For Columbus’ Top Bars, we highlight over 50 places that offer a good time out—however you define it. Columbus Monthly’s food team recommends spots from bougie to budget that bring the best elements bars have to offer: good drinks, knowledgeable bartenders and great company.
Read on to find Columbus’ best bars with entertainment, and be sure to check our other Top Bars listings for our favorite dives and neighborhood bars, beer bars and breweries, wine bars and wineries, and cocktail bars.
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Ace of Cups
First opened in 2011 by Columbus musician Marcy Mays, the Old North bar transformed a former bank into one of the city’s premier small music venues for regional and national acts. It’s made even better by a Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace window, slinging dogs to go with your beer. 2619 N. High St., Old North, aceofcupsbar.com
Bar Room
We often refer to the culinary arts, but nowhere has the line between art and food been more blurred than Bar Room, a part-bar, part-installation from artist Tavares Strachan. He’s transformed a third floor gallery of the Columbus Museum of Art at The Pizzuti into a hangout inspired by the rum bars from his youth in the Bahamas. There you’ll find a carefully curated menu of cocktails, small plates and a rum-heavy spirits list. 632 Park St., Victorian Village, columbusmuseum.org/bar-room
Blu Note Jazz Café
Thanks to owners Derrik and Tiffini Pannell, the preservation of jazz culture is alive and well at the Blu Note. On any given Saturday night, you can catch the room’s blue lights reflecting off the jazz clarinet while the bassist plays, eyes closed, and musician James Gaiters keeps time on the drums. It’s a relaxing night out, whether sitting at the small bar, at a cozy table near the band or on the patio. Last year the Pannells expanded with Blu Note on Town, a second jazz lounge in the historic Snowden Gray Mansion on Town Street. 2882 E. Main St., East Side, experiencetheblu.com
Dick’s Den
The faded wooden sign over High Street marks “The One and Only Dick’s Den,” an Old North dive that’s beloved both as a cramped neighborhood bar and a haven for jazz and bluegrass music in Columbus. “Why Not?” beams the neon sign in the window. Even one visit to the intimate bar for a Tuesday night bluegrass jam or any show from local and regional touring acts will have you saying, “Why not, indeed?” 2417 N. High St., Old North
I Like It Like That
I Like It Like That feels like the final piece in the puzzle that completes the Natalie’s Grandview music hall. The corner cocktail bar consisting of three small rooms complements the two music stages in Natalie’s. Owners Genevieve Johnson and Lindsay Koontz, well known around the Columbus bar scene, have crafted a kitschy and delightful place for the best of “hooch concoctions and giggle water.” During the day, I Like It Like That is home to another Columbus gem, the equally charming and accomplished Royal Flamingo Coffee. 945 King Ave., Fifth by Northwest, ilikeitlikethatbar.com
Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge
Restaurateurs BJ Lieberman and his wife, Bronwyn Haines, have the golden touch when it comes to creating interesting gathering spaces. Ginger Rabbit, a nice pre- or post-dinner companion to their nearby Italian restaurant Metsi’s, has thrived since opening in spring 2022, living up to its “La La Land” inspiration. The subterranean joint offers nightly jazz, an emphasis on gin cocktails and elevated small plates. Reservations are a must. 17 Buttles Ave., Short North, gingerrabbitjazz.com
Old North Arcade
Whether you’re a Gen Xer or a current kiddo (under supervision until 8 p.m.), Old North Arcade might be your spot. The arcade bar offers a wide selection of retro cabinets, from Ms. Pac-Man to Mortal Kombat. Pinball, Skee-Ball, air hockey and consoles like Nintendo and Sega are all here, too, as well as a “Tron room” in a bank vault. And what goes better with video games than pizza? Borgata Pizza began serving up slices out of the arcade last year, a welcome addition. 2591 N. High St., Old North, oldnortharcade.com
Pins Mechanical Co.
One of the city’s first adult playgrounds, Pins’ Downtown location offers fun like duckpin bowling, pinball and yard games in a converted tire repair shop. While you fling bowling balls down the alley or compete in jumbo-sized Jenga, you can sip on the bar’s Ohio-heavy, 40-strong beer list, specialty cocktails or shareable punch bowls. 141 N. Fourth St., Downtown; 6558 Riverside Drive, Dublin; 4117 Worth Ave., Easton, pinsbar.com
Rambling House Music Bar
For all of its musical talent, Columbus has a dearth of small venues for local artists and regional touring acts. So we all breathed a sigh of relief when new owners kept the Rambling House Music Bar alive and kicking. And kicking it is, with full schedule of music every Wednesday through Sunday. The entertainment blends nicely with fun cocktails, ciders, an Ohio-heavy beer list, wines and Rambling House ginger beer. 310 E. Hudson St., University District, ramblinghousemusic.com
This story appeared in the August 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Top Bars feature package. See the complete list here and subscribe to Columbus Monthly here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Columbus Bars to Visit for Live Music, Duckpin Bowling and More
Reporting by Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Columbus Monthly | USA TODAY Network
