The Table | Facebook | T: @thetablecmh | IG: @TheTableCMH
21 E. Fifth Ave. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43201
(614) 291-4555
Open Tues-Thurs, 5-10p; Fri & Sat, 5-11p; Sun, 5-9p (brunch served Sat & Sun, 11a-4p)
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/Y/Y
Kid-friendly? Y
If you’ve followed my Instagram feed at all, you know that The Table is a regular stop on my Columbus Food Adventures brunch tours. I’ve gotten to know and love the restaurant since we started the tours early in 2015. Then, back in June I was assigned to write a review of the brunch for the Dispatch; you can read the review posted on Crave‘s site here.
I started the Dispatch review by saying The Table is “rustically elegant,” and I still struggle to find a better phrase to describe it. There’s an elegance to the food and the care with which it’s sourced and prepared. There’s an elegance to the historic building and the decor. But there’s a rustic feeling in how the food is approachable and comfortable, and how the tables and plates and chairs are recycled and mis-matched.
The space is bright and beautiful, with an open kitchen next to the dining room, and a bar toward the back.
I know patio season is winding down (but not over yet!); The Table’s breezeway needs to be added to your list of good brunching patios.
The Table uses their own special coffee blend made by Stauf’s. It’s especially good when you order it in the Cafechata, a cocktail with coffee and Rumchata, a liqueur with rum + horchata rice/nut milk.
Of course, if Bloody Marys are your thing, there’s always one of those…
It’s good to start with some pastries and preserves. The Table bakes everything in house, and in fact, they just began supplying breads to area Whole Foods.
My favorite dish on the brunch menu is the akoori. It’s a spicy Indian version of scrambled eggs mixed with onions, garlic, tomato, cilantro, and chiles. It has just the right kick.
The Table also does a Dutch Baby (or a Dutch Mama, for the larger version). Some people might know the Dutch Baby as a German pancake. It’s a flat pancake that crisps up when it’s baked, and it’s usually served with lemon curd and fruit. This is one of the only Dutch Babies that I know of in town.
They also craft an excellent dark rye and lox plate. Both the rye and the salmon are prepped in-house (you can see the recurring theme here), and they’re served with shaved red onion (I love that detail), capers, and goat cheese.
True to their name, The Table emphasizes the importance of gathering together, so most dishes can be ordered individually or family-style. My advice: order family style and take the opportunity to catch up.
There’s enough variety in The Table’s brunch menu to please everyone. Traditionalists will like French toast (with house brioche), biscuits & gravy, steak & eggs, while the more adventurous will find a croque madame built on a terrine, baked eggs, and the akoori (which also comes in a vegan version).
The Table has a cool basement prep kitchen, which we’ve gotten to peek in on during my brunch tours.
The food and hospitality are already reasons to visit, but it’s a bonus that The Table serves brunch Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So if you’re looking an excuse to brunch on a Friday… EDIT: brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays now!
