Great Columbus Restaurants and Cafes
This article contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you make a purchase using one of these links at no additional cost to you. See our Disclaimers and Terms of Use for more information.
Columbus is more than Ohio’s capital. It’s also a city with a ton of tasty food. Discover great Columbus restaurants and cafes where you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner during your Ohio weekend getaway.
Columbus wasn’t on my radar as a food destination. Really, how good can the Columbus food scene be in a city famous for Ohio State University and Buckeye candy?
Let me cut to the chase: the emerging food scene in Columbus is vibrant and exciting. During my visit, I loved almost everything that I put in my mouth. I had no challenge in finding great food; instead, my problem was narrowing my choices based on time and stomach space.
My positive impression of Columbus started as I stepped out of the airport and into the friendly hands of my awesome host. Without a second thought, John invited me to join his friends for an outdoor happy hour in the happening German Village neighborhood.
Happy hour turned into appetizers and appetizers into dinner. Columbus may be the 15th largest city in the United States, but it also lives up to its reputation of being the biggest small town in America.
🇺🇸 Columbus To Do’s
Columbus is a popular destination, so you should book your tours, hotel and rental car ASAP. These are our top picks:
📸 Tours and Activities
1. Short North Walking Food Tour
2. German Village Walking Food Tour
🏨 Accommodations
1. Hotel (rooms at all price points)
2. Airbnb (Columbus apartments with kitchens)
🚗 Rent a car to explore the city and region.
Columbus Food Guide | Where to Eat in Columbus
My mission was to try as many of the best Columbus Ohio restaurants in one long weekend for this Columbus restaurant guide, and I was up for the food adventure. I covered a lot of territory during my short time and checked out downtown Columbus restaurants as well as neighborhood cafes, coffee shops and brew pubs.
These were my favorite places to eat in Columbus Ohio.
Breakfast
Columbus takes its food seriously, and breakfast is no exception. Start your weekend days early to avoid crowds at this popular breakfast spot:
Pistacia Vera
Also located in the German Village neighborhood, the team at Pistacia Vera is famous for their honey lavender macarons (see photo at the top of the article), but the restaurant also serves a small menu of French-inspired breakfast options like smoked salmon tartare, croque monsieur and quiche. Eating food this good is well worth the inevitable wait.
Pro Tip
Katalina’s is another option for a fun Columbus breakfast. Located in a repurposed gas station, this funky eatery is famous for its Nutella Pancake Balls.
Pistacia Vera is located at 541 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
Lunch
Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a sit-down meal, Columbus offers numerous lunch options at every price point.
North Market
It’s easy to graze through the centrally located North Market, an awesome public emporium where 35 lunch stalls serve up amazing local food. You can easily assemble a full-course meal where you can eat Columbus favorites including Vietnamese, Polish and Japanese all at the same time.
Save room for dessert. The original Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream shop opened at the North Market in 2002 and is still going strong today. If you’re looking for the best place to eat in Columbus Ohio, you very well may find it at North Market.
North Market is located at 59 Spruce St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
Brassica
Fully embracing the locavore movement, Brassica is a stylish, fast-casual restaurant in the bustling Short North featuring healthy pita sandwiches served in metal ring molds. Colorful vegetables like green kale and purple beets star on this menu along with a wide variety of meat fillings. Once you pick your toppings and order a craft beer, you’re all set.
Pro Tip
Katzinger’s Delicatessen is another great lunch option. This Jewish deli serves huge sandwiches and “garlicky” pickles.
Brassica is located at 680 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
Dinner
Columbus offers a variety of dinner options from outdoor cafés to more formal restaurants. Be sure to make reservations – the popular Columbus OH restaurants fill up during the weekends.
The Guild House
Local restaurateur Cameron Mitchell’s hip and trendy Guild House serves farm-to-table cuisine in the equally trendy Joseph Hotel. The Short North restaurant has a cool vibe that begins with its shabby chic decor (think funky green chandeliers and mismatched china) and ends with its upscale clientele.
The eclectic menu features popular small plates. Popular dishes include the prime rib caps served with sweet onion relish and Point Reyes blue cheese as well as the jarred smoked trout with avocado and caper vinaigrette.
The Guild House is located at 624 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
Lindey’s
Still relevant after a quarter century in the German Village neighborhood, Lindey’s charming outdoor patio comes alive in the spring. Their popular happy hour features half-price cocktails along with an excellent appetizer selection like ahi tuna tartare topped with pungent wasabi and a generous, shareable ‘farm board’ of artisan cheeses and charcuterie. Despite its age, Lindey’s is one of the best restaurants in Columbus Ohio.
Pro Tip
Harvest Pizzeria is another dinner option. This popular pizzeria prepares creative pizzas like the spicy Yuma pizza.
Lindey’s is located at 169 E Beck St, Columbus, OH 43206, United States.
Dessert
For a city of its size, Columbus has a surprising number of bakeries sprinkled throughout the city. Plan ahead if you want dessert after dinner, as most Columbus bakeries are closed at night.
Kittie’s Cakes
Proving that bigger isn’t always better, Kittie’s Cakes packs a punch of flavor. The German Village bakery sells a dazzling array of miniature cupcakes, scones, biscuits and cookies. They also serve Stumptown coffee along with a splash of pleasant conversation.
Pro Tip
Pattycake Bakery is another great dessert option. This bakery makes sticky buns and other vegan treats.
Kittie’s Cakes is located at 495 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH, United States.
🇺🇸 Columbus Travel Checklist
⚙️ Disclosures
Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major, while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.
Funding
I purchased and ate the food featured in this article.
Sponsorship
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Experience Columbus. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand. All opinions and text are mine.
📍 Pin This Article
Yum!! May need to add Columbus to the list of possible vacation spots this summer!!
Like you, I hadn’t thought of Columbus, Ohio as a foodie destination before. Everything looked amazing. But I couldn’t get my mind off the stuffed French toast! Will definitely have to try that if I am ever in the area.
Wow! Columbus really has some great foodie options. Skillet and Laughlin’s Bakery would be two of my first stops!
As someone who was born and raised in Columbus, I have seen SO much movement and change in the city. It is actually an extremely diverse city with lots of unique things to experience. Most people are surprised how much the city has to offer and how much they end up loving it. It gives me great pride. Due to its culture and wide array of food and restaurants, Columbus is actually a huge test market for many large chains as well. If a restaurant or food menu item does well here, they will integrate r across the country. Love the props from this article. Hope ou come back and try some of our other neighborhoods! Although German Village is probably one of the most quaint for visitors who like the city feel with a charming quiet neighborhood.
Those macaroons look STELLAR!!
A friend of mine lives in Columbus and she’s always talking about the great food there. I need to visit! That falafel sandwich looks especially good!
So Skillet definitely piqued my interest. Glad to see some new blood in Columbus, thanks for sharing. Very glad you made it to LIndey’s, which has been one of my favorites for about 20 years. The German Village is cool, huh? Did you see Katzingers, the deli I was telling you about?
Hot Chicken Takeover. WHAT? That is probably worth the trip alone!
Oh my goodness! This is a foodie’s delight! I need to try the white lavender cakes!
Your photos make me hungry! But (and I have this problem in a lot of cities), how do I burn off all those calories?! 🙂
We like to walk a lot. This way we burn calories while getting to see the new city. It’s not a perfect solution, but it definitely helps.
I love lavender as a cooking component and love seeing it in several options featured in this article. Go Columbus!!
The lobster roll and the banana cream muffin threw me over the top. I wish I was in the area to try to win this gift card giveaway!
I am a total foodie so now I know I have to take a trip to Columbus to eat here. YUM!!!
From a Columbusite:
Breakfast: the Crest Gastropub
Lunch: Ray Rays BBQ, Momo Ghar,(dumplings), Katzingers Deli (sandwiches), Los Gauchos (authentic Mexican)
Dinner: The Table (farm-to-table), The Refectory (white glove, sommelier-curated dishes), Barcelona (paella, creative deserts), Dirty Franks (awesome hot dogs)
Thanks for the tips. We’ll be sure to check them out the next time we’re in town.
I hope you’ll get back to Columbus to try even more restaurants. It’s one of the most vibrant, diverse cities I know. I called it home for many years, and go back to visit whenever I can! The city is so much more than Ohio State football (though that’s pretty stellar too!)
We definitely hope to return to check out all the wonderful places to eat in your city though Daryl is a PSU grad (shhhhh!)
Laughlin’s is closed
What a shame. We’ve updated the article. Thanks for letting us know!
Hi! Loved your blog, and added a lot of your recommendations to our trip. I was so excited for the lobster roll at Lindey’s, but they unfortunately are no longer serving it. Just wanted to let you know so you can update your recommendation!
I just moved to Columbus last year so when I found your blog I was glad to see you had a post on my new hometown. I’ll definitely have to check out some of your suggestions! It’s a shame to see so many places close down since they were apparently good enough to write about. If you ever make it back out here please let us know so we can make some suggestions. I feel you definitely missed some must-try spots!