Indulge in Innovative Italian

Forno Kitchen + Bar is one of the city’s premier spots for Italian cuisine 

By Joe Frye 

On a Saturday night, you can find Columbus residents gathering around a stone pizza oven. Sipping on espressos and sampling pinot grigios, guests are conversing and enjoying their delectable dinner. 

The following morning, at the same place, you can also find other Columbus-ites chowing down on chicken and waffles or breakfast pizza. 

This restaurant, serving guests fare for all three meals, is Forno Kitchen + Bar. Chic and lively, this spot in Columbus’s Short North district is one of the city’s premier spots for Italian cuisine. Serving Italian American classics like eggplant parmesan and chicken marsala since 2015, Forno has become a staple in any Columbus food tour. Next week, the restaurant will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. 

The menu, which varies by meal, features a diverse collection of Italian foods. Including the classics mentioned above, guests can also order more unique takes on the cuisine from the Mediterranean. The Forno burger adds tangy goat cheese and a Roma tomato bruschetta while the avocado bruschetta brings a creaminess to the traditional small plate.  

In addition to the food, the drink selection combines tradition with innovation, much like the dinner offerings. The wine menu boasts over 40 wine varieties and cocktails like True Grit, which includes rye, Luxardo cherry, lemon juice and bitters; and Cotton Candy Rose, which includes cotton candy, vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, rosé and lemon juice. 

Those looking to sample some Forno staples before booking a dinner reservation can check out the happy hour, featuring half-priced drafts, cocktails, glasses of wine, appetizers and pizzas Monday through Friday 4-6 p.m. 

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the establishment, the restaurant will be offering “staff picks” next week. These so-called hacks will feature staff secrets to create new dishes at Forno. This, according to Chloe Landers, marketing manager of Forno, highlights the contributions of the staff to the restaurant’s success. “Our dedicated staff has made Forno what it is today,” she says. 

Thanks to the success of Forno’s original concept, the business has started expanding in recent months. Below the main dining room of the space is the new Forno Speakeasy, a pop-up bar decked out in rotating themes. The next theme of the bar, according to Landers, is Hollywood Golden Age, offering retro vibes and refreshing takes on classic cocktails. 

Forno Kitchen + Bar, 721 N. High St., Columbus. 

Open Monday 4-11 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 11a.m.-1 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Happy hour: Monday-Friday 4-6 p.m.