Dear Restaurant & Butchery changing to Al-Posto Italian Ristorante March 10

Caitlin S and Ben (did not get a last name) were both incredible. Caitlin helped me via email to book our reservation. I had many questions and she was patient all throughout our email exchange. Ben was our server and he was extremely thorough and professional. I learned so much just from talking with him about the wine and food menus. We will most definitely be back. THANK YOU for such an outstanding experience - please give both of these fine workers the recognition and raise they so dearly deserve.

For starters, I looove the ambiance and vibe here! This is probably the best date night spot I've been to in Cincy. There was live jazz, great service, and for lack of a better word, the place was just cute. They have a unique cocktail menu and very extensive wine list. I'd call it an evelavted butchery since the meat dishes are far from being plain jane. The chicken sausage with curry was amazing and a combo I've never imagined. The johnny cake waffle was another super unique dish that expanded the horizons of my tastebuds; the sweet sorghum mixed with the mushrooms was an interesting, yet excellent pairing. Their "house dressing" on the salad was perfect if you're a fan of dill; I'd gladly buy it in a bottle. Plates are made to share, but you can definitely get a meat and side for yourself as a meal. I can't wait to come back to Dear and explore more of the menu!

We had the set al Fresca meal. I do have to make an disclosure that may bias our review. My girlfriend and I and huge top chef fans and absolutely love Brian, the executive chef. He blessed us with a meal that Tom and Padma would surely enjoy. The seafood was all delicious. Our favorite part, however, was actually the drink pairings. Each drink was delicious, unique, and complemented the dish perfectly. Cannot wait for the restaurant to open fully. We will for sure be back!

Our first time here! We were a big party and all had so much fun. One of us is vegan and her dietary needs were met by the chef with great appreciation from her (plus the gift of fried mushrooms).

The portion sizes of our dishes were perfectly filling and beautiful to look at. The drink selection was so vast there was a table of contents, which is always fun. Even a non-alcoholic beer option was available for myself. The rest of the party had their fun little bright colored drinks and would try each other's and loved them all.

Our waiters Emily and Graham were so friendly and patient. We will likely be back!

Dear "Dear,"

Thank you! This is the restaurant that Cincinnati has been in dire need of. The experience began from when we first walked in...

The host walked us up to the patio, where we found ourselves in beautiful Mediterranean type atmosphere. Once seated, our server greeted us and could tell we were looking to have some drinks. She instantly sent over the Sommelier, Austin, to assist us with our wine decision.

Austin suggested a beautiful Cab Franc from France and poured our bottle into our very own delicate decanter. From that moment we knew we were in for an amazing experience.

With the guidance of our lovely server, we ordered a few starters; the Wagyu beef tartare, the bluefin crudo, and the greens salad with shaved wagyu beef. Chef Brian Young, who is also their own in-house butcher, is so talented! The beef tartare melted in our mouths and the bluefin tuna was so nice and buttery.

For our main course we shared the Chicken Cushion, which was like something I have never seen before. The Chef takes a whole chicken, makes sausage meat with part of the chicken and then takes the rest of the chicken and wraps it around the sausage meat, deep fries the whole cushion and wraps bacon around it.... need I say more??? So Good!!

Finally, we ended our evening with a cappuccino and slice of stunning Carrot Cake from Pastry chef Caitlin. Let me tell you right now... Get the Carrot Cake, you will be thankful that you did!

The best part of the night was when we left, we stopped by the host stand to pick up our leftovers...(Yes, the server sent our leftovers to the host stand!). Our server left us a message on the bag to enjoy playing our video games that evening. Such a nice personal touch, and we made us feel like she listened and cared what we had to say to her earlier in the evening.

Ten of ten experience, and I can't wait to see what happens with Dear in the future. And to answer your question.. Yes! We will be going back again soon!

Been here a handful of times now for dinner - food, drinks and service are always excellent. Love the rotating seasonal menu! They also have a deli-type window where you can get different items to go - the sour cream an onion dip is to die for.

The staff was knowledgeable and walked us through the whole menu. I've never had anyone send over a sommelier (and I've never been bold enough to ask to speak to one) but they sent him over and he made a great wine pick to match the meal. All of the food was incredible! Just keep in mind that this is an upscale place, so it's not a quick in-and-out sort of meal. Take your time, savor, and enjoy! (Also, they have a little coffee/breakfast shop area that I can't wait to hit up once the farmer's market gets started for the season)

Been looking forward to trying this place since I first heard about it and it didn't disappoint! One of the best meals I've ever had. Charcuterie, oysters, duck, and steak all excellent and the service was top notch. Can't wait to go back!

The most incredible dining experience of my life! I can’t say enough about the staff and the food. From start to finish every detail was exceptional. Every need was tended to in a moments notice. Everyone was so friendly and my meal was maybe the best meal I’ve had in my lifetime. My fiancé and I booked our rehearsal dinner here for the fall and I CANNOT WAIT!!!! We will be back before then!!

Excellent food with attentive service! Really enjoyed our meal with fantastic salad and perfectly cooked entrees, esp recommend the beet salad, salmon, the steaks and a great variety of sides. Planning to go back and try some of the more unusual items like Metts!

Dear is an experience, not just a meal.

Ambiance: It's chic. Admittedly, I'm not a cool guy. I'm a unabashed dad. I haven't been cool for a long time. But being in Dear, I felt cool again. From the glassware to the decor, it just felt so composed.

Cocktails: we got a cocktail where a flavor bubble is placed on top, infusing the cocktail with flavor. Yeah, a bubble. Just like an oversized bubble my kids play with. It nested nicely over my cocktail filled with a fruity fog. When it popped, it oozed over my glass, infusing it in a fruity vapor. As far as cocktails go, it was a spectacle.

Food: I know food and work with a lot of chefs. At Dear, every dish had some trick I've never seen. It left me thinking, "what is this? And how did they do it?" It was thought provoking. The food was his flavorful as it was beautiful. It looked so good I felt guilty diving into it. It's obvious the menu is composed by a brilliant, creative chef who put a lot of thought into it.

Value: The portions were healthy. My wife and I spent about a $100 including drinks and walked out stuffed and completely satisfied. It was totally worth it. I've spent over $50 on way worse food with a fraction of the experience.

Staff: attentive, friendly, and sincerely seemed happy to be working there. The good vibe was palpable.

I would absolutely recommend Dear restaurant for anyone looking for a fun, unique, interesting, dining experience. If you want steak and potatoes that's been done by everybody, go to Ruby's or Longhorn, or any litany of restaurants serving the same thing. Dear is an adventure, if you have an open mind and you're down for it.

We met up from brunch and it felt like home. Cole was amazing, and sent us the 🍑 🥗, and incredible danish complimentary. We sat, ate, and talked for hour's. Thank you so much for allowing us to debut our brunch group at your restaurant. We'll definitely be back. 🙌🏾😍

Tasting menu for 6 with 1 vegetarian... Knocked it out of the park. Outstanding detailed service, one of the best beverage pairings we have ever experienced. Well done all around! Katie, your service was fantastic!

Had an amazing dinner that we greatly enjoyed! From delicious food to amazing cocktails and wine!

I had my rehearsal dinner here for 27 guests, and I must say everything was absolutely top notch. We dealt with Cailtyn, and the customer service, the food and the drinks were all unbelievable and all of my guests were pleased and raved on the deliciousness of all of the items served. They created a custom menu based on our requests and we also found out that their menu changes every season to incorporate local and seasonal ingredients, and the results were phenomenal. The salads were fresh and vibrant, and the steak was juicy, tender and perfectly cooked. Their house made Parker Rolls were scrumptious and the desserts were hand crafted to fit our taste pallet and were such a treat. The dining space is classy and modern and the space we were accommodated was their outdoor rear patio, which was a perfect spot for great weather and wonderful cocktails to enjoy the night with. I will be returning for sure and absolutely loved my experience there.

10/10 and it is a experience not to be missed!

I took my staff here for a Christmas party in January. We reserved the vault room which was perfect for the 12 of us. Lily served us and was excellent. She was polite, professional, kind, and knowledgeable of the entire menu. The food is sourced locally, unless it is seafood. The attention to details, presentation, and of course taste, is evident. Having Austin, an on site sommelier, pair wines for us was a real treat. He hit home runs with his selections. If you enjoy fine dining, great, locally sourced food, an awesome wine pairing, you have to come and experience Dear.

Had a great time for new years eve here! Will go back for more had a caviar and steak fries and rolls

Phenomenal. Everything is made in house. Very delicious. Might be waiting a little regarding the service but it is worth the wait.

My wife and I couldn't have had a better experience at Dear. The staff was very knowledgeable and passionate about their menu as well as their wine offerings. The pork belly was one of the best things I have ever had. Every element of the dish worked perfectly and was absolutely delicious.
The wine list is phenomenal and Steven was a pleasure to have at our table side to make excellent recommendations and explain about the wines.
Every course we had was fantastic but the excellent service truly elevated the whole experience.

Visiting Dear was a phenomenal experience! From the host desk to the check, we found the service to be out of this world. Cool AF design and vibes on the inside, but the patio was the place to be. Ben, our server, was incredibly friendly and helpful, as was the rest of the team. Fantastic cocktails, and the charcuterie board/house rolls were amazing. The entrees (steak and the lamb bolognese) were amazing. The fried mushrooms side are also a must.

Overall, 5/5 would recommend to a friend!