The Best Bars with Hidden Entrances in the World

There is something about a hidden entrance that changes the experience before you have even ordered a drink. The act of finding the bar—through a phone booth, behind a bookcase, down an unmarked alley—is itself part of the ritual. These bars understood that the journey into a space shapes how you feel once you arrive. Most of the bars on this list are not trying to be difficult. They are trying to replicate the original speakeasy discovery: the thrill of knowing something that most people walking past do not. We have visited all 14 of them. Here is what you need to know to get in.

A Brief History of Hidden Bars

The hidden bar phenomenon traces back to Prohibition America, when speakeasies thrived in secret across New York, Chicago, and other major cities. Patrons knocked on unmarked doors, whispered passwords, and descended into basements stocked with illicit liquor. The secrecy was practical—a necessary measure to avoid raids. But it was also ritual. The discovery itself became part of the experience, more thrilling than the drink itself. Decades later, when Prohibition ended, the aesthetic remained. Bartenders in Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles realized that the secret entrance did something a neon sign never could. It made you feel chosen. It made you feel inside. The bars on this list inherit that legacy.

The 14 Essential Hidden Bars

PDT (Please Don't Tell)

New York, NY

$$$

Enter through a vintage phone booth at the front of Crif Dogs hot dog restaurant in the East Village. The phone booth conceals a hidden doorway into a speakeasy that feels authentically Prohibition-era. Expect no menu, just excellent craft cocktails made by bartenders who remember every regular.

Havisham

London, England

$$$

Hidden above Quo Vadis restaurant in Soho, Havisham presents itself as a Victorian sitting room frozen in time. The unmarked entrance keeps the location deliberately obscure. Once inside, you sit in a restored room that feels like stepping into a novel, with period fixtures and attentive service.

Employees Only

New York, NY

$$$

On Hudson Street in the West Village, this bar masquerades as a closed psychic parlor. There is no visible signage indicating a bar at all. The neon sign reading "Employees Only" hanging in the window is your only clue. Inside, the decor maintains the psychic aesthetic: dim lighting, vintage furnishings, and an air of mystery.

Death & Co

New York, NY

$$$

A simple black door on East 6th Street with no signage whatsoever. You must know the building number to find it. Once inside, the bar is a temple to cocktail craft, staffed by some of New York's most respected bartenders. The no-name approach is completely intentional.

Himitsu

Washington, DC

$$$

From the street, Himitsu appears to be an unmarked Japanese ramen shop. The simplicity of the facade is completely deceptive. Push through the noren curtain, climb the hidden staircase, and enter a sophisticated cocktail bar designed to feel like Tokyo in the 1960s. The menu changes seasonally.

The Varnish

Los Angeles, CA

$$

Located behind a curtain inside Cole's restaurant, The Varnish requires navigating through the dining room and pulling back a heavy fabric divider. The entrance is marked by a vintage barber pole. Inside sits one of LA's best cocktail bars, hidden in plain sight from anyone eating tacos next door.

Whitechapel

San Francisco, CA

$$$

Whitechapel operates out of a distillery space but conceals its private tasting room behind a restored Victorian door. The bar specializes in spirits and rare cocktails. The aesthetics lean industrial-meets-heritage, with exposed brick and carefully restored period fixtures throughout.

The Aviary

Chicago, IL

$$$$

The Aviary sits behind a freezer door inside The Office, another speakeasy. This is a speakeasy hidden within a speakeasy. The entrance requires opening what appears to be a walk-in freezer. Inside is one of the most innovative cocktail programs in America, with theatrical presentations and molecular techniques.

Bar Trench

Tokyo, Japan

$$$

Bar Trench hides in an alley perpetually filled with yakitori smoke. A tiny sign is your only indication of its location. Inside, the bar maintains a dentist-themed decor—a quirky aesthetic that somehow works perfectly. The drinks are serious, the atmosphere is playful, and reservations are essential.

Low Profile

Chicago, IL

$$$

Located in a repurposed building, Low Profile requires you to enter through what appears to be a coffee shop. A hidden door in the wall leads to an intimate speakeasy with exposed brick and a carefully curated cocktail menu. The coffee shop front is not a gimmick—they serve excellent coffee too.

The Back Room

New York, NY

$$

The Back Room occupies the original ground floor of a Prohibition speakeasy building on the Lower East Side. The bar serves cocktails in teacups and beer in paper bags, maintaining the illusion of concealment. The historic setting adds authenticity no amount of decor can replicate.

Callooh Callay

London, England

$$

Callooh Callay features a wardrobe door entrance that opens into a Narnia-themed interior. The bar leans into literary whimsy, with bookshelves, plush seating, and themed cocktails. The entrance is the experience—walking through the wardrobe feels like stepping between worlds.

Coupette

London, England

$$$

Coupette sits on an unmarked stretch in Bethnal Green. There is no major hidden gimmick—just a deliberately unremarkable exterior that reveals nothing about what lies within. The bar inside punches far above what the facade suggests, with excellent cocktails and a sophisticated clientele.

Door 74

Amsterdam, Netherlands

$$$

Door 74 does not publish its exact address online. You must call to make a reservation and receive directions. Once you find it, you enter through an unmarked wooden door onto a quiet Amsterdam street. The bar operates on appointment basis only, preserving absolute exclusivity and intimacy.