Support Local Dining During Cleveland Restaurant Week, March 2–14

From neighborhood favorites to destination dining rooms, check out these independent restaurants offering prix fixe menus as part of the Cleveland Independents’ annual celebration.

by Christina Rufo | Feb. 26, 2026 | 1:15 PM

Aqua di Dea tuna meatballs | Photographed by Christina Rufo

The Cleveland Independents will host its 18th Cleveland Restaurant Week from March 2-14, inviting diners to explore three-course menus priced at $39 and up at some of Northeast Ohio’s most influential, locally owned restaurants.

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the organization represents 58 independent restaurants spanning the region, from Medina and Rocky River to Tremont, Twinsburg and Geneva. The participating spots reflect the breadth of the local dining scene, both geographically and stylistically.

For Laurie Torres, owner of Mallorca and president of the Cleveland Independents, the event is about more than a prix fixe deal. It is about preserving what makes the city’s food culture distinct.

“Take the time to go to an independent restaurant, because those are the restaurants that make up the personality of the city,” Torres says. “They are what make Cleveland, Cleveland.”

Unlike national chains, participating restaurants maintain full creative control during Restaurant Week. According to the organization, each restaurant sets its own menu format, pricing structure and whether to offer carryout, allowing chefs and owners to tailor the experience to their concept and clientele.

Torres says that flexibility is critical at a time when independent restaurants are increasingly under pressure.

“The number of independent restaurants is shrinking,” she says. “By supporting those Cleveland independent restaurants, you're supporting the essence of the personality of Cleveland. That’s why we do Restaurant Week, to introduce people to places they may not have tried, or to bring them back to restaurants they haven’t visited in a while.”

Find the Cleveland Restaurant Week menus on www.clevelandresaturantweek.com

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, featuring immersive stories, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.

Christina Rufo

Christina is a passionate reporter on Cleveland's culture and dining scene, compiling Cleveland Magazine's monthly dining guide. A graduate of West Virginia University's journalism school and the New York University Publishing Institute, her work celebrates the people, plates and parties that make Northeast Ohio shine.