Cincinnati’s Ghost Baby Embraces the Spirit of a Bygone Era

Nearly five stories below Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, hidden deep in this belly of silent earth and stone, you’ll find a lively haunt called Ghost Baby. It’s marked only by a glowing purple orb suspended above a doorway on a residential street. Midway down the 50-some stairs (fear not: there’s an elevator, too), sounds of revelry begin to beckon. The spirit of a bygone era awaits.

Ghost Baby serves drinks that pay homage to pre-Prohibition classics in a 170-year-old lagering tunnel originally used to ferment and store beer for the ale house above. For generations it sat vacant, until owner Josh Heuser, along with two partnering organizations, redeveloped the space in 2019. 

The name revealed itself during renovations. As a contractor was putting new lightbulbs in the tunnel, one that he had just replaced, suddenly shattered. As the space went dark, he reported seeing the feet of a toddler scurrying up the long metal ladder leading out. Or so the story goes.

Ghost Baby creates new stories today as an upscale bar with nightly live music, “where the Roaring Twenties meet the Electric Eighties,” says general manager Adammichael Gesell.

The cocktail menu, supplemented by beer, wine and spirits, features thoughtful homages to familiar favorites. The No. 3 is a take on an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan served with a flourish of smoking cherrywood, star anise and cinnamon. The No. 5 relies on chili-infused maple and carrot-ginger jam to mellow smoky Scotch whisky. Keen eyes might spot the absence of the No. 2., a secret cocktail offered only to those who ask.

Ghost Baby has two rooms to choose from. The Rattle Room, featuring a bar in the shape of a baby’s rattle, is a great choice for spontaneous visits, while the Den, featuring plush velvet booths and the live music stage, usually requires a reservation. Although mobile phone service is adequate, it’s easy to tuck it away and disconnect for a while. 

“It’s about truly finding that escape, to go back in time and disengage from the outside world,” Gessell says. “The experience is what we’re here for.”

1314 Republic St., Cincinnati 45202, 513/381-5333, ghost-baby.com

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