

has a retractable roof.Photo credit: Seventh Son Brewing Co. The tasting room/beer hall at Seventh Son Brewing Co. In Bridge Park, the happening new area of Dublin, settle in for some killer views while sharing tapas Spanish-style and a variety of wines and cocktails.

The AC Marriott is the home of VASO with its cabanas and firepits and the option of a cozy igloo in winter. VASO Dublinĭublin is one of the suburbs families tend to migrate to for its adorable downtown (Jeni’s ice cream started here and is now nationwide), great schools, shopping, and fantastic dining options without having to drive far. Eclectic furnishings with club-style leather sofas and, of course, the rooftop over the Village. AOH is not your typical German beer hall but a crafter of sours as well as cocktails and other beverages. While you can still find German grub, this area of Columbus is renowned for its preservation of magnificent brick homes, quaint shops, and charming eateries. Walk around German Village and revel in an area of Columbus where early settlers worked in factories and restaurants served good German beer and Wienerschnitzel and brats. Bring the family, eat well, and revel in the outdoor spaciousness while trying beers flavored with mango, blueberry, or simply a low ABV offering titled “Cold Beer.” As it should be. This once edgy and high-crime area was transformed by a few visionaries who saw the beauty of the location and potential in old warehouses and abandoned buildings.Īlthough deeper in Franklinton things are still progressing, BrewDog is the place to be for a craft beer, burger, or taco on a sunny day. This happening brewery is located in one of those areas one never imagined would be a social center of Columbus. Lincoln social is glamorous yet accessible and is easily the place to take out-of-towners and impress them with both the heights, views, and sophistication that makes up this happening downtown area.īrewDog, a Scottish craft brewery in FranklintonPhoto credit: Ludovic Farine / 3. It’s a Cameron Mitchell restaurant with insane views, yet the quality food and cocktails are what this restaurant group is known for. It still seems to be the ultimate popular rooftop bar in the vibrant area known as the Short North. I was here when Lincoln Social first opened and it was all the rage. Rooftops and terraces abound, and what a view they have to offer. The capital city has a zoo that was the subject of a national television program for years, has a giant university known for football as well as higher learning, is the seat of power and government for the state, and, finally, has a cutting-edge restaurant scene that embraces all of the diversity and history the city has to offer. Columbus has pivoted from a manufacturing town to a service, insurance, and technology capital, has developed formerly forgotten neighborhoods, preserved their historic areas, and attracts culture in mass quantities (like the incomparable Dale Chihuly exhibit at the art museum). If you have not been to Columbus in a while or have never even thought about it, now may just be the time to explore this Midwestern city that is doing many things right. Winters can be long in Ohio, making outdoor dining once the sun peeks out and days become long even more of an experience to treasure.
