Enjoy wood-fired Italian dishes and five varieties of negronis at Metsi’s in Italian Village, chef BJ Lieberman’s newest restaurant.
It’s only natural that the latest project from one of Columbus’ most celebrated chefs has landed on Columbus Monthly’s list of Best New Restaurants. Chef BJ Lieberman’s Metsi’s brings together the inventiveness that made him famous with the deep traditions of la cucina Italiana.
Set in the alleyside space Lieberman built for Hiraeth, the fine dining restaurant that opened in 2023 and closed after less than a year, Metsi’s has two realms—the refined and bright upstairs and the romantic lower level, where the chef’s fire burns. Upstairs, diners can sit at the bar counter or at a table, with the full menu available at both. Downstairs, the dining room opens to the chef’s counter, which faces all the action around the wood-fired hearth. There’s also a private dining room downstairs that can be reserved or provide the setting for wine tastings and other events hosted by the restaurant.
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Like the other menus created by Lieberman, who twice has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist, the offerings at Metsi’s are tightly curated and vary with the season. They follow the classic Italian rhythm of antipasti, pasta and entrée, though the pasta dishes easily are main dishes by themselves. In winter 2025, the familiar bolognese meat sauce dish ($26) is joined by a seafood Agnolotti ai Mare ($30) and Amorini e Cannellini featuring white beans, olive and artichoke ($22).
Main dishes range from eggplant parmesan ($29) to the Scottadito ($42), grilled lamb chops with a sunchoke puree and grilled frisee greens.
Metsi’s is named as an homage to the New York Mets, a favorite of Lieberman’s father, who grew up in New York. (The chef spent his formative years in the Washington, D.C., area.) The restaurant is the fourth for him and wife Bronwyn Haines, who also own Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge in the Short North. They closed the popular Chapman’s Eat Market in German Village in August.
If you haven’t, try a quintessential Italian cocktail like the negroni at Metsi’s ($14-$16, several options). Once your palate settles into the bitter notes the drinks are known for, lovely layers of sweet, floral and citrus begin to emerge. For dinner, the chef recommends everything, but in the winter, he especially loves the Radiatori Alla Roma ($28), a classic pasta amatriciana with guanciale, chile and pecorino cheese. “It’s all I want when it’s cold out,” he says.
About Metsi’s
36 E. Lincoln St., Italian Village
metsisitalian.com
Open Wednesday-Sunday for dinner
Price range: $22-$42
Recommended: Radiatori alla Roma, house negronis
This story appeared in the February 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Best New Restaurants of 2026 feature package. See the complete list of our top restaurants here. Subscribe to Columbus Monthly here.
Dining and Cooking