Cleveland Guide

A personal guide to Cleveland’s places and culture.

Transit · Arts & Culture · Books & Records · Coffee · Food · Breweries · Music · Bars · Sports

The views and findings expressed here are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland or the Federal Reserve System. Listings are informational only — none of these are endorsements.

🚇 Getting By

GCRTA (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority) — Take the bus, take the rapid. Ride the first direct rapid-transit link between a city and its major airport in the Western Hemisphere: GCRTA History

🎨 Arts & Culture

Cleveland Museum of Art — “For the Benefit of All the People Forever.” See exhibits like: Picasso and Paper.
moCa Cleveland — Resident artists include: Manabu Ikeda.
The Cleveland Orchestra — One of the “Big Five.” Regular season at Severance Hall and summers at the Blossom Music Center in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Listen to pieces like: Widmann’s Viola Concerto.
Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) — At Playhouse Square. Watch movies like: Riceboy Sleeps and Bury Your Dead.
Cleveland Cinematheque — Since 1986. Watch movies like: Limite, Nostalghia, In the Mood for Love, and I’m Still Here.
Cleveland Public Library — Browse the world’s largest collection of chess literature: Chess & Checkers Collection.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — Cleveland radialist Alan Freed popularized the term “Rock N’Roll”.
Playhouse Square — Watch plays like: To Kill a Mockingbird.

📚 Books & Records

Cleveland Review of Books — Read texts like: “Two Poems” and “On the Beauty of the Cleveland Museum of Art”.
Clevo Books — Downtown, focused on translations. Buy books like: Brás Cubas
Visible Voice Books — A Tremont staple moving to Lorain.
Mac’s Backs — Since 1982. Pair it with a visit to the: Coventry Village.
Late Nite Records — Buy records at 11:59 pm.
Mistake by the Lake Records — Good name.
A Separate Reality Records — Another good name.
The Exchange — Since 1975. Trades from cassette tapes to Blu-rays.

🥐 Coffee & Breakfast

Rising Star — Drink coffee in the US’s first indoor mall or in an old firehouse.
Phoenix Coffee — The downtown location will be forever missed.
Lekko Coffee — Open Sundays until 7 pm.
Beet Jar — Vegan magic.
Cleveland Bagel Co. — A bagel shop that has been covered by the Wall Street Journal.
Juneberry Table — Seasonal brunch. Pair it with a visit to a vintage shop: Paradise Galleria
Martha on the Fly — Outstanding breakfast sandwich.
Lucky’s Café — A neighborhood brunch with a solid patio.
Leavened — Fresh-baked bread for the sandwiches.
Inn on Coventry — Get the lemon ricotta pancakes.
Luna — Eclectic bakery. Get a slice of the Luna cake.

🍝 Food & Restaurants

West Side Market — Since 1912. Public market with over 70 vendors. Check out the bread at: Mediterra
Amba — Indian-fusion, shared small plates.
Larder — A James Beard nominated deli. For Chef, Pastry Chef, and Media. Eat mold-fermented food: Koji Alchemy
Abundance — Modern Chinese from a chef that started Beijing’s first brewery. Read more: Chef Liu Fang
Banana Blossom — Classic Thai. Open Sundays until 9 pm.
Heart of Gold — Come for the smash burger, stay for the Anthony Soprano Jr. art: A.J.’s portrait
Ohio City Burrito — Provides its namesake in a cost-effective and reliable manner.
The Judith Cafe — French-inspired all-day cafe. A place to eat jamon beurre with vermouth.
Patron Saint — Italian-inspired all-day cafe. A place to eat olive cake with spaghett.
Soho — Chicken and waffles and whiskey.
Cent’s — Best pizza and ambiance in town.
Fat Cats — Fusion farm-to-table. Plenty of vegan options.
Cleveland Vegan — Everything vegan.
Hola — Voted best tacos in CLE.
Zen Cuisine — Fairly priced chinese at the Arcade. Cash only.
Cordelia — “Midwest nice” cuisine by a James Beard finalist Chef.
Friar’s Table — A Capuchin Ministries’ restaurant. A dream vision of Br. Phil Bernier of St Pete’s.
Banter — All things poutine. Pair it with a visit to the: Van Aken District.
Batuqui — Excellent Brazilian food.
Vero — The only “Italian-colleague-approved” pizza in the city.
EDWINS — An institution with purpose.
Cilantro — Late-night tacos where you need the most.
Zhug — Middle-Eastern mezze.
Mitchell’s — Delicious vegan ice cream flavors.
Mason’s Creamery — Get ice cream wrapped in a bubble waffle.

🍺 Breweries

Great Lakes — A city landmark. Surprising things happen in July: Christmas Ale. Good things on St Patrick’s: Conway’s.
Noble Beast — Excellent brewery food.
Masthead — A happy hour’s favorite.
Collision Bend — Great riverfront views.
Bookhouse — Small-batch beers in a former book bindery.

🎵 Music Venues

Beachland Ballroom — A bar up front, a bar in the back, and a bar in the middle. Listen to IDLES’: Beachland Ballroom.
Grog Shop — Small, dive venue. See at an arm’s length distance: Elder, Sonido Gallo Negro, and The Sword.
The Agora — Home of good metal. Headbang to: Sepultura, 2024.
BOP STOP — Jazz and Blues. Watch shows like: Hermeto Pascoal’s tribute.
City Stages — CMA’s free outdoor summer concerts. See world-class world music like: Yeison Landero. Pair it with a visit to the: Transformer Station

🍷 Bars & Nightlife

Jukebox — A neighborhood’s watering hole.
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room — Midwestern Tiki.
Velvet Tango Room — Cocktails and live jazz.
Happy Dog — Gourmet dogs, tater tots, and indie gigs.
Tina’s Nite Club — Legendary karaoke and cheap drinks.
Prosperity Social Club — Since 1938. Polish food and creative drinks.
Danny’s — Kitchen’s open until 2 am.
Mahall’s — Since 1924. Old school bowling alley with multiple spaces.
Merry Arts — Everything one would want from an Irish Pub.
Marble Room — Beautiful location, worth a seat at the bar.
Crobar — Top-shelf electronic music and late nights. Dance to: Soul Clap
MIX at the CMA — Every first Friday.

⚽ Sports: Watch and Practice

Cavs, Guardians, Browns, Monsters — Watch any, all within walking distance, in the Gateway District.
Edgewater Park — Lakefront pavement, beach, and lawn.
Towpath Trail — Ohio & Erie Canal, 101 miles long.
Lakewood Park — Enjoy the view at the Solstice Steps.

Cleveland Water Polo Club — Play the first olympic team’s sport in the Land. Watch another expat Brazilian water polo player make history: Felipe Perrone at 2:55

Flamengo — O Mais Querido. Only 5,070 miles (8,160 km) to the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Watch: Zico, Nunes and Adílio, Romário, Angelim, Pet, and Gabigol.