Shortly after The Joseph hotel opened three years ago in the Short North I had the opportunity to check out The Guild House, the Cameron Mitchell bar and restaurant beneath the boutique hotel. We featured their cocktails, their brunch, and even hosted a Drink Up Columbus sponsored happy hour there. I’ve been to The Guild House at least six times since they opened.
And somehow I had no idea that there was another bar next door.
Adjacent to The Guild House and below the hotel is Soul at The Joseph, a bar that shares a kitchen with The Guild House but serves its own take on cocktails, food and events in a swanky space next door.
Soul is outfitted with an eclectic art collection from the Pizzuti Collection (hotel guests are granted access to the Park Street Pizzuti gallery with their room key) and an eye-catching Soul neon hung beside the bar is actually an old “Liquors” sign recovered from a dumpster in Brooklyn with the ‘L’ and ‘U’ rotated. A couple of tables and a few lounge areas with couches on the first and second floor double as the hotel’s lobby and a place where anyone can come in off the street to just enjoy a drink.
Soul features 17 concoctions on their drink menu, primarily classic cocktails with a few house twists. More than half of these specialty drinks are available for half off during happy hour from 3-6pm Monday-Friday, along with $3 draft beers and $6 wine by the glass.
The food for Soul comes from the connecting kitchen at The Guild House but offers its own unique menu, including mustard braised beef toast topped with goat cheese; spicy korean wings with pickled purple cabbage; and a mushroom flatbread packed topped with gooey gruyere cheese and truffle oil. Most of these small plates are available for half off during happy hour (3-6pm Monday-Friday).
Soul hosts Sparkling on High the first three Fridays of each month featuring four sparkling wines and live music, as well as Whiskey on High on the final Friday of each month, with four whiskeys also accompanied by live music. Both events are $25 and take place from 6-10pm. And stop by every Sunday for a $10 burger and beer combo — the burger is regularly $16 with beers ranging from $4-6 so it’s a great deal.
Soul Bar is located at 620 N High St in the Short North. You can check out Soul on the Columbus Cocktail Tour.
full disclosure: I was provided complimentary food and drinks by Soul
