The 38 Essential Cleveland Restaurants

Kobe hot dogs with caviar at a maximalist dive bar, ghee-basted shrimp and venison keema at a small plates hot spot, the city’s premier hoagies at a throwback sandwich spot, and more of Cleveland’s best meals

It’s hard to recall a time when Cleveland’s restaurant scene was this vibrant, diverse, and balanced. After a decade of frenetic growth and tense contraction, the industry has settled into a tasty groove. From old-school Jewish delicatesses to newfangled dive bars, the city’s food pros cover all bases.

At the same time, a recurring storyline in 2024 is the return, revival, and rebirth of familiar restaurant names. Fahrenheit, a Tremont staple for decades, reopened in a splashy new address. Same with Banter, a lively poutine bar that had been between homes for five years. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year is the resurrection of La Cave Du Vin, a “gone but never forgotten” wine bar that reopened in a new home.

For a bit of spice, there are also Jamaican, Filipino, and Sichuan newcomers to the scene, plus enough world-class hoagies, pizza, and barbecue to keep a diner busy for days on end.

Douglas Trattner is a freelance writer, editor, and author based in Cleveland.