You just might end up searching all night...
You just might end up searching all night...
W
e’re going into the supermarket, behind the lockers and through the sex shops to bring you the world’s most secret bars. Thirsty?
We’re going into the supermarket, behind the lockers and through the sex shops to bring you the world’s most secret bars. Thirsty?
Of course you are. The world’s been fascinated by speakeasies since the prohibition era of the 1920s and even though they’re fully legal, some bars have remained a secret – until now.
The Woo Woo
New York City, USA
On average, 330,000 people pass through Times Square every day. How many of them realise the sexiest speakeasy in the city is only three minutes away?
But you can’t just walk in. A little detective work is needed (pro tip: scour the website) to uncover this bar’s password. Once you’ve found it, ring the doorbell and enjoy falling down a 1980s-themed rabbit hole. From the graffiti-lined staircase to the faux sex shop concealing the bar’s actual entrance, The Woo Woo serves up risqué seduction with a side of salivating snacks and craft cocktails.
You wanna ‘Talk Dirty to Me’? One filthy martini comin’ right up. Or maybe you’re after a much-needed round of ‘Dirty Dancing’? Have too many of these vodka-based concoctions and you’ll be gyrating all over the dancefloor, sans Patrick Swayze. Feel like some ‘Frisky Business’? Prepare your throat for the pina colada-inspired drink about to slide down it.
Effort-ODOMETER
5. Almost Impossible
4. Help Needed
3. Well Hidden
2. Research Required
1. Just Rock Up
L’Epicier
Paris, France
It might mean 'The Grocer" in English, but L'Epicier is no place to do your weekly shopping. It seems like your average supermarket from the outside, but the entrance to one of Paris' best bars is actually hidden somewhere between the cans of beans and boxes of couscous.
You'll eventually find the food item that'll let you in, but you won't find the ornate furniture or antique candlesticks typical of French decor once you step inside. This place is decked out with Moroccan lanterns hanging from the ceiling, stained glass windows and tables made from Arabic stop signs. It's moody in all the right ways (think low lighting and spirited music) and serves up Middle Eastern-inspired tapas such as hummus and aubergine caviar.
But the cocktails are what makes this place truly sparkle (like a certain tower after sundown). Each drink is made from exotic Eastern ingredients - think rose water, tonka, cardamom-infused vodka, date puree and orange blossom. The 'Tete du bled' is one of our favourites, served mint tea style straight out of a pot, but there's plenty of alcoholic beverages to choose from. Sante!
Effort-ODOMETER
5. Almost Impossible
4. Help Needed
3. Well Hidden
2. Research Required
1. Just Rock Up
Find the locker room
Bangkok, Thailand
The entrance to this cocktail bar might give you PTSD flashbacks of your high school days, but Bangkok’s Find The Locker Room is well worth the (potential) nightmares with its fun and novel take on the Prohibition-style speakeasy.
We won’t lie to you, navigating through a series of locker rooms for the bar’s entrance will be hard—they genuinely all look the same. Chances are you’ll spend a lot of time pulling on random doors covered in rust and vintage stickers before finding the one that’ll let you through, but hey, that’s half the fun. At least you’ll have earned that drink.
Once inside, get ready to vibe all night long. The bar’s new cocktail menu pays homage to the ghost of pop culture’s past, with cocktails inspired by the ‘60s up to the 2010s—think ‘flower power’, ‘the greatest story leather told’ and ‘just the tips’. Can you guess those decades? Winner gets a free drink on us*.
*no they don’t.
Effort-ODOMETER
5. Almost Impossible
4. Help Needed
3. Well Hidden
2. Research Required
1. Just Rock Up
La Santoria
Madrid, Spain
Spain is known for a lot of things: delicious tapas, Gaudi-designed architecture, flamenco dancing, soccer, etc. Secret bars? Not so much. At least, not to those who don’t know where they are.
Welcome to La Santoria, a place where menus, proper lighting and fear of the paranormal don’t exist. While the entrance to this place is easy to miss, the interior stops short of smacking you right in the face. If you thought Santeria was the Latin American teaching of a supernatural force spreading through the universe, you’d be correct. That is the theme here and it’s strong—we’re talking altars, spiritual trinkets and enough religious décor to fill a church.
And the cocktails won’t just get you buzzed; they all serve an ethereal purpose. You have to order based on how you’re feeling and what you need, so of course each drink comes with an affirmation and a take-home charm. The bar even offers tarot and hand readings done by a local specialist. Find the secret bar, and discover the future’s secrets.
Effort-ODOMETER
5. Almost Impossible
4. Help Needed
3. Well Hidden
2. Research Required
1. Just Rock Up
Champagne Problems
New York City, USA
We might have 99 problems but when we’re dancing the night away in a champagne-themed bar in New York City, we’re definitely not thinking of ‘em. And here’s hoping we won’t even remember them in the morning (our fingers are crossed).
Yes, this is the second New York City-based drinking spot to make it onto our secret bars list but once you walk down Bowery Street, step into the carefully camouflaged convenience store and clock the massive wall lined with more chip packets than the city has tourists, you’ll understand why this bar is a must-include.
Figuring out the entrance to the bar is harder than memorising T-Swizzle’s newest song but the stern-looking security guard standing by the chip wall kinda gives the game away. Knowing which chip packet opens the door is another (love) story though.
The same outrageousness is carried through the bar’s interior with more chip packets (what a surprise), hand-painted murals, plush booth seating and champagne paraphernalia everywhere. Fancy a Moet Brut with your Doritos?
Effort-ODOMETER
5. Almost Impossible
4. Help Needed
3. Well Hidden
2. Research Required
1. Just Rock Up
get in the know The word Orient derives from the Latin 'oriens', meaning east, and originally that meant the near and middle east regions. Nowdays, anything east of Europe, from Turkey to Japan, can be technically labelled as the Orient.
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