Over the years, I have eaten here quite often and thus I am obviously a fan. The location is great, easy to find parking nice view of fountain square. The restaurant itself is now becoming a bit dated but is still nice, clean and somewhat stylish.
They have an all-day happy hour and thus the bar is often filled or crowded for food and drink specials. Always seems to be a reasonably friendly group.
Some of the appetizers are great. The wood-oven pizzas are quite nice as is the crab and artichoke dip (you have to try that dish it really is great - best I've had). The Bruschetta is also worth the price. The Chop Chop salad is something you have to try - it is my favorite salad in the city.
The service here is well known as probably the best in the city. In my experience, this is usually true. In the past I have had one or two bad experiences when my server had been overloaded with tables or was given a 10 or 12-top and was unhappy but in general the service is efficient, friendly and not over the top.
The food is a bit tougher to call. It really depends upon what you are ordering and/or what you expect. I would agree with some other reviewers who have stated that their fish presentation often is lacking. The fish itself is usually quite fresh and tasty but the serving sizes are surprisingly small.
I've had the steak offerings and they are fine - nothing special and seriously you are like 300 feet from Mortons so if you want a really good steak just walk down the street. The rotisserie pork is extremely tasty as are most chicken offerings. I'm also not a big fan of their "world famous" paella - tastes too bland for me and seems a bit light on content.
IT is the pasta dishes that they usually do exceptionally well. I would STRONGLY recommend the seafood (scallop and shrimp) pasta dishes. The scallops are huge the shrimp fresh and large and they cook the seafood very well. It is quite filling and one of my favorite dishes. Â The specials that change periodically are very often some of their freshest and best offerings and worth a close look.
The drinks they serve are often creative and tasty (tho unless you are hitting one of the specials they can be a bit costly). I have had some memorable drinks at Palominos in the past. I'm just sorry that they tend to rotate drinks off their menu often and you may never see them again.....
All in all this is sort of my "go-to" place - if I am unsure what someone may like or what type of food they prefer I will take them here. At least 90% of the time they come through too.
The food here wasn't great. Â This place is probably best for drinks and apps. Â We had an office dinner to celebrate a special occasion, and I wish we had gone elsewhere. Â
Scampi was refrigerated like salsa (huh?) and the tiramisu was tiramisu cake. Pistachio covered cod turned out to be like fish sticks.
Stay at home and order LaRosa's if you want better food.
Service was great and the space was lovely. Â Free coat check was a thoughtful touch.
Good place for drinks/appetizers. Haven't eaten a full meal here so can't speak to that. Most of our dishes were pretty tasty, especially the risotto balls. Pizzas were nothing special and were cold. The atmosphere is festive. Lots of high-top longer tables that are great for groups of around 4-6 who want to sit and have some snacks during happy hour instead of standing near a bar.
Review Source:I phoned Palomino to reserve a table prior to seeing the Nutcracker at the Aronoff Center. Â The woman on the phone told me that a 6:00 reservation should have us out in more than enough time to see the 7:30 show.
We arrived on time, were seated immediately, ordered and received our drinks and a side salad. Â Then, poof, it was done. Â We waited, and waited, and waited. Â No refills on drinks. Â No updates. Â 45 minutes passed when we finally asked what was going on. Â "It will be right out." Â Another 10 minutes go by. Â Finally we received our dinners, but by this time it was 7:10 p.m. and we literally woolfed down our dinners (these dinners cost us $70) to get to the Aronoff in time. Â Never did a manager approach us, just the very harried waiter who did his best but not great. Â I'm sure it was a kitchen issue, but it was a big issue that reallly affected our night. Â We won't be back, especially if we have less than 2 hours to eat.
UPDATE:
The manager has contacted me and is sending me a gift certificate to return. Â That is very good service, so we will try again at a less harried time.
Great place to unwind after a long day at work or have a couple of drinks with friends. Happy Hour has selected drinks half off in the bar area and certain food items are also half off as well. Â It can be busy during the weekends so be prepared for a long wait but it is definitely worth the wait!
Review Source:I had a fantastic lunch yesterday at Palomino. Â I requested a table with a view of the square, and although starting to get busy, they were happy to oblige. Â The white bean vegetable soup was incredible. Â One of my dining companions had portabella mushroom soup and raved about it. Â The service was friendly and efficient, which is especially important for a weekday.
I am definitely going back for dinner during the Holidays when the square is decorated.
Came here for a quick lunch. Â I think we got here just in time because shortly after we got seated the place filled up really quickly. Â Our waiter was friendly and patient, and was good with brining the check quickly. Â I had the chicken/spinach pizza. Â It's a good flatbread option, but it was a little oilier than I expected. Â The bread they bring out in the beginning was a good. Â All in all, good lunch spot.
Review Source:I don't have enough nice things to say about Palomino. Everything from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food was fantastic! We sat at the bar late on a Friday evening and had some wine, along with a shared appetizer and entree. The service was attentive without being overbearing and the food was fresh and well prepared. This is definitely a place to check out if you're in downtown Cincinnati.
Review Source:Hands down, one of the best Happy Hour values on Fountain Square. Â My wife and I meet up there quite often and in the five years we've been going there the _ONLY_ complaint we ever had - was having her martini filled up too much. Â
i kid you not, that's it. Â She spilled a little of her Appletini while leaning in for a sip. Â That's a pretty good track record and considering how anal retentive I am.
We decided check out Palamino during the 2 for 35. promotion at downtown eateries, and I don't think we could have been happier with our service or our meals.
Our server Bridgette was super attentive (and the restaurant was very busy). Â We were served with Bread, and a Bruschetta to start off with, and it was excellent. (They bring it out as a starter with every meal.) Â The white bean dip with pita chips was very good.
Caeser salad was perfect, and my Rigatoni bolognese and my wife's grilled salmon were both very tasty.
We topped our meal off with desert....Sicilian donuts with Mascarpone and Nutella, and Pomegranate creme brulee. The deserts were to die for.
Bottomline, great service, great food, and cool view of fountain square = a great night downtown, and a favorite new restaurant that we will return to without question.
Service - stupendously good
Food - enjoyable
Atmosphere - keeping with the theme I observed in Cinci, clean and minimalist
View - overlooks Fountain Sq so be sure to request a table by the window
Special - they sure know how to make a girl feel special on her birthday!
I had the pizza, my friend has the special fish that day and we started with some yummy bruschetta! Their creme brulee wasn't perfect but their tiramisu cake was delicious!
Having just moved to the Cincinnati area, this was our first time going out for dinner in the city. Some friends had come to visit, so there were 7 of us, including a baby and a 4 yr old. I made a reservation and they had a great table with a highchair overlooking fountain square waiting for us. It was pretty much awesome.
  Everyone in our party loved what they ordered. I had an A-mazing lavender martini and my bff had a ginger-pear martini which was equally delicious, you could really taste the ginger and that makes me happy. I had their signature portobello mushroom soup for a starter, which was a take on a cream of mushroom soup, but had real depth of flavor, it was write-home-about good. For dinner I had asiago encrusted scallops that were served with orzo that had pickled fennel on top. I don't know what they had going on in that fennel, but if all I had was a big ol' bowl full of that stuff, I would have still left with a goofy grin on my face. Go there. Do it!
We were lucky in that it was hardly busy during our visit to Palomino. When I made the reservation I noted that it was to celebrate a birthday (for my mother), so when my boyfriend & I got there (a little bit earlier than the rest of our dining party) it was really cool to be promptly seated at a table decorated with pieces of balloon ribbon & mini "happy birthday" cards meant for her. The food was great, our waiter (though a little flighty at times) was cheerful...all-in-all, it was a great experience & my mother enjoyed the visit quite a bit.
While I think it would do them well to vary the menu a bit more (in both offerings & price), I would be fine to recommend this place to someone else, & wouldn't mind going back again sometime.
I love the mushroom and sausage pizza, the white bean dip, cranberry margarita, and the pomegranate mojito. Most of all, I love that these delicious items are all on constant happy hour at Palomino.
It's also nice that you can sit by the window (if you're lucky and/or patient) and peek out over Fountain Square to see what's going down. All the seats are good, but I prefer the big arm chair by the window. I've been with two and ten people and while the latter is harder to seat in this first come, first serve setting, you just have to be hawk like and alert. Most don't mind, that's how everyone rolls.
The bar is connected to the more expensive restaurant and despite often sitting and looking into the main dining room, I've never been sad to be at the bar rather than the full dining room; the food is that good. You also don't need reservations to eat in the bar, yet it's dimly lit and swanky. Additionally, the service is usually quite good; it's not at all subpar, and I like that.
A few weeks ago we had an engagement party here and ordered about everything on the happy hour menu- the cheese bombs/balls were good, the sliders not bad, the mac and cheese a bit rich for my taste but interesting, and the pizzas all awesome.
I've deviated from the happy hour menu once and ordered a flat bread pizza with ham and goat cheese. For $15 it was about double the price for the mushroom and sausage I usually order, and really not doubly better. That's the lesson here: stick with the happy hour. IT IS 24/7, what's not to love?
Palomino's bar is one of my standby's for a quick and affordable, yet classy, bite downtown. It also makes the list for best pizza in town with the cracker thin crust. Salivating now, it must be lunch time.
Experience the other side of Palomino.
I know the 24/7 happy hour in the bar is great, but I finally had dinner in the restaurant and both the food and ambiance was great. It's a little pricey but a great place to splurge especially if you're entertaining out of town guests - the views of fountain square are even better from the restaurant side.
Um...hello constant happy hour! All the time! At the bar! I have never not sat at the bar at Palomino because the happy hour prices are so good.
Great place to hang with friends, grab some drinks, snack on some appetizers. My favorites are the flatbreads, the white bean dip, and the Gorgonzola potatoes. Yum!
Service can sometimes be sketchy at the bar depending on the time of day. Once my bf and I decided to order one more appetizer before catching a show at the Aronoff, and it took us FOREVER to just get the bartender to come back to our end of the bar. We got it and had plenty of time, I just wish she had checked on us again.
Oh, and get the cranberry mojito. Yum.
I have to disclose first that I came here on an atypical night. Â It was the kick off of Oktoberfest so the place was surprisingly empty since everyone we down in fountain square. Â I could see this place being pretty uncomfortable during happy hour in the bar area, but we were comfortable all night long and it as an awesome view fountain square.
Their beer selections are pretty standard, but I heard from a few people in the group, that their mixed drinks were delicious. Â I snacked on a chicken flatbread pizza which was A-OK! Â Our waitress was awesome, very personable, and attentive. Â
Overall not a bad place to spend a Friday night with some friends.
The service was quite attentive. Â The scallops my wife had were also quite good. Â The Paella (my meal) was very very lackluster. Â Pretty much just tasted like a tomato based rice lacking any seasoning end of story. Â The highlight of the meal by far was the portabella mushroom soup. Â This soup was rich with deep well developed flavor. Â I would have been much happier if I would of skipped the entree and ordered 3 bowls of soup! I am not joking. Â $85 with one liquor drink and honestly left hungry.
I think most of the really good reviews are in regard to the bar happy hour. Â I would like to give 3 stars but the paella was useless.
When I hear the word Palomino I start to salivate. Not kidding. Hands down best wood fired pizza's I've had in the City. As an avid pizza-goer I would suggest taking my word on this.
Now there are two things I am a sucker for, happy hours and Italian food. Put those two together and you've got yourself a party. One of the things Palomino prides themselves on is the fact that it is "happy hour all day, everyday" (Bar only). The pizzas are only six dollars. No not a typo, SIX dollars. House wine red or white is only four bucks a glass. Same for any draft beer. I dare you to name one other place in the city that does this and does it right.
The pizza comes out of a traditional wood fired oven. The crust is thin and crispy with perfectly singed edges. The pepperoni is real pepperoni, not that stuff from the grocery in the ziplock bag. Huge hand carved pepperoni pieces with freshly ground spices on top. You can also get these juicy, meaty mushrooms, or go for the traditional Margarita pizza. I tried all of them and there is never a wrong choice. They are big enough to feed two but if you're feeling naughty you can always order two and take the rest home.
The other appetizers could just as easily steal the show. The truffle mac and cheese was to DIE for. I pride myself by saying mine is the best, but this is a close second. Comfort food at its best. Four different kinds of cheese, shell pasta, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping that comes out oozing begging to be eaten. The truffle is light and airy, and not overpowering. Â Just the right amount of zing at the end to make you wonder why truffle is not standard in all Mac and cheese recipes!
The most recent discovery I have found with Palomino is the "Wine Down Wednesday" promotion they are having. All day on Wednesday in the bar any bottle of wine ($26 and above) is half price. A girlfriend of mine came in from out of town and this was perfect for us! We got two pizza's and a bottle of wine for $25 bucks! Someone call the cops, because we just robbed them. Not to mention that they need to charge for the view because it is stunning. It's located right over the square.
Combine the view, the price, the food, and the atmosphere and you get a one hell of a night out on the town. This one gets five stars. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself. Â I promise by the end of the night you will have taken in the spirit of the city. Finishing that glass of wine, eyes closed softly MMmmning to yourself and wondering how you ever missed this place.
This place has one of the best happy hour deals in the area. I have been here a few times with different groups and have always had good to great service and the food and view of Fountain Square are great. The happy hour menu can be viewed here: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palomino.com%2Fpage%2Fmenu%2F74966&s=96a31f957798eee60134ce7a0502a10ebb5a88916a84035a5706a5f67b2afb91" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.palomino.com/…</a> If that link doesn't work, I'm sorry.
I've had the Cranberry Mojito and Pomegranate Margarita cocktails and they are good. The pizzas are great for filling your tummy. I've had other meals here in the past and while I can't recall the actual types, I do remember that they have been above average. There are TV's at the bar so your man (or you) can keep tabs on the game, ha ha.
It can be loud if you are there during a busy time, but overall, I can deal with that negative aspect. Another thing that might be difficult for first timers is actually finding the place. You have to go up an escalator and hang a right as Palomino is located on the second floor, like Mortons. While I have seen families here before, I'd say this place is better suited for adults.
The bathrooms are also outside the actual restaurant, which is kind of odd. (If you are in the area and need to sneak in a bathroom break, this is very easy to do here.)
After a hard days work, stop by and grab a drink and snack, you deserve it.
I've been going to Palomino for a long time - from when I was around 16 or so - and I have always enjoyed it. I loved coming downtown to eat here and overlook fountain square.
All I remember from my first visit is how much I loved it. I was a pretty picky eater (okay, scared eater.. I was scared of new things) and selected the four cheese pasta (which they still have on the menu) which was oven baked and sounded pretty save. It turned out to be one of my favorite things ever. While I have found other mac-n-cheese type dishes that have beaten this one out, this one if still one of my all time favorites.
I would come here for lunch when I worked downtown sometimes, and while the service was usually pretty terrible (it's really really busy - so it's understandable) I always loved my good. I got the pasta and salad. It was always a good meal that kept me full and happy for the rest of the day.
This was also where we came for my bachelorette party. There really wasn't enough room for all of us (I have no idea how many there were - maybe 10ish?) so we sat at an awkward formation of tables in the bar area that isn't really inside the restaurant but kind of in the hallway to. The waitress was nice and really good with us - she helped us pick a bunch of different appetizers and pizzas for the table and gave us good suggestions. It worked out well, and she was able to split the check for us. I was really happy with our decision to come here.
All in all, I really enjoy this place. The food is good (nothing super super amazing) but the location, feel, and my memories of this place just make me love it.
Ahhhh...Palomino...
Mr. Smidgens has a special place In his heart for the Palomino in The Queen City. You see I was introduced to this wonderful place by someone very dear to me. Tons of memories and great food to boot! We would always get the chop chop salad with its smoked turkey, wine salami, provolone, fresh basil, garbanzo beans, Parmesan, crisp romaine, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette chopped to perfection! Best chopped salad around!
Now we also used to get the penne Gorgonzola hazelnut pasta. This was the best! I was so sad the last time I walked into the Palomino and had my mind set on that dish. Not only was it not on the menu but they did not even have the ingredients to make it. Believe me, I asked.
I did get to enjoy the chop chop and the rigatoni bolognese. Definitely not the hazelnut Gorgonzola penne, but good.
As I sat at the bar and waited for friends I had to smile at all the good memories I had here.
Thanks!
Went here for DownTown Restaurant week, arrived at 615 for our reservations and asked for a table by the windows over looking fountain square. Â Shawna was our server and was good. We ordered the warm crisps with cheese and warm olives with a red dipping sauce that was a little to sweet and also roasted garlic.
For the second course  I ordered the caesar salad and my friend ordered the house salad with a truffle onion vinaigrette. The caesar dressing was bland and really didn't have any croutons.
 For the main courses I ordered the Wood grilled lemon chicken and my friend had the baked pene pasta.  The chicken was good, but the potatoes that came with the chicken were cold.
Place was packed on a Saturday Night.
I go to the lounge for the all-day happy hour. They have a decent selection of beers (a pint of Magic Hat #9 for $4? Yes, please!) and the pizzas are $6. They recently changed the happy hour menu, though, eliminating the flatbreads. But you know, that was really too good to be true in the first place.
Try to sit near the windows overlooking Fountain Square, or else near the bar. Otherwise, you'll feel like you're in the mall, looking at Macy's.
Was in town for business and a local colleague took us to downtown Cincy and recommended this place.
It's located in a business center, not your typical place for a restaurant of this kind. But once you're inside, it looks real nice, even fancy.
There's a real good food selection, took me forever to choose what I wanted cause everything just looked so good!
I had the parmesan crusted tilapia, which was fantastic!
The appetizers (artichoke dip - the classic KY/OH area appetizer, and the flat bread) were really delicious.
Good food, good service, nice view when you sit by the window, which we did. Good drinks too. Highly recommended!
Not a bad restaurant, but not a great one either. Â Just kind of average. Â If you need a place to grab a bite without reservations, you should be able to get in without much if any wait. Â I've never had a bad meal at Palominos, but, I've never had a great meal there either. Â Just never had anything memorable either way (and I've tried several things on the menu). Â
Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if you are in downtown and looking for a place to grab a drink and an appetizer during happy hour, then this is not a bad place to go.
So, I went once and found it expensive, not creative, and not exciting. Â I ordered a pasta trio and actually enjoyed one of the pastas; the other two were rather boring. Â It's not as though the food was bad. Â It's just that as foodies, we can do so much better for so much cheaper.
However, I ended up returning for a work function. Â On the plus side, the menu somehow struck me as a little more inspired on this trip. Â I had an incredibly greasy pasta. Â I'm sticking with my gun; this place has mediocre food with a snootily-worded menu and high price tags.
Bottom Line: I probably won't be back.
THIS REVIEW IS FOR HAPPY HOUR ONLY, and I am still in serious debate as to whether to give it 4 or 5 stars. I guess 5 stars would have to be somewhere tropical where the drinks were $2, but this is pretty awesome. I've never been to the actual restaurant, just the bar area for Happy Hour.
For $5, you can get your choice of 3 cocktails...for $4 you can get a glass of wine or beer. Appetizers are $5 or $6. Their pizzas are really thin but really, really good. Happy hour is from like, 11am-8pm, in the bar only. About 1/2 the seats in the bar have a great view of Fountain Square, so fun people-watching.
We had cranberry mojitos, which were really refreshing. We had a sausage/mushroom pizza, which was so good, and a tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza, which was also fantastic. They are really thin, but if you order a whole pizza I'm pretty sure you'll be full, even if you are pretty hungry to start with. And if you aren't too hungry, you can share a pizza and be in good shape.
Just a thought--once I was here with my husband, we shared a pizza and both had a cocktail...and it was the same price (including tip) as my lunch at Potbelly a few days earlier. Which didn't involve any alcohol OR gourmet pizza.
For my tastes and money, this is the best Happy Hour in the downtown/OTR area! But I'm open to challengers... =)
Palomino is one of the best hidden gems in Cincinnati.
I first went here with coworkers during my first month living in Cincinnati. We went immediately after work and I saw they had a happy hour... an "all day every day" happy hour (if you sit in the lounge, which is very very large); Half-price appetizers, cheap pizzas and flatbreads, and low pricing for draft beer, house wines, and some mixed drinks.
After that first delicious experience I've been back about 5 times, each time for the happy hour -- I've never even been in the main restaurant area, just the lounge! It's the best cheap date location I've found yet - two people can have two drinks each and split an appetizer and pizza for around $30 and be completely satisfied.
I recommend Palomino to everyone I meet who has never heard of it!
While the front of house manager Susan was stellar in her service, our overall experience was disappointing and I doubt I would return except for maybe drinks. Â
Our scallops were cold in the middle. Â They got sent back and Susan made sure we knew that we were getting a new batch, which we did and they were improved, but after we already waited almost 25 minutes for our salads and another 15 for our entrees, it kind of put us over the edge.
We had to ask for bread after having nothing but water for 15 minutes. Â Yes they were busy, but we had reservations I made weeks in advance. Â If they can't balance their kitchen against their bookings, they need to get it together.
My entree was mediocre too, watery pasta, inconsistent sauce. Â The shrimp were a bit chewy too.
The other issue I have with this place is it's terribly loud and crowded. Â Not a good place to go and have a dinner conversation. Â It was too hot in there as well. Â We felt assaulted by the environment and let down by the food. Â Our sever seemed better suited for an Applebee's environment... but clearly he was slammed.
Bottom line, for $100 dinner for two... I'd MUCH rather eat at Chalk, Bela Luna or Boca.... by a long shot.
As I sat and drank my wonderfully cheap cocktail yesterday and ate my reduced-priced food during the best happy hour in the city, I watched a gaggle of four kids with helmets and neon safety vests zoom down Fountain Square on Segways.
Sipping my mojito, I grabbed my cane, stood up and shouted at them, "Quiet down, ya'damn hooligans!" -with plenty of fist shaking, of course ... it was hard for them to hear me, what with the giant window separating us, but I think they got my message.
Ah, Palomino, one of my favorite places to sit a spell. This has, by far, the best open view of Fountain Square in the city, and it kind of does make you feel like an old man, sitting on his porch, watching the world (and yelling at kids). It's overlooking the patio in a way where you can see everything, and it's only on a second floor, so you can still make out amusing details (like the girl in giant boots who kept tripping as she walked *smirk*). If you can get a seat near the window, it's perfect.
And then, the happy hour, which actually is less of an hour and more of an all day thing. However, it's well worth it to order off their happy hour menu. Reduced price drinks, cheap snackable eats and a selection of their awesome personal-sized flatbread pizzas. Mmm...
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I got the meatballs and calamari to split. It was a HUGE portion for such a cheap price. Not the best meatballs and/or calamari I've ever had, but good enough that I was happy to have it.
Now, I'm only reviewing the happy hour because of the rest of this restaurant is nonsense. It's way overpriced, it's snooty, and I don't ever think I've had a pleasant waiter or waitress. Either they're giving you a fake smile and then hurry away or they just outright scowl at you. Seriously.
Yet, sitting at the bar or at one of their more relaxed side-room tables to just get some food and enjoy your day, it's a great spot in downtown Cincinnati. Now, if only those kids would stop making all that racket!
Four words. Â All day happy hour! Â You heard right! Â Whether it's 3pm or 9pm, the Palomino will grant you $5 cocktails (including my favorite, mojitos!!) and half price appetizers! Â The crab artichoke dip is served in a cast iron skillet with paper thin naan that is to die for!
Eat @ the bar or be ready to wait!.
For the first time our service and food where aweful. Â I hate to rate it slow but it was really bad. undercooked chicken in a salad (I mean it is cut open you can see the pink). Lipstick on the wine glass, server not bringing bread or water until prompted several times. Â Waited 15 mintues to be greeted.
The manager did buy our meal and this is the first time out of 50 at lest it was bad.
If you are going to try it go for HH from 5-7 for half price food and drink specials.
Palomino holds a special place in my heart for making my first anniversary celebration with my boyfriend memorable. Â Apparently when he called to make the reservation the hostess asked if the dinner would be in celebration of anything in particular. Â He told her it was... Â
When we got to the restaurant on that evening we were led to a perfect little corner table right at the window, the night was beautiful and had Fountain Square not been under construction we would have had a picturesque view of the center of downtown Cincinnati. Â Our table was decorated in elegant confetti and a "Reserved, Happy Anniversary" placard set it apart from the rest. Â A single red rose marked my place at the table, pretty!
On that occasion I remember we were both very impressed with our meals...I had the scallops and my boyfriend devoured his perfectly cooked Filet Mignon. Â We shared the Calamari as an appetizer; Palomino's version is memorable mainly because of the garlicky lemon aioli dipping sauce. Â Dessert was Crme Brule, creamy and caramely and crunchy...and the perfect size for sharing after a heavy meal. Â
Overall thoughts: Â Unless you're celebrating a special occasion, skip Palomino for dinner as the entrees are pricey ($36 for a steak and I have to concede that Jeff Ruby's are a tad better). Â Do stop at Palomino for delicious Calamari and desserts...this is a great place for pre-show appetizers and cocktails or post-show for sweets and coffee.
The garage underneath the complex Palomino is located in (which also includes Tiffany and Macy's) is your best bet for parking if you don't want to get wet from rain or deal with cold winter elements. Â It's $5 for four hours, if memory serves. Â On nice days, you can also park underneath Fountain Square for a buck and walk across the street.
Though Palomino is a corporate restaurant, the food is better than average and the service is stellar. On a recent Saturday night, some of my family and friends decide to journey downtown to dinner...without a reservation...when a show is playing at the Aronoff! Eeek!
Luckily the lovely hostess, Marsha, was able to accommodate our small group. She explained that we could order dinner from the tables in the lounge or those set-up along the periphery of the hall (not the best view in the world, but hey, we weren't complaining).
Our gracious waitress gave us the run-down on the happy hour specials (on Saturday? woo-hoo), which included 1/2 priced appetizers, $4 draught beers, and two dollars off cocktails. We ordered the calamari fritto (served with marinara and garlic-lemon aioli) and the king crab and artichoke dip. Both brought to our table promptly and were enjoyed by all, including my toddler (the kid has good taste--no happy meals here!).
I went with the lobster ravioli, which was more ravioli than lobster, but the flavors of the lobster cream sauce, light marinara, and herb mascarpone made this dish enjoyable. My boyfriend's enormous Incredible Pepperoni pizza was enough to fill two people, but he tried to fit it into just one. The duck confit cassoulet that my friend ordered looked hearty and decadent, something I'd try when I return.
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