Editorial
A great speakeasy isn't just hidden — it's hidden for a reason. The cocktails behind the unmarked door have to justify the theatre. The 20 below all qualify. From Please Don't Tell (the phone booth inside Crif Dogs) to Paradiso (the El Born pastrami fridge that hides World's #1 Bar 2022) to Handshake (Mexico City's Roma Norte secret that's now World's #1 Bar 2024), these are the rooms where the secret is the point and the cocktail on the other side actually earns the entrance ritual.
Each entry below is a a look at the best 10 bars in that city — picked by editors who live there.
Forget the password. The best speakeasies work because of what's on the other side of the door. The 20 above all do that. Please Don't Tell and Angel's Share represent the NYC modern-speakeasy original. Paradiso and Handshake the World's #1 Bar trophy holders. Buck and Breck the Berlin precision counter. Bar Benfiddich the Tokyo foraged-herb temple. Pick the room that matches the cocktail you want.
Senior US Editor — drinks his way through New York and writes about which bars actually deserve their reputations.
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