Historic banks vault Cleveland's dining scene to the top of the market

At the turn of the 20th century, Cleveland, Ohio was an economic powerhouse, with Rockefeller's Standard Oil bringing millions of dollars and major financial institutions to the city. Though that's all part of a bygone era, the spaces remain, and former money markets now house restaurants, bars, markets and clubs. You can bank on having a good time at these seven spots to eat and drink in the city.

Marble Room Steakhouse & Raw Bar

Swanky Marble Room Steakhouse & Raw Bar opened in September 2017, transforming the Garfield Building, which was commissioned by Harry Augustus Garfield and James Rudolph Garfield to honor their father and Cleveland native President James A. Garfield. After housing the Guardian Bank and Trust, and then the National City Bank Building, the property sat vacant for 12 years before the owners began construction on the restaurant.

Today the massive space (one of the largest bank halls in the world) boasts a lofted wine cellar, grand marble staircases and a 3500-sq-ft vault in the basement that’s used for posh private events.

Start by slurping oysters and munching on a yuzu miso salmon roll before tearing into a long-bone tomahawk topped with truffle butter or bone marrow. Don’t miss their take on a classic Negroni, which adds fig-infused vermouth and pineapple juice to the standard gin and Campari.

Heinen’s Fine Foods

Founded in 1929 by Joe Heinen, Heinen’s Fine Foods is today a 23-location chain operated by brothers Tom and Jeff Heinen, Joe’s twin grandsons. In 2013, they obtained a lease on space in the Ameritrust Tower, occupying the property’s first two floors. The focal point of this flagship store is the central rotunda, which is topped by a colored-glass dome and flanked by murals depicting the settlement of the Midwest.

Heinen’s has been given spots on lists of America’s most beautiful supermarkets by several outlets – and with good reason. Savor a bite at one of the first-floor cafe tables while swooning over the design elements including marble tiles and gilded arches, or venture to the second floor balcony, where wine is dispensed self-service style from a tap system.

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Luxe Kitchen and Lounge

You’ll find Mediterranean-Italian bistro Luxe Kitchen and Lounge in a building originally constructed for the Central Savings and Loan Company. The grandfather of current owner Melissa Cole purchased the building in 1949 and Cole actually still has the combination for both vaults, which now serve as wine and liquor storage.

The spaces had several uses over the years including a tavern and pool room before being turned into a restaurant serving up eclectic but approachable cuisine.

Order a selection of sharing plates like baked gnocchi, charred octopus and fried carrot croquettes before moving onto slow-roasted pork blade steak or wild mushroom pizza. Don’t pass over seasonal sippers like the deeply complex Demian, crafted with cold brew-infused whiskey, cherry juice, chocolate bitters and sweet vermouth.

Vault

The aptly named Vault cocktail lounge at the chic boutique hotel Metropolitan at The 9 is an intimate bar located in the century-old bank vaults beneath the Cleveland Trust Rotunda. At one time it contained the largest bank vault in Ohio; what is now the main bar used to be the manager’s office, all of the steel for the main vault was provided by the Carnegie Steel Company and the marble floors are original, dating back to the building’s opening in 1908. Today the Vault is a hot spot with four separate spaces decked out in 1920s decor.

Guests can sip more than 30 cocktails such as the Safe Deposit Box (gin, Cointreau, cherry, Benedictine, bitters, pineapple, lime and grenadine), or Millionaire’s Row (Irish whiskey, Chartreuse, ginger beer, lemon, lime, egg white, apple cider, chili powder and rosemary). Equally luxe are bites like Kobe tartare and Cognac pâté.

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Crop Bistro

Book a private event at Crop Bistro in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood and you'll travel through the lobby of the United Bank Building, with its expansive 35 foot-high coffered ceilings and down a level to the bank’s counting room, which now serves as the prep kitchen. Directly adjacent is the actual vault – now a dining space – which still has the original front and back doors weighing a combined 160,000 pounds.

The industrial vibe is driven home by white metal walls, oversized sepia photos of the city’s architectural icons and a small vault where, decades ago, the wealthiest customers stashed documents and valuables. Soak in the history at a candlelit table with dishes like Faroe Island salmon, short ribs and leek and cheese tartlets.

Wild Eagle Saloon

This neighborhood hangout is located in the Howell Building, which dates back to the 1920s and was once home to a Cleveland branch of the all-but-forgotten Morris Plan Bank.

Wild Eagle Saloon still has the original bank vault doors but the rest of it has been transformed into a destination for games, self-serve craft beers on tap, libations, burgers and fun finger foods like pork belly burnt ends and sweet potato nacho tots. As for the vault itself? It’s now filled with skee ball machines.

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Touch Supper Club

As the website touts, you can drink, dine and dance at this vibrant restaurant, bar and nightclub in a 1920s-era bank. Touch Supper Club still features working vault doors and guests can dine in the former bank manager’s office.

The cuisine is a playful take on global dishes, demonstrated by flavorful small plates including Korean fried chicken wings, pierogi, shakshuka and poutine. More substantial suppers are found in Thai basil rice, lobster mac and cheese and pork belly ramen. Brunch is a full-on affair, with Benedicts, omelets, bacon mimosas and Cleveland’s original Bloody Mary bar.