Location: Covington
Top Restaurants in Covington
Top Things to do in Covington
- 1. Newport Southbank Bridge a.k.a. Purple People Bridge
- 2. St Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
- 3. The Party Source
- 4. Smale Riverfront Park
- 5. Newport Aquarium
- 6. Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
- 7. Cincinnati Art Museum
- 8. Great American Ball Park
- 9. Cincinnati Music Hall
- 10. Roebling Murals on the Floodwalls of Covington, KY
Countries
Covington Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Covington
Covington is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, lies to its north across the Ohio and Newport, Kentucky, to its east across the Licking. Part of the Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area, Covington had a population of 40,640 at the time of the 2010 U.S. census, making it the fifth-most populous city in Kentucky. It is one of its county's two seats, along with Independence.
Things to do in Covington
1. Bouquet Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 142 reviews
Bouquet Restaurant is an upscale farm-to-table bistro opened in 2007 by Stephen Williams. As one of the first restaurants in the area to embrace local and sustainable farming as a cornerstone of its mission, Bouquet’s menu is constantly evolving to utilize the best products from over fifty farmers and purveyors. In addition to an eclectic and ever-changing offering of small plates, entrees, and desserts, Bouquet has become known for their monthly four-course tastings and extensive bourbon collection. Chef Williams channels his dedication to the community into his work with various local charities and organizations, including collaborations with the Freestore Foodbank, the SIDS Foundation, and the scholarship fund at the Midwest Culinary Institute. He is especially passionate about his leadership role within the local chapter of Chef’s Collaborative, an organization which seeks to inspire symbiotic relationships among chefs, farmers and promoting sustainable practices.
Reviewed By TR26 - Dayton, Ohio, United States
Visiting family in Northern Kentucky and overnighting, needed to find a nice place to dine. TripAdvisor again did us a good turn and we wound up at this delightful spot. Toop recommendations!
The "Mainstrasse" district in Covington is far more upscale than the run-down neighborhood it was in my youth. The street is lined with many taverns, restaurants, and little lshops and they draw sufficient clientele to keep the place hopping.
Bouquet occupies one of the century-old buildings that typify the strip, with a cozy little mutli-floor interior. We were there on an extremely pleasant September evening and we opted to take a table on the sidewalk out front. A comfy choice, the only downside being that my wife kept getting little bugs in her wine (strangely, I did not)--she finally started keeping her bread plate on top of the glass.
Weopted tp dine on small plates. They have a monthly tasting menu of four courses, so we shared that. This month it starrted with a salad, followed by a pasta, then shrimp and grits, and finally dessert. We added a couple of appetizers and paired it wirh a bottle of exceptional Argentinian Malbec. As for the quality of the food--these chefs are top-rate. Sometimes creative people seem to be doing too much, and when you look at the ingredients in their dishes you worry that it's three too many--but then the dish arrives and everything sings in harmony. It's a great thing.
The salad had a couple of baby carrofs, one sou vide and the other I think steamed--with a bit of greens and a creamy dressing that was outstanding.
The pasta--spaghettini made fresh in-house and ideally al dente with heirloom tomato sauce, garlic chips and basil leaves. If you're a pasta lover, you want this.
Shrimp--with a little bit of grits, some red oil drops ringing the plate, served up with some pickles. The shrimp heads were caramelized in fhe fryer and included for the adventurous; I can't say I wanted more than a sample. But the shrimp ftail sections were fine,
Dessert--corn ice cream on hoecake with candied peppers and chocolate sprinkle. Wow! An extremely memorable end to a great, great meal.
Our other small plates were the fairy eggplant appetizer and the burgoo, The little eggplangts were caramelized and served with mushrooms and dates--an inpired blend! The burgoo was I think not traditional Kentucky since it conained beef, pork and lamb--but the lamb made it savory and the gravy was good enough to put on ice cream.
The service--they work as a team and several were helping to bring our dishes and bus the table, but our main server was Wendell. I want to call him "Mr Wendell" after that Arrested Development track about an inspirational man--he was inspirational as a server. His manner was warm and upbeat, his presentation spotless. The only flaw in the entire experience was that our shrimp-and-grits dish was delayed as the kitchen was backed up with a very large party upstairs; Wendell took the time to explain the delay to us (we joked about how we thought the shrimp got loose and they had to chase them around the kitchen) and comped parf of our check even though we weren't complaining
What a class act is Bouquet, from the welcoming staff to the genius cuisine. We're not local, but my wife was already talking about wanting to return for their charcuterie board. I find myself equally enthusiastic.
2. Orchids at Palm Court
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 849 reviews
Orchids at Palm Court is an award-winning fine dining restaurant located in the National Historic Landmark Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. Executive Chef Todd Kelly is the American Culinary Federation's 2011-2012 USA Chef of the Year, the highest honor given by the 50,000+ chef organization. “Top Cincinnati Restaurant” by Zagat (2011, 2012, 2013) and named "One of the Top 100 Restaurants in USA" and "One of the Top 100 for Best Service in USA" by OpenTable, 2011, 2012 & 2013; AAA 4 Diamond (2006-2012). Orchids offers a contemporary American menu that is seasonally updated with local ingredients. With breathtaking French Art Deco including two-story Romanesque murals, rare Brazilian rosewood, German silver-nickel wall sconces & an original Rookwood fountain featuring two large seahorses all restored to the 1930s grandeur. Complimentary valet parking.
Reviewed By AisleSeat01 - Cortlandt Manor
Chose Orchids at Palm Court in the Netherlands Hilton Hotel for a client dinner.
Perfect for client or intimate conversation. Serves dinner-only
Menu is 3, 4 and 5 course prix fixe dinner. Can also order items à la carte.
Professional, attentive service.
Food was deliciously prepared. Small, tasty portions. I chose the scallops for the entrée, and would order again.
Oxtail ravioli appetizer was spectacular, and a few of them would be a meal.
In addition to the three courses, we were offered a complimentary crepe before Course #1, and Falafel between Courses #1 and #2.
Pluses:
* You can order two appetizers and one entrée for the three-course dinner. That’s what we did instead of including a dessert
* Tables are spaced apart for quiet conversation
* Menu is online with prices; but disappointed wine list is unavailable
* Complimentary valet parking.
Good wine selection, with I note higher markup consistent with high-end restaurants.
Next visit I would choose instead a table and not sit in a booth, which I found too large.
3. Hofbrauhaus Newport
Overall Ratings
4 based on 874 reviews
Reviewed By jmj57 - Cental USA
Couples trip. Food was good. Solo entertainer was great. Serivice outstanding. Been to our US Hofbrauhaus locations. This is the best. Highly recommended.
4. Otto's
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 238 reviews
Reviewed By thisaacs2017 - Alexandria, Kentucky
We enjoy the restaurants and bars around Mainstrasse. We started our evening with apps and drinks at Ottos for happy hour from 5 to 6. We love the brussel sprouts and truffle fries. Only complaint is that happy hour drink menu only includes beer, and with competition around the restaurant they need to add wine and cocktails.
5. Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 605 reviews
Reviewed By Ann T - Montreal, Canada
Location: In the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Walkable from most, if not all of the main hotels.
The place: Classy! I briefly hesitated as I walked in because I was dressed very casually (I'm here to do the photography thing so I was wearing hiking shoes and cropped pants). However, I enjoy good food and rarely let a restaurant's appearance discourage me from entering. I love the decor - to me, it had a 1920s feel to it combined with what I think a cigar lounge should look like (keep in that I've never been to a cigar lounge so this is strictly my imagination talkin'). There are beautiful (and massive) chandeliers interspersed throughout the room, a bar area and place to enjoy your cigar outside (covered from the elements). For those of you who've been to Gibby's in Montreal, the decor is similar but Jeff Ruby is more upscale.
The goods: I was up at 4:30 a.m. because I was flying over, so literally had nothing to eat except pretzels courtesy of United Airlines and a Cliff bar courtesy of my Airbnb host. Thus, even though I had a reservation for 6:30, I was famished and borderline hangry by the time 5pm came around so I took my chances and was able to get a table. I ordered the shrimp cocktail - 3 huge tiger shrimp served with a horseradish cocktail sauce. Did I mention the shrimp were enormous? These were fresh and the cocktail sauce was amazing - when I got just enough on my shrimp, I could feel my sinuses open right up! As a main, I went with the Dover Sole and a side of fries. The sole was filleted for me after being presented to me (at which point I asked myself how I was going to eat an entire fish to myself) and served with a delicious lemon butter sauce. The waiter let me know early on that they flew in fresh seafood daily and I can tell you that he wasn't lying - superb! The fries were also great - crispy just how I like them. Since I had no room for dessert, I went ahead and ordered anyway - mostly because my waiter told me that he could box up the leftovers and I could have it for breakfast (I did). I ordered the ricotta doughnuts with a variety of dipping sauces. Sweet baby Jesus, those doughnuts were GOOD. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about my dining experience - everything was great. My only complaint is that I woke up starving the next day and don't understand how this is possible when I stuffed my face the night before =-D
Service: My waiter was Chris and he was fantastic. Explained everything, let me think on things and frequently came by to see how everything was going. AND he was always smiling. The busboy (I'm not sure if that's the right term here!) was also super friendly and on the ball, and the manager paid me a visit as well. Like, I said, super classy.
Price point: This isn't going to be a place you dine at every night unless you're a high roller. For me, it's the kind of place I'd go to when I feel like treating myself. For all of the above plus a glass of white, the total was $103 before tip. Worth the splurge.
6. Dewey's Pizza
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 169 reviews
Reviewed By Mandy S - Louisville, Kentucky
This place never disappoints. Great atmosphere. Great location. Have been there multiple times. The service is always great. Staff is super friendly and very attentive. The pizza is to die for. Tried many different kinds but our favorites are the Caprice and Don Corleon. Calzones are pretty good too! All is reasonably priced for the quality of food you get. Will return again!
7. Blinker's Tavern
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 278 reviews
Trendy Steakhouse voted "Steak of Northern Kentucky 2013 - 2017! This cozy spot offers fresh, house made food with a large menu including delicious steaks, seafood, pastas and burgers. Dine inside or outside. No reservation required. Large groups welcome, call ahead. Located walking distance from hotels, shuttle and stadiums. Serving Breakfast specials Sat & Sun 10 am, lunch and dinner daily. Free parking three lots behind restaurant.
Reviewed By ronk699 - Ottawa, Ohio
wasn't one of my favorite places to eat as far as the food goes, but was a real nice vintage bar tavern with friendly workers. i thought is was rather pricely for the food, and thought food was average,,,,not bad, but not one i would remember. might have been a bad day. but all 6 of us thought the same
8. BRIO Tuscan Grille
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 238 reviews
Discover authentic Italian cuisine serving grilled entrees and pasta dishes accompanied by drinks and deserts in a genuine Italian tradition at Brio Tuscan Grille Newport on the Levee. Indulge yourself and your friends with these delicious dishes, the warm atmosphere and the top quality service. We are here to make your Tuscan experience unique! Join us at BRIO Tuscan Grille, the best Italian restaurant near you!
Reviewed By Paul20360 - Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Went there for a Sunday brunch with friends. Service and atmosphere are exceptional. Food is basically Italian but with twists that make it very special. The lasagna is really good with great tasting sauce. The flat bread with pepperoni and sausage is made with peppered cheese. The drinks an bread tastes great. We will go back.
9. Goodfellas Pizzeria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 108 reviews
Pizza is what we do... and we pride ourselves on staying true to our New York roots! We believe that everyone should experience the culture of an independent business focused on family and community. Not only do we have a passion for pizza, we have passion for our customers. Come in and let us prove to you why they call us "Goodfellas".
Reviewed By axj23 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Pizza is always my number one choices and this place rocks!! Pieces are huge!! As they should be they cost a little over $3 but way worth it!! Great place down here.
10. York Street Cafe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 151 reviews
Reviewed By DickandJane6986
We may have a new favorite! There's so much to do in Newport and this place really highlighted our trip with an intriguing atmosphere, fantastic service, and a meal that exceeded our expectations! There's so much to see in this eclectic, artsy, quirky, antique-filled place yet the atmosphere is very cozy and romantic although I could easily see going here for a business meeting. The desserts are on display when you walk in and our service was very prompt--Chris took care of us and he had a perfect balance of friendly and courteous service with not being at all intrusive to our enjoyment of the meal. He can really sell you on the desserts so be prepared AND know that he speaks the truth. They are amazing--there are just no words for how delicious our cake was! We had an appetizer, a meal and split a dessert--all were delicious. We hesitate to make a recommendation because the options on the menu change frequently; however, we get the feeling that you just can't go wrong! Already planning our next trip back here!
