Foodie Trip to Columbus, Ohio

We took a fun day trip to Columbus, Ohio this year and found ourselves quickly in food-coma status with the amazing selection of restaurants! After doing some research, we narrowed our main itinerary down to three restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All three were extraordinarily unique and delicious.

If you are looking for the perfect activity while in Columbus in between meals, look no further than this stunning immersive art experience - Otherworld!

Also, if you have NO patience like me you can watch this Tiktok summarizing all three restaurants.

Stop 1 - Breakfast at Belle’s Bread

I have a sweet spot for a good bakery, and after having discovered my first Japanese Bakery in San Jose (Clover Bakery), I was super excited to check out this much closer option! They did not disappoint!

It is an absolutely amazing and unique bakery that I would not have expected to find in Ohio! Everything was delicious, and I recommend being ready right when they open as it seems popular and stuff goes quick (but I will say they seemed to keep every item well stocked). 

It is hard to pick a favorite, but the MELON BREAD is a must in any variation. It is so fluffy and has a crust that tastes just like a sugar cookie and an interior that tastes just like cookie dough. So yummy! And it just melts in your mouth. I would come back just for this dish.

Google Listing for Directions

Exterior walking paths

Cold desserts

Savory snacks

The main sweets

Inside matcha roll

Stop 2 - Lunch at Asterisk Supper Club

Wow. This place. It is a 5-star unique experience like none I've had! The atmosphere is just absolutely fantastic - walls of books with literally your menus bound into random books and tea décor at the table. The staff were extremely friendly. 

The food - we tried the middle option of Afternoon Teas which gave a fantastic and affordable four course meal (we weren't too hungry after the bakery so it actually worked well to share). 

Pick your own tea, a soup or salad (their tomato soup - seriously - winner of the meal and the BEST tomato soup we have EVER had), pick out 5 mini sandwiches (the salmon blew my mind - 2nd favorite thing from the entire meal), and then a scone and dessert. 

Overall, it was a very complete and fantastic experience, delicious enough that I would hands down come back here if I visit again instead of trying another new place like I usually do.

Google Listing for Directions

Dining Room Vibes

Books everywhere!

Menu formatted like a book

Course 1 - Tea

Course 2 - Soup

Course 3 - Sandwiches

Course 4 - Dessert

Stop 3 - Dinner at The Melting Pot

Getting a reservation is highly recommended (a mistake that cost us not getting in until about 9pm). This was an absolutely one-of-a-kind unique experience, if you have not been to a restaurant like this. It is a bit expensive (starting at $100 for two) to do the full four-course meal (or you can come in for just some things al-la-carte). We went all in, and it was honestly an amazing experience. The courses:

1. Cheese Fondue - maybe my favorite, the Quattro Formaggio cheese selection was absolutely delicious.
2. Salads - The signature Melting Pot House salad, fantastic.
3. Entrees - This course is like hot pot, as far as you cooking your own meats in a broth. They are, however, larger chunks of meat that you cook for 2-4 minutes. This was honestly my least favorite, as it doesn't feel like the broth imparts much flavor. There are some veggies and fun sauces as well so it was still a fun experience but the flavor was just good, not great. We picked Coq Au Vin broth with Pacific Rim and Steak Lovers. I think the Teriyaki-Marinated Steak was my favorite (they were sadly out of the tuna for me to try).
4. Chocolate Fondue - We got Flaming Turtle, and I’ll say that watching them light the liquor on fire (watch the tiktok at the end to see it!) is worth it by itself! This was a close tie for favorite with a fantastic selection of items to dip.

Overall, I don't know for the price that I'd come again, but I have ZERO regrets getting to try this experience at least once.

Google Listing for Directions

Course 1 - Veggie and Bread with cheese

Course 2 - Salads

Course 3 - Hot Pot style with meats

Course 4 - Dessert

Bonus Round - What else to do?

Other than the #1 priority to visit the stunning immersive art experience - Otherworld (seriously a MUST and was the main reason we planned this entire trip), there are other shops and food places we checked out. So, if you have time, be sure to give these ones a visit, too:

1. Japan Marketplace - This is where Belle’s Bread is located, but this strip mall has several other shops worthy of exploring (including another smaller Japanese bakery)
2. Polaris Fashion Place - This mall is your standard midwest indoor mall, with plenty of great shops to explore. We loved the Tea shop “The Spice Tea and Exchange” (which had a crazy selection of spices, sugars, salts, and more), as well as trying bubble tea (of course) from “Bubbles The Tea and Juice Company”.
3. North Market - A very cool space with a variety of food vendors (if somehow you are still hungry).
4. Easton Town Center Mall - Another great mall, HUGE with a big indoor space (love their architecture) and also an entire outdoor section. This is where The Melting Pot is located, so great to explore before or after dinner.

I hope you get the chance to try one, some, or ALL of my tips here! We seriously had so much fun that we want to copy-and-paste the entire day trip again in the future. If you have been to Columbus, Ohio, comment below what your favorite thing to do is or if you’ve tried any of the above places!