Best Brunch Restaurants in Mariemont

We always enjoy our time at the National Exemplar Restaurant. The Christmas decor is just beautiful. The staff is friendly and efficient. We also enjoy the beautiful patio in the summer as well. The chef has some innovative dishes which are very good.

My 4 colleagues and I met for lunch for our annual Christmas lunch. We wanted to go to someplace new so chose Cooper's Hawk. We were promptly seated in a comfortable booth and our server was very attentive and totally on top of everything! We ordered several appetizers; the Candied Bacon and Artisan Cheese Plate was yummy (especially the 2 goat cheese offerings) and the Sweet Chili Calamari was deliciously different than any other calamari I've had (they're typically breaded, deep fried and served very crispy like onion rings) . These were huge calamari (very tender, not chewy), lightly battered, and liberally blanketed with a medium-spice sweet chili sauce and served with a Sesame-Sriracha Aioli. Highly recommended! I also ordered a cup of the Seafood Bisque which was rich, creamy and included a generous amount of crab, shrimp and lobster; I shared it with 2 colleagues who also gave it a thumbs up. Two colleagues shared a white wine flight and a red wine flight; they expected small tasting-sized glasses so were surprised when 8 almost regular-sized glasses of wine (4 white, 4 red) were brought to the table. Two other colleagues each had an individual glass of the Pinot Gris and did a refilll halfway through their meals. Our entrees were a mixed bag... my Shrimp and Scallop Risotto with peas, asparagus, corn and spinach was underwhelming; I ate about half, brought the rest home but doubt I'll finish it. One colleague had a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese sandwich with Fries and a side of Tomato Soup; he only ate half (too much cheese, not enough meat). One colleague had the Baked Parmesan Shrimp Scampi and said the shrimp was tough. Two other colleagues ordered the Dana's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken and both cleaned their plates. Several us of decided to split the Banofee Pie for dessert. While we were waiting, our server brought us 5 small glasses of a fruity dessert wine (didn't catch the name) and it was a delicious. The Banofee Pie was oustanding.

We come back often. Great food, drinks and service. Drinks are a little pricey. $100 for 2 ppl with drinks.

We had a lovely dinner with friends. Kate our server was fantastic- she struck a perfect balance of attentiveness and letting us enjoy our dinner without constant interruptions. The food was fantastic too. Great evening!

Very authentic New Orleans dining experience. Good size portions at good prices. Excellent service!