Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Columbus

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Columbus? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Nomad

4.8

4.8 (1078)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Polaris

About the restaurant

Thank you for choosing to dine with us! Please note that we have the following times set aside for your party before we have the next table to seat. Please leave us a note in your reservation or call the store directly if you think you'll need more rime at your table and we'll gladly accommodate if we can.
Parties of 1-2 1 hour and 15 minute, parties of 3-4 1 hour and 45 minutes, parties of 5-6 2 hours, parties of 7-8 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Top review

AmandaVIP

Dined on Apr 22, 2025

Amazing food and service from the host stand, to the bartender, to manager Tia, and our awesome server, Jesus! Thank you for taking great care of our large work party

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4.8

4.8 (72)

$30 and under

American

Columbus

About the restaurant

Voted Columbus' Best LGBT+ Bar, Union Cafe has been a staple in the heart of the Short North since 1996. Union is a safe space known for its generous pours, daily drink specials, and world-class drag entertainment. Our modern American menu is popularly priced and expanding throughout the spring.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Apr 11, 2025

Fantastic service and delicious food made for a great, fun celebration.

HARU Omakase

4.8

4.8 (106)

$50 and over

Japanese

Polaris

About the restaurant

Experience a Japanese culinary tour at HARU Omakase, crafted by Executive Chef Yudi Makassau. We specialize in modern sushi prepared using traditional techniques. Each curated course showcases seasonal ingredients and unique flavor pairings, and our selection of wine and saké pairings perfectly complement each dish.

Enhance your dining experience at our omakase bar where you can get up close and personal with the preparation of your meal and interact with our chefs while they serve you directly. Join us for an unforgettable evening where tradition meets innovation!

Top review

RachelVIP

Dined 4 days ago

This was our second time dining at Haru and it was 15/10. No notes. Chef's tasting selections were fabulous and thoughtfully selected. We always select the counter option because we love talking to Chef about his thought process and getting his take on add-ons. We were able to try new fish we had never even heard of and had truly the best fourth course ever, including a comped piece of nigiri because we couldn't stop raving about how delicious it was the first time we visited. We can't wait to visit again when the menu changes (~ever 6 weeks).

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Experience

Omakase Counter Dining Experience

ROOH Columbus

4.7

4.7 (970)

$31 to $50

Indian

Short North - Arena District

About the restaurant

ROOH is a progressive Indian restaurant. Meaning soul or spirit, ROOH brings the spirit of India to Columbus. Renowned Executive Chef, Sujan Sarkar blends charming, seasonal dishes that are an interpretation of customary Indian sensibilities with his use of international techniques.

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As a Courtesy to all guests, please limit your time with us to 2 hours for parties of 2-4, and 2.5 hours for parties larger than 4. We have a grace period of 15 minutes.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined on Apr 22, 2025

This is a very interesting restaurant. The food is excellent and the food is well flavored. The menu provides a variety of well thought out selections. The staff delivers best in class customer service and is particularly attentive. . We enjoyed our evening and I would highly recommend.

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4.7

4.7 (690)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Columbus

About the restaurant

We are an approachable, fine dining restaurant in the Short North Arts District, offering a diverse menu rooted in classic culinary traditions and cultivated with modern innovation, specializing in house-made charcuterie and cheeses, vegan butchery, craft cocktails, and fine wine.

[‘plas] provides a memorable guest experience by executing innovative interpretations of culinary classics in a modern rustic environment, accompanied by elevated service and personable staff.

Top review

ken

Dined on Apr 16, 2025

Great service and delicious, fresh, inspired cuisine!

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Experience

Kivelstadt Cellars - Meet the Winemaker

Barrel & Boar- Gahanna

4.6

4.6 (803)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Gahanna

About the restaurant

Barrel and Boar BBQ Gastropub is a casual place for family and friends to enjoy finely crafted smoked meats and southern sides, in a warm rustic setting. Barrel & Boar features a collection of low country flavors designed with local products, paired with local beer and craft cocktails. The restaurant has a rustic design using metal, reclaimed barn wood, and antique lighting. The atmosphere is casual, family friendly and open for lunch and dinner.

Top review

AlejandraE

Dined on Mar 22, 2025

Great range of menu items including gluten free things for me. Knowledgeable server about gluten free things too

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4.6

4.6 (669)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Short North - Arena District

About the restaurant

Humbly innovative. Fueled by a passion to draw deeper connections between food and spirits, Service Bar delivers an experience that is refreshingly innovative, much of that due to carefully placed hints of nostalgic flavors and techniques. Housed in Middle West Spirits, one of Ohio’s first craft distilleries, the stunning main dining room is both intimate in size and lively in energy.

Full dinner service is available first-come first-serve at the main bar, and by reservation at a variety of smaller individual tables that accommodate 2-6 guests.

Top review

Bryan

Dined 5 days ago

After a great tour of the distillery, we dined at the Service Bar (which is an impressive space highlighted by a turn of the century bar). Abby, our server, was delightful and guided us through the menu. We began with a smoked trout small plate - simply outstanding. As entrees, my wife had beef neck ragout which she described as very tender with flavorful vegetables. My spring pea gnudi was exceptional, with very fresh peas and delectable gnudi. Our son had the calabrian honey chicken, which he described as flavorful with a balance of savory and sweet spicy. The drinks, as one would expect, were superb as well. The old fashioned and Ireland's call worth the trip in themselves. The Middle West Service Bar, and the distillery tour, are hidden gems.

Agave & Rye - Grandview

4.6

4.6 (294)

$30 and under

Mexican

Grandview Heights

About the restaurant

We deliver a chef-inspired take on the standard taco, elevating this simple food into something EPIC!

Top review

CharlesVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Food was really good. Wish you guys would bring back your chorizo for the queso. Queso is still really good though. Chunky salsa is the best, so juicy and tasty. Got the plain Jane’s and a gangsta. Both amazing tacos.

FYR Short North

4.5

4.5 (835)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Columbus

About the restaurant

FYR represents the metaphorical hearth of downtown Columbus with the centerpiece of the kitchen being a wood-fired grill. Located within Hilton Columbus Downtown, the use of fire & smoke is incorporated into every dish to bring the historical ritual of cooking over an open flame tableside. FYR is a stronghold of culinary passion - a gathering place that honors the emotional, mental and spiritual nature of flame and food.

Top review

BryonVIP

Dined 2 days ago

It was a unique setting in the Hilton on the East side of High Street. It was a unique setup for the room and the tables. Our server was excellent, and the food was really good.

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Flour Modern Pasta Bar

4.3

4.3 (148)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Italian

Polaris

About the restaurant

Welcome to our modern pasta bar, where we blend global flavors and pasta shapes with the comforting traditions of Midwest cuisine. All our pasta is freshly made in-house, ensuring quality and flavor in every dish. Located in the Polaris Mall next to Barnes and Nobles

Enjoy an easy and affordable preset menu for dinner, featuring salads, in house baked breads, a variety of handmade pastas, and delightful desserts. Our focus on craft cocktails with local spirits promises to bring a fresh vibe to the Polaris Cocktail scene.

Join us for a memorable dining experience that combines tradition with innovation in a vibrant atmosphere by Chef Yash Kishinchand and the family of Rooh Columbus.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Our server was very attentive and food was delish!

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