Let’s get something out of the way first: Cleveland’s culinary scene is genuinely underrated, and it still deserves more credit than it gets. We have elevated, white-tablecloth experiences like the Marble Room. We have fun, kitschy spots like Steak in Tremont. We have neighborhood institutions, rooftop bars, and Little Italy on a warm night. And with chefs like Vinnie Cimino earning James Beard nominations, the rest of the country is starting to catch on. The full spectrum is here, and it’s worth celebrating.
Here’s what I know to be true: some of the best nights out have nothing to do with a milestone. Sometimes the occasion is surviving something hard. Sometimes it’s finally doing the thing. And sometimes it’s just Thursday.
Cleveland delivers. Here are five I keep coming back to, with a partner, with friends, or honestly, just for myself.
01 — Old Brooklyn
Opal on Pearl
This place holds a little extra for me — it’s where Dave and I had our first date. But the reason we keep coming back has as much to do with owner and chef Tony and his staff as it does with the food and drinks, which are both genuinely excellent. It has that rare quality of feeling like your spot, the kind of place where you walk in and immediately relax.
The cocktails are creative, the wine list will surprise you, and the menu punches well above what you’d expect from a neighborhood restaurant. If you’ve been sleeping on Old Brooklyn, this is your sign to wake up.
02 — Tremont
Dante
I’ve followed Chef Dante Boccuzzi’s work for years, and he is one of the most genuinely innovative chefs this city has. Dante lives inside a beautifully restored old bank building in Tremont, and if you’re lucky enough to snag the table inside the actual vault, you take it. No debate.
I’ve done the Chef’s Table in the kitchen twice now, including recently with two other couples to celebrate Dave’s birthday. It is one of the best culinary experiences I’ve ever had, full stop. Not “in Cleveland.” Just period. If you have something worth celebrating — and you do — put this on the list.
03 — Little Italy
La Dolce Vita
Little Italy has one of the best food scenes in the city, and La Dolce Vita has been a staple of it for years. I’ve been going long enough to call owner and Chef Terry Tarantino a friend. At La Dolce Vita, that’s just what happens. Date nights, ladies nights, dining solo on one of my Little Italy frolics, stopping in during the Feast of the Assumption — Terry makes everyone feel like family every single time.
The pasta is exactly what it should be, the wine list does its job, and the patio is beautiful when the weather cooperates. On Monday nights, they have live opera, which sounds like something out of a movie but is very real and absolutely worth planning around.
There’s something about sitting outside in Little Italy with a glass of wine and an aria drifting over from inside that makes you feel like you’re not even in Cleveland.
04 — Tremont
Rowley Inn
Not every celebration needs a white tablecloth. Some of the best ones happen on a barstool with a cold drink, great comfort food, and the kind of place where everyone seems to know each other. Rowley Inn is my Cheers. It’s historic, it’s cozy, the food is legitimately great (Guy Fieri didn’t show up for nothing), and it sits right across from the Christmas Story house, which is about as classic Cleveland as it gets.
Go when you just need a night that doesn’t require reservations or a dress code. Go because sometimes the occasion is simply it’s Monday.
05 — Downtown
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit has always delivered, but since Chef Rocco Whalen moved it downtown, the whole experience got a serious upgrade. His words for it were “new Cleveland, meets Hollywood, meets Las Vegas” and honestly? He’s not wrong. The design is genuinely sexy.
We’ve celebrated birthdays, popped in for happy hour, and in the winter, the view of the Christmas lights at Public Square right next door is the kind of thing that makes you remember why you love this city. Get dressed up. Enjoy the experience.
Cleveland doesn’t always get its flowers, and honestly, I kind of don’t mind being underrated. If you weren’t sure where to go for your next night out, now you do!
So what are you celebrating? Tell me in the comments, or better yet, go make a reservation and tell me how it went.
Leah Haslage 
I’d love to hear from you!