Crown Restaurant Group is preparing to introduce a new upscale dining concept in Over-the-Rhine, transforming the former Five Kitchen & Bar space into a steak-frites restaurant, according to the Cincinnati Business Journal.
Bar Rosso is planned for 1324 Vine St., where Crown Restaurant Group previously operated Five Kitchen & Bar. The new restaurant is expected to open this fall, although an exact opening date has not yet been announced.
Bar Rosso will focus exclusively on steak and frites, paired with a beverage programme centred on vermouth-based cocktails, including martinis and negronis.
The restaurant will also feature a private dining room with seating for up to 50 guests. Customers booking the space will be able to choose catering and craft cocktails from Bar Rosso or select offerings from Crown Restaurant Group’s sister restaurants, including Losanti and Rosie’s Italian.
Private events will offer several options, including a full buyout of Bar Rosso or a more intimate reservation within the private dining space.
“Crown’s new private space at Bar Rosso brings flexible, top-tier hospitality to any special occasion,” Madeline Schmidt, director of events for Crown Restaurant Group, said in a news release. The group has already received several bookings and inquiries for the fall and winter months.
The new concept follows the closure of Five Kitchen & Bar, which served its final meal May 31. Before that restaurant, Crown operated Five on Vine at the same address before rebranding it as Five Kitchen & Bar in August 2025.
Employees from Five Kitchen & Bar were temporarily moved to other Crown Restaurant Group locations and are expected to return when Bar Rosso opens.
Bar Rosso will join Crown Restaurant Group’s portfolio of Cincinnati restaurants, which includes Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti, Rosie’s Italian, Cantina and Marigold.
Crown Restaurant Group co-owner Anthony Sitek previously worked in the restaurant industry in New York, Miami and Chicago before relocating to Cincinnati.
The restaurant group has not yet announced an exact opening date for Bar Rosso. WhatNow will provide updates as more information becomes available.
