my radar for a while and I've heard nothing but praises. Their menu switches up periodically. I've been intrigued by past versions, and they had a pretty solid menu when I visited, with at least 5-6 things I wanted to try. I went with the charred carrot and the striped bass tartine. The carrot is a crowd favorite and a staple on the menu. It felt like the epitome of a Mediterranean dish -- strong excellent flavors, great mix of textures, everything meshed perfectly. The tartine was a solid 8/10 dish for me -- herby, a little spicy, rich, and I love that bread from Blue Oven. Portions were surprisingly satisfying. I thought I'd have a 3rd course, but was quite full after those two. I'll have to come back for one of the larger proteins. Overall, service was good, and helpful, and they are very diligent about allergies. It's a bright space with lots of natural light (but closeable curtains), tastefully casual vibe, open kitchen, and some bar seating. I'd recommend giving this place a try, even if you're not a huge fan of Mediterranean food.

One of the best restaurant experiences in Cincinnati! Service from start to finish was incredible and the food was delicious! Our server Jeremy was knowledgable and so kind. I celebrated my birthday with my husband, and they were so kind to treat us with a little dessert (that I will think about for a long time). We will be back!

We dined at Aperture and indulged in a selection of dishes, including chicken liver mousse, sweet potato, lumache, and lamb shoulder—each of which was exceptionally flavorful and well-executed. However, our experience faltered when it came to dessert. We sampled both offerings on the menu: the sticky toffee pudding and a chocolate dessert. Both desserts had odd flavors and left much to be desired, prompting a strong recommendation for a reimagined dessert menu. Additionally, while the restaurant boasts an elegant ambiance, the state of the bathrooms was disappointing, as they were not as well-maintained as one might expect from such a refined establishment.

Great experience deciding to go here last minute on our way to Caffe Vivace down the street. They accommodated my vegetarian requests and were very attentive to food allergies and sensitivities. It is a food-y fancy place where it is hard to understand a lot of the ingredients but they worked hard to be accessible and down to earth and talk you through the menu. We got the sweet potato with brown butter hollandaise sauce, feta and cornbread; the charred carrot with ras al hanout, and it came with lamb something which they put on the side; and the gnocchetti with walnuts, thyme and pecorino toscano and the golden goose drink. It was all good although the gnocchetti was a little too al dente for my taste. Overall lovely experience and I’m sure we will be back. Very friendly not-pretentious staff. Also I like that the portions are reasonable and sharing is encouraged.

The service was impeccable comparable to white table cloth dining. It is hands down the most creative food I have had in Cincinnati. We tried multiple dishes. We sat at the bar and the bartender Amy was such a delight. The lamb was a little over seasoned but other than that it was an amazing. They really work like a team to make you feel welcomed and they try to accommodate any issues you might have.

Came with friends for Valentine's Day meal and it was lovely! We ordered six dishes and one dessert to share - Black Garlic/Eggplant Hummus, Gravlax, Hamachi Collar, Black Maitake, Mafaldine pasta, and Lamb Shoulder. The hummus was lovely with great flavors and the fresh pita was soft and warm. Gravlax was fine, very refreshing cold dish, not our favorite but good. Hamachi Collar was delightful - surprisingly a lot of meat on the big collar, with crunchy potato crumbles and an amazing sauce - highly recommend! Black Maitake was such an interesting unexpected dish - the charred mushroom had a very smoky flavor with delicious pickles and a creamy sour-cream like sauce to break up the slight kick. Mafaldine pasta was such a lovely creamy celebration of duck, truffles, and al dente pasta - highly recommend. Lamb Shoulder was very tender with nice flavors but feels a bit pricey given what it is - think Cava mediterranean bowl. The group also ordered some drinks. The non-alcoholic Peter Rabbit cocktail was the resounding favorite! I enjoyed a nice glass of Cab with my meal. We ended with the Maritozzo for dessert, which is a traditional Roman dessert involving a brioche bun filled with whipped cream. The cream and dressing tasted great, but the bread seemed like just an ordinary wheat dinner roll - felt a little mismatched. Overall great dinner with good service and relaxing ambience! Our total for the four of us was around $400 after tips. Pricey meal for sure, so suggest giving it a try for special occasions. There's also free parking in the back of the building!

So much I liked and some I didn't. Let's go with the likes: Great ambiance Chef (and owner?) came to the table, talked and even shook our hands with an intro The pork dinner and hummus/mushroom app were spot on Let's go with the dislikes: Value for the price Cocktails - not a fan of the mixology The seafood based pasta was so fishy it was almost inedible Service was a bit inconsistent. (Interesting to note that the servers recommended dishes were in huge misalignment with the chefs) Overall, I just don't think I'd frequent this place though I would probably give it one more shot.

I have been told by many people to check this place out. I don't think any of them have actually went here. They read one of the wonderful write up about it. I was so underwhelmed. Ambience: coming in I dug the design and feel of the place. It was not that crowded but there were a fare amount of people there and it was not too loud. Service: then everything went downhill from there. As I approached the hosting station somebody there said I could sit at the bar and for the first of three times asked me if I had any allergies (after the third time it felt that either there was little organization or this had burned them). While the first person at hosting was grabbing my menus, someone came up and stared me down and said, "yes?" While I was talking to the other person. Just an uncomfortable. Exchange. Drink: so seating at the bar looking at the menu, I started to get a bit excited. I ordered a boulevardier. It was served in a glass not much bigger than the giant ice cube in it and it was maybe 2/3 full. I tried to nurse it but it was done in a couple sips and sat on the bar empty for the rest of the night (as the bartender clear my place at the end he even asked if I was done with it, I almost laughed out loud) Food: I just ordered an app the shrimp toast and a pasta the lumache. I was told the shrimp toast was new and a staff favorite and was getting last one and it was just 86ed. I was looking forward to it. When it showed up I was confused. It was a butterflied shrimp on a stack of brown items sitting on top of a stew like kimchi. There was bread and shrimp. But other than that this did not remind me of shrimp toast and it was just busy. When food is present in a stack you should be able to go through it with a knife. Each layer required a knife and fork. The shrimp was just touch and rubbery. The was fine, but it ate like stew with stuff sitting on top. The Lumache was not any better. Overly salted, and I am ok with dried pasta if it is cooked properly, but the pasta crumbled when bitten, not pleasant. On the menu it says "white bolognese, duck". I thought that would be a sauce with some duck. The duck was ground and used for the sauce and was indistinguishable from ground turkey. The one time I was asked about anything I was having was during the Lunache, I basically told him what I thought and because I was hungry and do not like getting things comped, I told the bartender I'd finish it. It was comped any way. All in all, it really seems the service and the food is for their benefit to make them feel like a nice restaurant, and not for the benefit of the customer. I'd rather have a well executed simple dish like real shrimp toast served by rushed but caring server, then get asked 3 times about food allergies and get served a poorly executed vision of shrimp toast without being asked if it was being enjoyed. Needless to say, I won't be back.

The food was all very delicious, I tried one drink and it was really yummy too. The table especially loved the charred carrots but we all really liked the option to do the trio of dips - it came with plenty pita for the table. We were scared the portions were going to be too small. However, we did have to wait 40 minutes at the bar for our table reservation - for the scale of this restaurant we were not expecting it. The menu was also slightly hard to pick and decide with a group (was it all shareable/should we each get an entree). It was hard to decide without knowing the portion sizes or the type of plates. The scallops on the menu were a tiny plate but the sweet potato was a great size to share as an app - for perspective. The staff was great at recognizing the wait and added an extra plate for us to try and coveted the first round of drinks! I'd like to come back and try more plates in the future for a special occasion - as this spot is $$$$.

The food was amazing, especially the pastas! We started with charred carrots and scallop crudo. The carrots were good, but the scallops were great. Scallops with buttermilk and peaches--so different, but so good! The Saffron Rigatoni was the standout dish of the night. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the lamb ragu with the cheese was superb! Our server was also terrific. She was attentive, friendly and courteous. On the other hand, I thought the restaurant's interior was disappointing after seeing the beautiful exterior of the art deco building. Nonetheless, we'll be back for the pasta!

Good but not greek and not lebanese. Fu Fu cheffy food for hipsters. Correct the yelp listing.

This place popped up on the NYT top 50 list in the US, so we really wanted to check it out! Went on a Wednesday night with a reservation. The service was fantastic. Our server was super nice, attentive, and helpful! Would give her 10 stars if I could! The ambiance was a little different than we expected. It's quite modern and bright on the inside. Nothing wrong with it, just not what we expected. The food started out superbly. We got the pita and trio dip as an app and it was awesome. All the dips were great, though our favorite was the eggplant and black garlic. Next we had the spaghetti as well fried mushroom dishes. The fried mushroom was by far our favorite part of the meal. You must check this dish out! Last we got the hamachi collar and lamb shoulder. I wanted to love these, but the lamb shoulder was a smidge dried out. Ultimately, if I could do 4.5 stars I would, but the dryness of the lamb is the only reason for the 4 stars over 5.

Had dinner tonight at The Aperture, Walnut Hills' newest restaurant. The vibe, service, and food was A-1! The menu is planned as small plates thus great for sharing. We opted for the hummus/pita, hamachi tartare, fried mushrooms, and cod tempura. The hummus was creamy and served with charred corn and mushrooms with the fluffiest pita. Next up was the hamachi tartare topped with coconut foam which had a slight kick. Perfection The fried mushrooms were delicious but the accompanying labne felt like it was missing something. Smoked red pepper or even za'taar would kick this up a notch. The cod tempura was another highlight of our evening as the breading for the batter was delectable. For dessert we shared the coconut/olive oil and coffee/cardamon ice creams. Both were delicious but the coffee cardamon with cacao nibs was the clear winner. Overall, this was a wonderful meal and the service was excellent. Their restrooms are spectacular as well which is always a plus in my book. I see The Aperture receiving all the awards in the future.

Really well done. I was very pleased with our experience from the food to the service. What a way to celebrate Valentine's Day. A beautiful location with a very clean, modern vibe. The service was fabulous with a lot of attention to the details. The food was delicious and filing. I appreciated the work they did to provide me a wonderful vegan meal with several options. I will definitely return! I highly recommend.

The food is the star here, it's a diverse menu with some interesting combos. Rely on your server to guide you. We sampled a little bit of everything besides the main entrees, the favorite was the smoked mackerel, least favorite was the charred carrots. The dining room is sleek, but like others have said, it was really loud once it was full. Dinner for three was over $500, without fancy drinks or wine, so definitely a splurge.

The Aperture in Walnut Hills felt like a haven from the winter chill--warm lighting, an open kitchen, and a sense that you're stepping into someone's stylish living room rather than a typical restaurant. We were celebrating a friend's 50th, a milestone that deserved all the indulgence we could manage. And indulge we did, sampling just about everything the chef had in store. From the menu, the scallops special stole the show: tender, perfectly seared, and plated with a number of tasty components. While the cocktails weren't quite on the same level, a bottle of orange wine saved the evening's beverage lineup, adding a bright, unexpected twist that complemented the food beautifully. Our server struck a balance between being helpful and giving us space to enjoy the night. Aperture pulled off a dining experience that felt polished yet comfortably intimate, the kind of place where a big birthday feels both special and relaxed at the same time. If you go, keep an eye out for those rotating specials--and maybe a bottle of orange wine. It's worth the detour.

Delicious, delightful, decadent. These are just a few of the happy adjectives I would use to describe my visit to The Aperture. I brought my research team for dinner, one of whom was a vegetarian. The staff personally wrote on her menu which dishes were available to her. With this care, I'd highly recommend this restaurant for anyone with dietary restrictions or allergies. We ordered a number of dishes to share: - Focaccia 5/5 fluffy and delicious - Charred carrots 5/5 a standout! so much flavor - Fried Mushrooms 5/5 smoky with a great sauce - Pommes Darphin 3/5 good, but greasy - Mafaldine and 'ndjuda 3/5 just ok. Subtle flavor - Falafel 4/5 wonderful pickled vegetables on top - Farro 5/5 a standout! Tastes like a cozy hug - Almond cake 4/5 tender crumb, nice cherry flavor Our server provided lovely recommendations throughout and the meal was well paced. I will certainly return!

One of the best meals I have had in recent memory. The flavors in each dish were amazing. If you have not tried this place you should. I can't believe there are only 75 reviews posted. We started with the Eggplant Hummus. I considered licking the dish clean. The pita that came with it was fluffy and flavorful. We had the Hamachi Collar which was amazing. The Lumache pasta was good, but not in the same rarefied are as the Hummus, Hamachi Collar and the Lamb Shoulder. We were stuffed but decided to top it off with the Maritozzo which was delicious. Service was great. Sam was very helpful and the whole team flowed to the work well. We look forward to coming back. Check this place out!

Great food experience. The people were all so friendly and attentive. We were at a private event and it was very special. Including hem salad, duroc pork belly, wax man with white truffle.

We knew The Aperture would be good from reading all the positive reviews, but had no idea we were walking into one of our favorite new Cincinnati restaurants! The decor was minimalistic and the staff were laid back (both in a good way), but the service and food were were top-notch upscale! Our server was very attentive and helpful, as were all the other staff we saw throughout the evening. We started with drinks. Hubby had red wine and I had a deliciously refreshing First & Fifteen Cocktail. We then ordered 4 small plates to share. I appreciate that our server asked if we'd like the first two to come together or separately. We wanted a slow-paced meal, so were happy to have them come out one at a time. First came the wood-fired pita and eggplant & black garlic hummus-my favorite dish of the evening. I could have just made a meal out of that bread! That was followed up by the charred carrots and then the hamachi tartare-both were pretty spicy but very good. Lastly, we had my hubby's favorite of the night, the house-made short rib pastrami. It came with a side of lettuce, pickles and daikon so you could make lettuce wraps, if you wished. One side note on their bathrooms. Like many restaurants, they are forgoing mens & women's restrooms and just had two nice unisex. I appreciate the inclusiveness of that for all of their patrons.

Had an outstanding meal at this chic Walnut Hills restaurant. We got the roasted carrots which were one of the best dishes I've ever had. I'd love if they'd add chicken and make it an entree - the flavor is off the charts. I had the Branzino which was great. I also loved my tequila based cocktail! I wish I'd saved room for dessert because everything sounded amazing. I'll have to try one next time.

Had a dope dinner at the aperture on Friday night. The space is super fresh with a nice minimalist touch. Sleek tables and chairs. Loved being able to see into the open kitchen and watch the chef work. Once I saw the wood fired open flame going back there I knew we were in business. Highly recommend getting smoked dishes. We started with the focaccia. It was so light and airy but still crispy. The whipped butter went crazy. The carrot dish was crazy, loved the sauce and char on the carrot. Falafel also great with the eggplant hummus being a highlight. Pasta dish was also good, reminded me a of light and classy alfredo. Service was a bit slow, but hey they just opened. Give this place a chance. Super excited to see what they can do and try new menu items.

We came here with friends for a birthday and had the chance to try almost half the menu. Every bite was delicious and met or exceeded or expectations(with exception to the lamb shoulder which was good, but not wowing). The server was attentive and knowledgeable and helped to steer us in the right direction both with food and drinks. The front of house closest to the door gets a little chilly on cold days and very crowded during dinner service. We felt a little bit like we were being glared at by waiting guests for not giving up our table sooner, but we were there for a special evening and not in a hurry.

Good, but perhaps we came in with higher expectations given the press on the restaurant. Service was okay - but we had to flag down a server to order a drink. Agree with a prior reviewer; mixology was not great. Can't say we didnt anything we ordered, but can't say anything knocked our socks off.

Very impressed with this place. We were loved the clean simple lines of the interior. They have a nice size open kitchen, I was surprised they did not have seating to maximize the view. Open fire cooking is always interesting to watch. We started with the eggplant and black garlic hummus. The pita cooked over fire was very tasty and the hummus was very tasty. Next we had the roasted carrots that brought the heat. The Hamachi tartar was great and the habanero brought a nice level of spice. The star of the dinner was the pastrami short rib that was served as a build your own lettuce wrap. So interesting and one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. The service was very attentive and and paced very well. I can't wait to come back again

The food was amazing. Flavor, seasoning, texture....perfect. Every detail of each dish was so good. The service was impeccable. It's nice to have table wiped and napkins refolded through dinner. We loved this place.

One of my favorite meals of all time. You know that you are in for something good if your mind has already been blown and you haven't even gotten past the pita and hummus course. Hands down the best pita dips I've ever had. The black garlic hummus and the chicken liver mousse were bananas. The veggies were tremendous as well and I'm a carnivore through and through. The fried mushrooms and the golden bears were highlights. As for the larger plates, I loved the hamachi. The wait staff was also great, offering specialized menus for those in our party that had dietary restrictions. You couldn't do any better than this place if you are looking for a meal in Cincinnati.

Really enjoyed our second trip here. Everything we got was great again and we felt good with the amount of food. The black garlic + eggplant hummus was unique and delicious, the charred carrots w/ lamb ragu very tasty and filling, and the black maitake was unique and tasty too. If I could get the mushroom dish from the first time, I would opt for that though, it was incredible. The ambiance is lacking, they could give it more of a cozy or welcoming feeling in my opinion but that's second to the food in my mind. We're so lucky to have a place like this in Cincinnati with creative, delicious dishes.

Second review: We were on our way back home from downtown on a Thursday night and took a chance that they would still serve dinner at 9:30pm when they close at 10. We sat at the bar in the comfy seats there. We apologized for being so late but Will was not phased at all and was happy to serve us. He seemed genuinely glad to do so. We had the new iteration of the chef's chicken liver mousse and it was so good we asked to take an order home to enjoy the next day. We also enjoyed the seasonal ramp pasta, the fried local mushrooms, and Chef's unique spin on Hamachi Crudo. Everything was excellent.

A great addition to Walnut Hills! Lots of shareable entrees as delicious cocktails. The flavors were definitely on the earthier side which was a great addition to the warm fluffy pita bread. Service was great and our waitress was very attentive to the dining floor. A very clean feeling resident. Almost a bit sterile but beautiful lighting.

I first visited Aperture with my wife during its opening week. We didn't have a reservation, so we tried to grab a seat at the bar. Unfortunately, as African Americans, we immediately picked up on some uncomfortable, racist vibes from certain guests in attendance. Every seat seemed mysteriously "unavailable." What could have been a terrible experience turned around completely thanks to one of the managers--a clean-cut, heavy-set gentleman. He witnessed the situation, immediately stepped in, and apologized for the behavior of those guests. Not only did he seat us at a table right away, but he also comped us drinks and an appetizer. His professionalism and empathy left a lasting impression on us. The food was phenomenal, and the service that night--and every visit since--has been outstanding. We've made it a tradition to celebrate every special occasion at Aperture and bring out-of-town guests here. Although I never caught the manager's name, I want to extend a huge thank-you to him for turning what could have been a bad experience into one that made us loyal customers. Aperture is a gem, and we highly recommend it! -- A Grateful Customer (Steve Lambert)

Truly, I would give a 4.5 if it were possible. This place intrigued since I read that it was the only restaurant in Ohio listed in the New York Times best places to eat. You can't get much higher praise than that. The wait staff was tremendous! Love that they have shareable smaller plates so that you can try more of the interesting food. We tried hamachi tartare, fried mushrooms, chicken liver mousse, bone-in ribeye, Dalalle sparkling wine from France, and ended with an autumn tart alongside cardamom coffee ice cream. So many interesting flavors. I'm also excited that they will start having after dinner coffees soon. Definitely going back.

So glad to finally dine here after watching the place come together over the last couple years. The building is a cool Art Deco historic building and the interior is warm and inviting. We had great service - our server was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. The food was amazing. Can't wait to come back and try other things. Being one of the NYT's recent top 50 picks is very well-deserved. And the fact that it's 1/2 a mile from our house is a huge plus!

Where do I even begin? The Aperture is led by artists, designed for the true foodie connoisseur. Prepare for an entirely out-of-the-box experience. For starters, you will be humbled by the menu. We barely understood a single word, so we were at the mercy of our server's suggestions--an excellent guide nonetheless. This cued us in on the elements of surprise and discovery that are so present in the dishes. The friends I went with had dined here a month earlier, and the menu had completely changed since then. What we learned remains consistent, however, is the incredible creativity and rich, unexpected, artfully-placed flavor and texture present in every single dish. Since I cannot guarantee you'll be looking at the same menu as us, I'll skip walking you through the dishes we savored and leave you with this: come for the love of food, and know that you'll leave delighted and intrigued at how food can be art. Let your curiosity be stirred for the craft involved, and beyond that? Simply sit back and enjoy!

The food is incredible, some of the best in Cincinnati. The service is impeccable. Ambiance is a little sterile but everything else is so good, who cares.

Clearly didn't have the experience other folks did with Aperture. We were accommodated very kindly with a reschedule of our reservation due to a mistake on our end. Very kind of the staff to make an exception for us. We came in and were warmly welcomed. High ceiling atmosphere, modern, and loud. No in wall speakers, fixed by JBL speakers set to party mode. I thought this was a smart way to cut down on a rather expensive investment of a sound system. We were promptly seated. Our wait staff arrived and warmly greeted us, offered water, a cocktail menu, let us know bread was on the way, and left. Prior to his departure, I reminded him of a major allergy. Odd enough, all other interactions with our wait staff were quite awkward. We felt unwelcome, judged, and wanted to leave. Our observations of our wait staff with other tables seemed to suggest that he just didn't like us for unclear reasons. Need a better poker face if you're going to be in service. The food was just not for us. The flavor profile is relatively wide in that it borrows from several mediterranean and middle eastern cuisines. In our case, while many things were well cooked with meaningful textures, our crab pasta and cod were inappropriately cooked. This led to dry pasta and under temperature fish. Since this was the last course and we just wanted to leave, we opted not to feedback. Finally, the check arrives. The bread was casually and automatically sent to us comes with a charge; an unusual and uncommon practice. Maybe wait staff should let their patrons know, or, write it on your menu. If you're going to charge me, give me an option, and don't assume, please. Our experience unfortunately did not add up to those who have otherwise rated this restaurant. Of course there are some highlights I mentioned, however, this is not enough for us to return.

Is the food supposed to be room temp? Seriously wondering if mezzes are supposed to be warmish. The crispy mushrooms: not crispy and barely warm. Sadly, unappealing. Charred carrots? Also barely warm. Weird. The food was good, but not great. I would return two more times to truly give this place a chance because they're doing interesting things! Execution from the kitchen was off and the flavors, quite honestly, were not bright or focused. Im hoping I'll get a better meal next time.

What can I say... I have trained my God Daughter right! She knows a great restaurant! Open only 8 weeks and you'd never know it! The flavors, the presentation, the wine all on point!

Last night was our first visit and there will be many more!! The quality of food is out of this world!! Cincinnati has great restaurants. The Aperture? Over the top amazing!! Kylie is server extraordinaire!! Scott and his team making "meal magic" are AWESOME as well! Hoping to meet the chef upon our return in a couple weeks for my birthday!!! Thank you for bringing this extraordinary level of dining experience to our great city!!

I normally don't give five stars but Aperture is an amazing dining experience! What a gem! Service with Jeremy was flawless! Front of the house was attentive to all. The open kitchen concept was fun to watch and the smells from the grill were heavenly! Cocktail menu is well thought out with creative fresh combinations. Love the clean lines make the atmosphere a sheer delight! Cool and funky with Mediterranean flavors. Overhead music was so cool. Whose playlist is this?! Bravo

Food: 5/5 - I was blown away by every dish. Presentation and freshness is unmatched! Total before tip: $140 (3 main dishes plus 2 desserts) Service: 5/5 - Everyone is an absolute gem! Our server explained the menu and provided excellent recommendations and pairings. Ambiance: 5/5 - Loved the decor, super modern with a lot of greenery and some neon lights to add interest. - Vey clean and welcoming. My new favorite restaurant in Cincinnati. Will be taking all my visitors here!

Great addition to our restaurant community as this was a great foodie experience. Ambiance was casual cool with a hip vibe. Had a few drinks while we waited for our table. Bartender came through as the drinks were spot on. First, this is what I call nice portion size tapas plates that are meant to be shared. We had the Bronzino with mussels and shrimp in a light sauce. Fish had a crispy crust, but light inside with a nice smoked flavor. It was my fav dish of the night. Others dishes include: oyster with hazelnut pesto - outstanding! Chicken liver foie Tartine - very complex and really good. Kennenee Potato - crispy & cheesy and Delicious!!! Mafaldine Pasta - house made pasta ribbons in a creamy tangy cheese blend. Nicely done! Can't forget about the bread and cured butter. Outstanding Service was also great. Overall experience was excellent. Only issue I had was the amount of salt used in some of the dishes.

What a wonderful experience from top to bottom. A perfect gem in Walnut Hills. The service was incredible. The menu and wine list is fabulous. So well thought out and developed. Beautiful, simple dining room. And the food.... Exceptional.

I visited The Aperture for dinner with my husband and we split the focaccia bread, the charred carrot, the potato (pommes darphin), two pastas (spaghetti pistou and lumache amatriciana), and the lamb shoulder. Every dish was amazing. They coursed out the different dishes, which I love because it gave us a chance to enjoy everything when it was fresh and warm. The focaccia was fluffy and the butter had spices on top that make this a real treat. The charred carrot was a good as I expected it to be based on all the pictures online. Very delicious. When we ordered the potato dish, I was expecting a hasselback potato based on the yelp photos. It must have changed because what we got was more of a hashbrown cube. However, it was delicious. Perfectly crisp on the outside with great flavor. Both of the pastas were amazing, they had flavors I've never tasted before anywhere else. The spaghetti had a fresh spinach taste and the noodles were cooked to perfection. The lumache had a nice spice/kick to it. I don't do spicy foods, and it was perfect level of flavor for me. The lamb shoulder was melt in your mouth amazing. And the rice was delicious as well. I am not a huge fan of taziki, and neither is my husband so that is the only pice of food left at the end of the night. The service was also impeccable. Our waitress was attentive, and workers were checking in to see if we needed water and to ask about how the dishes were tasking. The atmosphere inside was nice as well. We were lucky enough to have a more private table for two in the back at 5:30, when it wasn't too busy yet. I would definitely return to The Aperture again.

Simplistic at best, And a casual ambiance. The service was great , the staff was very attentive. The food did not let me down , even though I didn't have high expectations . Today was their 1st night so it was a lot of teaching and learning. Service was a bit slow but worth the wait. Walnut hills needs to give this some neighborhood love. I had Branzino , lamb, chicken liver tartare with the carrots. The carrots were the icing on the cake. Drink slow, and talk to strangers.

Food was very tasty, but the portions to share were small and the overall experience was a little overwhelming. Would return, but would think about what I want to get before arriving!

We attended their NYE tasting menu event. As someone who loves Mediterranean cuisine I found the menu to be a bit lacking in that area - two pasta dishes. The staff was very attentive however we mentioned (when asked) that we are very sensitive to spicy food & red chili pepper. Two of the dishes we eat had it on them even after being assured it wouldn't be issue by the waitress. The dessert was FABULOUS and I really enjoyed the salad with tuna!! I think the space has a lot of potential! I will definitely be back to try their regular menu however I would caution that the pricing was a bit on the high end for the amount of food we got.

It's very expensive and after 6 o'clock, you can't really hear yourself talk. It's so noisy. The service is excellent. The food was good, but it was way over priced.

My best friend and I had a wonderful dinner at the Aperture. She had been here before, but this was my first time. It was for my birthday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The staff were so personable, and everything they did created an excellent dining experience for us. We were greeted by the manager and the host. Sam was our server. So many wished me a "Happy Birthday" which made it extra special! We enjoyed a dry sparkling wine and the chicken liver mousse while we perused the menu. Delicious!! Their pita made in-house was SO good! We shared the Hamachi Tartare, Honeynut Squash, Spaghetti with PEI mussel, crab, and vodka sauce, and the Hamachi Collar. I especially enjoyed the squash with cornbread streusel, hollandaise, and pepitas. The crunch of the streusel and pepitas contrasted with the softer squash beautifully! And I've only had hamachi collar prepared in a Japanese style. So having it with a romesco sauce, potato crumble, and garlic aioli was a nice change and excellent. Overall, we had a great dinner, and I can't wait to come back with my husband!

*Cross-posting from my OpenTable review* I was unfortunately disappointed by my trip here, which was a bummer because my wife and I were excited, esp after the James Beard nod. The food was excellent and inventive - we particularly enjoyed the sweet potato dish - but the service/pacing was quite slow. It took us 2 hours to eat a hummus, vegetable, and pasta course. The gap between the dishes really killed the momentum of the meal, and our pasta course actually came out tepid. They kindly re-prepared the dish for us. Our server was kind and was working hard, but I think he was spread too thin. He seemed to be serving many tables, and that may have contributed to the pacing too, as I think he may have been too busy to send the orders to the kitchen on time. The table next to us had a different server, and they were able to complete the same number of courses about twice as fast as we did. Our waiter and the front of house manager apologized a lot about the cold pasta course, which was nice. They also removed it from our bill, which I appreciated. But they didn't acknowledge the slow pacing once. The restaurant is pretty, but we were seated kind of close to the main entrance, and we were blasted by cold air everytime someone entered or exited the restaurant. We bonded with the table next to us on the experience. Overall: the food was great, and I hope they can iron out the kinks on pacing/service/ambiance to match. I'll come back sometime, but I'm not in a hurry.

My husband and I enjoyed our meal at The Aperture. The restaurant has many vegetarian options. I highly recommend the black garlic and eggplant hummus and the honeynut sweet potato. I found the kale pesto spaghetti to be bitter. My husband enjoyed the cod tempura and the crispy polenta. The service was excellent. The ambiance is very hip and understated. The drink menu is creative, but I think that The Aperture could improve their wine selection.

Very bright mid century modern restaurant in Walnut Hills with wonderful service. The fried mushroom, farro antica, and lamb shoulder had very distinct and unique flavors yet still tasted very fresh.

Come with a group so you can try multiple dishes. I was with 4 gals and we got to try about 9 dishes and that was the perfect amount. I also really enjoyed the #lemon cocktail. I loved the beet and ricotta salad as well as the Spaghetti Pistou and Lamb Shoulder. Really, everything we had was fantastic so just choose a few and enjoy the meal! Clean environment and knowledgable servers.