The Best Speakeasies in San Francisco
Speakeasies, those hidden bars of the Prohibition Era, have been staging a comeback in San Francisco for years now.
And even though they aren’t technically secret or even that hard to find, these lounges and hideouts from Chinatown to the Financial District still stir up our nostalgia for early 20th century clandestine cocktail culture.

Find the hidden doorways and secret passwords of the best speakeasies in San Francisco. We promise not to tip off the fuzz.

COLD DRINKS BAR
Up the staircase by the entrance of China Live and through a gold door marked with a black bat, you’ll find Cold Drinks Bar, a classy lounge serving classy cocktails at classy prices. Scotch and whiskey are the name of the game at this speakeasy, which was designed with old Shanghai vibes and ritzy touches like velvet couches, mid-mod leather bar stools, and bartenders in tuxedos. Let those spirit-keepers guide your way or choose a whiskey flight or cocktail made with ingredients like Peking duck-fat washed Glenmorangie X (this one is consistently named among the city’s most iconic drinks). – 7X7 Magazine (01.23.23)