Zula Restaurant & Wine Bar
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Zula Restaurant & Wine Bar
Zula is a modern, relaxed restaurant located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. We feature an extensive wine list, a unique and eclectic menu, and a location in the heart of a burgeoning arts district. Visit us before or after your downtown event! Call us at (513) 744-9852 today and make your reservation.

Chef Vik joined The Celestial Restaurant in 2000 after relocating with his family from San Francisco, where he spent time honing his culinary craft for delighted guests at Maria Therese (the luxurious Sherman House Hotel) and the colorful Ruby Skye. Born in 1960 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Vik determined to become a chef after discovering his passion for cuisine while working as a restaurant Food and Beverage Manager.
Services
Elegant, radiates honeysuckle & lemon aromas. Chenin Blanc adds to the lean, clean body, minerality, brightness and overall floral characteristics. Twists of lemon, white grapefruit and aromas of herbs along flavors of green apple and macadamia nut18.00/375ML. The Pfalz sunny region is often called the "Tuscany of Germany".
Reviews (22)
Stephanie B.
Stephanie B.
Jan 16, 2022
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Absolutely great experience! The food was outstanding and the service and attention to detail was great! A great place to "sneak" in reservations when other more "mainstream" options are full. Would definitely go back
Ciera B.
Ciera B.
Jan 12, 2022
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Cannot go wrong with Zula. Their mussels are absolutely amazing. Everyone I've brought here has loved it. I am excited to return and try other things on their menu, I'm sure they won't disappoint!
Erica Z.
Erica Z.
Jan 11, 2022
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The yellow fin tuna crudo is seriously the best in the city! Zula has a unique calamari that is also always on my list to get there. The mussels are great as well as the flatbreads. Their cocktail list is fun & wine list has great choices! It's the perfect place for a date night or dinner before a show at Music Hall.
Kim F.
Kim F.
Dec 30, 2021
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This was one of the best meals I've had in so long. I took my sister and BIL there for a birthday celebration. They stated that this was one of the top meals they have had in Cincinnati. We can't wait to go back!
John G.
John G.
Dec 24, 2021
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Tuna crudo was awesome. Pretty small though.

The bread basket was a great call foe the dipping into the broth. We got the yellow curry mussels. 10/10. Really, really good.

Wife got the Kale salad, good too.

Would get those same mussels and probably another, maybe the Thai.
Kiley K.
Kiley K.
Nov 29, 2021
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Been here a couple times and it's always a treat. We arrived before they opened for dinner service so we had to wait until after 5 to be seated. Ordered a tasty lemon/lavender cocktail and delicious charred calamari served on a bed of greens to to start. Yellow fin tuna and Thai mussels are other personal favorites that are a hit with all palates and go great with a side of bread. The Spanish flatbread was the perfect pizza and helps to fill you up. Highly recommend you add some variety to your order to experience all the different flavors Zula has to offer!
Roy V. D. Berg
Roy V. D. Berg
Nov 26, 2021
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Very cozy and calm little café. They serve a variety of dishes ranging from egg specials to the humble coffee and apple pie. Very nice interior as well which creates a very warm ambiance.
Stacey V.
Stacey V.
Nov 22, 2021
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OMG What an amazing date Night!!

We havent been out much since COVID but after attending a play we decided to hit up Zula and Im so glad we did!

We stopped by Saturday night and were promptly seated in the "community" table. i.e. tables are super close together. We ordered wine, mussels, crudo... all the things! as we were awaiting our food our neighbor guests arrived. We all quickly become friends and chatted the evening away! To be honest the food was amazing but making friends with others was a big part of the experience we enjoyed.

Now for the food!! OMG do yourself a favor and
Mark F.
Mark F.
Nov 12, 2021
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While the ambience is excellent it's the nuances of flavor in the sauces, breads and every single item on the menu that make this place stand out. An absolute excellent lineup of food backed up with great wines at every level of investment, from 1st and 2nd mortgage wines up to Chapter 7 wines for the bold at heart and pocket.
Yewon Adriana L.
Yewon Adriana L.
Nov 08, 2021
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Lovely place with sensible, friendly staff and great food. I was told Mussels & flatbread are their specialities. Spanish style has chorizo which was fun and the flatbread.. I dunno what they put in the balsamic but it was so delicious for a simple dish! Breads are made in-house and you can taste the soft, sweet quality. It's a bit on the pricey side as are many tapas-style restaurants but worth it for special occasions. Happy we found a solid favorite in Cincinnati, excited to go again!
Mary Beth R.
Mary Beth R.
Nov 06, 2021
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It's been about a month and I can't stop thinking about how delicious the mussels were! We came here before a soccer game and it was a great atmosphere with great drinks!

Definitely recommend trying a couple things since the portions were a little small
Emerald I.
Emerald I.
Oct 23, 2021
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This place has amazing food and wide selection of fine wines and cocktails. Their crudo and seafood tasted really fresh. The ambiance is great, the crowd is very diverse. Centrally located in OTR. Amazing spot to bring friends or family!
Shakeel Khan
Shakeel Khan
Oct 03, 2021
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From the outside its pretty but food was so tasteless never had I such tasteless chicken you can tell that they are just open my chicken had no seasoning what so ever and im not exaggerating If you have covid or not it doesn't matter either way you wil taste nothing real amateurs.
Alex W.
Alex W.
Oct 01, 2021
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Still love this place! Forgot to take pics until dessert! As always, definitely get the French classic mussels
Tyler M.
Tyler M.
Sep 22, 2021
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Zula is one of my favorite spots in Cincinnati. Great for meeting with friends, a date, or even by yourself. I do recommend a reservation, unless you can snag a seat at the bar.

They have an extensive wine menu with great prices. There's a good assortment of wine at each price level. The wait staff is always great with providing recommendations.

They're known for their mussels and it's for a reason. They're so good -- my favorite are the Napoli. Everything is small plates and designed for sharing so you can try plates. Also really like the Rare Seared Scottish Salmon, though
Foodie R.
Foodie R.
Sep 19, 2021
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Been here twice in short order. Once with my boyfriend and once with some friends. The food was excellent. Really the mussels are so well done and the bread is fantastic. I prefer the classic and Thai broth to the tomatoey ones but honestly that probably comes down to taste. Cocktails are solid, atmosphere seems nice and the desserts are great. Definitely worth it. It is hard to get good shellfish in Ohio but these mussels were so very good.
Lorinn S.
Lorinn S.
Aug 07, 2021
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We forgot how amazing Zula is. Why did we forget? I guess because we haven't been here due to Covid!
So happy to be back!!!!
They have fabulous food and always wonderful service.
Tonight, the bartenders were the best, made our night even more fun than it already was. Thank you David and Alex!!
What a great meal!
We love their mussels so much.
Can't wait to come back!!
Chrissy T.
Chrissy T.
Aug 05, 2021
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Update: I recently went there for my another friend's birthday. With COVID, I would definitely recommend putting in a reservation. Only downside of this night was that once we were seated. It took over 30+ mins for us to get a server. They kept walking past which I understand they were busy but they could of at least acknowledged us and brought water. We had to flag a busboy down to send a server over. &It was still super loud and crowded.
Jay N.
Jay N.
Jun 20, 2021
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We came to Zula relatively last minute. Very lucky to have gotten a reservation on this Saturday evening. We ended up liking this place so much that we came back a few weeks later for second take.

We were seated at the bar area near the oven. Very cool spot as we were able to watch one of the chefs hard at work making and baking flat breads. The chef we saw was very kind and additionally provided us with tips and guidance on the menu.

Per usual we started some drinks. Several wine by the glass options were available and most of the wines are mid to very dry. Not much if you're looking for
Emily L.
Emily L.
May 08, 2021
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I had high expectations for Zula and honestly It was very unexciting. The food here is nothing that I think I would crave and want to come back for. The crudo was honestly not anything that stood out and for 14 dollars I was just expecting more. The haricot verts were honestly a little weird to my taste buds as it definitely tasted more acidity and saltiness to it in my opinion and only mostly tasted like parsley. The mussels were the saving grace for Zula as I got the Funghi mussels. The broth was perfect and if you get the bread, a perfect sauce that compliments it. Bottom line.. try Zula out
Michelle B.
Michelle B.
May 04, 2021
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We had such a fabulous evening here! We came during Restaurant Week but my fiancé was the only one who decided to try the three course meal. He was quite pleased- he said his favorite part was the salted caramel creme brûlée. I tried a bite and I have to agree it was delicious. My sister and I split a few things. We started with the deconstructed lamb. This had such an amazing combination of flavors. We also had rare seared salmon. It was so fresh and the citrus-basil vinaigrette was the perfect touch. Our favorite item we ordered was the French classic mussels pot. Oh my goodness they were
Summi A.
Summi A.
Mar 19, 2021
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I cannot believe that I have been here so many times and never written a review. We've been here for a quick bite before attending a show at Music Hall. We've popped in for a date night when we couldn't find a table elsewhere. We've entertained clients here. We've celebrated birthdays. We've caught up with friends over bowls of mussels. And I've been here for a pre-dinner drink at the bar with friends.

Since Zula has opened, it has been a staple for time well spent with friends or just one-on-one with my husband. It's consistent. The food is excellent.