Best Restaurants for Spicy Food in Short North - Arena District

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Columbus

Dayton

Areas

Bexley

Clintonville

Columbus

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Delaware

Dublin

Top Rated

Charming

Fancy

Good for business meals

Good for groups

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Great for brunch

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85 restaurants available nearby

How are Featured results ranked

A photo of SoCal Kitchen + Bar restaurant

1. SoCal Kitchen + Bar

4.8

Exceptional(2549)

€€€€

• Californian • Columbus

Booked 53 times today

SoCal Kitchen + Bar (formerly Del Mar SoCal Kitchen) is a full-service restaurant, offering the best of California-inspired dishes and cocktails. The restaurant pays homage to a SoCal Kitchen with “good food, good vibes and good times to remember.”The talented culinary team led by Executive Chef Mike Fick, is fanatical about freshness and uses only the best fare from the farm, garden and sea. The restaurant also has a heavy focus on vegetarian and gluten free options. SoCal Kitchen + Bar offers Brunch, Saturday and Sunday from 11am-3pm.

A photo of Forno Kitchen and Bar restaurant

2. Forno Kitchen and Bar

4.8

Exceptional(3260)

€€€€

• American • Short North - Arena District

Booked 111 times today

Located in the heart of the Short North Arts District, Forno offers the best atmosphere and contemporary cuisine in the city, with alluring views of our custom stone-fire oven and High Street happenings. An unrivaled Happy Hour includes hand-crafted drinks, wine by the glass, Ohio drafts, signature pizzas and sharables. Stop in and see why we’ve been ranked as one of Forbes Top 100 Hottest Restaurants in America! Please call us at 614-469-0053 to make a reservation!

3. Hubbard Grille

4.6

Exceptional(1541)

€€€€

• Contemporary American • Columbus

Booked 28 times today

Hubbard Bar & Grille is an American restaurant and event space in the heart of the Short North since 2010. Featuring fresh, local and organic meals & creative cocktails and drinks in a modern, social atmosphere. We are open for dinner 6 nights a week; closed on Mondays.Our second floor bar and lounge may be reserved to create a flexible space for groups of 50+. Guest can enjoy the privacy of a sit-down dinner or mingle in cocktail-party fashion. For more information visit www.hubbardgrille.com/private-eventYou can find us by the big orange glowing sign at the corner of Hubbard & High St. We do offer a patio too!

A photo of Bakersfield Columbus restaurant

4. Bakersfield Columbus

4.7

Exceptional(397)

€€€€

• Mexican • Short North - Arena District

Booked 21 times today

Tacos. Tequila. Whiskey.Serving up authentic, Mexican street fare, and a selection of over 100 tequilas and American whiskeys. Bakersfield is a spot where the food is simple, the service is warm, and the atmosphere is alive.

5. ROOH Columbus

4.7

Exceptional(1081)

€€€€

• Indian • Short North - Arena District

Booked 13 times today

ROOH is a progressive Indian restaurant. Meaning soul or spirit, ROOH brings the spirit of India to Columbus. Renowned Executive Chef, Sujan Sarkar blends charming, seasonal dishes that are an interpretation of customary Indian sensibilities with his use of international techniques.---As a Courtesy to all guests, please limit your time with us to 2 hours for parties of 2-4, and 2.5 hours for parties larger than 4. We have a grace period of 15 minutes.

6. Arch City Tavern

4.8

Exceptional(300)

€€€€

• Grill • Columbus

Booked 43 times today

Arch City Tavern is a contemporary gastropub located in the heart of the Short North. Guests can stop in for lunch, dinner & late night to enjoy local craft beer, seasonal cocktails and recipes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Make sure to check out the decor and 20-foot pencil drawing of Old Columbus for a taste of the area's history. Come visit us for Happy Hour M-F 3-6:00pm and weekend brunch Sat & Sun 11am-3pm (full menu is also available).Reservations are limited. We save a majority of our tables for walk-in seating. Reservations are available before and after OSU Football games, but not during. For reservations of 12+ people, please email archcitytavern@gmail.com.

A photo of House of Creole- Columbus restaurant

7. House of Creole- Columbus

4.5

Awesome(270)

€€€€

• Creole • Columbus

Booked 62 times today

Experience the vibrant flavors and warm hospitality of New Orleans right here in Columbus! House of Creole brings a modern twist to classic cajun cuisine, featuring rich gumbos, savory jambalaya, bold Cajun spices, and fresh seafood dishes prepared with soul and tradition.

8. Lincoln Social

4.7

Exceptional(324)

€€€€

• Fusion / Eclectic • Columbus

Booked 21 times today

Guests must be 21 and over to enter at all times.The urban rooftop lounge, located atop the Lincoln building, is the perfect way to enjoy the Columbus skyline. With a retractable roof and a fire pit, this cool rooftop oasis is the ideal spot for guests to sip, savor and surround themselves within the cityscape. Enjoy the sweeping city views with a cocktail in hand, crafted by expert mixologists and stay for a flavorful bite created by the award-winning culinary team. This will be an energetic gathering place complete with an ivy wall to grab the perfect Instagram picture.

A photo of Martini Modern Italian restaurant

9. Martini Modern Italian

4.8

Exceptional(5283)

€€€€

• Italian • Short North - Arena District

Booked 42 times today

Martini Modern Italian is a vibrant, high energy restaurant featuring timeless Italian techniques, innovative culinary presentations & progressive handcrafted cocktails, all in a sexy, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Located in the Short North Arts District across from the Convention Center, Martini is just minutes away from the Arena District & is open nightly for dinner.

10. Lindey's

4.7

Exceptional(9818)

€€€€

• Contemporary American • German Village

Booked 153 times today

Lindey's has been consistently voted one of Columbus' top restaurants for the past 38 years, and has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, The BigTen Network and the book "As the Tables Turn" by Sue Doody & Michael Rosen. Lindey's is a high-energy, white tablecloth restaurant serving the finest American cuisine in an upper east side New York bistro setting. Nestled in historic German Village, the design incorporates original artwork, bentwood chairs, copper topped bars and hardwood floors. With its exciting and vibrant atmosphere, Lindey's has three main dining rooms, three private party rooms and an award winning outdoor courtyard that has been voted one of the top 100 patios in America by OpenTable.

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

V
VickiGold
San Francisco Bay Area •26 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
Was a birthday celebration. Always love the Bang Bang shrimp. Grouper special delicious as was pineapple cheesecake. Birthday dessert shared by 3 of us. Server Claire was very good. Came outside to take a photo for us.
More info
Bonefish Grill - Columbus OH$$$$• Seafood• Dublin
•
4.5
A
AmandaGold
Columbus •28 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
Jess is an amazing bartender! She’s there Wed & Sat. They have great HH specials that change. Currently Tues & Wed is half off appetizers and those are all fabulous. The manager Tia is also lovely and personable. The food is flavorful and reasonably priced. The sauces are to die for! There’s a lemon garlic aioli that comes with the French fries but I ended up spreading all over my salmon. I also almost drank the tamarind sauce that comes with the tempura veggies. We will be back!!
More info
Nomad$$$$• Contemporary American• Polaris
•
4.7
K
KathrynGold
Columbus •14 reviews
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
Food was delicious and came out quickly. Server was very nice and friendly.
More info
Bendi Wok N' Bar- New Albany$$$$• Asian• New Albany
•
4.4
G
Goldie
Columbus •2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 21 Jun 2026
Great service, and excellent food and desserts! A nice spot for an informal celebration like Father's Day. Will be back!
More info
Forbidden Root Columbus$$$$• Brewery• Columbus
•
4.4

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