12 Of The Most Haunted Restaurants In The World

During spooky season, there's nothing quite like a restaurant that offers a bit of spine-tingling lore. But you don't need to count down the days until October 31 to get your fill of both delicious fare and frightening haunts. There are plenty of restaurants around the world that have eerie pasts — still supposedly haunted by the ghosts of yesteryear. That's why Islands rounded up the restaurants that are said to be more haunted than all the rest.

To determine which restaurants were considered the "most haunted," we consulted past visitor stories, paranormal websites, tourism boards, official restaurant websites, and local news outlets to see which eateries were best known across the world by the masses for being haunted. We considered the number of paranormal reports, the variety of haunted reports, the amount of ghostly activity, and the prominence of each restaurant's haunted reputation according to media as well as restaurant websites to see which are the best must-visit destinations for foodies looking for a scare. We only sought to consider restaurants with numerous haunting reports from a plethora of people, ranging from staff to customers. 

Of course, not everyone believes in ghosts and all tales of these apparitions are strictly rumors. So whether you're genuinely seeking an opportunity to see spirits or just interested in spooky stories, you can find a good time at these restaurants around the world.

For a restaurant as old as designated historic site Ashley's of Rockledge, it makes sense that a few patrons have, let's say, "overstayed" their welcome throughout the decades. Well, more than a few. Over 800,000 search results exist related to the hauntings at the laid back American restaurant in Rockledge, Florida, an old city with a warm, hometown feel. Besides serving up comfort fare like fried chicken, chicken parmesan, nachos, and cheesesteaks, Ashley's also serves plenty of scares. Those include sightings of a woman in the bathroom mirror, sightings of a child on the second floor, and customers and staff feeling like they're being shoved near the stairs.

The restaurant dates back to the 1930s as Jack's Tavern, a high-end, speakeasy-style venue that attracted the 1%, as well as some gangsters and moonshiners. Today's customers may get a glimpse of those visitors firsthand, since apparitions decked out in fashions of that era have been supposedly seen in modern developed photos taken of the bar.

However, there's just one figure they're more likely to see than any other — Ethel Allen. According to local lore, the young woman's body was found nearby after she patronized the bar. Although her murder was never solved, theories have circulated that a former secret boyfriend or even the mob was behind her gruesome death. These days, she purportedly haunts the bar, as does a young girl who was allegedly left behind when her dad was arrested there.

Damhuis Restaurant is housed inside the oldest structure in the Melkbosstrand section of Cape Town, which is the most travel-friendly city on the continent of Africa. It's watched over the area since 1785, when the national monument was built out of hay, cow manure, whale bones, stone, and sand by a local resident, named Christiaan Brand, as a fish shed on his farm. Its history soon became a violent one, as the structure was in the middle of the 1806 Battle of Blaauwberg, when hundreds of soldiers died as the British reclaimed the Cape Colony from the Dutch. The battle was so close by that Brand's home was reportedly looted and damaged during combat.

These days, customers indulging in high-end fare like seafood medleys, mussels in white wine, and lemon meringue at Damhuis Restaurant may have to enjoy their meals alongside those who are perhaps the ghosts of that battle. Various visitors have described seeing ghosts near the bathroom, and even the chef has experienced hauntings, including hearing a broken clock mysteriously ring, seeing utensils tumble from their setting without human touch, and seeing a dark figures in the window. The restaurant was even investigated by Cape Town Paranormal Investigations.

The name of the Hero of Waterloo in Sydney, Australia honors Arthur Wellesley, who was the Duke of Wellington, for his win at the Battle of Waterloo. The instrumental 1815 battle finally ended Napoleon's nearly two-dozen-year-long effort to take over Europe. But the real heroine of the restaurant and bar is its former landlady, Anne Kirkman, who has haunted the country's oldest bar since she died there in 1849. She met her end when she was tossed down the bar's stairs by her husband, Thomas, after she found out that he was creating a new secret family with another woman. Now, she lets her presence known by moving chairs, playing the piano, and appearing in the women's bathroom.

But, at what's been dubbed as the "most haunted bar" in the country, there are a lot more ghosts hanging around the Hero of Waterloo than just Anne. Perhaps this is due to the Hero's spine-tingling past as a rum smuggler's haven. Even more disturbing, it was notable for its clandestine secret tunnels, which were allegedly used for kidnappings. Supposedly, sailors' drinks were drugged before they tumbled through a trapdoor into the basement, where they were held before being forced to work on ships. Shackles are even still hitched to the basement walls. To learn more about the Hero at Waterloo's dark past dating back to 1843, customers can take guided ghost tours. Or, you can simply grab a table where you can order entrees like beef Wellington and lamb risotto while being surrounded by history.

Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny, Ireland is an award-winning medieval inn that's a gem for music, food, drinks, and fun. It's named for Alice Kyteler (also known as Dame Alice le Kyteler), a woman who was apparently known for her independent spirit and founded the inn sometime in the 13th or 14th century. With four husbands, a knack for business, a wealthy estate, and friends in high places, Kyteler was allegedly a force to be reckoned with. Of course, with all that money and ambition, Kyteler was also supposedly viewed with suspicion and became the first woman in the British Isles to be accused of witchcraft, along with several others, including Kyteler's maid, Petronilla de Meath. She even went to trial over it, but afterwards, records on Alice become quite spotty.

In 1324, Kyteler apparently escaped to England in the midst of the accusations and was never seen again. De Meath, however, was not so lucky. She was burned at the stake and is thought to haunt the site of her former mistress. Kyteler's Inn customers and employees have both recounted feeling chilly spots, feeling like they were being watched, and even seeing a spirit crying. Their odd experiences fill the internet. One visitor wrote on their travel blog that she saw lights flicker when she repeated Kyteler's name three times, while another wrote that she saw a ghostly woman in the bathroom. Spooky stories aside, Kyteler's Inn is an excellent stop for a pint, live traditional Irish music, and some medieval history.

L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel in Montréal, Canada is chock full of history. The building dates back to 1688 but the swanky restaurant is well known for being the first to receive a liquor license in Canada in 1754 (after it was converted from a home to an inn). It also housed a printing plant that produced an iconic newspaper in Québec. Now, it serves upscale cuisine like spit-roasted Cornish hen, seafood tagliatelle, and Québec pork chops in a beautiful space outfitted with stone walls and chandeliers.

But these days, its other claim to fame is that of a spookier nature. L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel, which has been called one of the most haunted places in the country, may be home to several ghosts, including a young girl who supposedly died in the building during a fire. People have said that they have heard her laughing, felt cold spots, and felt a hand touching them. Others have reported seeing doors open by themselves and seeing ghostly figures.

The Lemp Mansion Restaurant & Inn in St. Louis, Missouri, is packed with activity. In addition to its restaurant and hotel, it hosts weddings, murder mystery dinners, and even ghost tours. Then, of course, there's the activity of a paranormal kind: It happens to be one of the most haunted places in America. It's so frightening that when it was converted into a restaurant in the 1970s, some contractors abandoned their gigs. People have reported seeing glasses whip across the room, hearing various unexplained noises, like the piano playing on its own, strange voices, and someone run up the stairs.

The ghosts that call the Lemp Mansion home are thought to be the Lemp Family, who once flourished in their former residence before finding sad and untimely ends. The mansion was built in 1868 when the Lemp family when their brewery grew one of the biggest in St. Louis. They made their house just as grand as their fortune with nearly three dozen rooms. But throughout the subsequent years, countless tragedies befell the family, including suicides and fatal heart conditions. To see if the ghosts are real for yourself, sign up for a Lemp Mansion ghost hunting excursion, a guided history tour that includes the opportunity to use ghost hunting tools, or a haunted history tour. All tours cost $44 per person.

A restaurant tucked away in a creepy cave is practically begging to be haunted. At least that's the case for Marsden Grotto Restaurant in South Shields, England, which has been called the most haunted bar in the country. It's inside a space that was blasted away by dynamite in 1782 by Jack "The Blaster" Bates, who is said to be one of the cave's ghosts. Bates apparently lived there with his wife, Jessie, but soon, he started permitting smugglers to hide their goods in the caves. Now, Bates' cave is a hotel and restaurant specializing in seafood such as crab sandwiches, fish fingers, and seafood platters.

But it's the restaurant's spotty past and reputation that also attracts people from far and wide. Among its many ghost stories, at least one stems from the Marsden Grotto Restaurant's smuggling history. It's been said that a man dubbed "Jack the Jibber" died in the cave after selling out his fellow smugglers to the authorities. According to the legend, they apparently stuffed him in a barrel, hung it up in the air, and he eventually died from starvation. He, or perhaps the property's other ghosts (including a cat), is thought to be behind the restaurant's supposed hauntings. Some people's experiences include hearing mysterious whispers, a clanging bar chain, strange yet persistent footprints, shadows, and basement noises.

New Orleans, Louisiana is regarded as the most haunted city in America — so at least one of its hotspots had to make this list. And Muriel's Jackson Square, a Creole restaurant with dishes like blackened redfish and shrimp and grits takes the cake. However, just because Muriel's Jackson Square has ghosts doesn't mean customers need to be scared. The restaurant says its ghosts are friendly! The restaurant keeps a table free for its most prominent ghost, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, who is said to relocate items around the restaurant and is thought to be the twinkling light that appears occasionally.

Jourdan lived in the building that now houses Muriel's Jackson Square during the early 1800s. After redesigning the home, it was his most prized possession. However, as a gambler, that didn't stop him from putting it on the line during a poker game. Rather than leave the home to the winner of the game, he committed suicide in what's now Muriel's Jackson Square's two Séance Lounges. Outfitted with exposed brick walls and red furnishings, the lounges are the restaurant's hotbed of ghostly activity. Ghosts have allegedly knocked on the brick wall or have been heard speaking in the lounges. in the Courtyard Bar, people have supposedly seen glasses thrown across the space, although no one is sure by who. Finish up your visit by staying in the nearby Bourbon Orleans Hotel, which is one of the best haunted hotels in America.

In Nottingham Road, South Africa, another restaurant has a suprisingly friendly female ghost with a tragic past. The Nottingham Road Hotel (a.k.a. Nottie's Hotel and adjacent Nottie's Pub) is home to Charlotte, a ghost who is said to help staff by doing tasks such as fixing bedsheets and putting away clothes. One past inn guest reported seeing her in a bathroom, while others have said they heard her playing the piano and turning on the water. Legend has it that in her former life, she jumped from the second floor of the hotel after her boyfriend died in battle. Other rumors state that she was either a maid (or perhaps a "lady of the night") at the inn who either jumped or was pushed from a room balcony in 1902. She's said to now share the hotel with a grumpy male ghost, whom one past guest claims pulled her off her bed.

However, the Nottie's Hotel dates back much further than its ghostly rumors. An inn and tavern has been located on the property since 1854, when it was established to serve local Fort Nottingham soldiers as well as carriage travelers. These days, it serves comfort cuisine including barbecue pork ribs, beef curry, chicken schnitzel, pizzas, and milkshakes.

Outfitted with exposed brick walls, flowers, white tablecloths, and a baby grand piano, One if by Land, Two if by Sea in New York City has been called the most romantic eatery in the Big Apple, which is also America's most romantic city of 2026. However, we're betting it will kill the mood if you see a ghostly figure on the stairs, a shadow in the window, or an electronic turn on without the flick of a switch. Those are just a few of the experiences people have purportedly had at the historic restaurant inside a 1767 carriage house.

One If by Land, Two If by Sea's ghostly past begins with former United States Vice President Aaron Burr, who once owned the carriage house. He's said to be one of the resident ghosts — even supposedly being recorded saying "my house" during a paranormal investigation. The carriage house was seized by the city due to his debts. Rumors abound that his daughter, Theodosia Burr, who disappeared along with a ship she was on in 1812, also haunts the space. One If by Land, Two If by Sea has also served as a firehouse, brothel, and silent movie theater, so there are numerous other ghosts that are reportedly still wandering its rooms — including a former Broadway performer, who is thought to haunt the restaurant after she died by tumbling down the stairs.

Just a few of the ghosts who have supposedly been spotted at The Ostrich Inn in Colnbrook, England include a young girl, a woman clad in old-timey attire, and a man named John. They are thought to be behind some of the mysterious happenings here, such as chilly spots, unexplained noises, items moving without human touch, and shadowy figures.

The inn itself dates back to 1106. With such a long history, it's natural that the place can be linked to some gruesome stories. It's believed that 60 people were killed here by former landlord John Jarman and his wife in the 17th century. The story goes that the couple would get rich guests drunk before sending them to a bedroom with a secret trapdoor leading to a massive pot of boiling water, effectively killing the victim. Afterwards, the Jarmans sold off their former guest's possessions. Of course, some are not convinced of this myth. There are no solid historical records existing today of the murders (possibly because some place the story in the 12th or 14th centuries rather than the 1600s) and the details seem to be connected to a fictional work by 16th century writer Thomas of Reading. The tale is also notable because it is believed to have inspired the hit musical, "Sweeney Todd."

Still, whether you believe them or not, rumors of the inn's unseemly past tends to draw paranormal fans, including "Ghosthunters International." Still, The Ostrich is considered the third oldest inn in the country, and it's an otherwise cheery place, serving English fare  such as fish and chips, sausage and mash, and the curiously-named "Jarman's Pie." You can also stay overnight in one of the inn's cozy yet modern rooms — if you dare.

A former iron mill, Bærums Verk is now a shopping and dining destination in the town of Bærum, Norway, which you can reach on Europe's best subway system. But behind its jovial façade — including a sculpture park, trendy boutiques, and a chocolate shop — is a spooky past within its resident restaurant Værtshuset, which is also one of the oldest eateries in the country. These days, it serves seasonal French cuisine with natural ingredients inside a cozy wood-lined space.

Within its four walls that date back to the 1640s, when it was the company's pub to keep tabs on employees' drinking habits, guests have reported seeing a ghostly woman in green attire. It's widely believed that she is Anna Krefting, who was the owner of the ironworks for more than a half century before she died in 1766. She inherited the mill from her late husband when she was just 29, so perhaps she just can't imagine letting it go.