Where to Eat: 10 Best Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio

It’s no wonder Columbus, Ohio is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the U.S. This Midwestern city is having its moment in the spotlight – and its food scene is playing a big role in all of the hype. Home to a James Beard award winner and nominees, plus a Top Chef contestant, Columbus has been serving up culinary excellence for years. This underrated destination is also known for its top-shelf distillery and brewery scenes, and was even named the third best beer city in America in 2024 by USA Today. So, without further ado, it’s time to explore the best restaurants in Columbus.

This list of the top 10 restaurants in Columbus is our own personal roundup. On it, you’ll find a mix of classic Columbus favorites as well as standout newcomers to the city’s food scene that are making waves on restaurant review sites.

10 Best Restaurants in Columbus

The best restaurants in Columbus, Ohio bring together global cuisine with Asian and Latin flair, classic French food, southern cooking, and unique desserts that you won’t find anywhere else. This city’s innovative approach to food has put Columbus on the map as a culinary travel destination, and now the top 10 restaurants in Columbus are on your radar, too. Let’s dive in.

1. FYR

This award-winning restaurant’s name is an homage to gathering around a warm, welcoming fire. Opened in 2022 and led by chef Sebastian La Rocca from Argentina, FYR was named one of USA Today’s Restaurants of the Year in 2024 and was also the winner of an OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award the same year.

Here, you’ll find dishes cooked using six types of techniques that all incorporate fire, such as on top of embers, in a wood-fired oven, or smoked. The concept is farm-to-table, with beef and produce from local farms, spent grain from a local brewery, and even the wood for the fire from a local hardwood producer. 

Must-try menu items include a 45-day dry-aged tomahawk steak, grilled octopus marinated in adobo, wood oven-roasted salmon, and a half Amish chicken in Oaxaca mole sauce. Without a doubt, this is some of the best food in Columbus.

2. Chapman’s Eat Market

Chapman’s is not only one of the top restaurants in Columbus – it also made The New York Times’ Restaurant List in 2021, among only 50 other venues in the entire nation. Opened in 2020, Chapman’s is owned by partners BJ Lieberman, a James Beard award-nominated chef, and Bronwyn Haines, who was born and raised in Ohio. The restaurant is known for serving up comfort food inspired by the owners’ world travels, as well as their childhood culinary memories.

International influence is evident on the menu, with appetizers like General Tso’s cauliflower, al pastor pork belly bao, and strawberry aguachile. Main courses include miso-roasted halibut, Chiang Mai style pork shoulder, and corn and potato ravioli. 

If you want to eat here, it’s wise to reserve a table. Chapman’s is in high demand as one of the best new restaurants in Columbus. Guests can also opt for a whole or partial buyout of the restaurant for parties of 12 to 65 people.

3. The Refectory Restaurant

Refectory is a staple of the Columbus dining scene – a classic French restaurant that’s been open for more than 40 years in a historic church schoolhouse. It’s also one of the best places to eat in Columbus and the winner of numerous awards, including Columbus’s Most Romantic Restaurant: 2021 (Columbus Monthly) and Top 100 Restaurant In The United States (Yelp), among other accolades.

The restaurant’s menu – led by chef Richard Blondin from Lyon, France – changes regularly, and diners can choose from an a la carte selection or a chef’s five-course tasting menu (with a vegetarian option). Main courses have included roasted Moulard duck breast with rosemary garlic bordelaise sauce and roasted Atlantic swordfish with mussels in a white port wine sauce, while desserts have included vanilla crème brûlée and raspberry tartlette.

In addition to serving some of the best food in Columbus with impeccable food plating techniques, Refectory also offers live music nights, curated wine tastings, and private dining.

4. Modern Southern Table

Owned by Sadaya “Daisy” Lewis, winner of the Food Network’s Food Court Wars, Modern Southern Table opened in 2021 and has rightfully earned its place as one of the top restaurants in Columbus. The venue was even named in Essence’s article, Best Destinations for Culinary Travel in 2024, which listed Columbus alongside hotspots like Mexico City and Toronto.

Modern Southern Table features comfort food like Alabama fried chicken, Louisiana blackened fish, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and hush puppies. The concept is all about meals made from scratch and with love, inspired by recipes passed down to Daisy from her family.

Daisy’s culinary vision and delicious food have made headlines on NBC4 Columbus television news, 614NOW magazine, and The Columbus Dispatch newspaper, which described the restaurant’s fried chicken as “addictive”. As the Modern Southern Table team likes to say, “Ya’ll ready to eat?”

5. Meshikou Ramen

The first ramen shop in Columbus and one of the best places to eat in Columbus, Meshikou Ramen is a restaurant you’ve got to try. It’s a cozy space with an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs creating your perfect bowl of ramen.

At Meshikou, you can choose from brothless ramen, cheese ramen, or soup ramen. Heat lovers will appreciate the Fireball Miso Ramen with braised pork tenderloin or pork belly, a soft boiled egg, and spicy garlic paste. Or, try the Shoyu Paitan Ramen with a side of fried karaage chicken. Appetizers include mango habanero chicken wings, salt and pepper shrimp, fried gyoza, crab tacos, and more. The restaurant also has an impressive list of beer and sake, with hot and cold sake options.

With a four-and-a-half-star rating on Yelp and a shoutout in Columbus Monthly’s list of the Top Ramen Picks in the city, Meshikou is one of the best affordable restaurants in Columbus, Ohio.

6. Haveli Bistro

This fine dining Indian restaurant is one of the best affordable restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, with a four-star rating on Google. Haveli Bistro offers northern and southern Indian food, and the restaurant’s aim is to make Indian food approachable for diners new to this style of cuisine.

Haveli Bistro’s menu has a wide range of choices, with chicken, goat, lamb, seafood, and vegetarian appetizers to start. The menu also offers a selection of items, such as kebabs cooked in a tandoor oven (a cylindrical clay oven), which is a traditional Indian style of cooking. Main courses include Indian classics like chicken tikka masala, goat rogan josh, lamb vindaloo, and garlic naan that’s baked in a tandoor oven.

In addition to regular service, Haveli Bistro also offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet from Monday to Friday, as well as group reservations, private parties, and catering.

7. Katalina’s

Katalina’s is famous for its restaurant specialty, sugary-sweet balls of cooked pancake batter that are stuffed with Nutella and dipped in maple syrup. In fact, they’re so popular that over one million have been sold since 2009 and Katalina’s has trademarked the treat’s name: Pancake Balls. However, that’s not the only reason why this Mexican breakfast cafe owned by Kathleen Day is one of the best restaurants in Columbus.

With praise for its food in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Culture Trip, Good Morning America, and more, Katalina’s is a popular venue that often has a long lineup to get in. The cafe is housed in a 100-year-old building that was originally a gas station and it has a welcoming patio out front.

On the menu, you’ll find dishes like breakfast tacos with chorizo and scrambled eggs, a Southern fried buttermilk brined chicken sandwich with a sunny-side-up egg, and Mexican “French” toast. Drinks include orange juice, local tea and coffee, Mexican sodas, and more.

8. Lindey’s

Lindey’s has a rich history in Columbus. This upscale bistro located in the city’s charming German Village district was opened in 1981 by Sue Doody, and today, is run by her sons. Guests love its large patio surrounded by trees and cobblestone streets.

The real star of the show? The food. Lindey’s offers brunch, lunch, and dinner, featuring items like French onion soup, beef carpaccio, angel hair pasta, and Georges Bank cod. The dessert menu includes key lime pie, Basque style cherry cheesecake, chocolate cake tiramisu, an espresso martini, and more. 

Lindey’s also offers events, catering, and private rooms like the restaurant’s regal Library Room – an ideal setting for a wedding brunch. In fact, Columbus Monthly awarded Lindey’s first place in its Rehearsal Dinner and Next-Day Brunch categories in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

9. Ray Ray’s Hog Pit

Ray Ray’s Hog Pit is a multi-restaurant brand with six locations across central Ohio – four of which are in Columbus. Its venues include stationary barbecue food trucks, trailers, and drive-thrus. Founded in 2009 by James Beard Award semi finalist chef James Anderson, Ray Ray’s is a beloved Ohio institution. The restaurant has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Food Network, Esquire, Southern Living, and more. It was also named the Best Barbecue in Ohio by Food & Wine.

American barbecue traditions are alive and well at Ray Ray’s, which uses old-school hardwood smoking techniques and provides a genuine roadside barbecue experience. The menu features dishes like smoked baby back ribs, jerk chicken and beef brisket sandwiches, and sides like pit baked beans, mac and cheese, and waffle fries.Ray Ray’s also has a Supper Club, which runs multi-course dining events. These fixed price dinners with curated beverage pairings are led by chef James Anderson, chef Jacob Wilson, and other guest chefs.

10. Agni

One of the best new restaurants in Columbus, Agni is led by chef Avishar Barua, a Top Chef alumnus and James Beard Award semifinalist in 2024. This fine dining restaurant named after the Hindu god of fire is inspired by the travels, memories, and culture of the chef and his team. It was awarded Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2024 by Columbus Monthly.

Agni’s six-course tasting menu features dishes that blend the chef’s Bengali heritage with Midwestern cuisine. Items have included anellini pasta with kofta meatballs, cured Rohan duck, and Thai Malai curry.

Which of the best restaurants in Columbus, Ohio will you try next? Or, maybe you have an idea to add to our list. Did we miss your restaurant? We’re always looking for culinary hotspots to spread the word about. Shoot us a message!

by Katherine Pendrill

Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.