One of my top places to study and work downtown or near campus. Chill and comfortable atmosphere with a variety of art and books to enjoy. The shaded courtyard is great to work in, or just admire from the inside.

Abby P. was so welcoming, I stopped into grab a glass of water, use the facilities and was pleased to see a public gender neutral restroom! TY Iris staff for being welcoming of all beings. The outside patio is so amazing, the art that is and hung and support given to local artisans really shines. It also has a very eclectic selection of books.

A must to have a quaint lunch & quiet atmosphere to read books... the potato leek soup & salad is so delicious! Go there & try it!

Lovely quiet spot, great quality drinks and food, nice vegan options, pretty courtyard in back.

Amazing vegan food options like a chz coney, soups and baked goods! Great vintage books to buy all around on shelves. Art changes on the walls and is thought provoking. Lovely place to do work or meet up with a friend to catch up. Back patio is mystical.

Great food, excellent staff, and a very cozy location to read and relax!

Good place but they don’t keep well stocked on food if you’re looking for a meal.

Fantastic place to get work done. The variety of seeting really helps you find the perfect spot whether its by the window or way in the back where youre nestled among book shelves.The barista was super nice and there were so many options of food and drink.Outlets were available at all or most seats.

This is a wonderful independent Cafe, all their dishes appear to be vegan, and the coffee is good. The hours are limited unfortunately, but it is also a decent used book store.The last time I visited it there was an extension to it next door they had a mixture of many used Books in the basement and many viner records. That extension has changed ownership and its now strictly only a vintage record store, and the actual books in Iris cafe seem to be fewer then the last time I passed through town and visited but its still a nice place to relax with a cup of coffee, read, the staff are decidedly bohemian, and it is a refreshing change from the American Starbucks coffee shops that for its landscape

Cute little cafe, but the courtyard out back is the true gem! Beautiful escape from the city. The only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because as far as books go, the selection is not the best. I do love the atmosphere though!

Delicious coffee!

Love it! Its a cute, quiet bookstore/coffee shop with the best caramel latte Ive ever tasted. The bells are also really good. Ive spent many Sunday afternoons and evenings studying in there. Its the quintessential coffee shop vibe, for coffee shop lovers like me. Theres also an outdoor courtyard and an adjoining record store. You should def check it out!

Quaint and calming. Great place to escape from the city noise with a cup of coffee for awhile.

Ordered a smoked salmon bagel. I have never been anywhere before where a smoked salmon bagel was not slices of smoked salmon layered over the bagel. Instead, Iris Cafe’s version is chunks of salmon mixed with cream cheese and spread on a bagel. Was very unappetizing. Their latte was also very small for the price. However, the servers were very friendly and the atmosphere was quaint.

Ive been coming to Iris for many years. Their menu has grown and so has their restaurant. I enjoy the vegan offerings - they really take their food seriously.I love that theres a bookstore in the cafe - it shifts the atmosphere of the whole entire cafe to be serene and reflective. In the summer, their backyard seating is enjoyable and full of beautiful greenery.Its a one of a kind Cincinnati treasure!

Nice and cozy place. Its quiet in here for reading or important meetings. They have plenty of vegan options that are GREAT.

Americano coffee is hot! The egg salad and Vegan chili were on spot. Very quiet space and lots of books if you are a reader. Thanks for a great experience.

Iris is thee best coffee on main! Staff is super friendly and helpful! Lots of cool books to look at and an amazing courtyard! I highly recommend!

Lovely small quiet cafe. I had the Hot Chocolate with almond milk and coconut whipped cream suggested by the owner, best suggestion ever! My friend had a sandwich and she loved it.

Really cool place that has great coffee and beautiful outside seating for the warmer months. Plenty of indoor seating too. Coffee was great atmosphere was perfect.

Great coffee. Plenty of Books and a good selection of Records & Cassettes. Definitely recommend!

I want to love this place, and as a lover of books and coffee, I gravitate to it. Its eclectic, with books, videos, a few records, some old VHS tapes. It has seating mixed among the shelves, and in good weather, great seats and tables tucked into a back courtyard, beautiful in an old city sort of way. But my hopes for this fall short. The food and coffee have been mediocre, the service slow and somewhat cold, the book selection wanting--some gems mixed with garage sale junk. At a place like this, the coffee should be great and the server feel like an old friend, with book treasures aplenty. Still, I am glad its here, and a visit is pleasant, and nevertheless recommended.

Iris is exactly what a neighborhood art driven coffeeshop should be. The owner truly supports those who make the art. The food is better than good and the staff is great. This is where I go when I need to charge my creative battery

Everything I have had here is great, sandwiches, soup, salads, pumpkin bread, cookies, iced teas. I work just a couple blocks away so we go fairly regularly. Everything is fresh, the bread is local. Great little local place.

Extremely nice patio, a squirrel was hangin out w us for most the time. Very nice and secluded, very comfy inside.

Would fit right in on a quiet pedestrian street in Paris, but its conveniently located in Cincinnati

Nice atmosphere for reading or getting some work done. Theyve always got a good study playlist going and the baristas are very friendly. I love their book selection; its organized well and its got an eclectic mix of different genres of fiction and nonfiction. Their coffee is on point. Their iced coffee is so good, it got me out of the habit of putting sugar and cream in my iced coffee. I definitely recommend checking out their patio seating when theres nice weather.

Quick service and decent book section. They have an outside area away from the public that makes it nice and calming to study or read!

Great service.. serene environment... great place for solitude, meeting friends for lunch and coffee or private meeting. Dont miss the secret garden in good weather, of course.

The food is very tasty and so is the tea, they have great veggitarian options too. The owner is a very nice, who previously worked at a soup place. I had a carrot, coconut, and ginger soup. Gosh it was so good! If I lived in Cincinnati, Id come here often!

The staff is very friendly and the food and coffee are great! I love the atmosphere here and I found a couple of books. The books arent overpriced and are good quality.

Everytime I travel up to Cincinnati for work I always make sure to go by iris to enjoy the amazing coffee and the great staff. Their hot chocolate is fantastic, I usually drink 2 or 3 before I leave. But dont worry their staff is as amazing as their hot chocolate.the last couple of times I came a short red headed lady named bailey (I believe) helped me. She was great, very nice, and extremely helpful. She is one of the main reasons I come back. Always greets me with a smile and chats with me when she isnt helping other customers. The world would be a better place if we had more people like her.

Great coffee and sandwiches. I enjoy working here its quieter than most coffee shops in the area.

Love the atmosphere, the book sales, and the tempeh salad sandwich! Lots of good vegan options.

We visited Cincinnati for a family vacation and stayed in an Airbnb nearby. We are vegans and we’re so happy to have found this delicious gem. Food was amazing however after our 3rd time eating there we were abruptly shocked to recieve very disrespectful service. The young woman behind the counter on Saturday morning seemed to be having a bad day and allowed that to affect her professionalism. She proceeded to use verbiage as if this was her store and ran the place, talking to us in a manner that was very uncomfortable. However, I still tried to interact with positive vibes, I even gave her a 20% tip! We got our food to go but sat down and opened up our food at the bookstore. This is when the young lady behind the counter proceeded to say “I don’t normally allow people to eat to go boxes in my restaurant”. I could understand if this was an actual restaurant where we had to pay for service, but this is not that type of place. At this point I’m feeling so uncomfortable I get up and leave. She says nothing as we left and so I’m writing this review in hopes that her or the actual business owner sees it and addresses it. This is unfortunate as we really enjoyed our previous experiences but now we will not be coming back.

Love going here between my shifts for a cup of coffee and to read. The scones are to die for.

A lovely quiet coffee shop. A wonderful retreat from the noise and bustle.

Stellar escape. Love hanging out back in their courtyard. Plenty of seating, good wifi, and a beautiful backdrop. I cant recommend this enough as a working spot for the day.

Really cute spot with lots of inside and outside seating. And the meals are cheap and delicious.

Cool lil coffee and food bookshop on Main St. in Over The Rhine. Outdoor seating energized by art and wire. A great place to hangout or work.Recommended.

Better cafe than bookstore but still a nice place to stop in.

This place is very quaint and cozy, complete with a beautiful courtyard!The food was delicious and very vegan/vegetarian friendlyGreat coffee/books AND photography. This place is perfect!

Pleasant coffee shop. Nice place for a cup of coffee and conversation.

Nice patio. Good place to study. Good black tea and nice service

Great local spot! Stop in to read, eat, get some work done on the wifi, or just enjoy the coffee. Good peeps, good times.

Love the place and atmosphere but the super cranky barista made our stay uncomfortable. She seemed super annoyed that I ordered a sandwich to go but wanted to eat some of it there. I wasnt sure when I would have to leave and wanted to be ready to do so. And then after my friend got her food and I waited on mine for awhile, i went to check on it. To which she responded in a snarky fashion that i had ordered it to go. My bad. Being in the industry, I can understand that everyone has bad days and we cant always be super charming. It takes alot of energy to do that. But it takes more energy to be rude, in my opinion. So I hope it was just a one off. But I doubt I will return to find out.

I love this shop! Nice small coffee shop feel with a beautiful courtyard in the back. Staff is super friendly.

I really appreciate all the veggie options, but there is a girl working there who makes you feel bad just for walking up to the counter. This wasn’t a one time thing either, there was a handful of bad encounters and I still tipped. Lady barista, I understand customer service can be draining, but that’s part of the job. Potential customers, visit a different cafe in OTR.

Neat cafe with a unique book collection. The coffee is great as well. Another perk is their patio in the back...be sure to check it out.

I come here for the laid back, neighborhood hangout, kind of vibe. Good for reading, working, or catching up over coffee.

Great space, great food, a hidden neighborhood treasure

One of my favorite places in the city! A friendly staff, a good and ethical menu, a quaint atmosphere with the old books and a beautiful and peaceful courtyard all combine to make Iris the perfect place to relax, write, read, meet a friend, or just grab a coffee.

Nice place. Amazing staff. The girls are magical. The best coffee.

Adorable cozy little place, really interesting selection of used books, almost all hardcover and trade PB. Didnt have time to get anything to eat originally drink but it sure smells good. Will be back for sure.

Atmosphere was...neat, but felt a little disappointing after reading some really good reviews. Book selection was slim, as was seating. Had an iced tea but it was a bit of a challenge to track down a barista when I was ready to checkout. Overall alright experience, but wish I could have figured out how to get into that courtyard...

I ordered an iced tea and asked to have poured in my 22 oz water bottle and he responded with well how much does that hold I figured I wouldnt burden them with that kind of expense

Here is very quiet and has good food! But the location is not good, and its located in a very dangerous zone! Dont come here after 6!

Service with a smile and delicious food!

Great place! Comfortable environment good people.

Cozy spot, beautiful back patio. Artsy clientele. Great baristas.

Great smoothies and vegan cookies. the garden in the back is really pretty, too!

I wanted to like it... The food was tasty (even though it was overpriced), atmosphere was cool and the courtyard was beautiful. However, the baristas were rude. No eye contact, no smile, no welcoming hello, and it wasnt because the place was busy! There were 5 of them (huddled behind the bar gossiping), and we were the only customers.

Best spot in Cincinatti!If you can catch the bookstore next door open, they have the best sci-fi collection ive ever seen.

Great atmosphere. The courtyard is beautiful and the food is good.

Perfect place to hide out and act get work done

A cute and relaxing cafe with lots of vegan options, a great patio out back, and some eclectic books for sale.

Just a wonderful local, independent coffeehouse with a limited but very good food menu, an excellent selection of books, and a changing display of artwork of all types. May the Iris Book Cafe live forever!

Love the place but one of the employees made me and others feel unwelcomed.

Great food and drinks, along with plenty of spaces to read, work, or study!

Cant speak for the food, as I havent eaten any, but the book collection is excellent.

Just right for me. Use the space there for coffee and studying.

Amazing ice cream 👌

Baristas were rude and looked/smelled homeless. Didnt bother to make eye contact and they werent even busy. Coffee was subpar at best.

Had a very lovely time with a friend

On our first visit, we had a generous bowl of carrot ginger coconut soup that is spicy sweet and puréed to a perfect consistency. But the vegetarian chilli became a favourite along with a bagel sandwich.I love the book cafe atmosphere and friendly service. You can tell it comes from a genuine love of reading and creating an atmosphere where you can enjoy being by yourself or engaging in conversation with friends. Be sure to check out the courtyard in back!Update: On subsequent visits I learned the Cafe also is host to a local photography group and well-curated photo exhibits that change every other month, or so. If you miss an exhibit, they generally have a book or two of the photographers work available.

This is such a cute little place in OtR that its kind of hard to spot just driving down the road.Just walking in you can tell its a cozy little place. Theres a few bookshelves when you walk in a some tables, and even some records in boxes! A local artist is featured in a mini display running along the wall, to a back room in this place. I love the back area! Theres more tables and even more shelves with all sorts of books to pass the time. Theres also a patio out back, and Ive heard rumor one of the painted pigs is there as well.I love that they serve you in actual nice big coffee mugs instead of styrofoam here. Theyre hot chocolates ok, but there apple cider is to die for!! Its pretty much amazing. When I went, our little group were the only ones there on a weeknight, which was nice actually. But its truly a cozy little place to just chill, if youre looking for a relazing evening.

Delicious food and great atmosphere.

A fine place with a wonderfully diverse and eclectic clientele

If I could rate this less than one star I certainly would. Worst customer service I have ever received and I mean ever. The barista was beyond rude, she basically ignored us, acted like we were inconveniencing her by asking about the menu and trying to order. We ask where napkins were, and another customer showed us where they were located and she yelled at the customer and told her that was her job and to mind her own business. A construction worker came in and ask for a glass of water she was extremely rude told him it would be a $1, he told her she was crazy to charge a $1 for a glass of water she then yelled at him to get the Fu** out of her cafe, right in front of my children. I literally was waiting for John Quinones to pop out and say we were on an episode of what would you do, but sadly that never happen. We called and left a message for the owner who never returned our call, so I called back several times until I got a hold of her and she did not seem the least bit interested or concerned that one of her staff would act so horrible to her customers, she did not even apologize. We will never go back.

Quiet patio... one of my faves

Very good morning spot!

I really liked the coffee, service, and old books

Old book store with good food

Cozy and welcoming bookstore and cafe.

Wholesome, light fare in a comfy atmosphere

Wonderful ambiance, great coffee!

If looks could kill, there would be a pile of corpses in front of this barista.

What an awesome respite on Main.

Patio. Vegan. Books. Holly, Lauren, Erica. What more is there?

Great books and food

Really nice patio.

Love this place.

Smell was weird. Selection was poor.

Love the smoothies

Wonderful for lunch!

A gem.

Wonderful staff

Cozy corner