Nolia Kitchen - OTR

“First time at Nolia Kitchen, and I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I've had in Cincinnati. The restaurant is in a quiet part of downtown with plenty of nearby public parking. Walking in, I immediately liked the atmosphere. Exposed brick, high ceilings, warm lighting, and unique floral wallpaper give it a cozy, upscale feel without being overly formal. I started with the Bumbu Banana cocktail. It was smooth and well balanced. It leans on the sweeter side, almost like a dessert cocktail, with the rum coming through on the finish. The shrimp skewers were outstanding. They had a nice char from the grill, were perfectly tender, and had just the right amount of heat. The banana gremolata balanced the spice really well and made the dish stand out. The skillet cornbread is every bit as good as people say. Served hot in a cast-iron skillet with whipped Steen's cane syrup butter and flaky smoked salt, it was easily my favorite thing I ordered. I could've made a meal out of that alone. For my entrée, I had the Iberico pork. The pork was juicy and flavorful, and the corn maque choux was rich, creamy, and paired perfectly with it. The jalapeño chimichurri added a fresh kick that tied everything together. My only small criticism is that a few of the more heavily charred pieces were slightly bitter, but it wasn't enough to take away from an excellent dish overall. Service was friendly, the food came out at a good pace, and the entire experience felt well put together. My meal—a cocktail, two starters, and an entrée—came to $95 before tax, which I thought was fair for the quality of the food and overall experience. If you're in Cincinnati and want something beyond the usual chain restaurants, Nolia Kitchen is absolutely worth checking out. And whatever you order, don't skip the skillet cornbread.”

“unbelievably good ! finally a restaurant with new flavors and innovative dishes. not the same as all places (steak, fried chicken, lobster linguine, etc). amazing taste, preparation and service. chef brought our main course and we were right in front of the cooking line. the food has soul and personality and that is irreplaceable and has no monetary value. thank you so much. also very vegan and vegetarian friendly. our server henry was awesome too. wow to everything. reserve in advance for weekend if you can !”

“Honestly some of the best food I've had in the city. Whatever they got going on here is the good stuff. My friend and I got cornbread as an appetizer and I got the fish as my entree. The cornbread was awesome - the butter that's on top makes the bread a bit soggy and sweet in the best way possible and the fish was really good. I also don't think that the portions were as small as many other boujee restaurants. With regards to service, we sat at the bar, and the bartender was really cool too. Definitely would come back!”

“The real deal, one of the best meals I've had in Cincy. Space is small, but cozy. Being able to watch them skillfully make each dish in front of you really sets this place apart. We got the Bluefin Tuna Crudo, the waygu steak skewers, cornbread (the best cornbread of my life), Iberico, Scallops +grits, and the homemade coconut ice cream + doughnuts. Everything we got was gluten free and didn't even realize it. Staff was kind and attentive. The vibe inside and out is immaculate. I'm taking anyone I know here”

“Overall, a nice experience. This was the first week of their new menu so I will try to give them some grace as they may be working out a few kinks. - The portions are quite small and the prices are quite steep (like New York prices). I was expecting more generous portions given the price point. - The tuna dish from the raw bar was INCREDIBLE and easily the standout of the meal. Such high quality, like you would find from the fish markets in Japan. - The cornbread was good but I’ve never had cornbread that was so thin. It should have been double the thickness. A big dollop of tasty butter on top. - Duck leg entry was good with the perfect amount of spice. Duck was tender and cooked well. - The tamale entry was a big let down. I believe this was the only vegetarian entree on the menu. The tamales were super dry and I don’t think they were stuffed with anything. I could be wrong, or maybe the stuffing was so minimal. The dish definitely needed a sauce of some sort. - The caramel cake was also a big let down. First, it was the thinnest two layers of cake I have ever seen in my life. Second, this was the densest cake I have ever had in my life. It was so dense I’m not sure it even qualified as cake. The caramel flavor was definitely there, so they nailed that part. - I was hoping for a larger and more encompassing cocktail selection. The wines by the glass selection looked extensive.”