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National Exemplar, Cincinnati, OH

National Exemplar

4.8
4.8
1862 Reviews
$30 and under
American
A photo of National Exemplar restaurant

National Exemplar

4.8
$30 and under
American
Mariemont

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 18 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
The National Exemplar, located on the first floor of the Mariemont Inn, is a popular neighborhood restaurant. It offers American-style cuisine in its spacious dining room or relaxing outdoor patio. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the National Exemplar offers an outstanding experience.

Southerby’s Pub, located off the lobby, offers dining as well as a cozy place to have a drink and features oversized chairs overlooking one of the original 1920’s fireplaces. In the evening settle down in an over-stuffed sofa and savor a drink with the locals in this intimate lobby pub.

In April of 1983, The National Exemplar began operation in the Mariemont, Ohio landmark, the Mariemont Inn. The Inn was constructed in the mid-1920's as a small piece of the very unique Mariemont community, founded by Mary Emery. The National Exemplar Restaurant was named after learning that Mary Emery once referred to her developing community as the National Exemplar, meaning national model community.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast/Lunch Daily 7:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (513) 271-2103
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Ed P.
  • Catering
    Full-service menus available upon request. The National Exemplar is part of The Phoenix Restaurant Group which is a full-service restaurant management company located in Cincinnati, OH. Specializing in full-service restaurant dining, catering, banquets, special events and rehearsal dinners.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer two Private Dining Rooms, The Chess Room and The Tudor Room, that can accommodate from 12 to 40 guests depending on the function and floor plan.
  • Area
    Mariemont
  • Cross Street
    Plainville Road
  • Parking details
    Exit I-71 at Red Bank Road, follow Red Bank Road to 50 East, take 50 East (Wooster Pike) to 6880 Wooster Pike, on the circle in Mariemont (inside the Mariemont Inn).
  • Entertainment
    Live music in Southerby's Pub every Thursday evening 6:00-9:00.
  • Additional
    Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

What 1,862 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Cincinnati / Dayton

    American

  • Cincinnati

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
National Exemplar, a Cincinnati gem, offers a "comprehensive menu" with something for everyone. Guests rave about the "beautiful room" and "attentive service." Highlights include the "best prime rib" and "amazing mushroom soup." With outdoor seating in a charming garden setting and daily specials, it's a "must-try destination."

1,862 Reviews
  1. Elliot

    Cincinnati

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely phenomenal. This is my favorite restaurant in the area by far. The food, the service, the presentation, the atmosphere - everything has been paid the utmost care and attention. 5/5 stars every single time.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Louisa

    Cincinnati

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was good with large portions. The service was terrible and slow
    National ExemplarResponded 6 days ago
    Hi Louisa, Thank you for leaving a review. As a neighborhood restaurant of 41+ years, we pride ourselves on creating an exceptional experience for our guests including great food and excellent service. We are disappointed that your experience fell short of our high standards. We'd like to learn more so we can share your feedback with our team. Please consider reaching out to the restaurant by calling 513-271-2103 and asking for Lisa to let us know more about your experience. - The National Exemplar

    Is this helpful?

  3. Scott

    Columbus

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic restaurant, Always the best! Hungarian mushroom soup

    Is this helpful?

  4. Kevin

    Cincinnati

    80 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    80 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We had a good experience with a few oddities thrown in. As usual, we easily found a few things on the menu that looked good and we were very happy with the food quality and wine/beer selections. The atmosphere was comfortable and overall value was good. The service was a bit mixed which was different than our normal experience. The main issue being we were seated 15 minutes after our reservation time. They did apologize but 15 minutes still seems a bit excessive even on a Saturday. They also started vacuuming and cleaning up the bar seating area at 830. I get the desire for efficiency and no one was asking us to leave but cleaning up the area when you are last table seated there gives one the impression it is time to leave. Anyway, the bar and table service was fine but in general the overall service was not as good as normal.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Jennifer

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic food and service as always! My family always eats here when visiting relatives in Mariemont.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Nicola

    Cincinnati

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 25 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was good. Waitress Madeleine was very nice . We received our food timely . Great experience.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Robert

    Cincinnati

    12 reviews

    4.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    All good as always at the Exemplar! Food delivery tonight was longer than usual but we all are struggling with labor issues. Lobby bar staff was great and we were there until time for our reservation. Had to wait a bit for our table to be ready, but again no big deal. We’ll always be back!!!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Denise

    Columbus

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We we delighted with the service and food quality.

    Is this helpful?

  9. robin

    Cincinnati

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food and service. Looking forward to our next visit.

    Is this helpful?

  10. alex

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent as always a great night at The National Exemplar

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

National Exemplar does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. National Exemplar also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (513) 271-2103.

National Exemplar is rated 4.8 stars by 1862 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of National Exemplar restaurant

National Exemplar

4.8
$30 and under
American
Mariemont

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 18 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for National Exemplar

6880 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Plainville Road
  • Area
    Mariemont
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast/Lunch Daily 7:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Exit I-71 at Red Bank Road, follow Red Bank Road to 50 East, take 50 East (Wooster Pike) to 6880 Wooster Pike, on the circle in Mariemont (inside the Mariemont Inn).
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Ed P.
  • Entertainment
    Live music in Southerby's Pub every Thursday evening 6:00-9:00.
  • Additional
    Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (513) 271-2103
  • Catering
    Full-service menus available upon request. The National Exemplar is part of The Phoenix Restaurant Group which is a full-service restaurant management company located in Cincinnati, OH. Specializing in full-service restaurant dining, catering, banquets, special events and rehearsal dinners.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer two Private Dining Rooms, The Chess Room and The Tudor Room, that can accommodate from 12 to 40 guests depending on the function and floor plan.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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