Pier W

Thank you for making me feel so special on my birthday. Every part of the meal was perfect! I would highly recommend the lobster bisque, king crab legs with roasted potatoes and Brussel sprouts, and the vanilla bean crème brûlée! So delicious!

The single best view in Cleveland! The seafood doesn’t get much better than this. I would recommend getting a reservation very far in advance if you’re going for a special occasion. The lobster bisque and clam chowder is to die for. The menu is packed with a ton of great innovations so you’re not reserved to just lobster or the standard seafood dishes. The crab stuffed shrimp is excellent. The dinning room gets a little noisey when it’s packed for dinner time (from what you would expect from a place like this).

$ 9 for a draft of Christmas ale? The décor was straight out of Sex and the City and, needless to say, outdated and tacky. I ordered the pumpkin biscuit dessert and it had an overwhelming amount of cinnamon. Really it just wasn’t very good, but the service was fine.

Pier W exceeded all expectations, which were already quite high. It was easy to make a reservation and the quality of service was outstanding. The décor is modern and offers an intimate, exclusive feel. The most beautiful sight of course was the view of the Cleveland city skyline at night. It’s a view worth paying for. The food was also outstanding. There was a group of four of us and we weren’t shy about ordering many plates of food. We began with a trio of oyster variations which were fresh and a great start to the evening. We also had the calamari which was delicious. I had the simply prepared salmon with potatoes and vegetable. It was fantastic and prepared at a perfect medium. The pomegranate martini was an excellent choice with a good balance of sweetness. We surely enjoyed our evening and will most definitely return.

Beautiful,
Classy place with decent prices for such glamourous surroundings and views. Food and drinks were delicious! Will be back soon!

This review is for the Sunday brunch.
Hands down, THE BEST brunch place in all of Cleveland! My boyfriend and I made a reservation about a month in advance (I highly recommend reserving really really far in advance as many people know about the amazingness of their brunch!). We were seated near the window and were able to enjoy the gorgeous view of the city and lake. Even if you don’t intend for it to be a romantic brunch, it’s hard to avoid it because of the restaurant’s location! Then we set out to fill plates and plates of delicious food. There was a huge selection of cold and hot seafood dishes! I went to town on the oysters! The desserts were also delicious too! We spent a good 2 – 3 hours here!
Overall, the price is definitely worth the quality of the food and service :) I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend!

BEAUTIFUL restaurant in Lakewood overlooking Lake Erie. Come here for happy hour to get awesome deals on cocktails, wine/​beer, and food! Happy hour starts at 5pm when they open for dinner, and when I got here by ~5:15, the bar area was already moderately packed so I would come early.
Atmosphere was lovely, especially at dusk when you can see the sun setting over the lake. I love the nautical décor inside the restaurant too. Service at the bar was great and very attentive.
As for the happy hour specials, I tried:
— Calamari ($ 6.50) — very tender and crispy yet not too bread-​y. It comes with both a sriracha aioli (which I loved) and a sweet spicy tamarind dip (a little too sweet for me).
— Mussels ($ 6) — mussels in a white wine broth with pieces of bacon. The mussels were pretty small but there were about 15 – 20 of them and the broth was delicious, so good deal for $ 6.
— Pomegranate martini — all the cocktails are $ 6 during happy hour. Pretty strong but still tasted great!
If I lived in Cleveland, I would definitely come here for happy hour all the time! Would love to try out their dinner menu for a special occasion too :)

I confess to only having been to Pier W for a few (very reasonably priced) happy hours, but each time has resulted in a great experience.
It is clear that the happy hour isn’t exactly a secret. Every time the lounge has been busy (with what appeared to mostly be retirees) but there has never been a problem finding a seat. Based upon the happy hour, I expect that a full meal would be on-​par if not better than other fine dining establishments in Cleveland.
Although the lounge doesn’t benefit from the same views of the skyline and the lake as the dining room, the entire restaurant is decorated in a modern nautical theme (including an aquarium view from the glass elevator) but without going overboard. Service is polite, warm, and has the general sense of being taken care of without being smothered.
As far as food I particularly enjoyed the burgers and sliders (and am looking forward to trying the salmon burger during a future visit.) Vegetarians may be disappointed to find only a few vegetarian options (at least on the happy hour menu) but it is a meat and seafood place after all. That said, there is a Margherita Pizza that I know my girlfriend is interested in checking out sometime soon.
Maybe next time there is a special occasion (or an unexpected windfall) we’ll splurge for dinner. I just hope the happy hour hasn’t managed to set an unreasonable expectation!

I’ve been wanting to try this place out for FOREVER and finally had the chance when my manfriend’s birthday came up last week. I made reservations via opentable for 6. I highly recommend making a reservation, whether it’s by open table or calling it in. Only downside is even if you make a reservation, window seats are first come first serve; however, it’s kind hard to get a bad seat no matter where you are. The view is amazing. I can only imagine how awesome it was during Hurricane Sandy, to which our server told us the waves were reaching up and hitting the windows. Going back to the reservation thing though – so we ended up showing up at 5:30 because I really wanted a good seat. The bar area was very busy, as people were there for happy hour and happy hour is only in the bar. There were a lot of empty tables, maybe only 1 window seat left. The hostess said she had to ask if it was ok to seat us… I thought this was very strange, it’s not like we were two hours early and the place was packed, but she ended up seating us right away. She made a comment that a lot of people were stuck in traffic on the shoreway, so they were late for their reservations.
Initially I liked our waiter, but by the end of the dinner I thought he could have been WAY more personable. He seemed somewhat annoyed and was hard to joke around with. He asked if we were there for a special occasion, we told him for a birthday, so at the end we did end up getting two chocolate chip cookies with a piece of white chocolate that said «happy birthday.» They were good.
I ordered the airplane amish chicken. It was good. Not to die for, but good. When I got a piece of chicken with the spinach and tomato on it, it was even better. My date ordered the tuna, which we were told was flown in from Hawaii the day before. Sounds impressive? Yes. He said it was good (I didn’t even bother trying it because I STRONGLY dislike seafood), but needed salt and pepper on it before it was seared. Him being a chef, I trust his opinion. We also ordered a cheese board which was relatively good as well-​they didn’t hit anything out of the ballpark, but definitely no complaints.
They had a piano player there which just added such a nice element to the atmosphere. He was very appreciative for the tip we gave him which was nice too. You can also go valet there, which is $ 4. They give you a ticket and you give it to your waiter and they just add it to your bill. I need to mention that they had a single (real) flower in a vase on every table which was simple enough to add a lot of elegance.
This is a REALLY nice and fancy place, but with the price tag on the food, it’s somewhere I can go only on special occasions.

Treated the in-​laws and wife to Pier-​W for on a recent evening and we very much enjoyed ourselves. We all ordered white fish and Swiss chard, which seemed to be the special of the evening. This night’s weather was stormy, which is a stark contrast to the sunny visits I’ve had in the past. The stormy weather and choppy waters of Lake Erie were still beautiful in their own way. The restaurant was packed!
I asked the maître d’ if he would take my father-​in-​law and I into their reputable wine cellar and he cordially agreed. He showed us some of their most expensive bottles from France and California — $ 4,500 each! They are on Wine Spectator’s list of preferred restaurants too.
I do not remember the wine we drank, but it was delicious and paired well with our meals. My father in-​law ordered a 30-​year-​old port wine at the end of the meal, which I thought tasted dull.
I knew it was going to be a pricey meal, but how often do we get to enjoy a fine meal at a fine restaurant with family? Not often enough.
It was a great night and worth every penny.

Two years later and STILL my absolute favorite place in Cleveland hands down! That’s saying a lot. I would go here for the panoramic view of the lake/​downtown, calamari and oysters (best in the city) alone and that’s just listing the tip of the iceberg for me. My husband and I always go here for brunch on Holidays, since both of our families live out of town and we don’t always feel like traveling. Pier W is just an absolute MUST for us to visit every few months.

Wow!!! Let me repeat that, wow!!!
First off, I’m not sure why anyone would say this place is too pricey. We had 3 drinks a piece, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 deserts and our total was $ 150. 2 steak dinners and the same probably would have been comparably priced at Applebee’s. Not trying to shell out $ 150 for a meal frequently but as others have mentioned for special occasions, Pier W is second to none.
Atmosphere: Amazing! Obviously the water view takes the cake, but on top of that I also love the cozy, intimate feeling of it being a small restaurant.
Appetizers: We got the beef short rib pierogies and the crispy pork wings. The pierogies were absolutely out of this world. I don’t think I’ve her had better! The pork wings were equally delicious. The only thing I will say is that they were both pretty lukewarm, but it didn’t make them any less delicious. We sat at the bar waiting for a window table, and it was happy hour so they were half priced. Also, the bread they serve while you wait was so delicious.
Drinks: Very reasonably priced. We also were able to partake in a round of happy hour priced ones which was awesome, but even beyond that the prices are on par with say, Ohio City. Would love to see a more extensive craft beer list though.
Entrée: Husband had the beef short rib and I had the tenderloin medallions. Both were fantastic. My husband’s literally fell apart and could be cut with a butter knife. Mine was great too.
Desert: cookies and cream cheesecake. To die for. Also got the Dublin coffee to split. It was okay, but not our favorite. It went well with the cheesecake though.
Service: it was okay. Our server was polite enough, but didn’t pace our dishes apart very well and there were plenty of times if we weren’t enjoying ourselves and the view we would have actually stood up to go get her.
Overall a great experience. Like I said, price wise it’s great for a special occasion. That being said, we would definitely go back during happy hour for some half priced apps and drinks on a normal day — it honestly wouldn’t be any more expensive than going to your average run of the mill dive bar. Pier W is great!!!

I have been to Pier W a few times before and I was very pleased. However, this past visit last weekend left quite a lot to be desired.
My boyfriend and I went on Sunday for their brunch. For $ 38 a person, you get access to a buffet and they even give to a complimentary glass of champagne, mimosa (or in my case orange juice because I’m a non-​drinker).
The food was fine. I feel like the buffet is pretty on point every time I’ve been there, but it’s not the food that was disappointing, it was the service.
I have never had a bad waiter/​waitress before at Pier W, but this past visit that we’ve had anything less than exceptional service. I won’t include names, but I felt as if we barely saw our wait person. We were there at 11 in the morning so it wasn’t that busy to begin with. We even had to repeatedly ask for refills on water. It took almost 15 minutes to get water refills. I used to work in food service so I try not to be a pain, but 15 minutes is a long time for just water.

Last night was D and my anniversary dinner celebration and this place was the perfect choice. The meal was great from beginning to end. That’s probably why they have been in business for 50 years.
To start, the atmosphere is beautiful. We got a table second row to the windows. Looking over that scene as it got dark and seeing the CLE skyline light up was so nice. Romantic even.
The next more important thing, the service, was spot on which made the whole meal.
We started with the crab cakes as an appetizer. They were all top end crab meat, no filler, the sauce that came with them was very complimentary.
Then I had what was arguably my favorite part of the meal. The lobster bisque is exquisite. So smooth and rich. I got the cup not the bowl and I am glad since it’s really really rich. So good. I would order this by the gallon if I could.
For dinner I had the sea scallops. I loved that they had a section on the menu that hilighted the seafood, no frou fou sauces or extras, just good seafood. The scallops were perfect. For dinner D had the tuna special and he really enjoyed that too.
Last but by no means least, the dessert. Get the peanut butter bomb and the cookies and cream cheesecake. Just do it. Yum.
Overall, this is totally a special occasion place but the food/​ambiance/​service is so good that the prices are worth it. I will absolutely be back for another special day.

To start off this place has an amazing view! We started with mussels which were not disappointing and the sauce/​broth was so good we were dipping our bread into it to soak up more of it! I had the crab stuff shrimp it was good not great though as I had expected. My boyfriend had the tempura haddock which I though was delicious! Both of us has vegetables prepared perfect ally with the meals. Dessert here was the game changer though– mango ice cream really hit the spot but you have to get the crème brûlée

This review is based off of their Happy Hour!
I think this is one of the best Happy Hours in Cleveland! It has one of the best views of Cleveland and the prices of their food and drink items is a steal! If their regular menu is not in your budget make sure you check them out during happy hour that lasts until 7pm!
My food favorites are the Short Rib Pierogies, Mussels and the Faltbread. Glasses of wine and Martinis for $ 6? Yes please! It is easy to stay here the entire happy hour time!
Note: Thursdays and Fridays fill up quick and you can only get happy hour in the bar area.

Pier W is a Cleveland staple – it has been open for fifty years. It was our first time here and it was an INCREDIBLE experience.
First things first, this place is classy and beautiful inside. The atmosphere is very upscale. You have views of the lake, the cliffside, and the downtown Cleveland skyline. We were given a wonderful table. We had a booth in the middle of the lower level with lake and city views. And for it being a Monday night, the place was pretty crowded too.
We ordered a bottle of Chardonnay to drink. Our server informed us that certain wine bottles are 30% off. That was a nice surprise. I’m not sure if that is offered every day or if that is only a Monday thing.
To start, we ordered the shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, and the scallop ceviche. We really wanted to try the Oysters Rockefeller, but they were out. We were a bit taken aback by the shrimp cocktail price ($ 15), but when it was brought to our table we realized why: the shrimp are huge and well worth the price. The crab cakes are kind of tiny, almost bite size, but they were delicious. The same could be said for the scallop ceviche, which was served with two orange slices. A bite of both orange and scallop is a great taste combination. The appetizers here are definitely on point.
My boyfriend ordered the bouillabaisse, a French seafood stew in tomato broth. There were clams, shrimp, crab, fish, and mussels. My favorite part of this dish were the tomatoes. They were cooked to perfection and added so much flavor to the dish. My boyfriend HATES tomatoes (which I know is ironic since he ordered a dish cooked in tomato broth) and he even agreed that the tomatoes were good.
I ordered the crispy fried yellow perch. My dish was excellent. The fish was served with a rosemary and garlic potato salad and a side of vegetables. The vegetables were alright – they definitely weren’t the highlight of the dish. The perch was soooo good and there was plenty of it. But you know how when you eat too much fried food it sort of starts to taste bad? Maybe I’m the only person that experiences this, but that was the problem I had with this dish. It was great that I received so much perch, but since it was all breaded and deep fried, I could have ate less of it.
We ended the meal with two delicious desserts: the strawberry lemonade mousse and the peanut butter bombe, both which were recommended to us by our server. The strawberry lemonade mousse is such a unique and genius idea. I think it was served frozen, so the mousse is more firm than usual, which I loved. It came with fresh strawberries and granola. The peanut butter bombe is peanut butter mousse with a chocolate shell. If you’re a peanut butter fanatic, you have to order this.
Our sever, Shannon, was awesome. I asked her to course everything and she did a great job doing so.
The only real complaint was when we first walked in. They have some issues at the host stand and seating people and that’s definitely something they need to fix because it is a bad first impression. When we walked in, there was a group at the host stand that waited several minutes to be sat while the host figured things out. As someone who used to be a host, it shouldn’t take that long to seat someone. After they were sat, my boyfriend and I also waited several minutes to be sat and we had a reservation. With a reservation, we really shouldn’t have waited to be seated. Every time someone needed to be sat a manager or two had to come over to help. Seemed a bit dysfunctional.
All in all, it was a great experience and I do plan on coming back.

Everytime I have a visit from out of town I take them here and they are always impressed with it. I have probably had everything on their Happy Hour menu. They are pretty consistent, service varies a little bit, specially on Sundays but not enough to stop me from going back. We always take pictures with the downtown view from their terrace and the interior decoration (everything simulates a cruise) is beautiful.
Cocktails are great, the only bad one is the mojito… but I just tell people not to order it. Do not order the cod fish tacos either, it is the only item not on happy hour and I am not sure why, they are not good.
Lobster bisket is usually a favorite, the fried fish sandwich and the rib pierogis are my favorite items on the HH menu.

OHMAAAAAGAWDDDD I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Came here on a busy Saturday evening, and even with that, service was among the best I’ve ever had, that’s saying a lot! As an appetizer, we ordered the calamari, which is again one of the best I’ve ever had. It had a little spice to it, and was fried to just the perfect crisp… yum!
For the entrée, I can’t remember the name but it was some sort of lobster infused pasta… TO DIE FOR. Flavors were bursting everywhere… oh my god! We also ordered the beet salad, which is hands down, well everything down, the BEST beet salad! It was so refreshing, especially with between the calamari and pasta. I really loved it and cannot wait to have it again.
This place has an amazing view, so try to get seated by the windows. Also in the summer, they have outdoor seating which seems gorgeous, I look forward to coming back here in the warmer weather.
Overall the experience was wonderful from start to finish, I would definitely come back again. :)

This place has a great view. Unfortunately due to it being dinner and night time couldn’t take pics since we kept getting the reflection of other diners more than outside. Great ambience as well, live piano was a nice touch. It’s their 50^th anniversary so we got a free glass of sparkling wine and a free flute. The service was regular nothing out of the ordinary as was the food. My friend had the clam chowder and noted it was good and more clam than chowder. I had the bouillabaisse, it was ok. Friend had the crab stuffed shrimp, it was ok. Could you a little more flavor in everything. The cinnamon roll dessert was way too sweet and the chocolate covered bacon that came with it was just salty. The chocolate mousse dessert was great.
Overall I don’t think the food was worth the price. Up in the air whether I’d ever eat there again if I visit Cleveland again.