Abigail Street

Another great OTR restaurant. I have wanted to come her for quite awhile but was always hesitant to do so because they don’t take reservations and I know how crowed places in OTR can get. But one weekend I took a chance. I walked in and was told that there would be a 45 minute wait so I put my name down and they took my number. I spent the time walking around OTR and Washington park and 30 minutes later I received a text that the table was ready.
I was impressed by our server, who was both professional yet personable, a quality not easily mastered by many servers.
This is a Mediterranean themed restaurant with tapas style plates. They recommend selecting 2 tapas plates per person at the table, so the dishes I sampled were the chorizo stuffed dates, gnocchi with mushrooms, and the lamb shank with couscous. I was very satisfied with flavors and the overall experience. Afterwards I was too stuffed for dessert but did try their Turkish coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed the spices and nature sweetness of the coffee.
Overall it was a great dining experience. Glad I finally decided to come. If you are like me and you are more used to making reservations, try coming to this place an hour earlier than you normally eat dinner to account for the potential wait time for a table. Then spend that time sampling the other business in the neighborhood. It will be well worth it.

I decided to take my date here last Friday evening for a double birthday celebration. The atmosphere was exuberant and we had a feeling we made the right choice as soon as we sat down. My girlfriend ordered a glass of red, after she was given a healthy sample which I thought was a nice touch. It was a warm day, so I ordered a corona and lime which was unfortunately poured into a warm glass and settled to room temp instantaneously. I wasn’t happy.
We started with the Brussels sprouts which were delicious. We then moved to the braised lamb shank which took about 30 minutes bc the chef failed at the first attempt. We were told by the manager we would receive a free round of drinks to compensate for the wait which never happened. The lamb was delicious in the end.
Overall, the food was great but the service was mediocre at best. Save your Friday night date and pick another restaurant.

Our service here was great from beginning to end with our waitress demonstrating a real passion for the restaurant and the food they serve. They have a small cocktail list, which is a bit on the pricey side, but they taste like quality drinks. I had the Lemon-​Thyme Fizz, and my husband had the Spice Spice Baby. I think I kind of liked his drink better. The waitress recommended ordering 2 – 3 small plates for each person, but we only ordered three for our meal, and we were plenty full. Each of the plates was brought out separately, starting with the Moroccan Spiced Brussels Sprouts. These were an excellent start to the meal; they were crisp and slightly salty, complemented with an aioli-​type dip that was on the sweeter side. Definitely full of flavor. Next up was the Batata; these potatoes were a little spicy but definitely not overwhelming. These had an interesting flavor overall with a yummy harissa aioli. The dish we had found ourselves looking forward to the most — the Gnocchi — ultimately disappointed. The gnocchi was very bland, although the mushrooms and asparagus were perfectly cooked and they helped to brighten up the dish and add flavor. We shared the Honey Roasted Almond Baklava for dessert. This is served warm, and while we both ordinarily tend to find baklava a little too sweet and cloying, this was not the case with this dessert. Very tasty.

My experience at Abigail street was a pleasant and appetizing surprise! I had always walked past this place, as it is a bit hidden and there isn’t a huge sign outside. But this place really shocked me by how unique the dishes were and also how good the quality of food was. They mix Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine so well here. I had the spicy chicken hummus, gambas de ajo, beet salad to share. All three were delicious. The chicken & shrimp were my favorites! The dessert is also amazing. Get the churros and the almond Baklava. Really everything here is tasty & the service is great!

I went to this place and started by ordering a beer, the cup came hot out of the dishwasher and the waiter poured my beer in. I don’t know about anyone else but i like my beer cold. When the waiter came to take my order and asked the typical «is everything ok here?» i said «no, my beer cup came hot and consequently my beer now is also hot, can you please bring me a new one?» she said «ohh i am sorry to hear that. NO». I left there 80 dollars in total for drink and food, an experience that could have been nice turned out to be unpleasant since together with my food i would have liked to drink some more beer as i usually do but i didn’t ordered more because of this incident. I am just happy that there wasn’t any hair in my food because in that case an «I am sorry to hear that» wouldn’t suffice.

Just had an amazing foodie experience at Abigail St. For 3 people they recommended 6 dishes (way too much food we boxed up 2). Here are my top recommendations: Ahi tuna with arugula, bouillabaisse (a must), and the mussels, we also tried the scallops (2 large ones), and the chicken dish. Which was an «ok» served over potatoes. We would definitely go back.

Love this place and their wonderful and flexible staff, menu and leadership! Like all of the Dan Wright restaurants, it rocks! We stopped in for drinks and a snack after a downtown event for the first time. We had the ricotta and honey appetizer and a desert, both hew food and drinks were outstanding!
As with their other establishments, we will be back!

This place is so pretty! But, the place is kind of tight so be ready to get cozy with whoever you sit next to! This place is very intimate, and great for smaller crowds of people, if wanting to sit next to each other for dinner. A tapas style restaurant, so many small dishes are served. ALL THE FOOD IS SO GOOD. You really can’t go wrong here, I have formed gluten-​intolerant stomach with age and in which our server was so helpful and nice accommodating that. This place is romantic, I would definitely like coming here for a date.
We had the grilled octopus, the crispy chicken, and the mussels. The grilled octopus had fried chickpeas and cilantro which made the dish have incredible flavor. Only thing was that the octopus was slightly overcooked, but it was tolerable because the flavors were amazing. The crispy chicken was on top of this tahini sauce and potatoes, and it was amazing! Possibly the best non-​battered check I have ever eaten. The chicken was cooked just-​right and the creamy tahini complimented the flavor and crispiness of the chicken. Lastly, the mussels! Mussels were cooked to perfection! Nice plump meat, and easily came off the shell without and of the meat sticking to it (thats how you know the mussel was cooked well). The sauce was savory and a bit spicy, which complimented the mussel. My boyfriend said the bread was really good and wish there was more to soak up all the sauce the mussels were soaked in.
We were in a group of 6, and it was a bit hard to get in on a Friday. Food, even if you had the same dish it didn’t come at the same time with the other part of our group. Which was sort of weird. The timing between the dishes was super off, but we were patient, waited, and gladly ate the tasty dishes. Other than the odd timing of all the dishes for each part of our group, we had a great time.
Would come back again!

Great wines here! Although the website still says they have flights my visit yesterday proved that to be incorrect. They had your standard pours as well as wines on tap. Cincinnati beer culture Is impacting the wine culture. My server was a really cute lady with infectious positive energy who resolved our wine flight issue by splitting pours into two glasses for me
And my wife. We tasted four wines and she adapted to the situation perfectly. Was not a fan of the wines on tap but the traditional a were wonderful. We ordered dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon. It changed my life! The churro was spectacular as well. It was warm and served with melted chocolate. It wasn’t that stale stick of dough you get from the Mexican grocer connected to the taqueria. It was the bomb! Was not a fan of the scallops. I think they were over cooked.
Details: The lighting. Classy. Tufted booths. Classy. Subway tile created a a clean look and made the space seem bigger than it is.

Oh Abigail, how much I love you so. You just might be my favorite in Cincy. While your small portion size dishes don’t really fill me up, being the gluttonous individual that I am, I enjoy too many items on your menu to just try one. Tapas style «mediterranean» cuisine (with a bit of American flare) at its finest. I’ve tried most of the items on their menu and none of them have disappointed me thusfar. My top dishes would probably be the lamb sliders, hanger steak, and ricotta with honey. The lamb and steaks have both been seasoned and cooked to perfection every time I’ve tried them. The ricotta cheese with honey has been a dish than has unexpectedly confounded me. The dish is extremely simple from an ingredients standpoint and yet difficult to actually get right. I’ve tried making it at home, yet it still doesn’t entirely match what Abigail offers. More props to those chefs behind the counter! All in all, a solid 5 stars. I only wish you expanded your hours to include lunch as well!
Tapas style dining is a great way to sample different dishes with a small group of individuals. Given the establishment’s limited space however, I would try to limit groups to about 6 – 8 people.

Cute and delicious tapas spot in the heart of OTR. I loved the seasoning of the Brussel sprouts and lamb sliders; and the gnocchi was pretty unique. Also loved the white exposed brick look. The servers are friendly but honest as well.
Recommend stopping by on an early weekday night to avoid the foot traffic.

I met a friend from HS I hadn’t seen from years at Abigail Street on her recommendation. I’d never been before and so agreed to check it out. We sat at the bar and the bartender was great, very friendly, attentive, and provided excellent service. The restaurant serves smaller plates of food at what I would consider to be slightly higher pricing than your typical appetizer portion pricing; however, the food was really good and fresh. We shared the beets and ricotta & local honey, both were excellent choices and were quite filling. I will definitely be back.

Somehow we walked right into this place on a Friday night! We got a table by the kitchen for two around 6:45. Note: this is unusual and the place was packed by 7:30.
Our server was very knowledgable about the wines and everything on the menu which we appreciated. The service here was superb. Multiple servers picked up unused dishes and brought water, etc.
Now for the food! We LOVED the seared scallops. Seriously, I could’ve eaten two plates by myself. We tried the grilled octopus which was the first time we have ever had it and it was good but I probably wouldn’t order it again, just not for me. The fried chickpeas on the plate were amazing though. We also ordered the mussels which was a huge serving for a tapas plate! My only wish is that there was more bread to sop up the delicious broth.
All in all, this place was a great date night spot. I don’t know how hard it would be to get in with a large group. The price was a little expensive but you know that going in. Definitely a hidden gem in OTR that’s worth a stop!

We had to try it because our oldest daughter’s name is Abigail. The Abigail cocktail was tasty.
Review
Four stars for quality of food, service and atmosphere. It is definitely not a value, so I would only visit on a special occasion. There are so many restaurants out there where you get more for your money.
The octopus, short ribs, and ricotta were all excellent. The beets were not. The Abigail cocktail was different and very good. I tried the Sangria and had to send it back it was so tasteless.
Fun place, but I don’t see us going back soon.

Wow! Is my impression of this place. The atmosphere was great, the staff was very friendly and professional, the food was amazing and the drinks were on point.
I didn’t know about this place until some friends suggested to come here for dinner. I didn’t know what to expect. I was hesitant to try Mediterranean food but the waitress explained the menu to me.
I ordered the ceviche camarones (shrimp) meal. Which was highly recommended to me by the waitress. Great choice, the ceviche came with a side of chips. This dish was absolutely delicious, it came with plenty of shrimp and a lot of avocados, some onions, very thin radishes and a splash of spiciness to complete the dish. It was delicious. Definitely will go back to eat that again.

Abigail St tops the list as one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati! There’s such a variety of items to try on the menu, and I love that it’s all tapas style.
I went with my boyfriend and my sister from out of town and we ordered 6 dishes to share, and it was more than enough to fill us!
My Favorites — would order again:
+ Mussels ($ 12) — huge serving of mussels in a delicious sauce with grilled bread to sop up the leftovers. At only $ 12 this can probably fill one person, and it was my favorite thing on the menu. I’ll probably order it every time I go because it’s so delicious!
+ Gnocchi ($ 14) — no sauce, but packed with flavor! Gnocchi was perfect and the mushrooms were salty and complemented the gnocchi nicely.
Great — but would substitute to try new things:
+ Ricotta and Honey ($ 11) — Expensive for what it is, but they give a generous portion. We only had a few slices of bread, and tons of ricotta and honey left at the end so we asked for more bread. They were very nice about it! However the ricotta gets a little more watery as time passes by so don’t wait too long to finish it!
+ Grilled Octopus ($ 15) — Waited too long to eat this dish because we were trying to finish the other dishes, so the octopus had a weird texture. Can’t really comment on this dish. For this trip, it wasn’t my favorite but maybe I’d try it again.
+ Bouillabaisse ($ 12) — Delicious broth, but kind of difficult and awkward to share.
+ Lamb Sliders — I’m not a fan of lamb, so no comment on these, but my sister and boyfriend loved them!
All in all, a fantastic experience! The room gets a bit smokey at times, but I didn’t really mind. I was too preoccupied with the delicious food. I wanted to go back the next day! Don’t miss this place!

Abigail Street is as good as it gets. I will say it is a little on the pricier side but 100% worth it.
I’ve had the lamb sliders, the potatoes, the octopus and baklava and all dishes are to die for. This place is cute, a little hidden between A Tavola and Senate but small. It’s again, good for a date or dinner with a friend. The portion sizes are actually quite large so definitely a place to go to share. Also, wine flights are an awesome price with seasonal selections. Highly recommended!

Abigail Street is really great food for a very high price. Everything we ordered was delicious and full of flavor. Most of what we ordered came smothered in some variety of sauce that enhanced the taste further. The chefs really know how to combine flavors in a pleasant and interesting way.
The ambiance was great, too. Lovely lighting, beautiful tiled walls that blur into exposed white brick toward the back of the building, gorgeous bathrooms, and windows that were opened toward the front of the restaurant to let in a nice breeze on cool, rainy evening. Whoever designed the space did a really great job putting it together.
But despite the food being delicious and the beautiful restaurant itself, I probably will not be going back to Abigail Street for a singular reason. It’s far too expensive for the amount of food you get; I paid ten dollars for three eggplant rolls that were the size of an egg roll you’d get at a Chinese carryout place. Or the lamb shank, which costs over ten dollars for a six to seven inch leg of meat. They tell you at the beginning that every person usually orders two dishes because they’re small, and that’s absolutely the case. For two people, I had to get four different plates: fried olives, borek, lamb shank, and octopus were ordered. The person I was with ordered a large glass of wine for fifteen dollars and I ordered a Guinness. My total, with a fifteen dollar tip, was NINETY THREE dollars. The worst part was I wasn’t even full when we left. I spent ninety three dollars for food that didn’t fill me up because there wasn’t enough of it. It was delicious, but for that price, I’ll go to any other restaurant on Vine Street and get a more filling meal for significantly less.
I normally try not to harp on price of a restaurant because I understand they need to charge a bit more to cover rent and pay their employees and buy the stock they need to keep the business running. But in this case, I just felt like the price versus quantity was unreasonable and it’s a big enough barrier to reentry for me. If you have a little extra money and care to eat fine foods in a convenient location, this is the place for you. If you’re not wealthy, you’ll probably want to seek out another place to eat.

Just want to reiterate my love for this place! I had the most perfect surf and turf on Valentines day with huge pieces of crab meat over a perfectly cooked filet. I would always recommend ordering a nightly special, they only prep a certain number of specials and they do run out of them! The front of house staff here is just so friendly, they always have good recommendations for food and wine. The place is never over-​crowded because I think not that many people realize its here. Its not like Bakersfield where you would walk by and be drawn to go in for a drink, but that makes the dining experience better!
Don’t be afraid picky eaters and American food lovers — you WILL like this food, its impossible not to!

If you could bury me in their pan seared scallops, that would be my definition of heaven.
I love love love the food at Abigail Street, making this one of my top favourite restaurants in Cincy. Their dishes are a bit bigger than tapas sized, so you can order a few dishes with your friends and share easily. I’ve never eaten something there that I didn’t like. A good assortment of meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes.
This time around my friend and I got the beets, gnocchi, and scallops. You know how I feel about the scallops (the sauce they put on top of it is AMAZING), but the beets and gnocchi aren’t far off from those feelings.