CLEVELAND, Ohio — When a steady chill lingers in the autumn air in Northeast Ohio, it feels like people collectively start to crave soup for every meal.
Several restaurants and eateries in Greater Cleveland specialize in making several kinds of homemade soup. However, it seems like most people can’t resist a crock of classic French onion.
French onion soup is simply delicious. It features a base of slow-cooked onions and beef broth and is topped with some sort of crouton and melted cheese. It’s hard to mess up, but it’s even better when a restaurant knocks it out of the park with its variety.
To gear up for soup season, here are 19 of the best takes on French onion soup from Greater Cleveland restaurants. Everywhere from dive bars to high-end restaurants has its own version, and they’re all worth trying.
The French onion soup at La Ville Lumiere in Cleveland.Paris Wolfe
La Ville Lumière
10427 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland
La Ville Lumière is a new all-day French brasserie on the West Side that obviously has a killer onion soup on its menu. The classic is made with slow-cooked onions, crouton and gruyere, and it is served au gratin and inside a personal copper pot.
The Judith Cafe on Cleveland’s West Side.Alex Darus
The Judith
5222 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
The Judith celebrates the autumn chill in the air by bringing its Soupe à l’Oignon back to its menu. The French cafe offers the traditional rendition of the soup during lunch and dinner hours.
Heck’s Cafe always has French onion soup on its menu.
Heck’s Cafe
35514 Detroit Rd., Avon
2927 Bridge Ave., Cleveland
Heck’s Cafe is a reliable staple that has a little bit of everything on its menu, including French onion soup. The aromatic broth is topped with bread and melty cheese for a no-frills version of the comforting classic, which is available at both restaurant locations.
The Public House offers an Irish version of onion soup.
The Public House
17219 Lorain Rd., Cleveland
An Irish take on onion soup comes from The Public House in Cleveland’s Westpark neighborhood. The Dublin onion soup still includes plenty of cheese for a satisfying meal.
Le Petit Triangle Cafe is a French cafe with an amazing French onion soup. The Plain Dealer
Le Petit Triangle
1881 Fulton Ave., Cleveland
Le Petit Triangle feels like it belongs on a corner in Paris rather than Ohio City, so it’s a must that they include French onion soup on the menu. The cafe’s rendition is unique, with a vegan base rather than beef, making it vegetarian-friendly.
Melt Bar and Grilled offers a vegetarian-friendly version of its French onion soup. Marc Bona, cleveland.com
Melt Bar and Grilled
14718 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
As part of its revamped menu, Melt Bar and Grilled now features its own version of French onion soup at its Lakewood restaurant. The rendition is also vegetarian-friendly, with a vegan-friendly and gluten-free option available as well.
The Kensington Pub
2260 Lee Rd., Cleveland
French Onion soup gets the entree treatment at the Kensington Pub on Lee Road. It features Brandy and brioche and is served au gratin, of course.
The charcuterie board and French onion soup from Tartine Bistro in Rocky River. Alex Darus, cleveland.com
Tartine Bistro
19110 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River
Tartine in Rocky River takes a traditional approach to its onion soup as an authentic French restaurant. Beef bouillon, gruyere cheese and a crouton complete this comforting special.
The main entrance of the historic Don’s Pomeroy House restaurant in Strongsville. The Plain Dealer
Don’s Pomeroy House
13664 Pearl Rd., Strongsville
Don’s Pomeroy is another popular date-night spot that knows how to make a crave-worthy French onion soup. Its au gratin bowl is one of those soups you can’t help but finish in a flash and immediately want to order more.
Bistro on 130
7778 W. 130th St., Middleburg Heights
Bistro on 130 might have some of the best French onion soup in Middleburg Heights. The house-made onion broth features just the right amount of croutons and plenty of melted cheese.
L’Albatros Brasserie in University Circle is a popular French restaurant with onion soup.
L’Albatros Brasserie
11401 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland
A dinner at L’Albatros is bound to be comforting to the soul, which is epitomized in its Onion Soup Gratinée. It’s the ideal comfort food to eat in the cozy restaurant specializing in French cuisine.
Sully’s Irish Pub
117 W. Liberty St., Medina
Sully’s in Medina puts an Irish spin on this menu favorite with its Guinness Onion soup. The rich and warming broth is topped with plenty of toasted cheese for a dish that warms you from the inside out.
Cabin Club in Westlake features French onion soup to go with its cozy vibe and rustic decor.
The Cabin Club
30651 Detroit Rd., Westlake
The Cabin Club is known for being an old-school high-end restaurant, so they do French onion soup the proper way. Beef broth, a place of bourbon, crouton and gruyere makes up its famous rendition.
Fisher’s Cafe
1607 Main St., Peninsula
Fisher’s Cafe in Peninsula proudly serves its homemade French onion soup recipe on its daily menu. It starts with slow-simmered onions and California sherry before its topped with rye croutons and baked mozzarella cheese.
Immigrant Son Brewing makes French onion soup.
Immigrant Son Brewing
18120 Sloane Ave., Lakewood
Immigrant Son Brewing specializes in European-style dishes, including its ISB onion soup. The brewpub braises its onions in Porter for a deeper flavor. Bouillon, sourdough and melted Swiss round up the recipe.
Chez Francois French restaurant in Vermillion offers French onion soup. The Plain Dealer
Chez Francois
555 Main St., Vermillion
Chez Francois has been one of the top restaurants in Northeast Ohio for years, so it’s only right it features a traditional French onion soup on the menu. Its Sopu a L’Oignon Gratinee features a toasted crouton and plenty of melty gruyere cheese.
Ray’s Place
135 Franklin Ave., Kent
One of the most beloved French onion soup variations in Kent comes from Ray’s Place. The casual bar offers a soul-warming crock of French onion soup that’s meant for enjoying on chilly days.
Wolf Pack Chorus in Cleveland has a mushroom and onion soup. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Wolf Pack Chorus
2175 Cornell Rd., Cleveland
Folks looking for an umami-rich onion soup need to try the version at Wolf Pack Chorus. The restaurant adds mushrooms to its onion soup featuring pullman bread and Swiss and comte cheeses.
French onion soup from Astoria Cafe and Market in Cleveland.Alex Darus
Astoria Cafe & Market
5417 Detroit Ave., Cleveland
It doesn’t get better than the Soupe a’ L’Oignon Gratinee at Astoria Cafe in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. The soup features slow-cooked onions in beef broth with sherry, garlic and herbs and topped with French bread croutons and melted Comte cheese.
Alex Darus writes about food, dining and drinking for Cleveland.com, check out her latest posts here. You can reach her with story ideas at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @alex_darus.
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