Best Speakeasies and Cocktail Lounges

By Food & Wine
Updated April 25, 2017
Credit: Photo Courtesy of Roger Room
From classic speakeasies like New York's PDT to The Varnish in L.A., here are the best bars for obsession-worthy cocktails.
Start Slideshow

1 of 23

Pouring Ribbons, New York City

Credit: Photo © Paul Wagtouicz

Pouring Ribbons is a project from the Alchemy Consulting team, including Joaquín Simó and Troy Sidle. Cocktails are arranged in an innovative matrix and measured by two scales: "refreshing to spirituous" and "comforting to adventurous." pouringribbons.com

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 23

PDT, New York City

Credit: Photo © Noah Kalina

Mixologist Jim Meehan, deputy editor of Food & Wine Cocktails, obsesses over obscure classic drinks at this excellent reservations-only lounge, whose name means Please Don't Tell. The (unmarked) door is in a phone booth inside the hot dog joint Crif Dogs. pdtnyc.com

3 of 23

Brick & Mortar, Boston

Credit: Photo courtesy of Brick & Mortar

Located above Central Kitchen restaurant, this industrial-cool space features exposed brick, a copper bar and innovative cocktails like the Sentimental Gentleman, made with Scotch and walnut liqueur. brickandmortarbar.com

Advertisement

4 of 23

Experimental Cocktail Club, New York City

Credit: Photo © Courtesy of Experimental Cocktail Club

Frenchmen Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon and Pierre-Charles Cros are at the helm of this outpost of the Paris-based Experimental Cocktail Club. experimentalcocktailclubny.com

5 of 23

Employees Only, New York City

Credit: Photo courtesy of Employees Only

This bartender-owned supper club was originally intended to be a late-night gathering spot for fellow bar and restaurant workers. employeesonlynyc.com

6 of 23

Attaboy, New York City

Credit: Photo © Danica Jorge

Elite bartenders Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy are behind the bar at this little Lower East Side cocktail joint in the former Milk & Honey space. 134 Eldridge St., Manhattan; no phone.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 23

Dutch Kills, New York City

Credit: Photo © Tina Rupp

Modeled after an 1890s saloon, this bar co-owned by Richard Boccato serves classic cocktails made with hand-cut ice. Live jazz and ragtime bands play throughout the week. dutchkillsbar.com

8 of 23

Little Branch, New York City

Credit: Photo © Darcy Strobel

At this subterranean lounge owned by Milk & Honey's Sasha Petraske and cocktail expert Joseph Schwartz, the sharply dressed staff mixes drinks with ice custom-made for each glass. facebook.com

9 of 23

Death & Co., New York City

Credit: Photo © Quentin Bacon

Joaquín Simó and the other bartenders at this East Village destination have an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails. deathandcompany.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 23

Hop Sing Laundromat, Philadelphia

Credit: Photo © Danya Henninger, ImagicDigital.com

Led by an eccentric barman-proprietor known only as Lêe, this speakeasy has strict house rules: no cell phones and no photos. Concoctions include the Henry "Box" Brown, made with fresh red grape juice and aged rum. hopsinglaundromat.com

11 of 23

The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.

Hidden in a building that fronted the largest alcohol-smuggling ring in the U.S. during Prohibition, this lounge maintains a speakeasy feel. Dapper bartenders serve spot-on classics, plus tasty new inventions like the Peckinpah (mezcal, rum, lime juice and blackberry-habanero syrup). thefranklinbar.com

12 of 23

1 Tippling Place, Philadelphia

Credit: Photo Courtesy of 1 Tippling Place

A rotating list of barrel-aged cocktails and seasonal punches anchors the menu at this cozy mid-20th-century-style parlor. 1tpl.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 23

PX, Alexandria, VA

Credit: Photo © Ken Wyner Photography

Todd Thrasher makes the cocktails at this chandelier-lit speakeasy (there's no sign outside, just a blue light). It's owned by the team behind the terrific Restaurant Eve. eamonnsdublinchipper.com

14 of 23

Trick Dog, San Francisco

Credit: Photo © Allson Webber Photography

Inspired by the Pantone guide, Trick Dog offers a color wheel–themed cocktail menu. The white-hued Polar Bear, for instance, is made with mezcal, Dolin blanc and crème de menthe. trickdogbar.com

15 of 23

Hotel Juniper, Los Angeles

Credit: Photo courtesy of Hotel Juniper

The Houston brothers' (Harvard & Stone, Pour Vous) newest project has a hidden entrance, a gift shop selling candy and nostalgic items and 12 of L.A.'s most talented mixologists behind the bar. The menu is gin-and whiskey-forward. 1727 N. Hudson Ave.; 323-465-1902

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 23

The Varnish, Los Angeles

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Varnish

The Varnish is accessed through a secret door at Cole’s, the destination French Dip restaurant. thevarnishbar.com

17 of 23

Midnight Cowboy, Austin

Credit: Photo courtesy of Midnight Cowboy

Located in a former brothel behind an unmarked door, this reservations-only lounge from Alamo Drafthouse beverage director Bill Norris (P.118) focuses on tableside cocktail presentations to encourage customer interaction. midnightcowboymodeling.com

18 of 23

The Violet Hour, Chicago

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Violet Hour

With chandeliers and a fireplace, this lounge is modeled after early-19th-century English clubs and French salons. Floor-to-ceiling curtains define three rooms, where guests enjoy concoctions like Baron's Brew (tea-infused gin, lemon juice, neroli-violet syrup and house-made tonic). theviolethour.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 23

Scofflaw, Chicago

Credit: Photo © You Me Us Now

This speakeasy-style parlor specializes in gin cocktails; mixologist and owner Danny Shapiro, formerly of the Whistler, is at the helm. scofflawchicago.com

20 of 23

Williams & Graham, Denver, CO

Credit: Photo © Adam Larkey Photography

Guests pass through a door disguised as a bookcase to reach barman Sean Kenyon's speakeasy-style cocktail haven. Kenyon's signature drinks include the Blackberry Sage Smash: fresh blackberries, sage and Williams & Graham Select Single Barrel Knob Creek bourbon, bottled from barrels specially chosen by Kenyon. williamsandgraham.com

21 of 23

Drink, Boston

Credit: Photo © Justin Ide

Star chef Barbara Lynch’s bar dispenses with menus; mixologist John Gertsen and his team custom-make drinks like the Golden State for each guest. drinkfortpoint.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 23

The Regent Cocktail Club, Miami and Miami Beach

Credit: Photo courtesy of The Pass & Provisions

With wood accents, cocktails served neat and a cigar-friendly patio, this retro lounge harks back to the hotel's opening in 1941. galehotel.com

23 of 23

Roger Room, West Hollywood

Credit: Photo Courtesy of Roger Room

To find this tiny, speakeasy-like bar, look for the neon tarot card signs for the fortune- telling parlor next door. Dapper bartenders make drinks like the Thug: bourbon, honey liqueur, lemon juice and habanero-infused bitters. 370 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; 310-854-1300

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Food & Wine