The Davidson

Review summary

1. E

   Elizabeth VIP

   Louisville7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great experience and great food. Highly recommend
   

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2. L

   Lisa

   Cincinnati1 review

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   First time diners at The Davidson. The ambiance was lively & our server, Emmett, was delightful. He was friendly & offered excellent suggestions. The Moroccan Roasted Eggplant was delicious!
   

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3. J

   Josh VIP

   Cincinnati4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   This was our first time at The Davidson, and we visited with a couple of friends to celebrate. Our experience started off with a champagne toast from our wonderful waiter, Mario, which was a lovely touch for the whole table. We then enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Noir, which was incredibly jammy with strong strawberry notes. To start, we had the arancini (fried risotto croquettes with mortadella and red sauce), which were perfectly prepared. We also tried the Moroccan roasted eggplant (with roasted garlic tahini, harissa oil, herbs, and grilled Allez Bakery sourdough), which was prepared tableside and was both flavorful and fun. The cacio e pepe butter that came with the Bread & 3 Butters (shallot compound butter, cacio e pepe butter, grass-fed Irish butter, Blue Oven baguette) was a standout, packed with peppery goodness and a table favorite. For our mains, we had the brick-pressed chicken au vin (forest mushrooms, Parisian carrots, bacon lardons, mashed potatoes, and Bordeaux jus). The chicken was tender, though a little on the salty side. The scallops grenobloise (with brown butter, lemon, capers, haricot vert, butternut puree, and house croutons) were perfectly cooked and incredibly rich. To end the night on a high note, Mario treated us to another round of champagne, which was the perfect finish to a great meal. He was amazing and truly made the evening special. We would definitely love to be seated in his section again.
   

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4. D

   Diane M VIP

   Cincinnati6 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   I was so excited to visit our daughter’s favorite new restaurant for the first time! Reservation @ 2pm on Saturday with almost empty restaurant & only a few people on the patio. We sat right at the entrance to the patio & quickly ordered apps, entrees & drinks and then watched as everyone around us was served & onto dessert. Reminded our waitress twice that we were still waiting & she stated it was almost done. Over on hour without our entrees & watching people who came after us eating dessert - we decided to leave. Manager comp’d the drinks & apps but sad to say we will not be returning.
   

   The DavidsonResponded 3 days ago

   Hello Diane, I want to express our sincere apologies for your experience at the Davidson. It is never our intention for anyone to feel overlooked or neglected, It’s clear we fell short during your visit. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to wait so long while watching others enjoy their meals. We deeply value your feedback, and we would love the opportunity to make things right. Please allow us to invite you back, on us, to show you the true level of service and hospitality that we strive to provide every guest. I would be grateful to connect directly with you to ensure we make your next experience a memorable one for all the right reasons. Please feel free to reach out to me directly, and we will take care of the rest. Warm Regards, Bradford Conroy General Manager
   

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5. K

   Katherine VIP

   Cincinnati5 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   My honest review of the Davidson. My good friend and I dined here on a Friday evening. Our first thoughts were how beautiful the restaurant was. I loved the look of the bar and the chandeliers. Interior was very nice. Vibe was relaxing. Service was fine, nothing to write home about. Drinks came out in a timely manner, I loved the espresso martini but the olive oil martini was a little too strong for me. Let's get to the food. My favorite dish of the night was the hamachi crudo with blood orange. Balanced, flavorful, fresh, citrusy. I loved it. This was really the only dish that blew me away. The alpine fondue was good - reminded me of the melting pot and I'm happy they served it with apples. The eggplant was suggested - it was alright, no new flavor profiles there but decent. We split the Italian salad and it was pretty good, tasted as expected. The chicken au vin was unfortunately dry, but the mashed potatoes were delicious. I ordered both desserts and I wasn't impressed with either. The strawberry panna cotta had a VERY watery strawberry syrup on top that threw off the texture. I liked the addition of basil and the brittle - but changing the consistency of that syrup to something thicker and maybe infusing the panna cotta with the basil flavor would put this dish together better. The pot de creme was so boring... think chocolate jello topped with plain whipped cream. I am shocked my server suggested it. Not worth $12 and was seriously lacking flavor. Overall, I would probably return to try a few different dishes. I do think improvements need to be made to their food and they should really dial in with some of their dishes. Some seemed to have much more thought than others. 4/5 is appropriate for overall.
   

   The DavidsonResponded 3 days ago

   Hello Katherine, Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the ambiance and the hamachi crudo, but I’m truly sorry that some of the food and desserts didn’t meet your expectations. We take great pride in our dishes, and your comments about the chicken au vin and panna cotta will help us refine our offerings. It’s clear that some dishes resonated more than others. We will work to ensure greater consistency across the menu. We hope to welcome you back soon to show you the quality and care we aim for. Warm Regards, Bradford Conroy General Manager
   

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6. J

   Joni

   Cincinnati5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Very enjoyable meal. We loved the eggplant appetizer.
   

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7. J

   Jo

   Cincinnati9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great atmosphere, good food and service. Had lunch on Reds Opening Day and was pleasantly surprised how good the service was on such a busy day.
   

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8. J

   John

   Cincinnati2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great new fine dining option downtown. Service from the Captain to the wait staff was excellent. Mario knew everything about the menu.
   

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9. M

   Mary

   Cincinnati3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious meal in a great location. Loved the pressed chicken.
   

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10. D

    Don VIP

    Cincinnati235 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Super second visit. Great food, service and vibe. Loved the scallops!
    

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