My husband and I had an excellent experience here after a matinee show at The Playhouse. We sat at the bar and were totally charmed by the bartender. She was just the right amount of friendly and funny. We ordered The Amadeus specialty dessert cocktail on the menu paying homage to Amadeus (the show we attended). The cocktail was delicious! We also ordered a second round of drinks. They had a good wine selection and my husband loved his Old Fashioned. We also ordered the calamari and enjoyed the texture (slightly chewy) and flavors. The atmosphere is laid back, modern and classy. We definitely will be back! read more

Ghost Light Restaurant & Lounge - Wine and Old-Fashioned - Lounges Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Cisited Ghost Light after the show as it was nice and close by easy walk. when we arrived we were seated almost immediately. Once we were sat we waited about 10-15 minutes until we decided to ask the bar render where our waitress was and she ended up serving us. it wasn't until the bar tender came back with our drink order and was halfway through our food order that the woman who was supposed to be our waitress butted in... the food wasn't that great. I got the french onion soup which was fine but it was more like bar food level than fancy restraunt. My friend got the braised beef short rib. It was nothing special either looked slopped on the plate and tasted like a bar could have made it. like I said this place was convenient and it did the job as a quick warm bite to eat if you're looking for bar food in a fine dining restraunt. read more

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What great service!!!!! Chef Alex is AMAZING!!!! I just had salad but another guest in my party had a steak. The Demi glacé was absolutely delicious. My inner chef wanted to know how to make it and clearly I just like to eat because 3 days to make ANYTHING is not in my repertoire! read more

Outstanding all around - food, service, ambiance, everything. Extra kudos to our server, Star, who went above and beyond at every turn and was unfailingly professional and friendly. read more

My husband and I had tickets to a show at Playbouse Square so this seemed like a great restaurant to try out since it was so close, plus it took reservations through Open Table and we didn't want to have to worry about timing with the show starting. We realized we were going to be about ten minutes late due to traffic so we tried to call and let them know we'd be late- no one picks up. That's fine, we decide to valet when we arrive and that will save time. We arrive and there's no one there at the valet station. Husband runs in to try and flag someone, they ignore him. We park and walk, now we're pretty late. We rush as quickly as possible, ready to apologize despite trying to contact the restaurant and valet. Finally get into the restaurant and again, us and another couple at the front podium are being ignored. The other couple said they'd been waiting several minutes without someone coming over. We wait several minutes with them without anyone acknowledging us and then we gave up and went to another restaurant. It just really seems like they weren't trying to get us to stay. Cannot speak to the food or ambiance since never actually got seated or spoken to. read more

The best part about this hotel bar/restaurant is the low regular prices and the even lower happy hour prices. During happy hour, which is approximately 3-5 (please ask for the exact times as I'm not sure of the start time), beers are $3.50 a bottle. Service is friendly and efficient. The food, although reasonably priced is merely acceptable. The perogies my wife ordered were bland. She gave me one she couldn't finish and I needed to add an excessive amount of salt to give it some taste. It purported to be a potato omelette, but it needed something else to give it some flavor. The fish tacos were better. They had some flavor and seasoning. We also had caprese salad, which was good, but the tomatoes were not ripe. You would do better buying some basil and ripe tomatoes at the grocery store and making this at home. But this dish was only $10 so at least you don't get overcharged. We later came here for breakfast the next day. Although the hotel advertises a breakfast buffet, there wasn't one, which is a fail. So I ordered the omelette that says in the menu I get a choice of Ham, bacon, sausage and then a bunch of veggies and cheese. In fact, the server told me, you get all that stuff. No choices, much like the old Wendy's "where's the beef?" ads. While the result was good, it was a lot of meat and ridiculously salty. The wife ordered the malted waffle, which she enjoyed. read more

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I have gone to this restaurant and bar multiple times the last 3 years and was never impressed until Crowne Plaza took over. My friends and I enjoy the location as we want to meet at one of our hotel bars so we can visit between events. The other night I found myself alone and wanting a nice glass of wine and dinner. Even though I was not staying at the hotel I decided to try it out for dinner. This is located in the playhouse district and close to everything downtown and near CSU Campus. They have a decent happy hour menu and options. (They also have a large wine menu) I ordered a seasonal beer on tap and a cheese platter. The appetizer was super good and had a few jelly's and olives, grapes and granola to compliment it. The menu has the normal restaurant options but i asked my bartender/waiter what he recommended and liked best on the menu. He told me to order the shrimp and grits as it was his favorite. I am not a shrimp and grits kind of gal, but he highly recommended it. Wow! Was he right!! It was simply amazing. Shrimp, sausage and cheesy grits were really good. The people next to me ordered the lobster Mac and cheese and said it was "ok". I will definitely be making a trip back to try some other items as my appetizer and dinner were simply wonderful. It was a nice surprise at a hotel restaurant. Nice job Ghost Light!! read more

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The food and service was an absolute delight. The hostess, Damieshia was informative and welcoming. The server Teshona was responsive and made sure my experience was perfect. If you're looking for a restaurant that makes you feel welcomed and gives you good Cleveland hospitality, come here. read more

Fantastic service. They took such good care of us, going above and beyond to make our stay so restful and enjoyable. The food was delicious. Thanks to everyone here who puts their guests first. Much appreciated! I'd love to come back when I'm not here for work. read more

Came here for dinner before a broadway show. The service staff were kind and the service was timely. The food was comforting on a cold winter night. The french onion soup definitely hit the spot. read more

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Kato was an amazing server. The food and ambiance were great. Try an espresso martini.

My wife and I went here prior to a theatre event at Playhouse Square. The location is very convenient to the theatre, about 100 yards away. I got the walleye, wife got the chicken. The food and sides were akin to a mediocre buffet. Not fresh, kinda gross honesty. Drinks were small and expensive. Service was very very slow. Atmosphere is nice, but I won't be back, 120 bucks for a couple of sad drinks and buffet food at a glacial pace.... No thanks. read more

Playhouse Square 5 stars This Playhouse Square favorite in the Crowne Plaza Hotel has the heart of the house led by Executive Chef Landon Barnes. He has taken his team back to basics with unique flares and fantastic authentic European additions. I was there w my son, age 11, who chose the Lasagna Bolognese, a dish completely new to him and he ate over half. He, of course, ate all the rolls rolls before the his entree arrived. One of my favorites, which I am finding less I and less, was on the menu, French onion soup. I started w that. It was sheer perfection. From the exactly right amount of cheese to the precisely right firmness of the onions and finally to the soup itself which I wanted to pick up the bowl and drink the last drop. Next I chose the German Soft Pretzel. I did this because I was saving room for Bananas Foster as dessert. Then the "soft pretzel" arrives. The description needed to read COLOSSAL GERMAN SOFT PRETZEL FOR 3. The pretzel was warm and crispy and soft accompanied by the most amazing authentic German mustard and cheese. We Loved it! Then the most incredible thing happened...a man stopped at our table and asked my son if he liked his lasagna. He talked with us for about 20 minutes about food and different types of food, ideas for food and getting back to basics and doing it right. He also got us to go boxes. If you know much about the food industry, you know most Executive Chef's don't wander the dining room- they tend to stay back in the heart of the house. When a chef is among the diners it shows the confidence, pride and love he has for what he is presenting. And he should - our dining experience was 5 stars! Wonderful, my sincere compliments to. Chef Brandon and his team. This is must eat at restaurant in Cleveland read more

In town on business for 2 weeks and this was my go-to restaurant. I ate here 10 times in 2 weeks, sometimes twice a day because they serve breakfast, lunch AND dinner. I'll explain... Atmosphere/Appearance: On the ground floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel (where I was staying) is this beautiful, elegant, relaxing, modern and classy venue. It's one big room with the bar right in the middle and tables circling it almost all the way around. There are 2 TVs on either wall to keep you updated on current events or on sports scores. Every time I ate here I sat at the nice marble bar and kept it consistent. Service: I just want to shout out Erica, Shawn, Enicky and Jordan for their amazing service during my visits. I became best friends with Erica since we basically have the same name. Lol. Jordan was a bit of a stickler... but she's the manager, so she has to be. Ha. Each and every one of them made me feel at home and like I was family. I loved that. Maybe it was because it was slow in there... but I doubt it, they were grand people. Food: I started off my first visit with their Meat Lover's Flatbread. It features bacon, sausage, banana peppers, hamburger and mozzarella cheese all on a crispy flatbread. It was a very simple concept and was very good. Erica was apprehensive about me ordering wings, but I wasn't scared and I'm glad I wasn't. I tried their Sriracha Honey as well as their Buffalo and LOVED them. I liked them so much I ordered them 3 more times in future visits. On my 2nd day I gave the seared tuna a try and really liked it. It's cut into small pieces, seared with sesame seeds and served over a delicious bed of greens. On my 3rd visit I got their house salad, which comes with field greens, candied pecans, onion, tomato, radish and bleu cheese then drizzled with a house vinaigrette. I added 2 portions of steak because I'm a man's man. Lol. The steak was cooked perfectly to my desired medium-rare and absolutely delicious. My only gripe is that I saw other salads come out in a nice bowl, but mine came out on a plate. Why? Anyway... on to breakfast. My first week there the breakfast buffet was available which has your typical eggs, potatoes, sausage, yogurt ad whatever. The 2nd week hotel occupancy was low so there was no breakfast buffet, so we were allowed to order from the menu (which you can do anyway, but I'll get into more of that later). I consistently ordered the Ultimate Omelette which uses 3 eggs and comes STUFFED with bacon, sausage, tomato, onion, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms and cheddar cheese. It comes with a side of toast or potatoes, but I opted for a side of fruit. Even that was HUGE! The first day I couldn't finish all of my breakfast so I had it for lunch too! Value: With my drink vouchers (make sure you ask for them at the front desk and don't be afraid to) I was able to redeem them for my favorite Pinot Noir... Meiomi. I couldn't believe that! I was drinking my favorite wine for free! Usually they're $12.00 a glass here, so yeah... this place isn't cheap by any means. If you can catch them during happy hour (which has the weakest happy hour hours ever, 3:00pm to 5:30pm, like... who gets off and gets back to the hotel in time by 5:30pm?!) Anyway, I got sidetracked... You get 8 wings for $9.00. The flatbread was $15.00. My salad was $8.00 and each portion of steak was $8.00. The tuna was $13.00. The breakfast buffet is $13.95, but is included if you have a breakfast voucher. On the 2nd week I was able to get my $9.99 omelette with the same voucher. So this place isn't cheap, but not 5-star either. Naturally it was affordable since I ate here so often. Lol. Do I really need a conclusion? I loved this place, the food and the people in it. Come here, check this place out and you'll love it like I do now. Thanks for reading if you got this far. read more

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Whole the food and ambiance were fantastic, it was the dedication of the whole team who made this such an enjoyable meal. The recommendations were spot on, the warm welcome we received made us feel like friends coming back to visit, and Kato and the whole team were just amazing. Thank you for a wonderful, memorable experience! read more

Kato was absolutely AMAZING!! She took great care of us at the bar when we came in late last night and then we had dinner tonight at the bar and she was our server again. What a ROCKSTAR!! read more

This is your typical hotel restaurant. Unfortunately, it doesn't meet the quality of other Playhouse Square restaurants. It seemed they were short staffed, but the staff was very nice. Quite frankly, the best part of my meal was the tater tots. They appear to have great desserts but we weren't able to get one prior to the show. If I go again I won't order one of their sandwiches. Someone else had a steak and it looked good. read more

Had the breakfast buffet which was a glorified Holiday Inn offering. They did offer made to order omelets which was nice. The staff was super nice and attentive and the restaurant was clean and modern. Just found the buffet very basic and not worth the price. read more

Service was wonderful, they were all very attentive, kind, and personable! The food however, was not worth the price. Everything felt cheap and overly oily and buttery. read more

We recently stopped in for a drink on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Kato was behind the bar and makes a mean old fashioned. She went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. read more

Great food! Short ribs super tender, salmon cooked perfect. Kayto was a super sweet server even though she was really busy! Loved it was so close to Playhouse square! read more

Out with a group of 8 on a Saturday night and we were able to get reservations here!! Right in the theater district so we wondered if they would weasel us into a loud area. Turns out we were the ONLY PEOPLE in the whole place. So the atmosphere was pretty non-existent. Let's start there. The place was impeccable. Beautiful bar area and I can see this would be a great hotel restaurant if it had people in it. But with little/no crowd it was just a cold room. They also had college football games on two screens on opposite ends of the bar. They had a blue tint to them since they were worn out. It just makes it look like they can't even afford to keep the place up or don't care. Little things. Since we were the only one's in here you would think service would be crisp. We sat at the bar and it would take 15 minutes to get a drink made. Order it and wait until the current restocking chore behind the bar was complete. How hard is it? Cutting up limes - stop and take care of the customer. Putting olives on toothpicks - stop and take care of the customer. Washing glasses - stop and take care of the customer. To be fair, she was working alone and was anticipating the rush from when the theaters were letting out, but there was plenty of time. Sitting at our table now and we wondered if they knew we were there. We were seated for over 10 minutes before we were given our paper menus. Just seemed cheesy. Selection was not large, but something for everyone. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Finally a member of our party caught someone's attention and asked if someone could at least take another drink order. This is where it got good. He orders a Bud Light and she comes back with a Miller Lite. He notes the mistake and she walks away with it, comes back and says "We don't have any Bud Light left." He accepts the open bottle. My other buddy has a clear view of the back of the bar and we can see right into the cooler. Guess what is there? Bud Light! We agreed it wasn't worth it. Wait. Wait. Wait. Call out for someone to take our order. She comes over, mass confusion and it finally gets put in. Wait. Wait. Wait. About 30 minutes and here comes the appetizers, soup and salad simultaneously. Wait. Wait. Wait. 25 minutes for dinner to arrive. Food comes and it is okay. My buddy orders the chicken and gets one piece with small sides for $24. Two order scampi and it was soaked in butter. Both left at least 3/4 of the meal that was $26. I had the grouper and it was pieces of fish. I thought I would get the whole piece, but that wasn't the case. It was more coconut rice than anything. What I did have tasted great for $28. I don't recall what the others had. The best part of the dinner - Make your own pizza that was like a medium for $14 and it was very good. Overall, we will not be back. Not worth the money, slow service and pay $20 to park. Wife and I spent $90 with the tip and could have done quite a bit better for the money. read more

Ambiance is wonderful, staff was amazing, friendly, helpful and patient. Food... so so. But would go back , atmosphere very nice.

we loved Kati. she was an amazing attentive server. the food was excellent and the environme was quiep and calm. we will definitely be back!

If I could give the staff 5 stars I would; unfortunately, that's not an option. The server was so friendly and handled our table of 8 well. We had a bidder who was lovely and two managers that came by the table. Again, staff is excellent, The drinks are sub par. I ordered a maple bacon Manhattan which was way to sweet. I also ordered a special with was Cajun chicken fettuccini. It was barely Cajun and has plain dry grilled chicken in it. We did order some apps. Nothing special and hard to screw up. I am not inclined to go back. If the kitchen could match the excellence of staff with the quality of good this would be a great place to eat especially before a show at playhouse. read more

I came in there to eat recently and received the ABSOLUTE BEST service from Chad. Extremely professional and prompt. I didn't have to ask for anything. Extremely friendly and warm. I'm coming back and personally asking for Chad. Thank you for hiring him. read more

Staying at the crown for two nights to attend a wedding. We were tired and hungry after our long drive from the Iowa Illinois border to Cleveland. The best part about this restaurant was our delightful waitress. She was sweet and cheerful and did a great job keeping company as well as taking care of our food and drinks. They had corn chowder which was delicious, as was French onion soup. The Burger my husband had was good, french fries hot oh, my brother-in-law ordered the barbecue chicken and it looks like a Cornish hen, not a regular sized chicken. My wrap okay oh, the vegetables fresh, just not a lot of flavor. The prices were fine oh, a little better than I expected. Overall it was a nice experience because of our wonderful waitress! read more

Ate dinner here last night before a show at PHS. The only thing good about the experience was when it was over. Rolls were stale. Steak came out very fatty. Shrimp scampi was like a soup with way over cooked noodles (they melted when you put them in your mouth). The dish had so much liquid I almost needed a spoon to eat it. Our waitress was non-attentive. She only came to the table to give us our bill - didn't even check with us to see how our meal was, which was delivered by the manager. Way overpriced! $12 for a Tito's and Soda - and that was during happy hour!! Atmosphere is very cold. I appreciate modern design, but it can be done in a way that brings in some warmth. Never again! With all the other places in the area, Ghost Light needs to step up its game! read more

Odd taste and smell of sauce on sandwich. Replaced it politely, and otherwise okay service. Nonetheless, do not recommend because many better choices nearby. read more

I ate here twice on my recent trip to Cleveland. The first time was after checking into the Crowne Plaza and needing a quick bite after a long day of travel. I had the Perch Sandwich. It was ok,but had way too much batter. The second night was after an Indians game. We had the Charcuterie Platter. It was huge, with a nice selection of meats and cheeses.`The Restaurant is easily wheelchair accessible, including a lower seating area at the bar. Service was friendly and helpful. With so many dining options in the area, Ghost Light isn't a destination place, but it is a solid option for people staying at the Crowne Plaza. read more

I had the opportunity to eat lunch at the Ghost Light restaurant and lounge last Wednesday. I was in town visiting family and I wasn't really that hungry so I decided to have the house salad with grilled chicken and a buttermilk-vinaigrette salad dressing. The salad was huge and versatile and the chicken was grilled to perfection. I loved the salad dressing; it was homemade. I really also enjoy the ambience, it was really nice and relaxing and very clean. The wait staff could not have been any more pleasant or better attuned to our needs. Kudos to Chef Sean and his staff! read more

Amazing food but the service could have been better. The French Onion Soup, Cheese Platter, Hummus Plate and Roasted Chicken were all absolutely delicious! read more

This was a great spot to grab a bite before a show. Clam Chowder rocked and the Calamari was light and crisp with a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. Our server, Sheree (not sure about spelling) was attentive and kind and simply wonderful. The Busser was also attentive and kept our water glasses full; cleared our dirty dishes right away. He was very friendly and kind as well! read more

Stayed at the Crowne while in town for my birthday. Reluctantly ate dinner at the Ghostlight because of the weather. We were pleasantly surprised. The pierogies dish was delicious and the drink service was excellent. After the show at playhouse square we decided to go back for dessert. We should have let them off the hook while they were ahead. We tried the bread pudding. It was awful. Hard, cold, overcooked and covered in ice cream. Still 5 stars because I should have known it would be bad served with icecream instead of warm rum sauce. read more

Was excited to try a restaurant within walking distance of the theater. Food was ok, just had a salad and the ahi tuna app, service was good. They seemed to have a fun specialty drink menu, so I thought I would try one. Nope. Tried to order three different ones and they claimed they didn't have the proper ingredients. I wasn't asking for anything special, just ordering off their menu. That was frustrating. I'd choose a different place next time. read more

I eat at the Ghost Light once a week. Chief Jacob's menu is constantly updated an always impressive. The sea bass plate is the best seafood dish I have had in the Midwest. Rebecca has always been attentive and willing to make custom drinks. read more

We were there for a dinner before going across the street on July 12 to see a play. The food was good but once again, and this happened before, the service was poor at best. The restaurant was not at all crowded and it took way to long. When I looked around at one point, our server was chatting with someone at the bar. We even informed our server when we arrived that we had theater tickets. We almost missed the start of the performance. We will never go back. read more