Anea Bistro

Careless and inadequate.
Briefly: we arrived and were shown a table in front of the door that was cold. When I asked, before even sitting, to have another table instead, they refused even though there were two available. Their only answer «it would confuse things» or «others are coming». What? All three were identical four-​tops. They repeatedly refused and the manageress just turned and walked away. At that point we should have left. We took our seats only to find the table itself was broken and would not sit flat. The server came to fix it.
I had the ravioli entrée. It was undercooked, the pasta was still hard. The chef came and said «I’ve never heard that before» so I replied «which is why you need to know».
My wife specifically asked for her soup to be served hot and guess what, when it arrived it was tepid and had to be sent back to be heated.
I feel sorry for the servers who were terrific. So I tipped appropriately. But we will never return. They clearly don’t care.

We stopped here on a weeknight for dinner spur-​of-​the-​moment and were pleasantly surprised! There were only two other tables occupied, but at least one additional person came in for take-​out. The server was personable and very helpful with the recommendations. We split the arugula salad, which was a great start. I love beets, and the vinaigrette was light and delicious. Hubby opted for the pork cheeks, and I ordered the oxtail ragu. Of course, half way through we switched so that we could taste both entrees! Loved them both! The pork cheeks were tender and flavorful. The polenta was yummy too. (Not sure about the other review that said there was too much cheese; ours was perfect!) The pappardelle noodles were handmade and just right! The oxtail was wonderful! We also ordered the espresso ganache hazelnut tart with raspberry coulis for dessert. Definitely a must order! Yes, the entrees are on the pricey side (thus the one less star), but we thought they were worth it and will return!

Party of two on a weeknight. Specifically requested that we not be seated by the front door since it was a bitterly cold day (as other reviewers had shared this info). Walked in to a room with 25 tables, only 2 of them occupied and was seated at the first table past the door. Disappointing. Looked over the menu, started with the arancini ($ 7 for 3 of them): overcooked risotto, flavorless sauce, high price… Disappointing. Ordered the Kale and Pear salad ($ 8): plain kale, weird vinaigrette dressing, too much salt, poached pear tasted like potpourri (allspice, maybe?), candied walnuts from a bag… Disappointing. One entrée was braised pork cheeks ($ 29 — yea, $ 29): small but flavorful, polenta had way too much cheese, and $ 29… Disappointing. Other entrée was the seared scallops (3 diver scallops for $ 28, yea, 3 scallops) and boring couscous in a watery sauce, small and… yea, you guessed it: disappointing. Total damage (including 2 glasses of wine) over $ 100 without tip: disappointing. I appreciate the thought of a new independent restaurant as we struggle to not drown in sad, boring chains, however, this place has a long way to go. Menu and flavors are poorly developed, confused, and overpriced. Yes, it may be located in the heart of Montgomery, and yes, there are pasty surburbanite yuppies that will eat this place up; don’t be one of them. There are lots of better, independent, chef-​driven restaurants in Cincinnati with more value for your hard-​earned dollar than this place. Sure, it’s got potential, but so far, it has missed the mark… Disappointing. Also, these guys trained under/​worked with Jean-​Robert de Cavel?! Unbelievable… Has Jean-​Robert been here? He would be… disappointed.

New find in Montgomery with a lovely menu. Had the oxtail ragu and it was wonderful with fresh noodles

Great new place tucked away in Montgomery! The service was great and everyone was very welcoming. Wonderful interior makeover from its previous design. Very upscale and hip, yet welcoming. Food was delicious! I had the butternut squash ravioli ravioli. It was fabulous! The ravioli is definitely homemade and filling. My friend had the pork loin sandwich and loved it. Pork sliced thin and accompanied by homemade French fries. She took half home. I had iced tea and my total bill was only $ 12! For fresh delicious food! Will definitely spread the word and definitely return!