July was a whirlwind when it came to restaurants opening and closing. We said hello to a handsome new restaurant inside one of Downtown’s most historic buildings, an Israeli bakery and coffee shop in Hyde Park and an old-school French restaurant in Madisonville.
And yet we lost the late chef Jean-Robert de Cavel’s last remaining restaurant, a beloved Pleasant Ridge cheese shop and a shopping center Scottish pub that was always good for some fish and chips and a good pint.
Here’s a little bit about each restaurant that opened or closed in Greater Cincinnati last month.
Cincinnati restaurants that opened in July
Gwynne, Downtown
Influenced by Gilded Age opulence and a menu rooted in everything from Appalachian to French brasserie cuisine, Gwynne opened inside the newly refurbished Gwynn Building after its historic transformation into a Fidelity Hotel. Chef Brad Bernstein serves dishes meant to represent our region, including a pork belly appetizer with Cajun-style maque choux and Native American fry bread, and herbaceous lamb chops in bagna cauda sauce. There’s also prime rib, sweet- corn-and-crab bisque, and pommes Dauphine.
610 Main St.., Downtown, 513-296-2888, fidelityhotels.com. Hours: 4-10 p.m. all week. Brunch 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
Cora’s All Day Cafe, Downtown
Along with Gwynne, the Fidelity Hotel is now home to this airy European-style cafe serving breakfast and lunch. It won me over immediately when I noticed the inclusion of old-fashioned newspaper racks stocked with The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and, most importantly, The Enquirer. Cora offers coffee, pastries, grab-and-go lunches and a full bar menu.
600 Main St., Downtown, 513-296-2888, fidelityhotels.com. Hours: 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week.
Concorde, Madisonville
Chef Kevin Armon’s restaurant draws inspiration from cafes, bistros and wine bars in France, Italy and Spain. Armon, who has more than 35 years of culinary experience, said opening Concorde in Madisonville is special because he has lived there for over two decades and wanted to create something for the community. The menu features classic European dishes, such as coq au vin, roasted Scottish salmon with lemon beurre blanc, oysters Rockefeller and lumache all’Amatriciana, along with a curated wine list and cocktail program.
4925 Whetsel Ave., Madisonville, 513-790-4486, concorderestaurant.com. Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Koriela bakery, Hyde Park
Le Cordon Bleu graduate Ifat Lahyani’s menu incudes a variety of bourekas (triangular-shaped phyllo stuffed with various ingredients), cookies stuffed with Macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and other Israeli and Middle Eastern pastries. There is also a full-service espresso bar serving flat whites, lattes and coffee.
3670 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Friday. Closed Saturday.
6 ‘n the Mornin’, Covington
The Southern-style breakfast and brunch spot recently relocated from its former East Walnut Hills spot to 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., in Covington. The menu includes Nashville chicken and waffles, Hattiesburg grits, with cheese grits and eggs topped with corned beef hash, as well as breakfast sandwiches, burgers and salads.
50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., Covington, 859-581-6686, 6nthemornin.com. Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 7 a.m.-midnight Thursday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.
New Richmond Tavern, New Richmond
Along with beer and wine, this new tavern specializes in cocktails made with and whisky, gin and vodka from New Richmond Distilleries. They also team up with local food trucks and restaurants, such as Hi-Mark Tavern, Little Hill Pizza and Lazlo’s Iron Skillet, for weekend pop-ups.
218 Front St., New Richmond, nrtavern.com. Hours: 4-11 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 2 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Varsity Sports Bar, Montgomery
Varsity Sports Bar, which opened in June, serves all the things you’d want while watching a Reds, Bengals or FC game. There’s chili, wings, nachos, burgers, loaded fries and potato skins, along with soups and salads. The bar seats 300 so you can bring along plenty of friends. On the sports bar’s website, owner Brian Danner said “Downtown Montgomery is booming right now, and we think Varsity Sports will be the perfect addition to the area!”
9386 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, 513-745-0190, varsitycincy.com. Hours: 3-11 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-midnight Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
The Mad Piper, Covington
This new Irish pub serves pints of Guinness and Smithwick’s and hearty fare such as fish & chips, Guinness pot pie, sticky toffee pudding and chicken and cheese toasties. The pub also hosts traditional Irish music jam sessions on Fridays starting at 6 p.m. According to LINK nky, this is the third bar concept from Will Hodges and Chase Daoud, who also own the Mad Piper’s neighboring space, The Well, which opened in 2022, and The Park, which opened at The Banks in 2024.
14 W. Seventh St., Covington, 859-279-3882; madpipercov.com. Hours: 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9-1 a.m. Saturday, noon-11 p.m. Sunday.
Cincinnati restaurants that closed in July
Le Bar a Boeuf, Walnut Hills
Le Bar a Boeuf, the last remaining restaurant from chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, closed its doors on Aug. 1.
“As France celebrates Bastille Day tomorrow (July 14), we decided to go out in French style by saying ‘Au Revoir,'” wrote Annette Pfund-de Cavel, who took over the restaurant after her husband’s death in 2022. “Le Bar a Boeuf has been a labor of love for me, but it’s no longer an option to continue. Laeticia (the couple’s daughter) and I are so thankful for all of our good friends who have shown us support through the years, choosing to spend so many special and everyday meals with us,” she continued.
Amy Hunter, a longtime family friend and former employee, said the reasons for the closure were financial. She added Pfund-de Cavel is working to help staff find new employment “as best as she can.”
Good Plates Eatery, Clifton Heights
After six years, the American-style eatery in Clifton Heights announced its closure in a July 14 Facebook post. “We are devastated to announce that we have closed our doors. We gave it quite a run and did a lot in six years. Thank you to each and every one of you that supported us in any way,” the Facebook post read. According to The Enquirer’s Kaycee Sloan, husband-and-wife duo Jamie and Andrew Schlanser opened the restaurant in August 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant also had a location at The Banks, which closed in October.
Share Cheesebar, Pleasant Ridge
Share Cheesebar, the Pleasant Ridge cheese shop that opened in 2017, announced it will permanently close on July 27. Owner Emily Frank did not give a specific reason for the closure, other than she would like to retire. Before opening Share, Frank was the owner of a the C’est Cheese grilled cheese sandwich truck for four years. While she originally planned to open Share in 2015, those plans were delayed after a tragic accident in which she and her father were struck by a Metro bus on Hyde Park Square. Her father, Stephen Frank, died immediately and Emily, whose foot was damaged, had to endure more than a year of physical therapy and several surgeries.
On a Facebook post, Frank wrote, “after 9 wonderful years, it’s time for us to close the chapter on Share Cheesebar. From a delayed opening after my accident, to shifting business & becoming a team of 1 because of Covid — I could never have done it without all of you and your support.”
The Pub, Rookwood
After 25 years of serving up fish and chips in Rookwood Commons, The Pub Rookwood permanently closed on July 29, Tavern Restaurant Group said in a news release. According to The Enquirer’s Gillian Stawiszynski, the decision to close the Rookwood location comes as the restaurant group undergoes a restructuring, citing “challenging economic conditions and rising operating costs.”
“We are deeply grateful to our guests, team members, and the Rookwood community for their support over the years,” CEO Nick Sanders said in the release. “While retiring this location is difficult, we feel it best aligns with our strategy for the success and future of the brand.”
Rooted Juicery, Oakley
The Oakley juice bar announced it was shuttering its Oakley location and relocating to Element Eatery, in Madisonville.
“While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to a space that has meant so much to us and our community, we’re looking ahead with excitement for what’s next,” read a post on the business’s social media.
“We’re still in the process of moving, setting up our kitchen, and settling into our new home,” the post read. “So thank you in advance for your patience during this transition. We can’t wait to welcome you in and continue serving you in this next chapter.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 8 notable restaurants opened here in July, while 5 biggies bid farewell
Reporting by Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
