City View Tavern, Cincinnati OH

City View Tavern is a simple, no nonsense dive bar with a priceless view of downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Genuine bartender with short, honest answers that runs this place his way. The inside likely has not changed in decades. Park on the street or get a ride here. No parking lot. Put your favorite song on for $2. The outside seating area is not big, but we were able to quickly find a table on a Saturday night.

We had a group of 4 that stopped in tonight for our first visit based off of recommendations. Bartender was extremely rude and made it obvious he did not want to deal with us at all. Maybe he was having a bad night but we will never return.

Burgers were absolutely amazing! Service not so much.

Bartender had a horrible attitude the minute we walked in. One patron asked him if they had a bathroom and the bartender looked at him and said “no we don’t have a bathroom…. Of course we have a bathroom dude you can’t have a business without a bathroom” in a very rude way. It was a fair question as the establishment isn’t the biggest and it was absolutely unnecessary for the bartender to respond to a patron in that manner.

Whatever, maybe the bartender was having a bad night. But as I continued to come up asking for a drink or to order my food, I was met with hostility and as if I was bothering him. I was nervous to ask or order anything due to how rude the bartender was acting, which is pretty ridiculous.

I believe the review below me is the man who walked in after we ate our burgers, which were amazing by the way!

A group of 4 walked in happy and within minutes we looked over and they were arguing with the bartender about his attitude and they ended up leaving immediately.

Looks like we weren’t the only ones who thought the bartender was insanely grumpy and rude.

Bummer as I have fond memories of this place as a child, but not sure I’ll return due to how horrible the service was.

View was great but service was terrible. The bartender said he had 2 waiters get fired so he had to cook and serve.

Wouldnt take my order, said they are too busy. I live right next door, not liking my experience

The view, of course! I think this rating was based partially on nostalgia, too. My husband worked here in college (in the 90s!) & I loved coming here to celebrate the Reds & Bengals. I’d argue the burgers are still the best in town. It was pleasantly crowded, not packed; easy to place/get our order. Bathroom is still terrible:)

The view was nice, but the bar's entrance was dark, and its ventilation smelled like mold. Thankfully, we ate on the patio.
They only had one woman running the entire place. She had her hands full.

Cool little dive bar with a great rooftop view.
Might be better at night time, but during the day super slow with only one worker.

I really liked how relaxed the vibes were. Great place to have a beer and just be. View is fantastic, especially at night. Only downside is the noise from the highway.

Love a burger at City View! A great spot with a great view of the city. I most recently had the Cheddar Bacon Burger with A-1 Sauce and it was delicious! ** Pic is of the burger with lettuce, pickle, onion and mayo from a previous visit which was also yummy**

Except for the view there isn't much atmosphere. The bartender was great and played along. We only had a drink each.

This is a mom-n-pop bar and restaurant, where you prefer at the bar and take it to your table. Simple, laid-back, no extra flares. Burgers are decent and made to order, they also have vegetarian options. Environment is cozy. The view of the city from the back deck it's what draws me to this place more than anything.

The burgers were delicious and obviously real. Cooked to rhe best perfection. The bartender, who also functions as the cook, was very nice. The views of Downtown and NkY were amszing.

I cannot believe I have lived in this city for 21 years now and not know about City View Tavern until now! It's very unassuming from the front, looks like a nice little dive bar in a quiet neighborhood. The inside has a fun Cincinnati atmosphere with posters and newspaper clippings filling the walls mixed with fun advertisements. Although the bar doesn't have the city's largest selection of beer, it has a little of everything so everyone should be happy! For dinner I had the Morningstar veggie burger, something I have had many times in different establishments and at home, and yet for some reason the taste was unbelievable! I think it was the brown mustard, yummm! And then there is the Pièce de résistance, the view from the balcony seats. It's wonderful! I could sit out there all day watching the city buzz. It's a very laid back vibe at the City View Tavern so go into island mode and just take it low and slow.

The real deal. The burgers are legendary, the service prompt and true, and the beers cold and refreshing. And did I mention the view? Stunning, even on a cool, rainy day.

Food was great, staff was polite, and the place was super nice. Will surely be returning for another burger and a beer!

Burger was cooked to 'med'. Not a big deal for me but really should have been something that was revealed before ordering. Seating was a bit wonky, find a seat, go to the bar to order food just to return and find your seat taken. Service was friendly and the food tasted good. May return when the weather warms up a bit more so I can enjoy the view (bring a friend to hold your seat, lol)

View is a 5, burgers ok, but service & idiot parents who don’t control kids while openly changing diapers in restaurant make this place a joke…literally, dirty diaper changing in a restaurant was allowed!