Restaurant in Cincinnati, United States
Columbus's most serious French room. Book it.
The Refectory is Columbus's most credentialed French restaurant, ranked #578 on OAD's Top Restaurants in North America (2025) and holding a Star Wine List White Star for its 2,800-bottle cellar. At $$ cuisine pricing with dinner served Wednesday through Saturday, it's the right call for a wine-forward anniversary or special occasion dinner in central Ohio.
If you've already been to The Refectory once, the question isn't whether to go back — it's whether the experience holds up on a return visit. It does. The French kitchen under chef Richard Blondin runs with enough consistency that regulars treat this as their benchmark for the category in central Ohio, and the wine program, led by sommelier Ivan Zuna, gives you more reason to return than almost any other reason to stay away. Ranked #578 on the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in North America 2025 list and carrying a White Star recognition from Star Wine List (awarded August 2022), The Refectory earns its place as one of the most credentialed dining rooms in Columbus.
Note for first-time visitors: the address is Columbus, Ohio — not Cincinnati , so plan your evening accordingly. The Refectory sits at 1092 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43220.
The Refectory's wine list is the strongest argument for a second visit. Ivan Zuna manages a cellar of 2,800 bottles across 675 selections, with depth in California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italy, plus a serious Port representation that few American restaurant programs bother maintaining. Star Wine List's White Star designation is a credible signal that the list isn't just large , it's curated with genuine range across price points. Wine pricing lands in the $$ tier, meaning you'll find options well under $100 and enough bottles above that threshold if you want to spend. For a special occasion where the wine matters as much as the food, this is one of the better-resourced cellars you'll find outside of a major coastal city. Compare it to the wine programs at Le Bernardin in New York City or The French Laundry in Napa and The Refectory is clearly in a different tier of scale , but for Columbus, the depth is genuinely surprising.
The kitchen runs a French and seasonal menu at dinner only. Cuisine pricing sits in the $$ tier ($40–$65 for a typical two-course meal before tip and drinks), which is reasonable for this category and this level of accolades. Chef Richard Blondin keeps a tight service window: Wednesday through Thursday, 5:15–8:45 pm; Friday and Saturday, 4:45–9:45 pm. The restaurant is closed Sunday through Tuesday. That's a narrow operating schedule, which means booking ahead is the right move , though overall booking difficulty is rated easy, so you're unlikely to be shut out weeks in advance unless you're targeting a specific Saturday. For the special occasion diner, the Friday/Saturday window gives you the most flexibility and the longest evening if you want to linger over that Port list.
This is the kind of room that works for a significant anniversary dinner, a business meal where the setting needs to signal seriousness, or a date where you want the wine conversation to do some of the heavy lifting. The combination of a decorated French kitchen, a sommelier-driven cellar, and OAD recognition gives the evening a credibility that's hard to manufacture at most Ohio restaurants. For purely celebratory occasions where you want high energy and a big room, Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse or Jeff Ruby's The Precinct will serve you better. For a quieter, wine-forward dinner where the food is the point, The Refectory has the stronger case. Google reviewers back this up: 4.7 across 1,481 reviews is a consistently high score that holds across a meaningful sample size.
If you're comparing this style of French-focused, sommelier-led dining to what you'd find internationally, the reference points shift significantly , Hotel de Ville Crissier or L'Effervescence in Tokyo operate in a different stratosphere. Within the American special-occasion category, Alinea in Chicago or Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg set the ceiling. The Refectory sits comfortably below those heights but above most of what Ohio offers at this price point.
See the comparison section below for how The Refectory stacks up against other Columbus and Cincinnati dining options across cuisine, price, and occasion fit.
For more dining options across the region, browse our full Cincinnati restaurants guide, or explore hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in the Cincinnati area.
It can work for a solo diner who wants a serious wine-and-food evening in Columbus. The $$ cuisine pricing ($40–$65 for two courses) keeps the solo spend manageable. Without confirmed bar seating details, call ahead to ask about counter or bar options , solo diners who prefer interaction with sommelier Ivan Zuna over a full table experience may find a bar seat more comfortable than a four-leading alone.
The Refectory has a wine program substantial enough that bar seating, if available, would be worth requesting specifically to work through options with sommelier Ivan Zuna. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm whether bar or counter seating is offered , this detail isn't confirmed in current data.
Dinner only. The Refectory does not serve lunch. Service runs Wednesday through Thursday from 5:15 pm and Friday through Saturday from 4:45 pm. If you want the longest possible evening, a Friday or Saturday booking gives you until 9:45 pm.
The Refectory is in Columbus, not Cincinnati , a common confusion worth clarifying before you book. If you're specifically in Cincinnati and want a comparable special-occasion experience, Boca is the closest peer for upscale dining. For Southern/Creole cooking with occasion-worthy credentials, Nolia Kitchen is worth considering. For a big, high-energy steakhouse celebration, Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse is the reliable choice. For something completely different at a lower price point, Camp Washington delivers a Cincinnati original at a fraction of the cost.
Specific menu items aren't confirmed in current data, so no dish recommendations can be made responsibly. What is confirmed: the kitchen runs French and seasonal cooking under chef Richard Blondin, which typically means the menu shifts with availability. Ask your server what's driving the kitchen on the night you visit. And let sommelier Ivan Zuna guide the wine , a 2,800-bottle cellar with White Star recognition means the pairing conversation is worth having.
Yes, with a clear rationale. The OAD Leading Restaurants in North America ranking (#578, 2025), the Star Wine List White Star, and a 4.7 Google score across 1,481 reviews give you confidence that the quality is consistent enough to stake a significant evening on. The $$ price tier keeps it from being a financial event in itself. For a wine-forward anniversary or milestone dinner in Columbus, this is the strongest option the city offers at this price point.
No specific dietary restriction policy is confirmed in current data. French seasonal kitchens typically have the technique to accommodate requests, but the narrow service window (four evenings per week) and the precision-driven kitchen format suggest calling ahead is the right approach rather than assuming flexibility on arrival.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Refectory | French | The Refectory is a restaurant in Columbus, USA. It was published on Star Wine List on August 15, 2022 and is a White Star.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #578 (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, France, Italy, Port Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Selections: 675 Inventory: 2,800 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: French, Seasonal Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Ivan Zuna:Sommelier Sommelier: Ivan Zuna Chef: Richard Blondin General Manager: Kamal Boulos Owner: Kamal Boulos; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Recommended (2023) | Easy | — |
| Camp Washington | Chili | Unknown | — | |
| Wildweed | Midwestern Farm-to-Table | Unknown | — | |
| Nolia Kitchen | Southern/Creole | Unknown | — | |
| Boca | Unknown | — | ||
| Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse – Cincinnati | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between The Refectory and alternatives.
It works for solo dining, though the format leans toward a sit-down dinner experience where a companion makes sense. At the $$ price point ($40–$65 for two courses), going solo is not a financial stretch, and the wine program managed by sommelier Ivan Zuna gives a solo diner plenty to engage with. Call ahead to confirm bar or counter seating availability if you want a more sociable solo setup.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in available venue data, so call ahead before planning your visit around it. The Refectory operates dinner only on a limited weekly schedule (Wednesday through Saturday), so options are tighter than at a full-week operation. If bar dining matters to you, verify directly before booking.
Dinner is your only option — The Refectory does not serve lunch. Service runs Wednesday through Thursday from 5:15 pm and Friday through Saturday from 4:45 pm, with Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday closed. Plan around that window; there is no flexibility for a midday visit.
The Refectory is actually located in Columbus, not Cincinnati, so Cincinnati diners should consider Boca or Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse for a comparable special-occasion commitment. Boca is the closer match if French-influenced cooking and a serious wine list are the priority. Jeff Ruby's suits a group that wants a steakhouse format with similar occasion-grade service.
Specific menu items are not listed in available data, so dish-level recommendations would be speculation. What is confirmed: the kitchen runs French and seasonal cooking at dinner, and the wine program covers 675 selections with depth in California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italy. Ask sommelier Ivan Zuna for a pairing — that interaction is part of what makes the meal worth the price.
Yes — this is one of the clearer booking cases. The Refectory is OAD-ranked in the Top Restaurants in North America (2025, #578) and holds a Star Wine List White Star for its cellar, which gives the room genuine credentials behind the occasion feel. At $$ cuisine pricing ($40–$65 for two courses), it delivers a serious dinner without the $$$+ commitment of a tasting-menu-only format. Anniversary dinners, milestone celebrations, and high-stakes business meals all fit.
No dietary accommodation policy is documented in available venue data. For a French kitchen running a seasonal menu, restrictions involving dairy, gluten, or shellfish are worth flagging at the time of reservation rather than on arrival. Call ahead or note requirements when booking — a kitchen at this level generally adjusts, but confirming in advance avoids complications on the night.
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