For great views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River, you can't beat the restaurants along the shorelines in Covington and Newport.
One of the best restaurants in Kentucky is found in Covington's Main Strasse. Dee Felice Food & Spirits Café, Sixth and Main streets (tel. 859/261-2365; www.deefelice.com), mixes live jazz and spicy New Orleans-style cuisine. Main courses cost $10 to $35.
Just upriver on the east side of the Roebling Suspension Bridge -- a Civil War-era span that connects Kentucky with downtown Cincinnati -- is Mike Fink's (tel. 859/261-4212; www.mikefink.com). Named for a legendary riverman, the restaurant is housed in a paddle-wheeler replica at the foot of Greenup Street. Known for its seafood and raw bar, this is a fun place with moderate to expensive prices (main courses $19-$51). (When this guide was published, Mike Fink's was closed for renovations.)
Though it's not directly on the river, Behle Street Café, adjacent to the Embassy Suites Hotel just off the riverfront in Covington (tel. 859/291-4100), offers the rare combination of good food and low prices (main courses $11-$24). This is a great place to hit for a quick meal or drink before a Reds game or other evening event.
Newport, just east of Covington across the Licking River, has a whole strip of restaurants along an area known as Riverboat Row. Most are family friendly and offer outdoor docks and decks that provide wonderful views of the city and give the kids a chance to feed the ducks.
At Newport on the Levee, near the aquarium, I heartily recommend the Hofbrauhaus (tel. 859/491-7200; www.hofbrauhausnewport.com), a friendly German-American restaurant serving up hearty Bavarian favorites. Main courses run $9 to $13. Try the appetizer sampler, a hefty platter of deep-fried sauerkraut balls, potato pancakes, and two-fisted pretzels with warm beer-cheese dip, among other goodies.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
