Just because it’s been a long time since speakeasies were a necessary establishment doesn’t mean unmarked bars with doors open only to those who know the password have lost their thrill. In case you're not in the mood to hit the neighborhood spot yet again, here's your guide to the best hush-hush watering holes around town - just don't tell anyone we sent you!
Last updated July 22, 2022
Via Linden Room
(330 Gough St. // Hayes Valley)
You might need reservations to eat at Nightbird, but not to drink at its cozy Linden Room bar. Look for the entrance - an unmarked red door - on Linden Street, and enjoy craft cocktails made with locally sourced ingredients. It's rumored to be SF's smallest bar, so come at an unusual hour, or be prepared to wait.
Via Smuggler's Cove
(650 Gough St. // Hayes Valley)
This three level bar boasts more than 1,000 varieties of rum and a wide variety of creative cocktails, all behind a nondescript exterior. It's a well known spot despite being somewhat hidden, because the owners really know tiki - they've even written an award winning cocktail book.
(24 Willie Mays Plaza inside Oracle Park // South Beach)
Much like baseball, drinking on the sly is an American pastime. Why not enjoy both in Oracle Park’s exclusive lounge located right behind the out-of-town scoreboard?! For those of us who aren't Giants players, membership is required to take advantage of the leather armchairs and private bowling lanes.
Via The Pawn Shop
(993 Mission St // SoMa)
For all intents and purposes, The Pawn Shop looks like exactly that -- an unassuming pawn shop with various wares. Speak to the proprietor, and you'll be shown through a hidden door to a full-blown tapas bar with a lengthy wine list. They hold tables for walk-ins, but you can make advance reservations as well.
Via Bourbon & Branch
(501 Jones St. // Union Square)
There are, in fact, five separate bars in Bourbon & Branch, but two worth mentioning are the Main Bar (which requires reservations) and The Library (accessible through a revolving bookcase once you say the password, “books”). Whichever you choose, know that the house rules of no phones and no photography always apply.
(501 Jones St. // Union Square)
Barception! Wilson & Wilson is another bar located within in Bourbon & Branch, and reservations are required. Provide the password at the intercom and prepare to be led through a secret door into a room that appears plucked straight out of a film noir starring Humphrey Bogart.
Via The Remedie Room
(256 Columbus Avenue // Jackson Square)
Located beneath The Devil's Acre, The Remedie Room is an intimate subterranean den perfectly suited to cure all your ills, albeit not in the traditional sense ... or perhaps in the most traditional sense? Either way, these bartenders' mad skills make us wonder if the people pouring drinks are actually apothecaries.
Via The Battery
(717 Battery St. // Jackson Square)
The Musto Bar is just one of the luxurious members-only destinations at The Battery, a private club with a lengthy waitlist. There are only three ways in: manage to score club membership, get an invite from an existing member, or book a stay in one of the property's 14 rooms and enjoy temporary membership while you're there.
Via 15 Romolo
(15 Romolo Pl. // North Beach)
Tucked away on a steep North Beach alley, 15 Romolo is a dark but spacious bar with a handful of carefully crafted cocktails and bar snacks. The bar's semi-hidden location is fitting, as the building has been home to speakeasies and brothels in the past, as well as the famous Basque Hotel and Restaurant.
(644 Broadway Street // North Beach)
Scotch and jazz-era lovers, this one's for you. Follow the black bats painted on the stairwell walls above China Live to find this hidden gem, where the bartenders wear tuxedos. If you're looking for a full evening out, make reservations for dinner downstairs, and for drinks a little later here.
Did we miss your favorite secret bar? Let us know at [email protected]!
