Chez Nora

There is no doubt that the place is trendy. When we were there on a Saturday evening we were surrounded by painfully stylish alt rock wannabes from Hyde Park trying to impress bored dates. We stopped into Chez Nora to celebrate my young adult daughter's first apartment in the Mainstrasse area. We found our way to the third floor dining area and were pointed in the general direction of an available table. Even though it was early in the evening and the room was mostly empty, it took a while for the server to find her way to the table. My son and I ordered the chicken and sausage jambalaya, presumably a house specialty in an establishment that provides jazz oriented entertainment. My daughter ordered the Italian Chicken Breast. After an interminable wait (elevator broke down?), the food was delivered. I think that it is a stretch to claim that the dish was jambalaya. Perhaps in keeping with the Cincinnati aversion to anything spicy, the jambalaya did not resemble any jambalaya that I had had before... bland and no vegetables other than a mysterious layer of herbs on the dish. In fact, were it not for the bed of white rice, it could have passed for the beef brisket dinner. My daughter managed to get about 1/3 of the way through her chicken breast and then pushed it back and started eating bread. My son who will eat anything declared that he would have preferred to have stayed home and had our home cooked jambalaya recipe for dinner. I'm sure that Chez Nora will continue to be mobbed on the weekends but it won't be for the quality of the food or the service. more

Service was super slow- had to go look for the waiter after waiting 10 minutes for our wine(and they were NOT busy). My husband ordered a hot toddy and got a coffee cup with hot water and a shot of rum- apparently bartender never attended school. Food was awful- brunch ham was heated up luncheon meat, the potatoes were frozen tater tots, the biscuits were out of a can, the sausage gravy was dismal. Avoid this place- there are places that deserve our business and I deserve food that isn't worse than I can buy ion a fast food diner or as a frozen meal from the grocery store. I'd give this less than 1 star if possible more

We come all the way from near Dayton to eat here, usually for brunch or lunch. We've never had a bad meal. Love the atmosphere, food and service with a smile. I really cannot believe the reviews I've seen on here. Are we talking about the same place??? Pros: Atmosphere, food Cons: Distance for us more

Hmmmm I was there as well on New Year's Eve and my experience was awful!! We had a very early reservation (6:00 pm) and THREE hours later our dinner mercifully ended. Pros: Great live music Cons: Horrible service Food not prepared as requested more

I am slightly tipsy having just spent the entire night at Chez Nora. First dinner downstairs. Unfortunately we made a reservation during the busiest portion of the evening, which is always a mistake on New Year's Eve. But, even with a full restaurant, our food arrived in reasonable time, the way we ordered it and not a bit was wasted. Our server was friendly, seemed to know his stuff, and didn't get in the way of our evening. Pros: Solid food, good service, friendly, comfortable Cons: Dining room a little too crowded for intimate dining more

We had an opportunity to go to Chez Nora's the other night before we read some of the reviews. We must be totally missing something? The food, drinks and service were excellent! We loved the casual atmosphere and excellent music at the Jazz Bar. The crab cakes were delicious (and hot) and the salads were very fresh and plentiful. Ample parking was just a short walk. Had a great time. We're going back for New Year's Eve. Pros: Food and Service more

Great if you want geriatric food. Everything was overcooked and tasted like cardboard. I was amazed at how much this restaurant has changed. Years ago it was one of our favorite places to eat across the river. Now I warn everyone against it. Sorry. There are some much better places in the same neighborhood. Pros: Good service. Cons: Mediocre food. more

We went to Chez Nora for drinks and dinner and were completely disappointed. We should've read the reviews on here first!!!! The drinks are of poor quality and the food is completely overpriced and completely disappointing. We followed our servers recommendations on some dishes and must admit we were very surprised at the extremely low quality....there is not a single reason I can think of to recommend this place. STAY AWAY and STAY HAPPY!!!!!!! more

My husband and I tried Chez Nora recently and I must say I was disappointed. We went after 3:00 yet before 5:00 so we were limited to sandwiches and salads. The prices were steep and didn't align with the food. The food didn't taste fresh, therefore, I picked over my food, basically wasting the majority of it. I then went on to take another chance and tried the desert and much to my surprise, the desert was worst than the food. I was upset at how much we spent on our meal and yet was so extremely dissatisfied with the experience. It was our first time eating at Chez Nora and I'm pretty sure it will be our last time. Cons: Limited parking, pricey menu, food didn't taste fresh more

The recommendation and the tables on the rooftop initially seemed to justify the high prices on the menu, but some of our food was cold, and didn't taste fresh. I understand why the downstairs dining room was empty at 8:00pm on a Wednesday. They could use a little attention to detail - candles on the tables to make up for the minimal outdoor lighting. Serve the food warm! more

I searched and searched for a quaint romantic restaurant. Money was really not an object. After finding Chez Nora decided to make a reservation based on the menu as well as the reviews. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! The service was McDonald friendly, the atmosphere was okay but you would expect quite a bit more considering the prices that are charged. All in all I didn't want to judge until the meal arrived holding out hope that the prices would be vindicated. I was very disappointed! The appetizer was the worst. The salad was bagged and old. The entree was so bad that it actually made me gag. I had the filet migon oscar style. How can anyone mess that up? My boyfriend had the pork chop which was overcooked and nothing better than I could have made at home. The prices were ridiculous in relation to the atmosphere of plastic glasses and big lot silverware that didn't match and the food left MUCH to be desired. We actually left and went to J-Alexanders for dessert. I do not recommend this place unless you just want drinks on the rooftop. Pros: One of two restaurants in the area Cons: Severely over priced for atmosphere and quality of food more

Seriously . . . I've been there 4 times in 7 years . . . each time seems worse than the time before. The staff is uncanningly rude. The food takes forever. And don't ask to speak with the manager . . . he's known to argue with customers. more

Great chef!! Here's a real sleeper -- their ribs are phenomenal!! Service is very folksy and friendly. Great place to gather; great place to eat! more

This is one of my fav restaurants to go to with a group. It has something for everyone. If you like jazz, you're set. If you like outdoor dining, perfect. Not only is it set in the fun and trendy Main Strauss Village, it has great food. I highly recommend the carrot cake for dessert....out of this world! Pros: Carrot Cake, Eclectic, Friendly Service Cons: Parking more

What a charming place that offers a different ambiance with each floor. The street level bar is long and inviting with what looks like an origial antique back bar and lots of windows with sidewalk dining outside. Upstairs is the Jazz bar with inside and outside seating and bars. It's a place that will satisfy everyone's taste with it's many different spaces. The food and drinks are GREAT as well as the folks who are running the show!! Pros: Patio Seating, Great Food, Great People more

This place is a hidden jem. They don't do a good job of advertising the top deck. It's hip. Cool. Great Jazz music. The downstairs feels kinda of dead. The top floor is a great place to take a date. more