Highland Coffee House
Bohemian, hipstery, and friendly coffee house/bar near the university in an old building with high ceilings, a two level outdoor patio, and tons of character. Service is purposely laid back as there is usually only one bartista/bartender to serve the many people who frequent here.
Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant
Part of the Rockbottom Brewery chain. Features beer brewed on-site and typical bar food.
The Blue Wisp Jazz Club
Well regarded local jazz club now in a new location a bit closer to the action at Fountain Square. The old location unfortunately is now a parking lot.
The Comet
Featuring a huge selection of beverages including over 200 beers, The Comet's famous San Francisco - style burritos, the hippest jukebox, 2 pool tables, work from local artists, and live music weekly and there is never a cover!
City View Tavern
City View Tavern has for years been a popular spot amongst locals to grab an after-work drink. The outdoor deck is small but offers one of the best views of the city.
Coffee Emporium
A locally owned and operated coffee house since 1973. We specialize in artisanal roasted coffee, fine teas, and accessories, as well as a mixed menu of locally made pastries and light meals. Harkening back to an era before coffee house homogenization, Coffee Emporium is a meeting place of art, ideas, and tastes.
Neon's Unplugged
Back in the 1980s and 1990s there was a bar filled with Neon Signs that was the cornerstone of Over-The-Rhine's Mainstreet Entertainment District. This bar is now back, and offers a visitor a large selection of craft and local beer, a beergarden with a bocce ball court, and a laid back friendly atmosphere. Live music sometimes is out on the beergarden.
Alchemize
Alchemize features many locally and nationally known indie music acts. Alchemize is also home to popular dance nights such as girls and boys.
The Dock
Gay night club.
Mainstay Rock Bar
Neighborhood style bar complete with large screen tv's for sporting events that also is a rock music venue that generally features local bands. Large craft beer selection as well as 24 oz beer for $4.
The Main Street Entertainment District located on Main Street north of 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine was a popular area featuring many clubs and bars. However the riots did their number on the district forcing just about every bar to close down during the 2000s. This isn't all doom and gloom as, there have been attempts to bring bars back up there with several notable night spots opening up in the last few years such as Neon's and Japp's. After a few years of Kentucky getting the attention, the center of nightlife in Cincinnati has shifted to the area near Fountain Square and the Arnoff Center, or Restaurant Row generally bounded by 8th St to the North, 5th St to the South, Vine St to the West and Main St to the East. The area is always busy on weekends, especially with many young professionals. Over the last few years it has been slowly growing with many new bars/clubs and other night spots opening up.
Across the Ohio River in Kentucky, many restaurants and nightspots are located along the riverbank in Covington's Mainstrasse District and the area of Newport around Newport on the Levee.
Local Beers
Due to its heavily German population Cincinnati was at one time one of the largest producers of beer in the United States . Prohibition and the anti-German backlash following World War I were not kind to Cincinnati's brewing legacy and by the end of the 20th century very little beer was produced in town. Today there is a revival of long dead local brands and recipes led by the new Christian Moerlien Brewing Company. They are even starting to brew them in an old brewery in Over-The-Rhine. If you see beers at a bar such as Burger, Hudy/Hudepohl, Little Kings, and the premium Christian Moerlien beers, get one of them for a bit of local culture. Surprisingly the only large Brewery left that currently brews in town is Sam Adams, which just happens to produce more beer in Cincy than in its hometown of Boston and is according to its founder based off of an old Cincy recipe!
Whiskey Dicks
Whiskey Dicks is a popular college bar/club with Rock, Country and dj's.