While inside you order through a pulley system that kind of makes you feel like you are flushing a toilet. The place furthers this ambiance with its dim lighting, real-deal cocktails (they have a menu of spicy drinks that must be sampled) and, of course, an unmarked entrance with a sneering doorman behind the bell. It was like Prohibition before Prohibition (it also didn’t work out, clearly). This alone is worth the crippling jet lag.įirst of all, let's take a moment to appreciate The Raines Law Room's name, which references an 1896 law aimed at curbing NY liquor consumption. And you can munch on their surprisingly great buttermilk fried chicken. Or the Crimson & Clover, a San Francisco-themed cocktail with Citadelle gin, fresh berries, lemon, thyme, and organic basil. Try one of their inspired cocktails like the Tiki-themed 28 Days Later with zombie rum, tropical fruit, and an oversized drink umbrella.
But 28 eschews the traditional trappings of “hidden bars” with complex mixology you actually want to experience - their bartenders are legendary for their cordiality as well as their mixing skills. Behind a nondescript white door on a street just minutes away from the city-state's Parliament House, it delivers a truly Western speakeasy feel with its dark ambient lighting and oft-complicated cocktails. Basement bars are a cruel mistress.Ĭommonly called out as one of the best cocktail bars in Asia - if not the entire world - 28 HongKong Street is a taste of classic speakeasy culture in the middle of Singapore, with a drink program by internationally renowned bartender Logan Demmy. Frankly, it’s probably even harder to get in now. Ipswitch shares its name with the actual speakeasy that operated on Bourbon & Branch's grounds during Prohibition. And despite its mother bar’s reputation for complex and brilliant cocktails, you’re better served snagging a glass of bourbon - after all, it just fits the theme here (and the bar is super small, too). You'll need to book a large party to even be considered for Ipswitch clearance, and even then you might not make it. To get in, you climb through a trap door in the floor of the main bar. Like Inception, with way more booze, a two-seat bar, and an overall Western saloon vibe. Yes, it's a hidden bar inside the hidden bars. But you probably don't know about its super-hidden basement bar, Ipswitch. Again, worth it.Īt this point, you're probably familiar with Bourbon & Branch, the Doug Dalton-funded, beloved SF mixology destination that’s known just as much for its expertly mixed cocktails as the “hidden” bars that lie inside its walls: The Library, Wilson & Wilson, and Russell's Room. Honestly, the look of shock on tourists’ faces when you walk into a phone booth with three people and never walk out is worth the price of the cocktails alone, which usually hover around $15-$18. A rotating menu of seasonal drinks compliment memorable stalwarts like the Paddington (an orange marmalade-flavored rum/absinthe mashup), the iconic, bacon-infused Benton’s Old Fashioned, and greasy hot dogs with cheese fries straight from Crif’s kitchen, carried in through the secret wall. The phone inside connects directly to a hostess on the other side of a sliding wall that reveals a sparkling room of mirrors, taxidermy, and high-end cocktails for people lucky (or persistent) enough to get in. The entrance is straight 007: a nondescript, vintage phone booth inside the East Village’s graffitied and beloved hot dog slinger Crif Dogs. In fact, they were the first ever winner of the JBFA’s Outstanding Bar Program in 2012. And over its 10 years in business, it's become known as one of the best bars in the entire country. Still, it remains the prototype of the new wave of NYC speakeasies, and it does have a lot going for it: Mixology maestro Jim Meehan, formerly of Pegu Club and Gramercy Tavern, founded the place. The irony of the name is - like most truly great “secret bars”- everyone knows about it.
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