I really need to go back and give another try. My friend chose here for her birthday dinner treat. The food was ok, but I wasn't very impressed. After hearing all of the people that love it, I'm wondering if I went on an off night? The food was beautiful and the service was great.

Long story short: great food, great service, great atmosphere We've been to Pepp & Dolores many times & have never been disappointed. We started with some wine- I especially enjoyed their sweet Moscato- & their house-made ricotta. Despite the dish's simplicity, it is one of my favorite things on their menu. Next, we got the antipasto salad & eggplant involtini. The antipasto was heavily dressed & topped with everything you could ever want- olives & cheese & artichokes. It was delightfully tangy & surprising filling. The eggplant, on the other hand, was rather bland in my opinion. We will definitely get the antipasto again but we will not be re-ordering the eggplant. The pasta! Pepp never misses when it comes to pasta! The pesto is incredibly flavorful & herbaceous & the limone is packed full of citrus & garlic & cheese. They were both incredible & I can't wait to get them again! We sat in the lower level & the ambiance is incredible; the dim lighting & nostalgic pictures on the wall create an intimate feel in a large restaurant. The servers are knowledgeable & friendly & provide exceptional service.

Pepp Dolores in Cincinnati is a perfect spot for an early appetizer and cocktail business meeting. The restaurant portion was buzzing but the bar was pretty quiet. When we arrived shortly after opening, we were the only people at the bar for about an hour, making it an ideal setting for a biz meeting. The charcuterie board was solid and had an array of meats and cheeses, but the standout for me were the cucumbers, which were sweet and refreshingly crispy. The ambiance is cozy with light wood accents and a stunning bar. The bar tender was attentive and very friendly. I'll have to go back for dinner.

Have to dock one star due to poor service my second time eating here. We were told it was going to be a 15-20 minute wait and it ended up being almost 45 - 50 minutes. Took forever to get a server once we sat down. Additionally, drinks came after our food arrived. With that being said, food is still fantastic.

Charming Italian spot with DELICIOUS pasta and even better drinks. Great service, elevated ambience, and a fantastic location in OTR.

I have to admit, I'm a little conflicted over my first experience at this establishment. Everything was great: the server, the ambiance, the variety of dishes on the menu...except for the alcoholic beverage "misunderstanding." There's a $6 limoncello service that is priced by the bottle...unless two people (or more) at your table order the service, then it's less alcohol for everyone. There's a small-pour bottle of housemade limoncello that would normally serve one person...so each person at my table ordered the service. Rather than bring out three bottles (since we paid for 3 services) we were brought 2 bottles and made to share because well, I still don't really understand. We were all so confused that we even asked the manager to come explain why three people couldn't get three separate mini-bottles if they were priced at $6 per person. He gave an ultimately nonsensical answer that left us a bottle short (pun intended). It still doesn't make sense to me. If it's a $6 POUR, then call it that. Listing it as a service based on a $6 mini-bottle, then expecting two patrons paying $6 each to split what you'd give one person for $6 makes no sense. Outside of that unfortunate start, the meal ended beautifully. My lobster squid ink pasta is easily the best meal on the menu. Al dente, homemade noodles in that delightfully creamy sauce? Perfect umami, perfect portion size, perfect amount of lobster (I hate when restaurants skimp!). I would be remiss in my food review duties if I didn't mention the appetizers. Wow-we! The fried artichokes were a sight to behold, and a delight to consume. That sauce they make to accompany the artichoke is clearly made of crack, so be careful. Get "The Dunk" for the table...hell, get two. I'm definitely coming back to this spot for what is now my new favorite pasta dish, but I'll likely just stick to a G&T from the bar. If I pay for one of those I don't have to share, no matter how many other people at my table order one. ‍

Holy handmade pasta! The hype is legit. R and I finally made it to Pepp and Dolores (after having resies several times and needing to cancel.) I started with the antipasto salad which was olive and artichoke based (not salami and cheese like you might think.) It was so springy and zesty, I wanted more. I would have been happy with that as my dinner, honestly. R got the wedge, which is their version of Cesar. For the main course I had the agnello. The rigatoni color was a bit concerning, but lemme tell you...this lamb dish was the deal. Make resies and ask for Tia. She's fantastic.