Most of us enjoy dinner and a show. But what about dinner and a ghost story?
With a history as rich as Cincinnati's, it's no surprise the city is filled with haunted tales, urban legends and reports of paranormal encounters. Some of its most popular restaurants and bars have even developed reputations for harboring restless spirits.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a good meal, sip a strong cocktail and maybe experience something unexplained, we've got you covered.
Here's a look at some of Cincinnati's most infamous haunted bars and restaurants. Whether you believe the supernatural folklore or not is up to you.
Ghost Baby
Ghost Baby, named one of USA TODAY's Bars of the Year in 2025, sits four stories beneath the streets of Over-the-Rhine in the former
Cincinnati Brewing Company lagering tunnels. After beer production ceased in the 1850s, the tunnels sat largely unused for decades.
In 2019, owner Josh Heuser was approached by a local development firm to see if he could bring at least one of the tunnels back to life, Enquirer food writer Keith Pandolfi reported. The result was Ghost Baby, now one of Cincinnati's most popular cocktail bars and live music venues.
According to the Ghost Baby website, the name was inspired by an odd incident that happened during the construction of the bar. While renovating the space, workmen reported instances of bulbs shattering and wires swinging on their own. Some people have also claimed to hear odd noises in the tunnel, including the sound of a baby crying.
1314 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine. ghost-baby.com.
Arnold's Bar & Grill
Arnold's Bar & Grill, Cincinnati's oldest continuously operating bar, opened in 1861 and has since developed a reputation for reported paranormal activity.
According to Coldwell Banker, staff and patrons have reported seeing "shadowy figures" and hearing unexplained knocking sounds after hours, particularly on the building's second floor.
CityBeat reports that visitors have also claimed to see a "bold female spirit" with long black hair wearing a dark blue, 19th-century dress. The figure is believed by some to be Susan Fawcett, a widow who purchased the property with her husband, Smith Fawcett, in 1833. According to local lore, the site later operated as a brothel under her ownership.
Co-owner Bethany Breeden told CityBeat she has witnessed what appeared to be two children playing on the second floor. Her husband, co-owner Chris Breeden, told Fox 19 that a former bartender once believed he saw a deceased former employee while hailing a taxi outside the bar.
The reports have helped cement Arnold's reputation as one of Cincinnati's most haunted locations. The bar has even hosted paranormal investigations in the past.
210 E. Eighth St., Downtown Cincinnati. arnoldsbarandgrill.com.
Golden Lamb
The Golden Lamb, founded in 1803, is widely regarded as Ohio's oldest continuously operating business. With more than two centuries in business, the historic inn and restaurant has gained a reputation for reported paranormal activity. In 2025, Food Network named it Ohio's most haunted restaurant.
According to the Golden Lamb's website, guests have reported seeing the spirit of a young girl wandering the halls. The figure is believed by some to be Sarah Stubbs, who moved into the Lebanon property with her mother and infant sister in 1882 after her father's death. Her uncle, Albert Stubbs, was managing the hotel at the time, according to the site.
Others believe the spirit may be Eliza Clay, daughter of statesman Henry Clay, who died at the hotel, Food Network reported.
Visitors have also reported sightings of Clement L. Vallandigham, the Ohio congressman who fatally shot himself by accident in one of the inn's rooms. Some guests believe the hotel is haunted by Charles R. Sherman, an Ohio Supreme Court justice who died there at age 41.
27 S. Broadway St., Lebanon. goldenlamb.com.
Bobby Mackey's
Bobby Mackey's Music World, dubbed "America's most haunted nightclub,"once stood on the former site of a 19th-century slaughterhouse that was later demolished. In the 1930s, entrepreneur Buck Brady opened the Primrose Club there, which was rumored to be run by the mob.
After several ownership changes, country singer Bobby Mackey took over the venue and opened his namesake nightclub in 1978. He demolished the building in 2024 and plans to open a new 8,400-square-foot, single-story nightclub to open at roughly the same location once construction is completed.
Before the original building came down, the venue was known for ghost stories tied to its history, including the 1896 murder of Pearl Bryanand the legend of Joanna, a pregnant singer who allegedly died by suicide after her father killed her lover and hanged him in the dressing room.
Mackey has embraced the club's haunted reputation for years, hosting paranormal investigation programs ranging from "Ghost Adventures" to "BuzzFeed Unsolved."
44 Licking Pike, Wilder. facebook.com/BobbyMackeyFB.
Three Spirits Tavern
Like many of the places on this list, Three Spirits Tavern is steeped in ghost stories. Owners Charlie Zimmerman and Leslie Blair said they were initially skeptical of the tales but have since embraced the tavern’s allegedly haunted history.
During renovations, the owners said they and a contractor heard what sounded like conversations between two female spirits they identified as Ann and Mary. According to the bar’s website, they also reported hearing footsteps and seeing what appeared to be the ghost of coal broker Nick Funken, who built the structure in 1883.
Others have reported seeing shadowy figures or feeling as though spirits grabbed them. Some guests also said they received “calming messages of peace” while showering on the second floor. According to the website, they believed the messages were “reassurances from loved ones who have died.”
209 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue. threespiritstavern.com.
Municipal Brew Works
Built in the 1930s as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the Frederick G. Mueller Building, now home to Municipal Brew Works, once housed Hamilton's city council chambers, jail cells, police department, bank and a fire station. Over time, much of the building fell into disuse.
Brewery co-owner Jim Goodman purchased the portion that formerly served as Hamilton Fire Station No. 2 and began renovating the space. The project was progressing smoothly until a few weeks before the brewery was set to open in June 2016.
That's when several unexplained incidents were reported, including a 15-pound metal sprocket on the brewing system snapping in two, mysterious dripping sounds, ringing bells and swinging lights. Goodman told The Enquirer in 2022 that paranormal investigation groups even visited the brewery.
20 High St., Hamilton. municipal.beer.
Carlo & Johnny
Carlo & Johnny, owned by Cincinnati restaurateur Jeff Ruby, is known for more than its signature steaks. It's also home to a resident ghost named Emily, whose husband allegedly visited the mansion when it operated as a brothel.
According to a 2018 Facebook post from the restaurant, legend holds that Emily killed her husband, his mistress and herself in a fit of "despair and rage."
Over the years, visitors and staff have reported a variety of paranormal experiences that some believe are connected to Emily's spirit. The restaurant says a photo of Emily hangs near the Hollywood Room as a tribute to her memory.
9769 Montgomery Road, Montgomery. jeffruby.com/carlo-johnny.
Symphony Hotel Bar & Lounge
The Symphony Hotel Bar & Lounge, located near Music Hall, was built in 1870 by famed architect James McLaughlin, who also designed the Cincinnati Public Library, a wing of the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Cincinnati Gas, Light & Coke Co., according to Cincinnati Magazine.
Although it has changed ownership over the years, one thing has remained the same: reports of unexplained activity at the hotel. The hotel's Mozart Room, on the second floor, is believed to be haunted by a ghost named Monica, a "lady of the night" who frequently visited the hotel and later overdosed and died there, WLWT-TVreports.
Some guests have reportedly woken to find a woman in a red dress standing over them. Others have said they saw childlike spirits roaming the hotel.
210 W. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine. symphonyhotel.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The 8 most haunted restaurants and bars in Cincinnati
