Cleveland’s Best Restaurants 2021

Whether you are craving a juicy steak, a piping hot bowl of soup, or a perfectly grilled cheese sandwich, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Cleveland. Visit any of these eight Cleveland favorites for your next night out.

Marble Room

One step inside and it is easy to see why the Marble Room received the Silver Spoon Award for Best Fine Dining Restaurant by Cleveland Magazine in 2020. The dining space has ornate forty-foot ceilings, massive marble columns, and opulent chandeliers. Once the home of National City Bank, the Marble Room design includes many bank elements, including safety deposit boxes and check-cashing tables. The original bank vaults and executive offices are now lush private event spaces.

The raw bar menu includes Atlantic oysters, caviar, ceviche, and sashimi. Steaks include dry-aged Delmonico, Waygu strip, and long-bone tomahawk steaks. Other menu options include seasonal fish, lobster, a rack of lamb, and organic chicken. Don’t miss out on their dessert options, including panna cotta, cheesecake, crème brulée, and gilded chocolate cake.

Visit the Marble Room on Euclid Avenue. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Valet parking is available. Reservations are required.

Larder

Image via Flickr by Brad Greenlee.

Housed in the historic 1854 Ohio City Firehouse, Larder is a modern twist on the old-fashioned delicatessen. The chefs at Larder use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, including fish from the Great Lakes, meat from Ohio farmers, and seasonal wild ingredients. Menu items include huge deli sandwiches and barbeque platters. Don’t miss out on Larder’s homemade soups, including the local favorite matzo ball soup. Other popular menu items include charcuterie boards and homemade sausages. 

Be sure to try the fresh baked goods including croissants, bread, hand pies, apple fritters, cookies, and babka. You can find Larder on West 29th Street. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Flying Fig

Flying Fig is a farm-to-table restaurant known for its delicious and seasonally appropriate dishes. Dinner favorites include lamb pappardelle, hangar steak, trout, cioppino, and pasta. Flying Fig’s Saturday brunch offers fresh biscuits, quiche, sandwiches, and spiced apple pancakes.

In a hurry? The Flying Fig offers sandwiches to go every Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sandwich menu includes tasty options such as smoked turkey, grilled eggplant, and Italian meats.

Flying Fig is on Market Avenue. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday Brunch is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturday dinner is from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Ginko

Cleveland locals agree that Ginko serves the finest sushi in Cleveland. Ginko’s menu includes something for everyone. Appetizers include spicy scallop chips, oysters, wakame salad, and miso soup. Sushi styles include Oshi, Gunkan, and Nigiri. Ginko’s sushi chefs use the freshest ingredients available including foie gras, smoked salmon, salmon roe, sea urchin, octopus, squid, and sea eel. Be sure to try Ginko’s unique specialty rolls, including the Zepplin and Eye of the Tiger.

Visit Ginko on Professor Avenue. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are required.

L’Albatros

Housed in a beautifully refurbished carriage house, L’Albatros is known for its delicious French food and upscale bistro setting. The impeccable service and lavish decor make it the perfect place for a romantic dinner date. Shareable charcuterie plates and gourmet pizzas are popular with locals. Main dishes include braised lamb, cassoulet, Croque monsieur, and chicken confit. L’Albatros also offers an extensive wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Don’t forget to check out the dessert menu including citrus souffle, chocolate Napoleon, and creme caramel. All desserts pair perfectly with a French press coffee.

Visit L’Albatros on Bellflower Road on the Case Western Reserve University campus. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are required.

Tommy’s

Tommy’s is a Cleveland icon. Since 1972, Tommy’s has been serving old-fashioned soda fountain treats and craveable meals. The menu includes several salads, with names like Dale (tossed salad with falafel) and Caitlin (tossed salad with raisins and sunflower seeds). All salads include Tommy’s house-made salad dressings. The lunch and dinner menu include favorites such as hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel, meat pies, and sandwiches. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. 

Be sure to try one of Tommy’s famous 20-ounce milkshakes. Other soda fountain favorites include ice cream sundaes, phosphates and egg creams, floats, and ice cream sodas. Homemade desserts include brownies, banana bread, carrot cake, and kuchen. 

Visit Tommy’s on Coventry Road. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Flour

For authentic Italian in Cleveland, visit Flour in the Moreland Hills neighborhood. The seasonal menu includes a variety of wood-fired pizzas, crispy calamari, and meatballs that would make any Italian grandmother proud. Other popular dishes include short ribs, grilled bronzini, and homemade pasta. 

Visit Flour on Chagrin Boulevard. Lunch hours are Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours are Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Balaton

Balaton has been serving home-style Hungarian and central European food since 1964. Balaton’s most popular dishes include wiener schnitzel (crispy breaded veal cutlet), chicken schnitzel, stuffed cabbage, goulash, and chicken paprikash. If you visit on the first Saturday of the month, be sure to try the sult kacsa (roast duck). Lighter menu options include pan-seared salmon and lesco, a Hungarian tomato-based stew. 

Desserts include Crepe Suzette, Hungarian strudel, and a variety of tortes. Traditional kolachky, challah, walnut rolls, torte, and coffee cakes are available in Balaton’s take-home bakery. Visit Balaton on Shaker Square. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are preferred.

There you have our top eight Cleveland restaurants. What do you think of our choices? If you have a favorite restaurant that we missed, drop us a line and let us know. We will be sure to add it to our list.