This Florida Restaurant Has One Of The World's Biggest Wine Cellars - And It Might Be Haunted

Nestled in Tampa's trendy SoHo neighborhood, Bern's Steak House feels like a step back in time. The interior design gives an unmistakable air of what could unironically be described as "vampire hangout," with flocked scarlet wallpaper, swooping chandeliers, gilded mirrors, and opulent Romanesque statues staring blankly into nothingness. But don't let the OTT decor give you the wrong idea: celebrity chef Robert Irvine dubbed it one of the best restaurants in America. Bern's famed wine cellar contains over half a million bottles and may be the largest private wine collection in the world. Patrons are invited to take a tour of the temperature-controlled space, which only holds some 110,000 bottles — the rest are in storage at a warehouse across the street. Vintages range from commonplace pours to rare labels over 100 years old. It may be bad etiquette to clink your wine glasses in a formal setting, but the sommeliers at Bern's will make sure that you have the right vino for every occasion.

Bern's had racked up an impressive list of accolades since it opened in 1956, including a James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence and a Wine Spectator Grand Award. In 2021, the restaurant reported on social media that it had added yet one more feather in its cap ... a spot on Yelp's ranking of the 25 most haunted places in America. Perhaps this is why it's reportedly so hard to get a reservation at Bern's for your red-letter occasion, be it a proposal, anniversary, or birthday. 

Like Trattoria Stella, the Michigan restaurant that was once a psych ward, it's fair to wonder whether Bern's is actually a hotbed of paranormal activity or merely looks the part. On one hand, numerous visitors have compared the ornate, rococo vibes of the restaurant to Disney's Haunted Mansion (which is less than 90 minutes away from Bern's on I-4, assuming traffic cooperates). Restaurant lighting affects your dining experience, but is there more to Bern's than its moody, weird, Baroque sultriness? Restaurant management is quick to quash the potential notoriety that could have come with Yelp's distinction, noting in a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post that "the only spirits at Bern's are found on our bar."

Don't worry, there are plenty of reasons to visit Bern's besides potential close encounters of the ghostly kind. All the steaks at Bern's are dry-aged for between five and eight weeks, and hand-cut to order. Tampa's excellent local fishing means that the seafood is first-rate as well. And, if you don't stuff yourself on dinner, you can book a reservation for the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, where sumptuous sweets ranging from tiramisu to Florida's beloved Key lime pie are served to you in banquettes carved out of redwood wine barrels. You may or may not be joined by a ghost host, but the service is famously top-notch ... new waiters train for up to two full years before they are permitted to tend to guests.