I took my wife here for one of the few "date nights" that we have away without our kids. Â I'm almost embarrassed that this restaurant was my choice. Â The dining experience was poor from the get go with a long wait at the door and an even longer wait for a much needed glass of wine. Â The food was so-so and the bill was large. Â We won't be heading here again....date night or otherwise.
Review Source:If this is what local ingredients can get you, I'll take mine from California. Â You cannot lose focus of the food when the food is what you are selling. Â Unimaginative dishes with poor seasoning. Â I did enjoy the dining environment, but most everything else was lack luster. Â If you want to charge for a finer level of dining, please provide the dining experience that one would expect from your establishment.
Review Source:Should be Zero stars. Yep, that is what you deserve when a customer @1:30 pm for Brunch - checking to make sure they are still serving and THEN 1. the server says "I'll get you sat" [not a typo for "seated"] 2. the coffee is barely warm 3. wait 25 minutes before being told they neglected to prepare what you ordered! Won't be in the mood to go back for a very long time.
Review Source:The only reason I am giving them any stars is because they had good mimosas and good coffee. But seriously, who cant make that happen? We walked in and there was no one to greet us for 10 minutes. Eventually after waving down a waitress she put our name down and said it would be a 3-5 minute wait. We waited for 20-25 minutes. Finally we were seated and ordered from what looked like an amazing menu. However when we got our food it was not satisfying. The eggs Benedict only had one egg when it should have had two. They drenched mine with sauce and hardly put any sauce on my friends. It took us forever to leave, their credit card machine was down. It was overall a horrible experience and despite the raving reviews we won't be back.
Review Source:I went here for brunch with a friend, excited to try a place that prepares the food with fresh, local ingredients. I had the french toast, which was made with Blue Oven bread, topped with figs and ricotta. It has a good texture, but wasn't the best french toast I have ever had. They were out of bacon, so mine came with goetta. Â It was my first time trying the unique Cincinnati goetta-- and I must say, it isn't bad. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to order it, though nectar does have an interesting looking goetta melt on the menu. Nectar also has delicious, well-seasoned spicy potatoes. Â The eggs benedict with salmon and chipotle-lime hollanaise is definitely something I'd like to try in the future. Â Service was a little slow, but acceptable. Overall, the food was good, and there are a couple things I would like to try, but in the end, I do prefer Annabel's. Â I'd also like to see what nectar offers for dinner as well.
Review Source:Listen up Foodies! This is the place to go! Don't be distracted by those new-fangled trendy restaurants in Over the Rhine. Awesome service and no wait for a table. Plus the food is a 1000 times better! These people are serious when comes to high quality and deliciousness. The menus change frequently and they truly care about your dining experience. Their effort and attitude truly shows.
Try sitting on the back patio if the weather is nice. Its quaint but cute and you'll love the cocktails!
Half Price bottles of wine on Wednesdays and Monthly Supper Club!
I really wanted to like Nectar. They use fresh, local ingredients and it's close enough that we can walk to it if we want to. We actually had a decent experience when we went here last summer, but we've been back since and it seems to have gone downhill.
We came for brunch once - thought we'd skip Annabel's for once since there's always a wait and Nectar is always empty. We realized that there's a reason they're always empty.
Each time we've gone in to Nectar the past few times, it seems like they're understaffed. The host at the front is never there when you walk in and you have to wait a few minutes. It almost seems like they're about to close.
For brunch, I had the carnitas and my wife had the chorizo scramble. The carnitas were way overcooked and tough, almost inedible. The chorizo scramble was OK, but nothing special.
We thought we'd give it another chance for dinner one Saturday night. We started with the mediterranean meze. Everything was (again) just OK, but the falafel was overcooked and extremely oversalted...ultimately a complete failure. My wife had the lamb sausage tamale for an entree and I had the Moroccan spiced farm hill chicken. The egg in the lamb sausage tamale was good, but everything else was pretty bad and my wife ended up not even wanting to finish it. We mentioned this to the waiter and he just said that that was too bad, but didn't offer anything to make up for it. The chicken I had was OK - a bit dry. The zaatar yogurt was the best part.
These major flaws in execution of the dishes on separate occasions make it unlikely we'll go back. It's not hard to see why Nectar is always empty these days, which is a shame because the restaurant is great conceptually.
Wonderful brunch, looking forward to going back for lunch and dinner.
We originally were planning on going to Annabel's for brunch, but after being told there was a two hour wait for a table for three we decided to try Nectar next door and we were not disappointed.  I had the seasonal vegetable frittata and a cornmeal biscuit; they were delicious. Easily the best frittata I have ever had. The cornmeal biscuit has bits of jalapeño mixed in creating a slightly spicy delightful biscuit. My husband ordered the carnitas dish and a friend had the goetta, both were very pleased. We arrived around 10:45 and didn't have a wait, but when we left the restaurant was full.
Nectar was a last minute decision for us. When we walked in, the restaurant was half empty and the hostess seemed put off that we didn't have reservations. She put us at one of the (many) available tables, and we ordered our wine. I like the idea of Nectar--mostly local food, local wine and beer. The food was good, but in very small portions for what you're paying for. We may be back for brunch, since that gets such good reviews, but probably won't be back for dinner.
Review Source:I took my mom here for Mother's Day Brunch, and it was a big hit. Definitely make reservations, because when we walked in, they were turning away anyone who didn't have a reservation. My mom got the French Toast- three big pieces made with sesame bread, and it ha a kind of citrus taste to it that was SO GOOD.
I had the eggs benedict which had salmon and a chipotle-lime hollandaise and was also amazing.
Both of our dishes were way too much food for us and came with bacon and fruit on the side. We just had coffee to drink and it ended up being under $30 for the meal, which is basically the same price as a first-watch type place, plus you can have a cocktail if you want and the food is way better.
Just a note- I had a friend who happened to go there for dinner the night before, and had a pretty different feeling about the place. She said that their portion sizes were so tiny, they had appetizers and entrees and still left hungry. I definitely encouraged her to go back for brunch!
Ever since I discovered the awesomeness that is Mt. Lookout Square I have wanted to eat brunch at Nectar and Annabel's. Both seemed to have amazing menus prepared by top chefs. However, I quickly discovered that Nectar is nothing more than a decent place to have brunch right away when Annabel's is on a hefty wait.
I wouldn't say that Nectar was bad but it certainly wasn't great either. My chorizo sausage scramble was pretty money but the potatoes left a lot to be desired (they tasted like they were just dropped in the deep fryer, the same way Perkins does there home-style potatoes) and the fruit was served on the same (hot) plate as my eggs and potatoes which made for warm fruit slightly covered in lingering tomatillo chipotle salsa from the chorizo scramble. These things would be forgivable if I was dining at IHOP and paying $6 but I'm at a place that some people consider to be among the best in Cincinnati and I'm paying $12. It wasn't just my food that was lacking either, my friend's fried egg was way over done and almost inedible as the edges of the egg were rubbery and hard (an almost unforgivable strike against a restaurant considering I learned how to cook a sunny side egg when I was five years old).
Also, the service was slow and uninspired which just made the whole experience lackluster. I've heard this is a common practice from other friends who have eaten here as well.
So my suggestion to those looking for a fun quality brunch in Mt. Lookout is to hold out for a table at Annabel's or be prepared to have a subpar to okay brunch at the neighboring Nectar.
This was our second visit. The preparation and presentation of the food was nice. I had the Amish Chicken. It was expertly spiced and quite enjoyable. A cheese appetizer was presented, explained, and again we enjoyed it.
ADVICE: when the restaurant is 1/4 th filled; it is ostentatious to behave as if finding a table is a challenge. Even if there are no tables, customers should be greeted with enthusiasm. We think of visiting retaurants less when met with pretention.
I think I must have discovered Cincinnati's best kept secret!
When searching Yelp for "organic" for the city, I am pretty sure this is the only place that popped up,...so with a two hour drive for a dinner destination, I was blown away that it wasn't more busy. Could have been a fluke. Â An amazing drive along the river into a homey neighborhood lead me to Nectar. Â The ambiance is comfortable, nothing too special - I only realized afterwards they have a patio in the back.
Dining alone, I settled in with, of course, a food magazine, and was simply amazed by my self prescribed 5 course dinner.
The cocktail I ordered was missing a key ingredient which I was informed of immediately and was offered a substitute. Which was pretty delicious. I ate the cheese platter on my own, yes- on my own. And of course had to try the fritters and amazingly fresh tomato salad. And only a sane person would have the peach dessert and eat every last bite.
Yum
I can only comment on the brunch experience, but boy, was it a good one! Â Full disclosure: we headed to Mt. Lookout Square on a sunny Sunday morning hoping to eat at Annabel's. Â But that spot had a 45 minute wait and we were hungry! Â Looked next door and noticed that Nectar had lots of tables open, and when we checked out the menu in the window, were pleasantly surprised that prices were on par with Annabel's. Â Plus, the entrees sounded delicious.
Brunch at Nectar delivered exactly what I want from a Sunday morning meal: excellent coffee, efficient, yet relaxed, service, and filling, amazing food. Â I was thrilled with the goetta sandwich, and I'm not a huge fan of goetta in general. Â I also love it when breakfast/brunch restaurants serve sides with their entrees. Â Seriously, why the a la carte trend at brunch spots? Â Nectar's sides are fresh fruit and very, very good spicy potatoes. Â All that and no wait at peak brunch time? Â Thank you.
At face value, Nectar looks great. It occupies what is essentially a corner of the street on the south end of Mt. lookout and has a open but cozy enough space while the dinner menu is filled with not-your-typical dinner options like pork shoulder. My kind of place.
Unfortunately, though, things go downhill from there. From my dinner experience, service was somewhat slow and execution on the food was off. Some dish components were too salty, others bland, and the shoulder was not braised long enough and thus, pretty tough. Add to that the small portion sizes and price, and the end result was a meal where the most memorable thing was the bill. Not bad food. Just not great, either.
Perhaps brunch is a different story, but with one of the my all-time Cincinnati  favorites, Annabels, right next door, I'm not sure when that might be. All in all, give it a try if you're bored of your usuals, but considering Nectar's price point and execution, you could probably find better in a number of other places around town like Local 127, Honey or LaPoste.
My friends and I stumbled upon Nectar because we were looking forward to Annabel's, which is right next door. Unfortunately, Annabel's had a 1-hour wait on Sunday morning, and we were starving/hung over so we tried to come up with other options. After reading Nectar's menu posted in the window, the brunch options looked pretty good, especially the Chorizo Scramble and sesame French toast. Their 10-minute wait (which ended up being more like 20, but still better than an hour) was also a plus.
There were a few things I liked - the cute, dimly lit interior; friendly waitress; and good coffee. There was only one chef working in the kitchen, so we ended up waiting almost an hour in total for our food anyway. The French toast was thick and moist, though I didn't love the sesame bread crust. Even though it was good and I was starving, I remember thinking that it wasn't the best I'd ever had. The Chorizo Scramble, though, was a major disappointment. Chorizo is supposed to be flavorful, fatty, and spicy, and the pieces of "meat" resembling pencil erasers in taste and texture just didn't do it for me. The salsa and unremarkable scrambled eggs tasted ok to gross at times. I always, ALWAYS finish my food, but I just couldn't this time. On a positive note, the breakfast potatoes were cooked to perfection, and the fresh fruit that came with it was...well, fresh. I think the food is ok here, but it may be a bit overhyped because I wouldn't choose to wait an hour for it again.
Hurray for Nectar brunch! I've been there for two Sunday brunches and my whole group has been happy both times. The wait is longer earlier on in the morning, but by about 1 or 1:15 it's pretty open. The french toast and shrimp and kimchi scramble are both really good. The scrambles come with fresh fruit and savory potatoes. Others in my group really liked the chorizo scramble, which I plan to try next time. Service is always friendly and the food is fresh. I like the decor- brightly colored, comfortably spaced, and the cute napkin rings are a nice touch.
Review Source:Dropped in after finding that Annabel's will be closed for a couple weeks. I was impressed with the quality of the food and wouldn't mind coming back again.
Just a couple things that prevented me from giving this place 5 stars.
1) There was a price discrepancy between what was listed on the menu and what was actually on the bill.
2) There's usually a wait, and service tends to be on the slow side. It was definitely much more noticeable today as Nectar took on many of the customers who had originally planned on going to Annabel's. Even so, I appreciate how they seated us early and served us coffee as we waited.
3) The place is pretty loud. The restaurant is just an open space, and with a packed house, you'll prob have to shout a little to carry a conversation. Normally though, the place isn't this full.
I'd recommend this place if you are looking for a classier feel, but otherwise, I'd rather just go to Annabel's next door. Still, Nectar is a fine establishment in their own right.
Picked this place for my birthday dinner with friends this year and while we all had a fabulous time, the food was just OK. I had heard and read such wonderful things that my expectations were pretty high.
The interior was simple and charming and our server was great. It was a bit strange to me though that the restaurant was almost completely empty at 7pm on a Thursday. I started with a field green salad with blueberries and goat cheese--fresh and good acid balance, but too heavily dressed such that the bottom layer of greens were totally doused in the vinaigrette.
My main course was salmon, which was absolutely beautifully presented, but really lacking in flavor. The salmon was in kind of a thin strip and cooked to about medium well, so not as juicy as it might have been. The grains and veg mix underneath was utterly missable.
A couple of other folks at the table also mentioned their food being "just OK", so maybe an off night for them? In any case, for the price, you can do a lot better in Cincinnati, so while I love the seasonal/local concept, Nectar just didn't deliver on execution.
Went for brunch today. Â We got coffee (great) and OJ (Tropicana). Â Our water glasses smelled a little strange but maybe it is just the water they use to clean them. Â We ordered the Croque Madame and Vegetable Frittata (about $10 each). Â The Potatoes were perfect. Â Crispy outside warm soft inside coated with just enough course salt. Â The Frittata was good not great. My husband's Croque Madame was not traditional at all but good. They forgot the egg when they brought it out but were quick to fix the mistake. Â Our waiter was great and very attentive to us. Â Overall the place was a little on the quiet side which is a pet peeve of mine since it makes it hard to have a conversation without feeling like everyone can hear you. Â They may benefit from having some music in the background. Â We did go a little late and maybe it was just slow. Not bad but probably will be looking for better brunch options elsewhere.
Review Source:Brunch at Nectar is the meal that this author is most familiar with. Â After having nearly every dish on the menu I have yet to go home with a sad stomach from a Sunday morning brunch at Nectar. Â I would also like to provide a few tips on getting in, what are the author's personal favorites and what things make Nectar stand apart special for Sunday selection.
In order to get in on a Sunday usual requires minimal effort, especially if you arrive at the opening our of 10am. Â If you have not immediately greeted by the wait staff it is advisable to peak around the corner to alert them to your presence as they do not have a host/hostess on Sunday mornings. Â Sometimes they will not hear you when you first arrive but they will always seat you with a smile. Â If you are planning on arriving later than 11:15 or 11:30am it is advisable to make reservations as on random Sundays they might be full. Â Also if you have parties larger than six, I would also advise that you make a reservation. Â Otherwise they wonderful indoor seating as well as outdoor seating in their outback fortress with honeysuckle and porch lights. Â
The food is wonderful. Â The french toast is served Texas toast style with near 1" thick sections covered with fruit and cooked to a physics bending perfection of neither over or under done. Â The bread itself is from Blue Oven Bakery, which is the best bread provider to the Cincinnati area. Â The Chorizo scramble is another tasty dish if you are in the mood for a mildly spicy brunch. Â It is served with chipotle sauce, spiced hash-brown's and fruit on the side. Â The granola is a bit on the expensive side for granola. Â However, if you are hungover and cannot stomach a heavy meal this is a wonderful choice (along with some Darjeeling tea and sparkling water). Â The granola is not clumpy but rather on the softer side with individual oats, pistachios and pumpkin seeds served with yogurt, honey and fruit. Â The smoked trout benedict is okay. Â For my taste the chef is a bit heavy on the hollandnaise sauce. Â If ordered with light sauce this is another delightful selection. Â The carnitias? Holy cow! AMAZING! Â No wordy review required. Ditto for the Croque Madam which also features Blue oven bread. Â While the Goetta melt is a bit heavy for my taste and I've only sampled it, all of my friends that enjoy Goetta (native Cincinnatians of course) rave continuously about it. Â I'm unsure about the rest of the menu.
Now the unique things that make Nectar. Â In summary, Julie Francis, a wonderfully inspired chef. Â She does an amazing job to serve mostly local, healthy food while also providing multiple choices and flavors for her patrons. Â Her talents are being recognized by the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky in June during the, Â "A Salute to Women, Wine and Whiskey" Dinner. Â The other standout feature is the wait staff who are always chatty, friendly and happy to help in any way they can without any form of snobbery. I cannot say enough about how wonderful they all are.
We had dinner Sat night with my in laws and brother in law in town from Boston and we were all very disappointed with this restaurant. Â There were only 5 whites and 5 reds to choose from....we are NOT wine snobs but seriously, we only found 1 out of 10 that was even drinkable. Â We had 3 appetizers that were bland at best and my husband had the only entree that we decided was actually good. Â I had the special which was scallops with quinoa and it was dry and also bland. Â I cannot believe this restaurant is on the top 10 in Cincinnati magazine.
Review Source:Just had brunch at Nectar this morning with my friendly neighbor and we're both fans! Â We actually both got the same thing (not good planning on our part....as far as tasting different items)..but we both very much loved their version of the "Croque Madame". Â It came on whole wheat sourdough bread with mixed greens, dijon mustard, fig preserves, prosciutto, cheddar and of course topped with a perfectly cooked fried egg. Â Yum! Â It came with some fresh fruit and these delectable crispy potatoes! Â The menu (which changes frequently) had many delicious offerings. Â Service was good, coffee a bit weak for my Seattle-groomed taste buds, but they did keep it and the water flowing freely. Â
I will definitely be back.
Nectar is perhaps the most accomplished Cincinnati restaurant at using fresh, local ingredients in a successful manner. And with the ever-changing menu, it never gets old.
I'm not even really a fan of soup (unless I'm sick or dying), but Nectar is slowly pulling me over to the soup side. IMO, it's the best I've had in anywhere in Cincy (and I've been everywhere), but the downside is that they may only have one a day.
I also credit (or blame) Nectar for turning me onto cheese plates and charcuterie. Those are usually outstanding as well.
As far as the appetizers and entrees, it's pretty simple--always fresh, fairly healthy, reasonably priced, almost always cooked perfectly and delicious. I can't remember many things that were ever "mind-blowing," but I think that's because, as I said, the fare is fairly healthy.
I could write on and on about how exquisite the food was or about how just absolutely friendly and down to earth the wait staff was or how the entire dining experience is amazing... but it would just not do it justice...
All I am going to say is....
Nectar has the snooty food without the snooty 'tude.
If you want an amazing and different food experience... check these guys out in Mt. Lookout Square.
After lots of research for a farm to fork restaurant and a day of anticipation I was relieved to have finally made it to Nectar. When I walked up to the quaint facade I was instantly disappointed-there was no one in the place! Fortunately I didn't let that deter me, as soon as the fresh bread was served, I knew I was safe, the wine and great service helped too. Food was delicious, the love and commitment was obvious and I can't wait to go back! What's wrong with you people of Cincy! Eat at Nectar and give this place five stars! Cheers Julie!
Review Source:In terms of best brunches in Cincinnati, Nectar is definitely in the running. In keeping with our habit of getting the same thing every time we go somewhere once we know it is good, here are our thoughts from another tasty visit.
The Food: Nectar's menu has several enticing options, but Sarah and I both honed in on 2 items the first time we went, and haven't strayed since. The Croque Madame and Kroeger and Son's Goetta Melt. Both plates come with a nice medley of fresh fruit as well as "crispy red chile potatoes" (which aren't too crispy and aren't too chile-y, but are still a nice addition to the plate).
The Croque Madame is well balanced with fig, prosciutto, cheddar, and greens. Fig has fantastic flavor, but can often be overpowering, so this is happily well done. A nicely fried egg topped it off. The only barely-complaint: the Blue Oven bread was sliced a bit thinner last time and made it a bit easier to cut through to eat (you can't bite into a sammy with prosciutto - you take the whole thing).
All this time in Cincinnati, and I'd never really gotten into goetta. Well, my first Goetta Melt at Nectar had me at Kroeger and Son's buying a slab of my own the next day. It certainly doesn't hurt that this sandwich is overflowing with wonderfully rich hollandaise that has a nice spicy warmth from the Chipotle chile. But back to the goetta - it is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, just as it seems it should be. Sarah and I were both scraping the bottom of our plates to make sure we didn't miss any of the flavors from this dish.
The Ingredients: "Nectar is proud to serve as many local and organic items on our menu as possible." Nice! They list several farmers and producers they source from at the bottom of the menu (this one doesn't name the sources, but the one at the restaurant does), as well as naming them on the specific meal choices - see "Kroeger and Son's Goetta Melt" above. This commitment makes us feel even better about our eating than we already did! Three cheers for Nectar!
The Story, Setting, & Service: The service at Nectar has been consistently nice and attentive. A large, open window to the kitchen makes it hard not to stare as the chefs are at work. Nice to see that they haven't seemed too crazed (it hasn't been packed).
If there is any place for improvement at Nectar, it is in the atmosphere. Sarah said "quote me on this: give me one night in here with all the things they have and I could fix this." They have kind of an odd decor, and its awful dark. The place is filled with splendid smells (note: anybody know a noteworthy thesaurus, maybe a culinary specific one? I'm running out of ways to say good!), so if they can ever please the eyes as much as the nose and mouth then their game will officially be stepped up.
In somewhat unrelated news, Annabel's is next door. I've heard good things, so am hoping to make it to Mount Lookout again soon.
We will definitely be going back because of Nectar's commitment to sourcing local and organic ingredients, as well as the simple fact that they make a darn good meal. They do a Dinner Club with a "specific theme/ingredient," and we're looking forward to trying that out as well.
If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
My wife and I love Nectar.
As others say here and as Nectar's own website says, Chef Julie Francis mainly sticks with seasonal, local, and organic ingredients, which means the small menu rotates frequently, which I like. Â (Right now, Kentucky bison is on the menu. Â It was quite good!) Â Style-wise, she's oriented in a French-Med direction, which I also like and which is somewhat unusual in this city. Â (Some Spanish/Carib angles and Asian ingredients get a little play as well.) Â Generally, Nectar's food is relatively simple and direct, and the restaurant succeeds with both meat and fish dishes. Â
Nectar shoots for a pretty typical, comfortable casual-upscale atmosphere. Â I find it pretty refreshing that Francis hasn't really focused much on decor; the gold and deep red color scheme is actually kind of plain and seems a bit tossed-off, although it benefits from evening sunlight on Mt. Lookout Square. Â Despite the unassuming decor, the restaurant has a sophisticated, convivial atmosphere.
In her effort to incorporate and combine local and seasonal ingredients, Francis every now and then swings and misses with her entrees; she occasionally seems to be reaching in composing them. Â But she often knocks it out of the park. Â And it's fascinating to walk in after not having been there for a few months to see what's on the latest menu. Â (Check out the sample menus on Nectar's website to get an idea of what the food is all about....)
Reasonably priced for what you get: Â For two, it's easy to share an appetizer or two, have an entree each and a glass of wine or two apiece for a hundred bucks of less.
Admittedly, I can't objectively defend Nectar as a five-star restaurant because I have to acknowledge that, over the course of a half-dozen or so visits, there have been too many imperfections in the food and service. Â (E.g., the shrimp-fritter appetizer has been light and perfect a couple of times, but grease-leaden another; there are lapses in service, although one of the regular waiters whose name I can't remember right now is virtually flawless, etc.)
But subjectively, Nectar's at or near the top of the Cincinnati heap for my wife and me, because what Chef Francis is trying to do with her restaurant is right up our alley, and she succeeds far more often than not. Â Plus, Nectar is only four or five blocks from our house, so there's a little home-turf bias involved. Â
Nectar's not a "great" restaurant, in the sense of a you-have-to-go-there dining destination (as far as I can tell, Cincinnati has no more than 3 or 4 of those places), but it's a fantastic neighborhood restaurant that deserves a loyal following.
Tried Nectar for brunch. Resuts were good, but it seemed pricey for the quality of the food, at brunch, at least. Its the sort of place where you are definitely paying for each new glass of orange juice individually, but it doesnt feel like it should be . The atmosphere and styling is almost Mexican or Spanish infused, but doesn't feel that cozy. I may try again for dinner, but it's not high on my list.
Review Source:tasty, fresh, seasonal dishes. a limited selection on the menu which has its benefits - makes the decision process much simpler!
for the appetizers, i heard that the calamari salad was delish (in other words, this was finished before i got a chance to steal a ring). shared the mediterranean meze and cheese plate myself. the mediterranean meze had a falafel that was the best i've ever tasted. while the other stuff on the plate (olives, pickeled cabbage, beets, cucumber tomato yogurt) was good, i think i would have been incredibly happy if it was just the falafel. or maybe the falafel with the yogurt.
cheese plate should be taken off the menu completely. i'm usually a big fan of cheeses but this was not good =( then again, maybe there'll be a better selection the next season, but it's not worth the risk. especially since there was this weird truffled honey that i hope never to taste again.
onto the entrees. pretty much a dish of every 'animal' (chicken, pork, steak), along with a vegetarian option, and a fish dish. the chicken was recommended and it was good. served ona bed of quinoa/black bean salad, with a dollop of guacamole atop, the chicken was well seasoned and well cooked. the dish worked well.
desserts were decent, not extraordinary (similar to the service). i did have an organic red cabernet sauvignon that was yummy though and should have written down=)
all in all, worth coming back if you want a yummy well seasoned dinner made with quality ingredients that are from the local area.
PS - it's freezing in the restaurant so bring a jacket if you get cold easily!
We thought Nectar was great! Â
This was my first trip to Mt. Lookout, so we were unclear about the parking situation. Â First order of business was our server giving us the rundown on where to park, what's ok, what's not ok. Â That is really helpful considering we are still new to the area.
We had reservations for 7, but arrived at 6:30. Â And we were actually the first ones there, so we had our choice of seating.
I started off with the Asparagus Soup ($7) and my husband ordered the Caesar Salad ($7). Â The soup was light and nice for a rainy night, but it wasn't like overwhelmingly delicious. Â It was garnished with basil, chevre, pistachios and some sort of basil-oil. Â The caesar salad dressing was incredibly flavorful, but as a caesar salad purist, I would have preferred it with romaine rather than mixed greens.
For my main I had the halibut ($24) with brown rice cake, sauteed spinach and a kumquat relish. Â First of all, the brown rice cake was amazingly delicious. Â I couldn't really tell what they did to it - but it was amazing. Â Definitely a great surprise considering I wasn't expecting much out of it. Â Halibut was excellently prepared and paired well with the acidity of the kumquat relish.
My husband ordered two appetizers for his main course since they all sounded so delicious. Â The Meze plate ($12) had Falafel, pickled veg and a chipotle hummus. Â I'm not usually a fan of falafel - but Nectar's is the exception. Â Just the right amount of crunch on the outside and not dried out on the inside. The Salmon Tartare ($12) was also another winner. Â There was creme fraiche, capers, beets and baby greens accompanying the salmon.
Dessert was a Lemon Curd Napoleon($6.50). Â I was against the idea at first, but after our server recommended it decided to give it a try. Â She was right! Â The Lemon Curd (although not a traditional lemon curd, maybe more of a lemon mousse?) was delicious and the homemade phyllo was incredibly flavorful yet delicate. Â The kumquat relish made another appearance on the dessert which I could have done without. Â It was a little overpowering.
Overall I was incredibly pleased with the service and had no long wait issues. Â Perhaps at a busier time at night, the service would have been slower. Â Before leaving we checked out the patio in back - it was gorgerous! We are definitely planning to go back for their highly recommended brunch!
I was here with friends on Friday evening. Â I lived in cincin for more years than I care to remember but have been near San Francisco for 2 yrs. Â I'm baffled by another reviewer's idea this is Aioli transfer. Â And about the noise complaint. Â (For noise go to Aqua)
 The service was very good, attentive, not intrusive.  I thought the wine list short, as someone from CA might think.  But we had a fine bottle of French wine.  I passed up the lamb shank because I had a huge one (too big) at Jean Rho's the night before.  The 'ravioli lasagne', (What, you say?) was delightful, light and tasty. Â
We were all pleased. Â Now, -- where has Aioli really gone?
High end food, great service, local and organic ingredients... how could that be bad? Â Nectar is a gem on Mt. Lookout square that just puts out good food. Â The chef/owner Julie Francis is almost always in the kitchen which I think is a good sign. Â
If you want to experience what a great bistro in New York or California is like here in Cincinnati - go to Nectar and you'll love it.
My only experience with Nectar (so far...) has been for brunch, and I will happily be going back, both for more breakfast fare, and hopefully for dinner as well. I appreciate the chef's focus on local and seasonal fare, and the limited menu--it's much better, in my humble opinion, to have fewer choices of superb quality than more choices of mediocrity. Service was cheerful and attentive, though "distant," which I actually appreciate in a service staff. I like having my coffee refilled and my needs met, but there's a way to do that without making 95 trips to my table or hovering within my line of sight. The brunch options ranged from traditional breakfast (french toast, etc.) to more lunchy choices (I believe there is a hamburger on the menu--wise!). On my first and only trip so far, I opted for the challah french toast with nectarine and mango compote, while my companions chose the carnitas meal--a delicious-looking combination of seasoned, shredded pork, a roasty-looking tomato salsa, and tortilla, with an egg--any way you like it--on top. My one complaint is the lack of kid-friendly products available for brunch. Mt. Lookout is teeming with families. In fact, at this visit, 2/3 of all tables had a toddler at them. No chocolate milk? That seemed surprising. Our littlest companion enjoyed an egg, bacon, and some fried potatoes, but would have done well with some kind of kid-friendly beverage. Value-wise, Nectar is comparable in price to other brunchy-spots such as Greenup Cafe or BonBonerie. You may feel like you're paying more than, say, Bob Evans or IHOP, and you are, but you're paying for local products and FRESH products. Those are two qualities I would gladly pay more for! I look forward to being able to make a return trip to Nectar to try their dinner menu, and perhaps some desserts--both menus look delish, but will have to wait for another day.
Review Source:Basically Aioli picked up from downtown and moved up to Mt. Lookout. Â But with the move come a few twists. Â Nectar is in a more cozy space than Aioli, which often seemed like it was in the lobby of a Best Western. Â With the coziness comes noise, however. Â On a Saturday night, Nectar is probably one of the loudest restaurants AND bars I have ever been in. Â You almost have to shout across the table to be understood. Â On the bright side, Nectar's emphasis on seasonal, local and organic foods, means that the food is fresh, well-prepared and elegantly plated. Â The New York strip was excellent, as was the duck, but Nectar's strength may be its appetizers and soups. Â
Entrees range from $17-24.
Recommended for a small group (4-6) or a couple who knows each other well. Â Not really a place for a romantic dinner until they take care of that sound problem.
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