The best speakeasies in the U.S.

It's first come, first served at Apothéke, if you can find it. Tucked behind a 200-year-old door underneath a 'Gold Flower Restaurant' sign at 9 Doyers Street in Manhattan's Chinatown, this lounge was once an opium den and its decor is inspired by apothecaries. Since 2008, Apotheke has been serving medicinal-inspired cocktails made with organic produce, herbs, and botanicals and a curated selection of absinthe. Cocktail categories include aphrodisiacs like the Deal Closer (Quinoa Vodka, Horny Goat Weed tea, cucumber, mint, lime, agave, and vanilla essence), euphorics like Devil's Playground (gin, dragon fruit, prickly pear, lime, agave, and‏ absinthe mist), and stress relievers like Pink Panther (rum with palo santo, blood orange, pink guava, coconut milk, lime, and agave). Apothéke is so popular it opened an outpost in downtown Los Angeles and a second New York location, Apotheke NoMad.

For those in the know, an old-school cocktail bar can be found on the lower level of 600 F Street NW (the stairs leading to the entrance are at 6th St NW, across from the fire station). The Art Deco-style decor is the perfect setting for classic cocktails and upscale bites like fine cheese, charcuterie, and Petrossian caviar. Denson Liquor Bar's menu includes beer, wine, and cocktails like the spirit-forward Branca Ave. (Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and Fernet Branca served with a large rock and an orange twist), a twist on the boulevardier.

When the Violet Hour opened in 2007, it took Chicago by storm with its trailblazing cocktails that set a new precedent for bar programs across the country. Finding it was part of the hype too: look for a large wooden door across the street from Big Star, a taco joint. If there's a line, join it, if not, just knock a few times to be let in. Once inside, you're swept off the bustling streets into an ultra-posh, candle-lit environment. The Violet Hour has won a James Beard Award for its artisanal cocktails, which include shaken drinks like the "You name it!" (Corazon tequila, Ancho Reyes, saffron, pineapple, lime, and demerara) as well as punches, stirred cocktails and zero-proof mocktails. 

We'll come clean—we love this place. Located inside the cocktail lounge Commonwealth in downtown Las Vegas, entry to the Laundry Room is strictly by reservation only. Located beneath a stairwell, the Laundry Room serves 27 expertly crafted cocktails to just 22 guests and occasional live piano music. The speakeasy's name is a nod to the space's history as the former laundry room for El Cortez across the street. The affable bartenders will make custom cocktails based on your desires while promising not to air your dirty laundry.

For a good time, look for Felix the Cat. At least, that's how you'll know where to enter The Felix in San Francisco. The 36-seat space is located in the basement of a popular Vietnamese restaurant, Bodega, in the Tenderloin. After spotting the neon cat sign, head through the door and press the image of a man in yellow on the wall to the left. A hidden door will open, unveiling a staircase. Head down into the lively yet intimate space, decorated with neon signs, collage prints, yellow velvet booths and Mahjong-inspired tables. Cocktails feature Chinese and Vietnamese flavors and ingredients. Try the popular Bohemian Rhapsody (gin, Green Chartreuse, chrysanthemum syrup, and Casis float) or the stronger option, Pho Wimme (fat-washed rye, mole bitters, and Benedictine.) Nibble while you sip on the housemade Tom Yum Chex Mix, which you won’t be able to stop reaching for. 

Tucked down a hallway and behind a curtain a half-level lower than the Viajero hostel lobby, Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery is a nautical-inspired bar in South Beach that opened in 2016. As if the name didn't give it away, the specialty here is rum, offering 150 varieties in well-crafted cocktails like the Madame Hong (Campari shaken with strawberry purée, Peychaud's bitters, and fresh lemon juice served in a chilled flute glass with Prosecco. Food options include jalapeño and cheddar croquettes, shrimp ceviche with passion fruit, and banana bread pudding.

Originally opened in a subterranean space in 2009 and then closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest iteration of The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company is back. This time, the speakeasy is on Schubert Alley between 17th and 18th Streets near Rittenhouse Square. The unmarked drinking establishment is a bit tricky to find, but lost patrons can phone the bar for directions. Sip craft cocktails made with house-made infusions, syrups, and bitters in comfortable Art Deco-inspired surroundings. The offerings of head bartender Andrew Peterson include Per My Last Email (Erstwhile Mezcal, yuzu, grapefruit, and bird’s eye chili), Drinking Before Dawn (Beefeater gin, fresh passion fruit, and lemon), and Gibson (Gracias a Dios Mezcal, agave, gin, house onion brine, dry vermouth, and grapefruit royal stir).

The Back Room is a unique speakeasy—because it actually used to be a speakeasy. In fact, it's only one of two speakeasies in NYC that was open during the Prohibition and is still around today. Head inside through the secret entrance down a dark alleyway—the same one used 80+ years ago—and step back in time to the roaring twenties, when celebrities and gangsters would party the night away in this very spot. Take a seat on vintage furniture and sip your cocktail from a teacup, the way people drank in secret during the 1920s. 

Most cocktail connoisseurs know about Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas' seminal The Aviary, but fewer venture to The Office downstairs. The converse of the innovation and flair on display upstairs, The Office focuses on expertly crafted classic cocktails and rare, vintage spirits served in an intimate, sumptuously appointed space. Reservations are essential, with options ranging from ordering à la carte from the drink menu to a guided tasting of Macallan single malts to the Dusty Bottle Experience featuring a three-course cocktail progression paired with light bites. It's a night out that you and your Instagram account won't soon forget.

If you walk by this place inside the Cosmopolitan Hotel during the day, you’ll see men getting their hair and beards trimmed at what looks like a normal barbershop. It is, in fact, a barbershop—but at night, the hidden back room transforms into a sexy whisky lounge. Head past the salon chair and look for a janitor’s door to get to the bar. The speakeasy is dimly lit and prohibition-style with leather accents and vintage furniture. One perk: you can make a reservation in advance to guarantee a seat. Cocktails are fun and spirit-forward. For something lighter, try Ms. Marigold (gin, Aperol, blood orange juice, and prosecco) or, for a drink with a stronger kick, opt for "Danger," which mixes Japanese whisky, Cointreau, and Citylights cherry lemon shine. Barbershop Cuts offers a curated food menu, with light-hearted snacks like honey sriracha popcorn, wagyu sliders and pizza pockets.

Open since 1908, Cole's French Dip is a landmark saloon located in downtown L.A. that claims to have invented the French Dip sandwich. It also has a killer bar program, which you can get a taste of at the historic restaurant—or, for those in the know, the secret bar in the back, The Varnish. The Varnish was one of the first modern speakeasies to crop up in LA, creating some of the most exciting cocktails in the city. The vibe fits the theme, with moody lighting, wood booths, and, often, live jazz. We suggest telling the bartender what you like—and letting them whip something special for you.

There's more to this corner bookshop than just a good read. Behind a bookcase, enter a world of comfort and craft at Williams & Graham. This is a serious drinking place with knowledgeable bartenders handcrafting original creations from a library of more than 500 globetrotting spirits, 60 classic cocktails like the Sazerac (Rittenhouse Rye, sugar, absinthe, and Peychaud's bitters) and Rusty Nail (Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year and Drambuie) and anything your heart may fancy. Each cocktail can be perfectly paired with upscale bar bites, ranging from roasted bone marrow to beef rib to burgers.

Nestled inside Bourbon & Branch, a bar opened in 1867 that was once an actual speakeasy during Prohibition, Wilson & Wilson Private Detective Agency requires a reservation and a password to snag a spot to sip cocktails. The fictitious detective agency-themed speakeasy is one of four spaces within Bourbon & Branch, which also has The Library (ring the buzzer and say the password 'books' to gain entry) and the JJ Russells Room, named for John J. Russell, who purchased the business in 1923 and called it 'JJ Russell’s Cigar Shop.' Patrons must abide by the house rules in each bar-within-a-bar space or risk being asked to leave.

The reservations-only Midnight Cowboy takes its name from its sordid past. The former brothel was run under the pretense of a massage parlor called Midnight Cowboy Modeling Oriental Massage. Cleverly named craft cocktails like the flaming Aqua Dillenia (El Tesoro Reposado, Aquavit, passion fruit, cucumber, and grapefruit celery salt) are the specialty of the decade-old speakeasy in downtown Austin. Look for the vacancy sign—if it's lit, it's your lucky night, as the light signals that walk-ins can be accommodated on the patio. At the secret entrance (look for the 'Midnight Cowboy Modeling' sign), ring the doorbell labeled Harry Craddock, the famed bartender credited with serving the last legal drink in the U.S. before Prohibition.

The unsuspecting just may miss one of New York's greatest speakeasies. With the legit ice cream store up front and a well-appointed bar at the back, the Storage Room mixes fanciful cocktails with whimsical presentations and equally exciting ice cream sundaes. Enter the ice cream shop and ask to see the storage room (it's behind a wall of 180 pints of ice cream). Find the hidden spot that unlocks the door and enter a charming, intimate place serving cheeky cocktails à la mode inspired by Manhattan's Upper East Side, including ratings for Strength, Complexity, Wow!, and Cost.