If you’ve spent time on the Scioto Mile recently you’ve probably been struck by the contrast of a busy riverfront and the beautiful patio and restaurant that once held Milestone 229 sitting in darkness.
Milestone 229 closed in December 2024 after fourteen years, and the most visible restaurant in Columbus has been empty since.
That ends Friday.
Amara, Josh Dalton’s Mediterranean concept, opens July 10 at 229 Civic Center Drive. Amara will be dinner only to start with lunch service planned by the end of summer. The restaurant will seat sixty-five inside, another sixty-five on the patio and valet parking will be available. The name, comes from Sanskrit (“immortal,” “eternal”) and Greek, where it means “unfading.”
We covered the announcement back in January (renderings of the inside available behind that click), when the project still had a spring target. Spring has sprung and is fully in the rearview mirror, but we’ve now reached opening weekend where we’ll finally be able to see what Dalton has cooked up for us. The menu we’ll be seeing is pulled from Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean and will feature rotating house-made dips and spreads, fresh-baked bread, vegetables, seafood, and meze built for sharing.
“Amara is inspired by the Mediterranean as a whole,” Dalton said in the opening announcement, framing the restaurant around the food, the people, and the way meals happen around a table.
There will also be a full wine and cocktail program, with drinks designed to travel on the DORA.
The reason this opening matters more than the average restaurant debut isn’t just the location but also the chef behind it. Dalton has been building a name in Columbus since 1808 American Bistro in 2007, and his current portfolio (Veritas, Speck, Rosalita’s, Rosebud’s) is about as strong a track record as anyone operating in Columbus right now. The city handing its anchor restaurant space to Dalton is a decision backed by an impressive resume and a lot of well-loved Columbus spots.
If You Go
- Amara
- 229 Civic Center Dr. (Bicentennial Park, Scioto Mile)
- Tuesday–Saturday, 5–10 p.m., dinner only; lunch coming late summer
- Valet parking available
