The Columbus Guide — ENTWINE LIVING

Located right in the center of the state of Ohio — Columbus is home to quite a bit of retail, restaurant and modern city concepts, making it one of the most fun cities to visit if you’re looking for much to do with little hassle.

I had the opportunity of spending 4 days exploring and checking out the scene, while visiting a few of my colleagues that call Columbus home. And I must say…I was more than pleasantly surprised with my trip and almost overwhelmed by so many cool shops and restaurants to experience.

Since exploring a city is always better after you’ve asked the locals for all their must-see recommendations, I thought it would be fitting to create a Columbus guide that rounds up the best of the best—from coffee shops and cafes, restaurants and boutique shops, and new developments to visit, this list does not disappoint!

Side Note: You’ll really need to rent a car when visiting this city. While catching an Uber isn’t all too difficult, you’ll be traveling by car often, so it’s much more convenient to rent your own!

DAY 1

If you’re looking for a walkable, bustling city environment for your stay, we highly recommend the Moxy Hotel or The Joseph, which are both nestled in the Short North Arts District.

We recommend The Moxy for night owls and younger crowds who want to be as close as possible to the action, and we lean towards the Joseph for anyone who wants the convenience of walking to restaurants and shops without as much outside traffic bustling around.

Here are a few spots in the Short North to check out:

Coffee at One Line
Shopping at Pivot and Rowe Boutique
Smoothies, juices & bowls at Native
Dinner at Rooh or Service Bar

DAY 2

Head over to Bexley to pop into Vérité Dermatology Boutique for a Biologique Recherche facial, dermaplane, or peel to pamper and restore your skin from your busy travel schedule.

When you’re finished, be sure to walk over to Cherbourg Bakery to grab a coffee & baked good or egg strata! Everything is gluten free and nut free and tastes absolutely incredible.

Afterwards, head over to Easton for shopping! It’s a great area to explore, especially because it’s one of the newest and fastest growing real estate developments in Columbus. Here are a few spots in Easton that we recommend:

Start with (another) coffee at Crimson Cup. You can park near Crimson and explore the North side of Easton by foot.
Shopping at Restoration Hardware, Aritzia (one of our faves!), Anthropologie etc. Check the directory for a full list of stores.
When you start to get hungry, enjoy lunch or dinner at Northstar Cafe. There is a lot of shopping on the South side of Easton as well (Crate & Barrel, West Elm, J Crew etc.), so it might be helpful to move your car near Northstar and park nearby to explore this section of Easton.

DAY 3

Enjoy a lazy day sleeping in (you deserve it!) and then head over to Skillet for brunch in German Village. This family-run, hole-in-the-wall, is a hot spot for locals, and the food is out of this world! Everything is made from scratch right over the counter in the kitchen, and you simply can’t go wrong. Although the menu changes seasonally, our all-time favorite dish is the Pimento Cheese Burger. If you’re craving something light and sweet, you’ll love the crepes!

If you need to buckle down and get some work done, there’s no better spot than Parable Coffee! Nestled in the heart of downtown Columbus, it’s a lively scene with great music, and the energy in the room really helps you feel motivated to get to work.

Afterwards, you can either head back to the Short North to keep exploring, or swing over to Grandview, which is a lively neighborhood on the west side of the city. We recommend strolling down 3rd Street and visiting Stauf’s Coffee, and we love to grab takeout (or dine-in) from Bonafacio, a Filipino restaurant that really mixes up the taste buds!

If you’re hanging out in Grandview and you like antiques or furniture consignments, check out Grandview Mercantile. Our favorite consignment shop is Second Chance where you can find luxury resale items like bags, clothing, shoes, and more.

If you feel like getting out of the city to explore the suburbs, head over to Dublin on the west side and start at the North Market Bridge Park (an indoor food and shopping market that is still relatively new). Parking garages are free and it’s easy to walk to explore the downtown area! It’s a super safe area and there will likely be lots of people walking around at night, especially in the summer. Here are our top picks for Dublin:

Dinner at The Pearl or you can pick something delicious up at the North Market
Walk across the Dublin Link

Day 4

One of the best ways to wind down a visit to Columbus is by cozying up in German Village. To start, make sure to grab breakfast at Fox in the Snow in Italian Village on your way over. Then drive over to 3rd Street in German Village and make sure to check out the Book Loft, Vernacular Boutique, Urban Sundry, Pistacia Vera, Katzinger’s Deli for lunch and Chapman’s Eat Market for dinner and cocktails!