Best Contemporary American Restaurants in West Chester

So many menu options, and all are delicious. Sandy, our server, went above and beyond. Nice wine list, too.

Great food, beautiful ambiance. The dirty martini was the best martini I’ve had in NKY. It was cold so the rooftop wasn’t open but they let you outside to look and take in the fantastical view.

We visited for our 35th anniversary dinner. Communication leading up to our arrival was very good. We walked in the door at 7PM for our 7PM Monday night reservation and were taken right to our table after a quick coat check. Our waiter was very friendly and got to us immediately. Her timing throughout the evening was spot on. We ordered the Millon $ deviled eggs as an appetizer, two of their 6 oz filet dinners, creme brulee sweet corn (divine!) and a bottle of Stag's Leap Pinot Noir. The eggs were four presented and dressed on a long, narrow platter. They were good but a little bland for our deviled egg tastes. The creme brulee corn was the star of the show. Highly, highly recommend this dish. The whipped potatoes and asparagus accompanying the steaks were excellent and cooekd just right. Our only let down were the steaks themselves. They were good, but Jag's or The Precinct are several points above these. For dessert, we passed but they brought us some strawberry ice cream with a cookie and a card signed by everyone working. We also stopped at the bar on the way out and tried their Horse Soldier old fashioneds. Good, but not $23 each good. Overall the meal with tax, tip and the bar visit was around $400.

Everything about Alara wowed us! One of my dearest friends was in town to visit and we are both foodies! I had heard great things about Alara from other friends, so we decided to try it. I'm so glad we did. The valet parking is so nice, especially since the weather was snowy the night we dined. The atmosphere is elegant and beautifully done. No detail was overlooked. The service was impeccable. Askia, our server, was delightful...so knowledgeable. Everything he suggested was outstanding. We ordered a bottle of wine to complement our dinner choices and that enhanced the meal even more. Portions are large and perfect for sharing. I took home quite a bit for leftovers which was a huge bonus. If you love beets, the beet and goat cheese salad is a must! For our entrees, we chose the Lobster & Butternut Squash Carbonara and Seared Sea Scallops with Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash as our vegetable side dish. All were exceptionally prepared. The Carbonara had a very generous amount of lobster so you got some in every bite! Askia recommended we save room for dessert, and I'm glad we did. We had the Creamsicle Cloud and Chocolate Espresso Torte. The Cloud was the most beautiful dessert I've ever seen and it was equally light and elegant. The Torte was beyond rich and decadent. The Prisoner bottle of wine was delicious with the entire meal, but especially that rich chocolate dessert. Cincinnati is fortunate to have some fabulous restaurants, and Alara is one of them. It is a must for a special occasion or an evening of pampered perfection.

The food quality was excellent, per usual. We were a large family group (myself, my husband, my teenage & young adult children, and my mom who is visiting from out of state) and everyone loved their food. The seafood night on Tuesday is a great value! Our server, Taylor, was attentive & friendly. Some of us shared a giant slice of carrot cake for dessert and it was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I thought my teenage son was going to lick the plate!