Cumin Eclectic Cuisine

It was with great sadness to find that this amazing spot has closed. So I’ll offer some kind words as a tribute. Cumin is inventive dining done well. The chef is creative, and has interesting ideas about food, but also has the skills to back it up.
I had three outstanding meals here, and was always impressed by the quality of the food, the interestingness of the menu, and the wine selection. The atmosphere was sleek and bustling as well.
Particular dishes I recall enjoying including seared foie gras (served atop blueberry pancakes), and a delicate handmade vegetable ravioli. I heard the chef has opened a different restaurant, which I will have to research the next time I have occasion to enjoy a fine-​dining experience in Cincinnati.

We went for our 22^nd anniversary. Both of us got the 5 course tasting menu and I got wine. I have to say that the wine was well chosen and complemented the menu well. We loved everything but the steak, which was our 4^th course. The winter carrots were underdone, and the steak, while cooked properly, just didn’t really stand up to the excellence of the previous dishes (Squash soup, beet salad, and scallop with quinoa). Dessert was chocolate truffles. While I do like those, I had been hoping for something a bit different. All in all, a very nice night. The ambience is grown up and classy, service knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely a special occasion kind of night, though. It was quite pricey.

Three of us went to dinner to Cumin the Friday after Thanksgiving and we enjoyed every single dish. The butternut squash soup was great, as were the salads (we got the kale and beet salads). This is probably the first time that I truly enjoyed a salad at a restaurant and felt that I was eating a healthy dish, instead of something drenched in dressing. The gnudi were good, though heavy. The lamb and salmon were delicious. Overall, we loved our experience at Cumin and if we lived in Cincinnati, we would go there more regularly.

This is a place where price does not correlate to the impressiveness of the dish. The least expensive item ordered (butternut squash soup, $ 6) was by far the best thing we ate. It was rich, tasty, and very substantial. The kale salad was too plain, and the paella was only okay in flavor and definitely overpriced. The restaurant was dead on a Thursday night, but service was friendly. I would consider going back sometime but it’s not at the top of the list.

I went here early Tuesday night with a friend for an early dinner. The place quickly filled up which was encouraging. It had a really cool environment. the bar was rounded and jutted out, the walls had a worn wood look, and the layout was open. I stuck to their woodfire pizza since that is what they are known for. I got the Fig and Pig and it was fantastic. It had balsamic drizzled on with some other leafy topping. Definitely recommend. The size is kind of large but would probably be too small to split if you were hungry. Great excuse to bring leftovers home and try some of your friends pizza.

I was only here once, for a rehearsal dinner. The couple-​to-​be rented out the place for their special night. The ambiance is very modern-​cool. The bar area contains its high chairs and delicious cocktails– created with the bartender & special couple to mix up a perfect blend of flavors.
The food was abundant and each course added on flavors to complete the meal. I am STILL thinking about the butternut squash soup– bold, creamy, and the spice came as an after thought. I need more now!
The rest Of the food– potatoes, sweet potato gnocchi, pork tenderloin– all spoke to the season (it was October).
I am not sure I’ll go back on my own… But I will for that soup!

I went here for a birthday party with a larger group, and the restaurant did a great job of accommodating us, including separate checks, which always gives you brownie points in my book.
The wine list is good and well priced. I had a glass of rose for $ 8ish that was good, and they have a great beer and cocktail list as well. We had a good mix of drinks ordered and everyone seemed really happy. I heard the farmer’s market martini was great. Again, the staff was very attentive with the drinks, offering another or taking away our glasses. And the waters were always full– again, great brownie points here.
We started with the coconut crepes, which for $ 10 were awesome and a good size for two people to share as an appetizer. For the entrée I had the fish which was Walleye that day. I was very underwhelmed. At $ 24 I wasn’t expecting a large portion, but was definitely expecting exceptional flavors, and I didn’t really taste… anything.
Other people in our group ordered the vegetarian ravioli, lamb shank, lamb burger, rib eye and other things I can’t remember, and everyone seemed pretty happy with those. I hear the raviolis were a standout. The lamb burger looked awesome.
One note: because their menu is split into three courses, a lot of us weren’t sure whether the portions for something from course one would be different to course three. They all seemed to be the same portion sizes– so don’t let the fact that the lamb burger is a first course keep you from ordering it!
Overall: kind of overpriced food, and things seem hit or miss. But the service is exceptional.

It’s been two years since I moved to Mt. Lookout, and for two years, I have driven by Cumin thinking, «I should check that place out!» Well, I finally did, and I can say that I wish I had come earlier.
In response to someone’s hatred of the décor, what is wrong with you? This place is as classy as it gets. Our server was engaging, friendly, and on the ball.
The food: I had the gnocchi with cauliflower and the walleye with sunflower sprouts. Nom nom! Everyone got something different and everyone was raving about the food. The manager was awesome and went out of his way to open the door for us, and carry our bottle of wine over from the bar.
I love that there is an amazing, locally-​owned restaurant literally on my doorstep. Thanks Cumin, I’ll be back again very soon!

Cumin is near where i live, but I never thought of trying out their brunch, until now. This place is in Polly Campbell’s brunch hall of fame. I feel that Polly likes to have more of savory, lunch-​y items in her brunch where as for me, I like to load up on sugar and carbs.
Cumin brunch is not your average brunch. It is more of a bold experiment on enhancing and changing the traditional brunch dishes with inspirations from all over the world. The ambiance is eclectic and modern, and we were the only folks for brunch at 11am on a Sunday morning.
Website seemed to say brunch is a buffet, but our waitress corrected that it is a mistake on the website. Brunch is a la carte. Now i can see that the website is also reflecting this. Good job there!
We ordered pancakes, bread pudding and stone bowl. Wait. where are the adjectives? Pancakes were Malted Smoked Almond Pancakes. Bread pudding had almonds, bananas and a lot of other good stuff. Stone Bowl is something we have not seen in other places. It is similar to the stone bowl preparations (bibimbap) in Korean cuisine. This stone bowl had cheddar and leek hash browns, apple wood bacon, scrambled egg,
sour cream and shallots and kept cooking even after brought to the table. We (party of 2) kind of had over-​estimated our hunger, and we had to pack about half of the items.
Everything was delicious. Familiar dishes, with different tastes. Its bold and innovative. Bread pudding was not too sweet, and the almonds provided a lot of crunchy feel. Stonebowl was a distinct dish with savory tones. Pancakes wih ganache filled our hearts. Only part where we would have liked a little more attention is customer service, some friendly worlds won’t hurt. This is why i need to bring it down from 4 to 3 stars.

We found this place on a Tuesday night. We only went in to Cumin because every bar stool in Hap’s was taken and well, Cumin was next door and it was empty! What a pleasant surprises not what you expect and yet, it’s perfect.
I was with a party of 13 other ladies, we sing together and we went with our director and his wife. I am not sure any of us expected to like Cumin but one lady had heard it was good — and she was right. Everyone really enjoyed their meal. It is ECLECTIC. I can put it in to a category. I don’t want to try.
The waiter insisted that the menu was not intimidating — and after a quick walk through it — it wasn’t. The décor is very neon and very contemporary but I felt like I was in Rome in the 80’s — or HP in the 2000’s — it wasn’t Hap’s and I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, Dorothy! :) Chicken dishes and sampler platters. I took pictures of everyone’s food — it was very PRETTY! But tasty and filing! Yes, satisfying — unless you need the Buffet Bar to feel full.
Don’t be afraid of the menu — or the prices. There IS food in all of that foreign language and well, I LOVED my … ravioli’s with a fancy name. And I have had Polenta but Cumin’s was AMAZING! And no, I CAN’T spell Polenta but it certainly didn’t taste like the cream of wheat bread my friend and I were expecting! We ate every bit of our food and we were very satisfied. Dessert sounded good but we needed to get home and get to bed — save that for another time.
I will never pass up a chance to walk in to the place next door to Hap’s and you shouldn’t either. We were pleasantly surprised. I WILL be back — with my husband! He is a true judge of food. I like anything that I didn’t cook. :)

We went to Cumin during Unilocal Drinks, and while there were drinks consumed, we also had dinner since the entire group was coming from work, and sat in the dining room.
Parking was limited, though there are a few spots in the back, and this is the case for this entire area. The restaurant, this said, was very empty. I think we were the only people in there (Wednesday night) for most of the 3+ hours we were there.
Our server was nice enough, but one of her counterparts was caught eavesdropping and trying to chime in on our conversation and coming off a bit creepy. I know it was slow, but still odd.
The beet soup was amazing. I had the butter chicken which was good. But… the prices are steep and I’d probably fall closer to the opinion that they are overpriced. I do think the quality of food felt well considered, so maybe it’s more fair to say it’s a special occasion pricing, rather than undeserved? Either way, be aware.
The atmosphere is pleasant, but the emptiness of the venue leaves me without much to comment on in terms of dealing with customers and the general feel of the place.
Meh sums it up, but it’s not a bad thing, just feels like I have too little to go on.

Had dinner here on a week night recently, and for the longest time, we were the only people in the place. That always leaves me with an unsettling feeling-​does everyone else know something?
Overall, the meal was great. There was a seasonal beet soup which, at the risk of being Dwight Schrute, was phenomenal. I had a ravioli dish which was also very well done.
Our server was a bit less than friendly, and we knew what we were getting into (price wise) when we chose this place for dinner. I can’t imagine it making it into my regular line up of go-​to spots, both because the menu is a bit limited (maybe it changes frequently?) and it’s not the most reasonably priced place in the city (also, parking in this neighborhood is always tough.).

I attend brunch frequently and enjoy it but wish it wasn’t so expensive. Brunch entrees around $ 14 for small portions and $ 10/​mimosa or bloody mary.

I’ll start off by saying this restaurant seems out of place. It is absolutley stunning yet, it is in a strip mall sorta building next to one of my favorite dive bars, Hap’s. I guess we’ll get fancy and then down and dirty!
You walk into Cumin and are immediately taken back by it’s beauty. I love modern décor so I really took a liking to the décor. The pictures on here really don’t even do it justice. We had a small wait on a Friday night that was only about 15 minutes for a table for four, heck yes! We all order something different because we are that obnoxious group of «sharers.» Boy am I glad we did!
You know that feeling when your food comes out and you look at someone elses and go, «Man I shoulda got that» and you pout a little? That was NOT the case here! Everything on the table was piping hot, not to mention a work of art! I ordered the mussels. They had a cream sauce with huge chunks of bacon, chili flakes, and star anise, oh and a huge chunk of garlic bread for sopping up deliciousness! These were easily top 2 mussels in Cincy. The flavor was there, texture was there. Everything… was there.
I also tried the steamed porkbelly buns. Holy mother of god, delicious. Cooked to perfection. My pet peeve is overcooked pork belly. Again, not here. My friend who is a huge pumpkin fan got the pumpkin risotto and was totally satisfied. I had a bite and it was great as well. My boyfriend had the duck, and he eats duck a lot but was surprised at the flavor. Loved the thick fat on it (sorry but its delicious).
Now onto the service. It was incredible. Top notch. Attentive, but not invasive. Opened, and held the door for us. Let us carry on conversations, but swept in to tidy up. Some really well trained staff that made our night wonderful. The only harp is that is it kind of pricey, but it’s one of those places when you walk away you feel good about spending the money. Not one of those «what the heck did I even get for that much?» kind of places.
Fresh, inventive, modern American cuisine, done perfectly. I was honestly waiting for a flaw but it didn’t seem to exist. 5 stars!

Just tried Cumin for brunch, and I’m definitely a fan. The food was excellent but the service was a little unfriendly. They were pretty crowded when my friend and I arrived and our waitress seemed a little overwhelmed.
They have a Bellini bar where they bring you the sparkling wine and then you help yourself to various fruit purees — $ 10 for the first Bellini, $ 5 each additional. It’s a cute idea, but sometimes you just want a cocktail brought to you — I didn’t want to have to make my own drinks, so I skipped it.
We ordered the pancakes and the benedict. My pancakes were pretty amazing — smoky thick cut bacon, dark chocolate, blanched almonds, and thick maple syrup. I usually go with an egg dish for brunch, but this was a perfect mix of sweet and savory. I tried my friend’s benedict and it was also really tasty, but very rich.
I’d love to go back and try their dinner menu, or come back for brunch on a nicer day and eat on the patio, which I’m sure will get a lot of business in the summer.

Went here last night for dinner with my friend we made reservations for 8 and when we showed up Alex the owner asked us where we wanted to sit, we chose the big room up against the wall and right across from the hostess stand.
:We were greeted by our server within a few minutes and told us about the seasonal soup– it was butternut squash and then told us to take a few minutes and decide what to order.
: Anytime I go and try a restaurant I haven’t been at before I order the tasting menu to see the chef’s skills and a different variety of dishes.
: After ordering the tasting menu and wine to go with, we were brought out an amuse bouche of the butternut squash soup in an espresso cup with micro herb and also a class of sparkling cava. The soup was really good flavor wise it was just a little to thick for us to drink out of an espresso cup, and no spoons were brought out. It needed just a few splashes of water or stock to thin it out.
:Our next course was the «Smoking Sashimi» sushi grade tuna with vegetable ashes, soy spray paint, orange zest and smoked oil. The wine that was paired with it brought grapefruit on the nose and paired well with the dish. There was a lot going on the plate. This was just OK as the textures were the same.
:The second course was the farmer bean salad with local beans, frisee, grain mustard dressing, toasted walnuts and shaved sheep milk cheese. This was the low light of the night for us as the beans were over cooked, the salad need to be tossed better and the cheese was all at the bottom.
: Our third course was the PEI Mussels with chili, bacon, star anise, cream and sourdough garlic bread. This was the highlight of the meal, the mussels were perfectly cooked and the every meshed well, the only thing was we only got one piece of bread with this course so I had to ask for more for sopping up all the cream and bacon. Plus they brought out the wrong wine at first and then brought out another glass so we had two glasses of wine for this course.
: The main course was two lamb chops with xo butter sauce, chantrelles, brussel sprouts and apricots. The lamb was cooked perfectly, but the brussel sprouts on both our plates were raw and we didn’t get why apricots (my friend suggested so we get our 5 a day fruits).
: For the dessert we had Root Beer Float, I will admit I have never been a fan of Root Beer, but this was good as was the unsweetened chocolate chip cookie served with it. Our wine pairing for this was a 20 year old tawny port and it was good.
After tax it came to around one hundred dollars per person. The service was good. I was just disappointed after Cincinnati Magazine named this the 6^th best restaurant in the city.
: One more thing to note the owner Alex was buying every table glasses of the Cava before they left.

3.5 stars, really.
First: Despite the name and history, there is very little Indian food here. For many, that will be a plus; for others, a shame. If anyone IS looking for an Indian flavored dish here, the Butter Chicken is a good bet. A bit pricey compared to typical Indian restaurants, but delicious, and you can taste the freshness and high quality of the chicken and the sauce.
Second: In general, yes, this is not an inexpensive meal. But the menu is available online. Anyone can see the options and prices ahead of time.
As for the food, everything we had was really good. Mussels, Butter Chicken, Salmon, Foie Gras Burger. I agree with Caroline C that the bacon on the mussels was a bit much/​salty, but the guys I was eating with seemed to like it. {shrug} My burger was huge — I took half home — and everyone stole my delicious fries.
The environment is pleasantly contemporary/​trendy. Our service was fine — not exceptional but not bad.
In all Cumin is a nice, upscale venue with high quality food and interesting flavors. Definitely a nice option to have in any neighborhood.

Headed here as one of my final meals on my work trip to Cincinnati since it was listed as one of the top restaurants in the area. WOW I was blown away. Service was phenomal. Décor was clean and modern. And food was just to die for.
Started off with the chickpea salad. Loved it. It was fresh and light. Exactly my type of meal. Then I had some vegetarian cauliflower special that they had on the menu that week and it was AMAZING! The entrée was huge so I wasnt able to finish. I just wanted to take it home but I highly doubt it would be the same after microwaving it inside of my hotel the next day. So sad. So sad. I also had a taste of my coworkers homemade agnolotti. Mmm just sooo yum.
If this place were around the corner from where I lived, I would be here weekly!

When I wrote my last review, I was debating between 3 and 4 stars. I ended up going with 4 stars which at the time I thought was being somewhat generous. I just went back to Cumin and now I’ve determined it was far too generous. There are just too many aspects of the dining experience at Cumin that have a long ways to go before I consider this one of Cincinnati’s top spots.
First and foremost, Cumin has a problem with its menu and price points. The starters are overpriced, the soups and salads are moderately priced and the mains verge on overpriced. I decided to go with a soup, salad and starter (as my main course) which ended up being a total ticket of about $ 19. That is less than all but one main course. So I got to try 3 different things, and was quite satisfied. If I had just ordered a main, or a main plus a salad, then we’re looking at a total ticket of around $ 30-​$ 35. I’m not complaining about my scenario here, I’m just wanting to let the diner and the restaurant know that there is a disparity with their pricing.
Secondly, the food isn’t very consistent. Some dishes are pretty good, but some have way too much going on and are too aggressively seasoned. And the entire restaurant wreaks of truffle oil. How, you may ask, is that a negative? Perhaps it’s too much of a good thing, but it overwhelming aroma is suffocating.
My «main» that I had ordered was really the PEI Mussels. I was looking forward to this dish because it sounded so great from the menu’s description. Well, I guess great in theory. The PEI Mussels were lovely and fresh, but their delicate flavor was destroyed by the heavy-​handedness of the sauce. The bacon made it too salty and the cream made it too rich. It was just a shame to do that to those beautiful mussels.
Another dish that had way too much going on was the Butter Chicken. I was wondering why they weren’t called it Makhani Chicken, but I found out once the dish arrived. The Butter Chicken comes topped with mozzarella cheese and a cashew pesto. Now, there’s nothing about the name «Butter Chicken» that would lead to me to believe that it needs to be enhanced with something as rich as a cashew pesto — or cheese for that matter.
The service wasn’t great either. We went far too long at different points without attention from our server. The only thing I did like was that the corkage fee is only $ 15 and they didn’t give me any trouble with bringing my own bottle.

I wish I could give Cumin 3.5 stars. I had a wonderful meal there a few years ago when the focus of the menu was truly contemporary, upscale Indian cuisine. I’d been wanting to go back for a long time, and finally did a few weeks ago and was completely shocked by the menu. I understand the «eclectic» and «fusion» labels, but my date and I were both very surprised at how few of the dishes had any discernible Indian influences — at least from their descriptions on the menu. I was disappointed because I was in the mood for interesting Indian.
Neither butter chicken nor a lentil dish, the only two entrees that seemed mostly Indian-​influenced on the night we visited, appealed to me, so I went in a totally different direction and ordered a pasta. My date ordered another chicken entrée that seemed like it came straight off the menu at any upscale American bistro. But the thing is, our food was outstanding! We really enjoyed our entrees and our drinks, and each also had a very reasonably priced salad as a starter. Can’t complain about the service either; it was very professional and understated.
My guess as to why the reviews for Cumin are all over the board is that people don’t know what to expect, and if you are craving Indian and don’t get it, the high prices will leave you very disappointed. The pricing is appropriate for the restaurant you’ll experience, but Cumin needs to do a better job of re-​branding itself so as customers don’t feel as though they’ve been victims of a bait and switch once they are seated and reviewing the menu. And a tip for out of towners or those new to town: if you really want standard Indian fare, there are several great choices all over town, with prices more friendly to carry-​out or a casual weeknight dinner.