The Refectory- Columbus

What a beautiful evening at the Refectory! The food is always incredible and the ambiance is charming. But this night was very special because we were lucky enough to see and hear Najoura singing Christmas music. What a gift!

The Refectory has always been a special place for my family. We recently purchased wine from their retail wine shop and we were so impressed by the selection and helpful guidance from the sommelier! Highly recommend!

Celebrated my wife’s birthday with the French Country Dinner and Wine Pairing. Chef prepared an exquisite menu and the wines were fantastic. Our waiter, Alex, and the entire staff were great! Highly recommend visiting The Refectory!

Best fine dining experience in columbus by far! For context we've been to Cameron Mitchell and the like Service: excellent, waiting on Ur every move. Changing napkins to match Ur attire if needed. Food: in the french style. Conceptually well put together for excellent synergy. Venue: great for celebrations! Vibe is very cosy, dark, welcoming. Elegant. If Ur looking for a home dining experience scale up to fine this is the place

Celebrated my 40th birthday at The Refectory and it was exceptional. I had the tasting menu and every course was thoughtful, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. The service was warm, attentive, and elevated without being stuffy. Such a special place. It’s was elegant, intimate, and perfect for a milestone celebration. Highly recommend!

This restaurant has the best ingredients and prices for the most elegant and beautiful plates you've ever seen! They truly bring the Art to Culinary Arts! Every bite is to utter perfection, the way the chef takes my taste buds and eyes on a Culinary journey that gives me authentic Country side French cuisine 🇫🇷 Will be back especially for the amazing service from the very professional yet fun servers!

It was our first time there. Celebrated a birthday. They had a personalized birthday card ready at the table. The food was delicious! The service was friendly and easy! Definitely recommend. A bit on the pricey side, but absolutely worth it.

If you are so lucky to have the opportunity to dine here, do it! It was an amazing experience from beginning to end. This felt like the fanciest restaurant in Columbus, and might be! I have driven past this building 100 times and never wanted to try it but the inside of the restaurant is leaps and bounds nicer than the outside. I recommend the Grouper. This was the best fish I’ve ever had. My fiancé got the lamb - not something we would normally spring for but it was delicious. The staff makes you feel like a celebrity and pull out all the stops to ensure a 10/10 experience. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough and I’m already looking forward to returning (as long as my budget allows, ha!)

We absolutely had a wonderful dinner at The Refectory celebrating my husband's 40th birthday. We loved the ambiance (perfect leveled jazz music, dim lights, candles, and all the small details), the seafood dishes were absolutely the best (fish was cooked perfectly), and everything was seasoned just right - which can sometimes be overwhelming with French food, but not here thankfully! My husband had the five course dinner, and I ordered a la carte. The duck and short rib were not our favorites, but still very good. The desserts were fantastic as well, loved the pear tart! Honestly - the best part and highlight of our night that we were most impressed with was the service - especially our waiter, Juan. He was absolutely one of the best we have ever interacted with in high end restaurants. He was patient, knowledgeable, and very detail oriented. The entire meal was paced correctly, we never felt rushed, and truly felt cared for. Looking forward to returning in the future.

Thoroughly enjoyed the food. Great service. Nice cocktail menu and full bar available if nothing meets your fancy. Very large wine selection. Very pleasant staff willing to help with both your food and wine selections with any direction you give them to assist you. Stuffed quail and the fish were fantastic. I would highly recommend any game bird by the chef. Regular tasting menu and vegetarian tasting menus are also available, but we went a la carte for this visit. Tasting menu available ahead of time on the website, take a look before you go or book a reservation.

One of the most beautiful and amazing restaurants I've been to in Columbus. The food was amazing, John was an amazing waiter, made our night extra special and Jim added to it as well. Kamal was so so welcoming and made sure our special dinner felt special. Thank you so much for the extra details as well! We will most definitely be back

The Refectory's service was above and beyond. Every person who came to our table knew why we were there (anniversary) and congratulated us. It was an incredible experience. The food was unbelievably good. By fat the best dining experience that Columbus has to offer by a long shot. The sommelier was knowledgeable and walked us through the history of our wines and the waiter was an expert at the menu and guided us on the perfect choices. It was just a fantastic experience overall. HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for a perfect fine dining experience!

2025 Update: we had another incredible evening at the Refectory! I just wanted to take a second to highlight how incredible of a job the new somm Clayton is doing! If you’re into wine, this is the place to go. The grand crú tasting experience was amazing. -Austin We recently dined at the Refectory for the second time, and it was an unforgettable experience. This fine dining restaurant truly knows how to impress its guests with its outstanding cuisine and exceptional service. Having traveled all over the world, we can confidently say that The Refectory is one of the better fine dining places we have dined at. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted by the staff, who made us feel right at home. The atmosphere was elegant and refined, with beautiful holiday decor and soft lighting. The menu was filled with delicious and unique dishes, with something to suit every taste. I decided to try the chef's tasting menu, which was an absolute delight. Each dish was expertly crafted with the finest ingredients and presented beautifully. The flavors were exquisite, and the wine pairings were spot on. We love to explore fine and unique wines and cannot more highly recommend the Grand Cru wine pairing with the sommelier, Taylor. The service was impeccable. Our waiter Dom was exceptional. He was knowledgeable about the menu and great to converse with. The entire staff was attentive and ensured we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Overall, The Refectory is a must-visit restaurant for anyone looking for an outstanding fine dining experience in central Ohio. We highly recommend it and can't wait to go back again.

Let's just say I had the best Sweetest day in a while. We were greeted very nicely and from the meeting to the actual Service it was All worth the drive and money. We chose to pick our own and even though small.plate style, We tapped out at dessert. The food is phenomenal and our Waiter was very profound genuinely nice I strongly recommend that this placed is given a try. We loved every minute of it. And again the Chef prepared some amazing dishes.

Had dinner last night for a Ins Annuity sales pitch seminar so not sure how our meal would compare to the regular menu meals as we only had the option to choose from 3 entrees which are not on the regular menu. We had the Ohio Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette which was a bit too fancy for my taste and I could barely taste the dressing but the house bread was good. Then we had the Beef Shoulder Tenderloin, which was perfectly prepared with small sides of carrots, potatoes, green beans and filled squash. Again, a bit too fancy for me but the highlight was the beef and my wife really enjoyed everything. There is a nice ambiance to the restaurant and although it was good, I don’t think a couple could eat here for less than $125 each, not including drinks or desserts, so a bit out of my price range but still give it 5 stars.

Update 5/11/23: We dined here again last night and I just had to come back to say my original review still stands, but I also wanted to thank the amazing staff at the Refectory. They are all so accommodating and they truly make you feel so well taken care of and comfortable when dining there. My grandma has a 'smaller' appetite so we asked to split a salad, and they plated it on two different plates for us, no questions asked. So many other high end restaurant would give you a hard time for asking to split a dish, but not the Refectory. Dare I say, this is the best restaurant in Columbus!! Always a treat! Original review: Everything was absolutely fantastic. So tasty! The food is prepared so beautifully and artfully on the plates — there truly is nothing else like it in Columbus. One of my surprise favorites was the beet salad. Go dine here for a superb fine dining experience, you won’t be disappointed!

Thank goodness we have the Refectory in Columbus. There are other restaurants in Columbus of comparable pricing that do not provide the level of service I was grateful to experience here. They actually clean crumbs off your table and change silverware between courses as well as explain what you are eating, which I notice! The waiters were attentive and friendly. They also care about ambiance and don’t stick as many tables as they can as close together as possible… I was very happy to have an experience that actually felt like fine dining at that price point. The food was excellent. My favorite item was the Quenelle Lyonnaise. The texture of the quenelle was perfectly soft and light, and the the lobster sauce was deeply rich and flavorful. I felt that I would rather eat this dish than an actual lobster, which to me, is the real magic of cooking. I also have to give a shout out to the French country terrine which had an excellent balance of fat/acid, texture and freshness from the veggies. I am definitely coming back. :)

Incredible dining experience! Dom and the bartender in the lounge were super attentive and friendly! Sat by the fireplace. Everything was so cozy and dishes were timed/paced perfectly. We were celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple and they certainly made us feel special!

I took my girlfriend there for her birthday. The service was amazing from host to seating us to our server and sommelier. Everyone was aware of my note about her tree nut allergy. We had amazing wine pairings and the chef tasting menu was delicious. Can’t wait to go back!

A wonderful dinner. The lamb was great. So was the duck. All the dishes were presented nicely, but perhaps the pear tart with ice cream wins the prettiest dish.

Came for a first meal, for our second anniversary everything was fantastic wife and I were very much happy with the service and food, my compliments to the chef. It is no wonder why you are celebrated for 32yrs of service. Thank you for a beautiful anniversary weekend start ❤️!

One of the few fine dining places we could find that has a vegetarian 5 course tasting menu. I was not sure what to expect, but I was very pleased with what we got. Everything was very good. The menu supposedly changes daily, so I would be curious to see what other vegetarian options they have. It is expensive fine dining, but the food is worth it.

We ordered the chef's New Orleans themed tasting menu and the vegetarian tasting menu. Both were absolutely fabulous. Each dish was delicious and a feast for the eyes. While they may be a French restaurant, they also have extremely good vegetarian dishes. Service as always was wonderful.

One of my all time favorite moments. Came here today for my anniversary dinner with my husband and I was NOT disappointed. The staff were helpful, friendly and professional. They even made us a card for our anniversary and brought us an extra desert with candles! You could tell everyone was expertly trained and they did their job flawlessly. The food was the best I've had anywhere else. The atmosphere was perfect. Everything was perfectly cooked and plated. I will definitely be coming back and recommending it to others.

Everything about our experience was perfect. The attention to detail in the presentation of food and the hospitality of the owner and the staff were unmatched. Although the portions are smaller (they are intended that way), the flavor and richness of food makes up for it. Really enjoyed the lamb chop, the filet and the scallops. The dessert was exceptional as well! Will definitely be back!

Finest restaurant I've had in Columbus! Service was perfect, they explained each dish and the sources. And even asked how long we had to stay so it was perfectly timed. Food was out of this world as well, such amazing flavors!

Always a wonderful time at the refectory. I can't praise them enough here enough. The food is absolutely worth the price tag, and the staff is wonderful. We have never had a bad experience here, and while I am sure I would be happy with any of the staff I will always request Dominic!

We just had my daughter‘s wedding there this past Saturday, September 27, 2025. It was the best wedding I’ve ever attended. The food was phenomenal. Wagyu beef cut with a butter knife. Sea bass was unbelievable. appetizers out of this world. Service was phenomenal. We had a wedding of 75 people if I counted once I counted twice, I believe there was 30 waiters and waitresses taken care of all of us. Thank you very much Kamal!!!!

The Refectory time and time again has been one of the best, if not the best, dining experience I have ever been a part of. Their entire staff takes great pride in their service, hospitality, and quality. They are always the kindest and most respectful. Everyone is very professional. The food and beverage quality is absolutely unmatched. You will not be disappointed when you come here. Dining here is truly a one of a kind experience. I cannot recommend The Rectory enough to all of my friends and family. My wife and I will be coming back every year to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you to Kamal and the entire staff for making this restaurant an absolute one of a kind establishment.

Wonderful dining experience! Seated immediately at a quiet and comfortable table. Food was incredible, sommelier was superb (I should have been taking notes on the pairings) dessert was amazing. Service is just excellent. The Refectory made our anniversary dinner very special!

***I have never written a review for a business in my life, but this one is deeply warranted. We had our intimate wedding celebration at The Refectory was nothing short of extraordinary. From start to finish, the experience was flawless—thanks to Kamal, the incredible owner, David, the gifted chefs, and every single member of the staff. Choosing the Refectory to host such a deeply meaningful celebration , we obviously had high expectations—but the experience exceeded anything we could have imagined. The evening was nothing short of extraordinary, and it’s difficult to capture in words just how impeccable every aspect of it truly was. The service was over-the-top in the best possible way—polished yet warm, attentive without ever being intrusive. Every member of the team anticipated our needs before we even voiced them, and our guests repeatedly commented on how cared for and welcomed they felt. The food was out of this world, and the ambiance felt magical. Every detail was handled with such care and precision that our guests couldn’t stop raving about it. The entire evening felt effortless, elegant, and unforgettable. The Refectory doesn’t just host events—it creates once-in-a-lifetime memories. We are forever grateful.

Upon entering this charming and extremely professional restaurant I felt comfortable and relaxed thanks to the greeting as we entered. The gentleman who greeting us was aware of everything and everyone’s comfort the entire evening. From the wonderful cocktails and appetizers to the end of the evening not one thing to complain about including the food and wait staff. The food was inspirational and done to perfection. Thank you for an exceptional evening to remember Columbus by.

We celebrated our first date anniversary here last year, and it was phenomenal! Dining at Four- and Five-Diamond restaurants is our tradition to mark this occasion, and we've been many places in OH and NC. I've learned Four Diamonds are variable; I'd call the Refectory a high Four Diamond. I loved the setting, food, and service. The prices are reasonable for the quality (about $200 for the two of us to get three courses each, two mocktails, and tax and tip). The authentic French food was something new for us—we're very used to French-American. My husband and I enjoyed the terrine. We didn't recognize a lot of the dishes, which was fun for us! And there was a rosemary ice cream with our dessert that was to die for! Three courses was also the perfect amount of food. We will definitely return.

French dining. French Trained chef. Amazing wait staff. This place is amazing and the atmosphere is unique. It is pricey but worth every penny. This is your special dinner spot guys, you take your special someone here your getting some booty.

Pre-Valentine's Day celebration with friends was a spectacular experience at the Refectory. Reserved the beautiful table in front of the fireplace. The food and the service were impeccable and we had the opportunity to spend time with Kamal and hear some of the incredible stories about the history of this one-of-a-kind restaurant. The best in Columbus.

The staff was accommodating and made us feel very special. We did the tasting menu and my partner, who is a pescatarian was able to sub out the meat dish for a dish off of the vegetarian tasting menu. I thoroughly enjoyed the scallop dish. It was a delicious combination of different textures and flavors including a mushroom cap and a salmon fritter. In comparison to other tasting menu / fine dining experiences, I was surprised to not receive any complimentary small bites from the chef. I also found it odd they charge you for a bread basket. A great date night spot for special occasions where you get to enjoy each other’s company while experiencing the ambiance of the old church and French cuisine.

It's a high end French restaurant that specializes in small plates. I enjoyed the lamb shanks but it was definitely small for the price. My group didn't seem to enjoy their food quite as much. The staff was nice. When they bring you out your food they tell exactly what is on it and in it in great detail which make it feel very fancy. I probably won't go back because the price is not worth the portions in my opinion but the food and atmosphere were decent.

This was a bucket list item for me. Yes it’s pricey but I expected that. I thought the portions were rather large in comparison to others in this space. The delay between courses is typical, so no surprise there. What I am bewildered by were the dishes themselves they were not balanced, either too acidic, too heavy, lack of texture, additions for visual appeal that were of little value to the bite, and felt dated. A lot of one note. Lots of thoughts on elevating them, a prelude that contains jarred mushrooms and balsamic vinegar is not offset enough by scatterings of duck, zucchini slices, and micro-greens. Fresh sautéed cold mushrooms would balance the acidity, and offer a better mouth feel. Add vanilla bean paste to the crème brûlée, never use out of season, lackluster fruit. Less dill in the walleye, it dominates. The wagyu flat iron (not Japanese, but country not denoted) was served in a sauce, the carrot slice was just random, the potato “French hash brown”…just no. It wasn’t a single dish that was off for me, rather it was almost thematic. I did purchase the calendar, which needs a bit of proofreading (hint the celery in the buffalo brochettes), so I will test these to see what becomes of my thoughts on returning.

This is our 3rd time here. Servers: 2/5 After we sat down, we had to wait forever for our server to bring the wine menu, and then had to wait awhile for him to take our food order. After that, he didn’t show up until we had finished our dessert and placed our card on the table. The other server (who didn’t take our order) took really good care of us. I guess that how they work 🤷‍♀️ Food: 3/5 • Escargot: good. • Seafood trio: 2.5/5. Cold and lacking flavor. • Duck with rabbit dish: 3.5/5. To be honest the duck breast was the best thing we have, but the reason why I gave 3.5 because the other components didn’t seem to complement the duck. The rabbit... was okay. • Ostrich dish: 3.5/5. The flavor was okay, but it tasted like regular beef stew. Same thing with the duck dish, the other components didn’t seem to complement the ostrich, especially the ratatouille.

One of the most underwhelming dining experiences for the price point I have ever had. We went for my 40th birthday. I believe they were understaffed and as a previous server we are super patient but literally had to find people for refills, to get our check, to pay our bill. It was pretty baffling the level of service we received. Food was mid at best. Nobody came to check on us after it was brought to us, so we couldn’t ask for things we needed. Only highlight was the dessert.