Dispatch Dining Guide: Top 20 of 2006

The top 20 restaurants in Columbus

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Jon Christensen

FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The effects of a slow economic recovery have rippled through last fall’s Top 20 list, taking their toll in the abrupt closings of Zola Dining Lounge in the Short North and Lu Lu’s in the Grandview Heights area.

This Top 20 list is in two halves, the first one being, in effect, The Dispatch’s Top 10.

Review visits to restaurants are unannounced. When reservations are available, they are not made in my name. Meals are paid for in full, and reimbursed by The Dispatch. The selection of restaurants to be reviewed is entirely at my discretion and is not influenced, directly or indirectly, by The Dispatch.

In alphabetical order:

The Top 10

- Dragonfly Neo – V Cuisine

- G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar

- Handke’s Cuisine

- Kihachi Japanese Restaurant

- L’Antibes

- La Tavola

- M

- The Refectory

- Rigsby’s Kitchen

- The Worthington Inn

Strong contenders

- Barcelona

- Basi Italia

- The Burgundy Room

- The Clarmont

- Hunan Lion

- Scali Ristorante

- Thom’s on Grandview

- The Top Steak House

- VinoVino Winebistro

- Z Cucina di spirito

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