The 8 most-anticipated new restaurants in Cleveland
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
2022 was a banner year for a Cleveland food scene that saw more than two dozen restaurants open their doors.
Why it matters: Several noteworthy chefs — old and new — are looking to continue that momentum in 2023 with fresh concepts and designs.
- Here are some of the most-anticipated restaurants opening this year.
Opening: March 1
Details: Wolf Pack Chorus opens next week in Little Italy with what its website calls "globally inspired cuisine" served in an "approachable upscale dining experience."
- The dinner menu includes everything from a Nashville-style duck confit to salmon with pistachio risotto.
Opening: March
Details: Michelin-starred chef Dante Boccuzzi is stepping away from his traditional upscale dining format with Dukes n' Boots.
- The restaurant and bar in Willoughby will feature Southern comfort food centered on what he's dubbed "glorifried chicken."
Opening: Spring
Details: Chef Rocco Whalen's Fahrenheit has been a go-to spot in Tremont for two decades. Its move to downtown will fittingly be grand.
- The re-imagined Fahrenheit will take up two stories in Pubic Square with a rooftop bar in the former home of John Q's Steakhouse, a landmark location in Cleveland.
Opening: Spring
Details: Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison, owners of popular Salt+ in Lakewood, have been busy.
- The duo is turning the former Felice Urban Café space on Larchmere Boulevard into Poppy with a downstairs bar and second-floor dining area featuring a traditional food menu.
Opening: Spring/summer
Details: When owner Matthew Stipe closed his popular Gordon Square sausage and poutine bar in 2020, he insisted it was just temporary.
- A man of his word, Stipe is bringing Banter back to Gordon Square in a bigger space on Detroit Avenue formerly occupied by Minh Anh.
Opening: Spring
Details: Chef Andrew Mansour, who previously worked at Zhug and Edwins, plans to open his own "shareable steakhouse," Artis, in the space previously occupied by Side Quest Bar in Lakewood.
- Mansour tells Axios the location will feature an art deco vibe influenced by his time as a chef in Miami and New York, as well as his native Cleveland.
Opening: Summer
Details: Lao Sze Chuan isn't locally owned, but it comes with big-city pedigree.
- The famed Chinese restaurant group based in Chicago will open its first Ohio location in the space formerly occupied by City Works in Pinecrest.
Opening: September
Details: The aforementioned owners of Salt+ are also preparing Evelyn, a Spanish-style restaurant with elevated tapas and paella.
- Vedaa and Parkison are overseeing a major reconstruction of the former Spice Kitchen + Bar space at West 58th Street and Detroit Avenue.
Be smart: Restaurant opening dates can change, so check the venues' websites and social media pages for updates.