Top 10 Coolest Speakeasies in the World
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VOICE OVER: Phoebe de Jeu
WRITTEN BY: Savannah Sher
Sometimes the bars that are hardest to find are the most worth visiting. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Coolest Speakeasies in the World. For this list, we're looking at some of the most unique, fun and exciting secret bars around the globe.
Top 10 Coolest Speakeasies in the World
Sometimes the bars that are hardest to find are the most worth visiting. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Coolest Speakeasies in the World.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the most unique, fun and exciting secret bars around the globe.
#10: Florería Atlántico
Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you’re wandering the streets of Buenos Aires and happen to come upon a charming little flower shop, you might want to look a little further to see what lies beneath. Florería Atlántico can be found by opening the refrigerator door and descending the steps into the lower level of the building. It’s a great spot for a cocktail but you can also order some small bites to go along with your drinks. And if you decide you want to continue the party after hours, the flower shop upstairs also sells wine, so you can take some to go!
#9: Williams & Graham
Denver, Colorado, USA
Not only is this one of the coolest speakeasies in the country, it was also voted best bar in the United States by the Spirited Awards in 2015. Williams & Graham is a popular Denver bar that often has wait times of up to three hours just to get in. And what’s the draw? Well, the cocktails are definitely something to write home about, but to add to the fun, you get to go behind a secret bookcase entrance in order to get in. From the exterior, the storefront looks like a bookseller, but once you find the hidden passage, you’ll find yourself in a prohibition-inspired drinkerie.
#8: Moonshiner
Paris, France
There are countless classy bars you can grab a drink at in the City of Lights, but Paris isn’t actually home to many of the secret bars that have become so popular stateside. One of their best offerings, though, is Moonshiner, which is located in the 11th arrondissement; and unless you know how to find it, you never will. Inside “Da Vito” pizzeria, if you walk to the back, you’ll find the doors to the walk-in fridge. Rather than finding where they store the extra pizza dough, you’ll be transported into this, again, prohibition themed bar.
#7: Jules Basement
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City is one of the most exciting destinations in the world, and we’re betting than in the next few years it will become a hugely popular travel destination for the younger set. It’s a city with a vibrant nightlife scene, and they have gotten on board with the speakeasy trend in recent years. Jules Basement is another craft cocktail mecca that is accessed by going through refrigerator doors, which lead you into this sleek, hip space. Another draw is the live music which is on offer almost every night of the week.
#6: Callooh Callay
London, England
Through the looking glass . . . to hoist a glass. C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll fans rejoice: because this whimsical Shoreditch bar is pretty much made for you. Callooh Callay is a bar with hidden secrets, and bars within bars, so while the place may not be hard to find initially, you’ll continue to uncover new things about it every time you visit. After all, there is indeed a hidden extra speakeasy behind a Narnia-style wardrobe, to whisk you away to, well, a dreamland of magic. Or at least award-winning cocktails flavored with fennel vermouth or sichuan peppercorns.
#5: Foxglove
Hong Kong
This bustling city is full of unique businesses, so passers-by might not think twice about a shop that seemingly sells only high end umbrellas. And, in fact, Foxglove is a real bespoke umbrella emporium; but more importantly, head through a secret door and they’re also one of the world’s most elegant speakeasies. Created by the hip NC Design & Architecture, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cooler space, and it doesn’t hurt that the mixologists who work there take their craft very seriously. And hey, you can also grab an umbrella if it starts to rain!
#4: 28 HongKong Street
Singapore
From Hong Kong, let’s mosey on over to HongKong Street. This acclaimed Singapore drink slinger, winner of the Best Bar in Asia award in 2016, strives to recreate the hip, laid-back vibe of an all-American craft cocktail-centric speakeasy. It also serves Western comfort food to accompany the booze (mac ‘n’ cheese balls, anyone?). Found behind an utterly nondescript door, this bar is more than just a quirky concept, it’s a great joint that’ll have you coming back again and again.
#3: Bank Bar
Manila, the Philippines
Despite what its name may suggest, you don’t get into this speakeasy through a bank or behind an ATM, but, rather, through the supply closet of a 7-Eleven! Talk about going for a big gulp. Why don’t they have 7-Elevens like this in the States? And once you get in, you discover a very posh drinking establishment with a refined vibe and clientele. Bank Bar is considered to be one of the best bars in the Philippines, and though it may be tricky to find, it’s definitely worth the effort.
#2: PDT
New York, New York, USA
New York is full of speakeasies, and it’s hard to choose just one favorite when the city has so many great offerings. One of the coolest is PDT (or, Please Don’t Tell), a teeny tiny bar on St Marks Place in the East Village, that you enter through a secret phone booth from the attached popular hot dog joint Crif Dogs. Because of the bar’s small size, it’s often tough to get in, but once you do, you can order a deep fried hot dog and wash it down with some bacon-infused bourbon or an absinthe cocktail.
#1: Lock & Key
Los Angeles, California, USA
You know that scene in “Harry Potter” where Hagrid shows Harry how to get into Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron pub? He has to tap the right bricks in the back courtyard, in the right order, to gain access. Well, similarly, at Lock & Key in LA, you’re faced with a wall full of doorknobs and you have to choose the right one in order to get in. Once you’ve figured out which one it is, you’ll enter this ultra-sleek Koreatown bar which is known for its dress code, DJ, creative cocktails and extensive whisky selection.
Sometimes the bars that are hardest to find are the most worth visiting. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Coolest Speakeasies in the World.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the most unique, fun and exciting secret bars around the globe.
#10: Florería Atlántico
Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you’re wandering the streets of Buenos Aires and happen to come upon a charming little flower shop, you might want to look a little further to see what lies beneath. Florería Atlántico can be found by opening the refrigerator door and descending the steps into the lower level of the building. It’s a great spot for a cocktail but you can also order some small bites to go along with your drinks. And if you decide you want to continue the party after hours, the flower shop upstairs also sells wine, so you can take some to go!
#9: Williams & Graham
Denver, Colorado, USA
Not only is this one of the coolest speakeasies in the country, it was also voted best bar in the United States by the Spirited Awards in 2015. Williams & Graham is a popular Denver bar that often has wait times of up to three hours just to get in. And what’s the draw? Well, the cocktails are definitely something to write home about, but to add to the fun, you get to go behind a secret bookcase entrance in order to get in. From the exterior, the storefront looks like a bookseller, but once you find the hidden passage, you’ll find yourself in a prohibition-inspired drinkerie.
#8: Moonshiner
Paris, France
There are countless classy bars you can grab a drink at in the City of Lights, but Paris isn’t actually home to many of the secret bars that have become so popular stateside. One of their best offerings, though, is Moonshiner, which is located in the 11th arrondissement; and unless you know how to find it, you never will. Inside “Da Vito” pizzeria, if you walk to the back, you’ll find the doors to the walk-in fridge. Rather than finding where they store the extra pizza dough, you’ll be transported into this, again, prohibition themed bar.
#7: Jules Basement
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City is one of the most exciting destinations in the world, and we’re betting than in the next few years it will become a hugely popular travel destination for the younger set. It’s a city with a vibrant nightlife scene, and they have gotten on board with the speakeasy trend in recent years. Jules Basement is another craft cocktail mecca that is accessed by going through refrigerator doors, which lead you into this sleek, hip space. Another draw is the live music which is on offer almost every night of the week.
#6: Callooh Callay
London, England
Through the looking glass . . . to hoist a glass. C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll fans rejoice: because this whimsical Shoreditch bar is pretty much made for you. Callooh Callay is a bar with hidden secrets, and bars within bars, so while the place may not be hard to find initially, you’ll continue to uncover new things about it every time you visit. After all, there is indeed a hidden extra speakeasy behind a Narnia-style wardrobe, to whisk you away to, well, a dreamland of magic. Or at least award-winning cocktails flavored with fennel vermouth or sichuan peppercorns.
#5: Foxglove
Hong Kong
This bustling city is full of unique businesses, so passers-by might not think twice about a shop that seemingly sells only high end umbrellas. And, in fact, Foxglove is a real bespoke umbrella emporium; but more importantly, head through a secret door and they’re also one of the world’s most elegant speakeasies. Created by the hip NC Design & Architecture, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cooler space, and it doesn’t hurt that the mixologists who work there take their craft very seriously. And hey, you can also grab an umbrella if it starts to rain!
#4: 28 HongKong Street
Singapore
From Hong Kong, let’s mosey on over to HongKong Street. This acclaimed Singapore drink slinger, winner of the Best Bar in Asia award in 2016, strives to recreate the hip, laid-back vibe of an all-American craft cocktail-centric speakeasy. It also serves Western comfort food to accompany the booze (mac ‘n’ cheese balls, anyone?). Found behind an utterly nondescript door, this bar is more than just a quirky concept, it’s a great joint that’ll have you coming back again and again.
#3: Bank Bar
Manila, the Philippines
Despite what its name may suggest, you don’t get into this speakeasy through a bank or behind an ATM, but, rather, through the supply closet of a 7-Eleven! Talk about going for a big gulp. Why don’t they have 7-Elevens like this in the States? And once you get in, you discover a very posh drinking establishment with a refined vibe and clientele. Bank Bar is considered to be one of the best bars in the Philippines, and though it may be tricky to find, it’s definitely worth the effort.
#2: PDT
New York, New York, USA
New York is full of speakeasies, and it’s hard to choose just one favorite when the city has so many great offerings. One of the coolest is PDT (or, Please Don’t Tell), a teeny tiny bar on St Marks Place in the East Village, that you enter through a secret phone booth from the attached popular hot dog joint Crif Dogs. Because of the bar’s small size, it’s often tough to get in, but once you do, you can order a deep fried hot dog and wash it down with some bacon-infused bourbon or an absinthe cocktail.
#1: Lock & Key
Los Angeles, California, USA
You know that scene in “Harry Potter” where Hagrid shows Harry how to get into Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron pub? He has to tap the right bricks in the back courtyard, in the right order, to gain access. Well, similarly, at Lock & Key in LA, you’re faced with a wall full of doorknobs and you have to choose the right one in order to get in. Once you’ve figured out which one it is, you’ll enter this ultra-sleek Koreatown bar which is known for its dress code, DJ, creative cocktails and extensive whisky selection.
