Shh ... It’s a Secret! 6 of the World’s Finest Speakeasies
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I love checking out hidden bars and speakeasies. So much so that every time I visit a new city, I make it a point to find the most unique speakeasies.
Undoubtedly, there’s something so thrilling about visiting a speakeasy.
The clandestine entrances with secret passwords, the lip-smacking handcrafted cocktails, and the undeniable mystique behind these hidden establishments make visiting a speakeasy so much fun.
So, if you’re like me and enjoy exploring to visit a hidden bar, you’re in the right place. To help you find the most distinctive hidden bars, here’s a curated guide to the world’s 6 most exclusive speakeasy-style hideaways. Bookmark this thoughtfully curated guide for a memorable night out!
Mrs J. Rabbits – Brisbane, Australia
This secretive cocktail bar requires guests to use a password along with a willingness to step through a closet wardrobe to enter. Situated inside a heritage-listed building, Mrs J. Rabbits is a 1920s whisky and jazz speakeasy, which pays homage to iconic storybook locales, including Narnia, Wonderland, Neverland and the Hundred-Acre Wood – just ead up the stairs and look for the “secret portal” from 6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
This maximalist-styled bar’s expert team serves an exceptional whisky collection from around the globe, in addition to a curated gin and botanicals program. Each signature cocktail is served with a storybook quote and arrives in vintage teacups. Choose from the Jabberwocky, Lost Boys Club, Hundred Acre Wood, Queen of Hearts, Tick Tock Croc or Glass Slipper, and you will not be disappointed!
Bathtub Gin – New York City
Tucked away in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, this stylish 1920s-inspired speakeasy’s name has an interesting story. It is named after the homemade alcohol, which was made in bathtubs during the Prohibition. After openings in 2011 behind a nondescript coffee shop in Chelsea, Bathtub Gin has quickly become an iconic New York institution, transporting guests with its arresting decor, innovative cocktail offerings, one-of-a-kind entertainment lineup, and lively ambiance. This bar’s BTG Espresso Martini, S’Mores Old Fashioned and Curated Gin & Tonic Menu come highly recommended!
Members Only – Cartagena, Colombia
Members Only is a hidden bar tucked away in the Townhouse Art Hotel in Cartagena. This jazz- and burlesque-themed speakeasy is a venue loved by local musicians, who often host jam sessions. Additionally, sometimes during late nights, guests might see tourists and locals try their hand at piano karaoke. Offering classic cocktails made with local Colombian spirits and Caribbean ingredients, Members Only is unlike any other bar in Cartagena. Its signature speakeasy-style setting is designed to feel private, yet exciting. Sign us up!
“We started Members Only because we noticed that when you live in a touristy town, everything is aimed at tourists. And as much as Colombians love salsa and reggaeton, it’s boring to live in a place where the offer for fun and entertainment is 100% homogenous. So we thought it would be fun to have a bar that plays jazz, and celebrates the impact of musicians of color throughout history,” said Portia Hart, founder of Hart Hospitality.
“We also ended up making our own house band by finding individual local talent and bringing them together. They’ve become so successful locally that they now perform at weddings and play shows all over the country. So in a way, Members Only is also an incubator for local talent and positively supports the elevation of the local music scene,” she added.
NAVI, Houston
NAVI is a clandestine speakeasy tucked behind a velvet curtain within the Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston in the swank neighborhood of the same name. Once inside, guests are led through a concealed bookcase door into an intimate, dimly-lit space. The interiors of the bar feature sumptuous green velvet furnishings, gold lighting accents, and black marble. The ambiance is alluring and the bar offers five clarified cocktails paired with delectable bites specifically conceptualized for each sip. A note to visitors, NAVI is a true speakeasy, opening at its discretion, so check the hotel’s website prior to visiting!
Canes & Tales, Osaka, Japan
Canes & Tales is a glamorous 1930s-inspired cocktail bar located inside the Waldorf Astoria Osaka. In contrast to the rest of the bright and airy aesthetics of the property, this intimate 47-seat bar is tucked behind an enchanting dark green door at the end of a dimly-lit corridor subtly embellished with the bar’s signature Canes & Tales iconography, hidden in plain sight on the 28th floor of the new luxury property which opened in April 2025.
The speakeasy’s oft-changing cocktail menus are designed around a specific novel or story, with the current menu based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tales of the Jazz Age.”
False Idol, San Diego
An unpretentious bar hidden in the back of CH Projects’ Craft & Commerce in Little Italy, False Idol is an immersive, faux-tropical oasis that offers the full tiki experience. Visitors must walk through a cave-like tunnel before emerging into the Polynesian-decorated bar featuring fire-and-ice-themed decor, including an indoor waterfall and a flaming volcano.
False Idol is packed with homages to the imagined “false idols” of mid-century American worship. Don’t be alarmed if the dim lights begin to flash on and off and you hear the roar of thunder, it’s just part of the experience. Moreover, this one-of-a-kind speakeasy’s cocktail program boasts an extensive list of primarily rum-based tropical favorites.
Also, it doesn’t hurt that the bar’s mixologists are incredibly hospitable!
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