December was dominated by the news of restaurant closures. But there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The new year will see the opening of at least five big-name restaurants, from Downtown to Hamilton. While three of the spots are locally owned, the other two are Columbus-based chains that are making their presence known in Cincinnati.
Here’s a look at the most anticipated restaurants set to open in 2025.
Salazar, Downtown
Salazar, the beloved Over-the-Rhine restaurant that closed last November, will relocate to the former Saks Fifth Avenue building, Downtown, by the spring of 2025. Owner Jose Salazar – a 2024 finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef-Great Lakes Region – signed a lease for the 8,300-square-foot ground floor property, which is owned by Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.
The restaurant will be located below Paycor’s new headquarters on the second floor. The new Salazar will feature three private dining rooms and a menu that will include many Salazar classics with an added emphasis on seafood.
Carmagnola, Hamilton
A modern Italian steakhouse with a farm-to-table focus will open in downtown Hamilton this spring. Carmagnola is the brainchild of Jess Allman, a former director of development at Miami University. She said that she is hoping to bring a little taste of the Italian American culture she grew up with in Steubenville, Ohio, to Hamilton.
The kitchen will be headed by chef de cuisine Jackson Rouse, formerly of Bauer European Kitchen, Downtown, and more recently 50 West Brew Pub on Wooster Pike. Jesse Bonney will be the chef de patisserie and Logan Adams and Kody Cain will serve as head bartenders. The menu will feature meat and produce sourced from Butler County farms, house-made pasta and, of course, steaks.
A separate cocktail bar, called The Grey, will offer tipples at night, as well as coffee service in the morning and lunch in the afternoon. Carmagnola will also feature an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven, and a 13-seat chef’s table.
Marigold, Downtown
The English gastropub from Anthony Sitek and Haley Nutter-Sitek’s Crown Restaurant Group will be located around the corner from Fountain Square, inside 3CDC’s Foundry development. CRG also owns some of Greater Cincinnati’s finest restaurants, including Losanti, Five on Vine and Young Buck Deli in Over-the-Rhine, as well as Rosie’s Italian, Crown Cantina and Crown Republic, Downtown.
Menu items will include oysters topped with HP Sauce, steak-and-ale pie and fish and chips with malt vinegar aioli. Like most traditional gastropubs in London, there will also be a substantial Indian component, including lamb pie with graham masala, butter chicken and house-made naan. A drinks menu will focus on classic British cocktails such as the Pimm’s Cup and English-style bitters. The restaurant is scheduled to open in February.
Cap City Diner, University Heights
Cap City Diner, which opened in late December, represents the Columbus-based Cameron Mitchell Group’s return to Cincinnati. The elevated diner is located on the ground floor of the new Hotel Celare, a 171-room Tribute Portfolio Hotel, just across the street from the University of Cincinnati. The restaurant features indoor seating for 170 guests and outdoor seating for 60.
The menu focuses on elevated versions of classic diner items, including meatloaf, sandwiches fried chicken, fish and chips, pecan-crusted pork chops and more. You can also order potato chips topped with blue cheese and alfredo sauce, and a huge hunk of chocolate cake.
This is Cap City’s fourth location in Ohio.
Northstar Cafe, Kenwood
Another Columbus-based restaurant making inroads in Cincinnati is Northstar Cafe, which will open its second Queen City-area location at Kenwood Towne Center in 2025. Northstar opened its first restaurant in Columbus’ Short North neighborhood in 2004. There are now six locations across Ohio, including its first Greater Cincinnati location, which opened in Liberty Township in 2016. The local chain offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. What sets it apart is its attractive dining rooms and a dedication to using local and/or organic ingredients.
Menu items include everything from breakfast burritos to wood-fired pizzas, vegetarian Thai burritos and cast-iron steak enchiladas. The restaurant also offers a variety of cocktails, including its signature Northstar margarita, and a selection of wine and craft beers. As of press time, the official opening date had yet to be announced.
This story has been updated with the now-announced Marigold restaurant name and corrected information about Cameron Mitchell Group’s past in Cincinnati.