D. Burnham’s

Big disappointment. We went in on a Friday evening and no one was there. We decided to stay but sat at the bar. Service was good. I don’t recommend the dates for the sauce was burnt. The tuna had too many flavors that you really couldn’t enjoy it. I don’t know that I would go back since there are so many other wonderful restaurants in Cincinnati.

My husband and I dined here for NYE. The restaurant is cleanly, staff is very nice, food was good. However, our service was absolutely horrible. I expected a much better dining experience for the money we spent. We will not be back just based on the service we received.

I’ve been a Cincinnatian for most of my life and I had never heard or been to this restaurant. My husband and I decided to have a nice dinner out for New Year’s Eve. I was thoroughly impressed with the food, décor and atmosphere. The filet was well worth it. It is costly but was certainly worth it.

Lovely food, great service and lovely ambience. Must try stuffed dates, shrimp cargot, roasted fig flatbread. Will surely comeback.

D Burnham’s is a nice little bar at the Renaissance Marriott. The décor here is pretty nice– with a central bank theme. They also have punch Monday to Thursday for charity which is cool. The food offerings are ok, the service is decent and so is the selection of drinks. I think my favorite aspect of this location is the décor.

I’ve been in here for happy hour and more recently, for a late night drink on a Thursday — really nice atmosphere, clean facilities, decent drink offerings. The time I went in for Happy Hour, I sat at the bar and had really good service. This last time though, for the late night drink, we had to chase our waitress down for our bill and it took quite a while to get one beer.
I wouldn’t mind trying the food sometime, perhaps that would increase my stars rating. Its a solid venue for a quiet drink with friends after work though.

From best to worst:
Service: friendly and timely
Atmosphere: looked classy, but playing Top 40 tunes kind of ruined the vibe
Food: Lord, have mercy!
1) Bread: When our server asked, «Would you like some fresh bread?» I thought she was serious. The pretzel bites were as hard as diamonds, and the rye bread wasn’t much closer to being fresh.
2) Caesar Salad: One of the worst I’ve ever had. The greens were wet, as if they had just been cleaned, the Caesar dressing was nearly without taste, and the hard-​as-​hell croûton on top of the salad was almost indestructible.
3) Filet: They ruined an excellent cut of beef by failing to season it with salt and pepper, which is all it needed. To add insult to injury, they covered it with a terrible demi-​glacé,
4) Papperdelle Bolognese: The pasta was chewy and Chef Boyardee makes better sauce than that bolognese. I’m serious.
5) Bread Pudding: Round one was so hard that it was inedible. Paul tried stabbing his portion over and over with a spoon and could not make a dent in it. My best guess is that they tried to serve us yesterday’s leftovers. Since we had not uttered a negative word about the rest of the meal, we complained about the dessert. Our server brought us fresh bread pudding that was actually very good.
Next Restaurant Week, I’ll be picking the spot for dinner, and it won’t be B. Durnham’s!

I love the décor, the building has such beautiful and thoughtful design elements. It looks sophisticated and trendy, with a lot of gorgeous architecture, furniture and interior design pieces.
I had the most delicious appetizer, it was the Blackened Hawaiian Tuna on a bed of Asian slaw. It was perfect, with a touch of heat/​spice to it, but not over the top at all.
My server Mike was wonderful of course, and the manager, bartender and cocktail servers were all really lovely and attentive.
I went on a Thursday. They made a special craft-​cocktail punch that is $ 1 a glass, and the proceeds go to a children’s charity. I think they do it at happy hour, Monday-​Thursday. And they have an really good acoustic guitar singer/​songwriter that plays each Thursday as well. I highly recommend it.

Hidden gem in downtown Cincinnati! The food is excellent, the service is usually great and it’s very easy to get in and out at lunch. The bar happy hour is very good but get there early to get a seat! Kudos to Steve the bartender and Mike the bar server. They always provide great service!

Good now, probably even better tomorrow. We had lunch at 2PM on a Friday and were the only customers.
The décor is amazing. D Burnham’s easily makes my Top 5 Visually Engaging Restaurants. We sat at the bar stool benches (away from the bar) and everything was great. The placemats, the light fixtures, the stools, etc. were all fascinating. Their waiting area was elegant, cozy but not cramped, and very chic.
The food was fine. I wasn’t a big fan of the charcuterie and the Burger was a bit greasier than preferred.
The price was high but to-​be-​expected for a hotel restaurant.
The service was excellent. Our server really knew what he was talking about and was able to answer nearly all of my misc questions.
I got the sense that D Burnham’s is still new and improving every day so I look forward to returning.

VERY slow service, less than average food. I don’t expect this place to be around long. Take your $ 200 and spend it at Ruby’s or The Precinct.
15 minutes for a bourbon on the rocks. Not exaggerating.

3.5 stars, really. We’ve only been once so far and weren’t wow-​ed, but it was enjoyable enough that we would go again.
The ambiance is contemporary upscale, with dark hues and bright accents, and a sort of a lounge vibe that isn’t bad. I liked the big windows along the wall, giving glimpses of street life, and the game boards at the sofas. (There were two kids playing checkers while their families ate. It was cute.)
The menu has quite a good variety of options. Prices are definitely upscale. To be honest, I don’t remember what we ordered except the cheese plate, which was very good and plentiful. I do remember that we *liked* our entrees, FWIW. (I think I got a duck dish? I think my husband got a small steak of some sort?)
When we went, D. Burnham’s hadn’t been open for that long, and it was only noticeable in the service. It wasn’t *bad* but it wasn’t polished either. Our server was friendly, but not quite smooth or quick with his delivery or recommendations. There were some noticeable gaps too, like between seating and getting our drink order taken, and then between appetizer and entrees. Nothing major, just the kind of thing an establishment of this order should smooth out with time.
So yeah, a solid experience, with room for improvement. Food is king, though, and the food here was good. That rates high enough for a return.

This review is about their lunch. I recently had a work holiday lunch here. We made a reservation for 8 with no issues. The service upon arriving was fantastic and they seated us immediately.
The décor reminded me of every restaurant inside popular Vegas casinos. Very modern and a bit pretentious. The crazy thing is how little the food seemed to match the décor. The best way to describe the food is classy comfort food. We’re talking pulled pork sandwiches, bbq burgers, and even a classy BLT.
The consensus was that everything was delicious. I can’t vouch for their dinner service, but will definitely be returning for lunch again

I’ve been looking forward to trying D Burnham’s, so my girlfriends and I went for happy hour and sat in the bar area. The lounge is pretty funky and modern, with a combo of high top tables and low tops with oversized leather chairs (the table tops actually spin so you can adjust the height). Our waitress was super friendly and helpful, and suggested I order the Cucumber Mule, which I already heard rave reviews about. It seemed gin and tonic-​esque, and was very light and refreshing. My girlfriends also split a bottle of wine, and shared the soft pretzels and fig flatbread — yum! The clientele seemed to be more business professionals, but that might’ve been due to the fact we went on a Wednesday evening. They also have private space available for large groups, which could come in handy.

This was my first trip here after a Unilocal tasting event. I recommended it to my colleagues for a new employee lunch and everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the Scottish Salmon which had an amazing crust on it and a delicious sauce. The atmosphere is quite unique and fun. Love the curtains separating the booths and the comfy chairs. They historic architecture is very cool and adds to the whole experience. Service was also quite good. It did take a bit to receive our food so I probably wouldn’t go there on a time crunch but everything is obviously prepared fresh. Can’t wait to go back and try a dinner.

****I want to update this to mention that my stepmother, who joined me for dinner, valet parked her car at the hotel. One valet went to get her car, and another had to go help him. They burned out her clutch. Totally ruined it. Who hires valets who can’t drive a stick? Oh… and they didn’t pay for the repairs.
Enjoy the food. Valet at your own risk.

Cheese plate was really good and the only good part.
I was told the $ 34 scallop entrée is not a big amount and good for not very hungry people. I expected at least 4 scallops, only 2, yes, ONLY TWO. Actually my friend couldn’t even help laughing when we saw the plate. Also, the vegetable with scallop was not good prepared, no seasoning, tasted like napkin. I think when they recommend it, it would be more accurate to say this is for very very full people. Dessert was a white chocolate avocado cream, which tasted like guacamole, me and my friend weren’t be able to appreciate or finish it.
I had a bad stomachache this morning, I will never go back to this place. Very disappointed.

What a fantastic new gem in the Queen City! Nestled in the Renaissance Hotel in what used to be a bank, you walk through heavy gold doors past a modern, but inviting and comfortable lobby, past the live and vibrant bar with people laughing, maybe playing Heads Up at their table, and back to the dining area. The space is open and large, but they have somehow been able to make you feel at home. It might have something to do with the plush couches that you are seated at while dining. Hands down– one of the best couches I have ever been seated at. I wanted to prop my feet up on the soft fabric and firm cushion, and even wondered where my dog had gone. There are smaller nooks along the wall that allow for more intimate conversation and dining. The lighting is low, but we dined late and it felt perfect. Yes, I could make myself at home here.
We had a pretty large party, and from what I understand it was only the second night since their ribbon cutting ceremony. Add a 3 year old running around the table squealing with laughter, and probably 10 different checks at the end of the night. I am pretty sure we sent our staff running for a cocktail after we left. There were a few quirks with ordering and when the bills came, but the staff was wonderful, welcoming to everyone, attentive to water glasses and beverages and bread baskets (ladies, it’s worth the carbs… go Paleo some other time) that I was incredibly impressed. Even more impressive was the manager at our rowdy, happy, chatty group making sure we had everything, inquiring if we needed anything, and taking inventory as to how the staff was doing. He made our birthday guest feel special– which is exactly how she should have felt on her day.
The food was terrific. I wish I had taken pictures, but I was just too hungry. I ordered the scallops and frites fried in duck fat. They looked so amazing someone else at the table ordered one for herself when they came out. The dinner is a bit pricy, but I don’t remember a time when my scallops were perfectly seared and cooked perfectly inside and out. It came on a small salad of brussels sprouts with a sauce drizzled over it. Everyone else loved their food– from the peach salmon, the lamb, chicken, shrimp on a bed of crazy rice– excellent presentation.
I am excited to return for a girls night or even quiet dinner out. I have a feeling this place will turn into a favorite quickly.

Fun Fact: D. Burnham’s is named after the architect Daniel Burnham of Flatiron and Chicago World’s Fair fame. His firm also designed the Bartlett Building which houses the new Renaissance hotel, and its restaurant that bears his name. Fun Fact #2: The Bartlett Building was the tallest building in Ohio (albeit for a very brief amount of time)
Okay, now that I’ve geeked out a bit, the Renaissance has done a beautiful job of fixing up this building. The lobby, bar area and restaurant have a sophisticated eclectic look. (check out the blueprints of the building hanging in the small lobby on the Walnut Street side) We came in for an impromptu dinner and were seated at a long table with two couches on either side as seating, and I’ll admit, eating a fancy meal while sitting on a comfy couch is a surprisingly fun experience! More places should do this!
Anyway, the full dinner menu is pricey, but they do have a bar menu with more reasonably priced sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc. I got their poached beet salad which was fantastic! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals, and though we didn’t order any on this trip, their cocktail menu has some delicious sounding concoctions that I plan to try the next time I visit.

This is a neat little place. You almost miss it because you have to go all the way down to fourth and stop before you roll all the way down to the Banks. This is the restaurant that’s a part of the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, and you have to go into the Lobby to get to it.
It’s a really snazzy place! It’s got a nice level of sophistication, and, if you want, the up-​scale drinks to match it. They also have a pretty cool tic-​tac-​toe board to play with that we only saw on our way out — next time I suppose.
My only complaint is our bartender/server…he was kind of awkward, and wasn’t really sure about things. He may be new or something, and was probably hit by a crowd after the Reds game, so I wouldn’t put too much thought into it.
As a reference for price, I got a Canyon Road Cabernet for about $ 8, which you could easily get for $ 5 somewhere else. I think that’s right on par for the location, and the type of place it is.