Iris BookCafe & Gallery
Mon-Thurs 8a-9p; Fri 8a-7p; Sat 10a-7p; Sun 11a-9p

Books. Photography. Art. Secret garden. Welcome to Iris BookCafe in the heart of Cincinnati's OTR [map]. Here, the food is local & the books are global. Can you imagine a better combination? Oh wait! Coffee. There is coffee. & it's Coffee Emporium coffee (another Magical Simplicity coffee crush!) (which you can read about here). Now can you imagine anything better? Didn't think so.

I first read about Iris BookCafe in City Beat's 2014 Eats Staff Picks. They dubbed this oasis as the Best Winter Warm-Up. The way they described it made me imagine a secret, warm, cozy, awesome, vegetarian haven. AKA: My dream.

Oh guys, it seriously is all of that & more! Tucked away in the middle of our bustling city (just across from Park + Vine) (which is ironically on Main Street) is a true gem. & outside through the back, shielded from all the bustle by its neighbors' walls, is an ivy clad solace. They've crowned it: The Courtyard.

My sisters & I spent a wonderful morning at Iris & I think it will be the first of many. My only complaint is, how have I not ever stumbled upon this magic little slice of a Cincinnati fairy tale before?

Stop by Iris Bookcafe. It's what dreams (well at least my dreams) are made of.