Ohio · best-of list
The 6 Best Bars & Cafés in Ohio
All 6 bars & cafés our route editors picked in Ohio, across 4 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect bars, cafés and tasting rooms, spread across 4 destinations.
Our curated picks
6 bars & cafés in Ohio, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Downtown & the Short North 2 picks
Brass Eye
Downtown & the Short North · On our Columbus New Year's Eve route
Rooftop bar on The Junto hotel across the river from downtown, facing the skyline; its NYE party ran in 2024 and 2025.
Tip: The NYE ticket covers a welcome drink, passed bites and a midnight balloon drop; buy it in early December.
Stories on High
Downtown & the Short North · On our Columbus New Year's Eve route
Rooftop bar on the 28-story Hilton Columbus Downtown tower, which threw a ticketed NYE party in 2025.
Tip: The hotel sells NYE packages that bundle a room with party access.
Downtown Cleveland & the Flats 2 picks
Flats East Bank
Downtown Cleveland & the Flats · On our Cleveland New Year's Eve route
Riverfront boardwalk of bars and restaurants on the east bank of the Cuyahoga, across from the Powerhouse.
Tip: Use it for a drink before or after your party; most bars run their own New Year's events.
Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0
Velvet Tango Room
Downtown Cleveland & the Flats · On our Cleveland New Year's Eve route
Cocktail bar open since 1996 in an old speakeasy building, known for slow, precise classic drinks.
Tip: Go early on Dec 30 for a seat; it is small.
Photo: Edsel L · CC BY-SA 2.0
Cleveland 1 pick
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Cleveland · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Ohio's pioneering craft brewery; brewpub in Ohio City with Edmund Fitzgerald Porter on tap.
Photo: Mike Reilly · Google
Downtown Cincinnati 1 pick
Arnold's Bar and Grill
Downtown Cincinnati · On our Cincinnati New Year's Eve route
Cincinnati's oldest bar, open since 1861 in brick buildings on Eighth Street, with a courtyard and pub food.
Tip: Ask for a table in the covered courtyard out back.
Photo: Valereee · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the bars & cafés in Ohio?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 6 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Ohio has the most bars & cafés on this list?
Downtown & the Short North and Downtown Cleveland & the Flats lead with 2 each; the other picks are spread across 2 more destinations.
More lists for Ohio
Best bars & cafés nearby
Destinations on this list
- Downtown & the Short North 2 on this list
- Downtown Cleveland & the Flats 2 on this list
- Cleveland 1 on this list
- Downtown Cincinnati 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.