Craving French food?
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end French restaurants around Cincinnati, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill.
1. Boca
Topping the list is Boca. Located at 114 E. Sixth St. in Central Business District, it's the highest rated high-end French restaurant in Cincinnati, boasting 4.5 stars out of 374 reviews on Yelp.
Boca offers a rotating menu of French and Italian dishes from chef-owner David Falk. Try main dishes like the Mountain River Farms Venison with red cabbage purée, pear mostarda, maitake mushroom, housemade goetta and sauce poivrade; of the Beef Tenderloin Boca, complete with king crab, fingerling potatoes, chard and sauce béarnaise. There's also a selection of vegetarian and gluten-free options.
2. Bauer Farm Kitchen
Next up is Central Business District's Bauer Farm Kitchen, situated at 435 Elm St. With 4.5 stars out of 118 reviews on Yelp, the modern European restaurant has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge.
The menu here features “French-German ideas" with a "rustic approach,” devised by chef Jackson Rouse. For example, there's beef tartare — consisting of black garlic, celeriac, sunny quail egg, watercress and horseradish-rye crisps — and dry-aged duck breast — made of violet mustard jus, squash puree, rye berry, Oma’s red cabbage and pickled plum.
3. Restaurant L
Central Business District's Restaurant L, located at 301 E. Fourth St., Suite 450, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy French restaurant and bar 4.5 stars out of 75 reviews.
Owned by friends, chef Jean-Robert de Cavel and maitre’d Richard Brown, the fine-dining establishment aims to offer Parisian fare with New York City flare — and Cincinnati charm. Restaurant L offers menus for a variety of occasions, including quick lunches and leisurely prix fixe tasting experiences. Expect appetizers like foie gras, made with rhubarb, steel cut oats, turnips, duck confit and duck jus. And main courses include red snapper served with bok choy, snow peas, sea beans, taro and mushroom broth.
4. Jean-Robert's Table
Jean-Robert's Table, a French spot in Central Business District, is another pricey go-to, with four stars out of 214 Yelp reviews. Head over to 713 Vine St. to see for yourself.
The namesake of French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, the restaurant serves a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups, entrées and more. Sample the French country-style soup, featuring duck leg confit and white beans. For a full meal, look for options like the skate fish wings with roasted fingerling potatoes, lettuce snow peas and mushroom duelle.
