An unmarked door, a whispered password and entrance into a darkened land of lively music and locked-in bartenders – is there any sexier drinking experience than a speakeasy?
In the Bay Area, the past few years have seen a proliferation of speakeasies from cities both totally expected (Oakland, San Jose) to surprising (Livermore?). Why is everybody acting like Prohibition is back again?
Well, a carefully curated bar experience has never been hotter. With their controlled entrances, niche menus and unique design themes, speakeasies allow bar owners to target a (hopefully deep-pocketed) audience. Some speakeasies now cater to the young population’s desire for low-stress third spaces, too, like at 13 Orphans, a new parlor for mahjong and merriment in Oakland.
“People are looking for venues where they can have conversations and connect on a more intimate level, and moreover sometimes on a cultural level,” says Alan Chen, co-founder of 13 Orphans. “The feeling of safety has dwindled as of late, and being among a community in which you feel welcome can provide a much-needed sense of safety in your day-to-day life.”
There’s also an idea that speakeasies give you something rarer and more special than a regular bar. That’s part of the reason why Moonglow, another speakeasy in Oakland, has a “no photos or videos” policy.
“There are just far fewer surprises and discoveries to be had in the Internet era. With Instagram, TikTok and peer-review sites plastered with wall-to-wall photos of everything a place has to offer — the decor, the drinks, the lighting — speakeasies can provide this feeling of actually finding something new,” says Daniel Gahr, co-founder of Moonglow. “There is something alluring about not knowing what’s on the other side of an unmarked door or, in some cases, having to find a disguised entryway or know a secret code to get in.”
Intrigued yet? Well, if you can find your way in — and it’s usually not that hard to do — here are several speakeasies to explore in the Bay. Some are old, most are new, and certain ones are more speakeasy “vibes” than actual hidden spots. But there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Honeycomb Cocktail Lounge, Livermore
The speakeasy Honeycomb Cocktail Lounge opened in June 2025 in Livermore, Calif. It has bee-themed cocktails and decor and is run by the team behind Sons of Liberty Alehouse next door. (LemonAd Media/Honeycomb Cocktail Lounge)
The vibe: You’ll need a passphrase to convince the suited gentleman to let you through the door of this lounge, opened in June by the adjacent Sons of Liberty Alehouse. (Don’t worry, the phrase is posted each week on Instagram.) Inside is basically an Art Deco clubhouse designed by bees. Golden chandeliers drip like honeycomb and luxurious paintings show women with winged insects crawling on their faces – much prettier than it sounds. The couches are comfy, the music low and pumping and, as for the crowd, any given evening it’s buzzing.
The speakeasy Honeycomb Cocktail Lounge opened in June 2025 in Livermore, Calif. It has bee-themed cocktails and decor and is run by the team behind Sons of Liberty Alehouse next door. (LemonAd Media/Honeycomb Cocktail Lounge)
The menu: Bee products and Asian influences dominate the list of cocktails, some which can be made without alcohol. A Royal Jelly No 5. is a punchy drink made with Capurro pisco, melon, velvet falernum and foam whipped from the Andean purple-corn drink, chicha morada. It’s topped with lavender flower buds that bloom all around Livermore ($18). The Hive Mind is a more-experimental sip made with Barr Hill honey gin, the Chinese spirit baijiu and Sichuan-peppercorn tincture. It’s swirled with balls of goji-berry “caviar” for a boba-like chewiness ($18).
Hungry? The kitchen offers grazing boards of charcuterie and cheese ($30), as well as smaller snacks like caramelized-onion dip with crispy shallots ($13) and fantastic-looking skinny fries with black-garlic aioli ($11).
Details: Open 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday at 2321 First St., Livermore; honeycomblounge.com
S Bar at Suspiro, San Jose
The Miraflores, Sangria and Enchanted drinks at S Bar in Suspiro at Santana Row in San Jose. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
The vibe: Whisper to the host at Suspiro that you’re here to visit S Bar, and you’ll be guided to the back of the restaurant, behind a curtain, past a Pac-Man arcade game, and into a dimly lit, gorgeously decorated indoor-outdoor bar. One wall’s decorated with gilt mirrors, another with carved pisco vessels and wall panels that open into a verdant outdoor patio, aglow with hanging cafe lights and heat lanterns.
The menu: While the bites focus on Spanish and Peruvian fare (think jamón croquettes, ceviche and Spanish olives) the cocktails on offer have a more global bent – though rest assured, Cava and pisco are well-represented. The Miraflores ($18) proved a delightful riff on the pisco sour, blending Pisco Puro Quebranta with grapefruit juice, honey syrup, egg whites and aromatic bitters. Meanwhile, the Enchanted glittered with edible pink shimmer dust, and bursting with fruity, botanical flavors – Grey Goose with watermelon basil essences, vermouth and basil.
The real winner for presentation points, though, was the Nomad, presented in a smoking Erlenmeyer flask (which immediately wowed this reporter’s scientist companions from across the bar), featuring whiskey, camapari, vermouth and amaro, plus a propolis tincture, all wrapped in bergamot smoke, which wafted throughout the bar sporadically throughout the night in a floral cloud that smelled like a sage cleanse married Earl Grey.
Details: Open 5-10 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 3060 Olsen Drive Suite 20, San Jose. Reservations recommended via Resy.
The Dirty Bird of Paradise, Hayward
At Dirty Bird of Paradise, you’ll find craft cocktails like the Caramel Carajillo, ($18) featuring coffee bean-washed El Tequileño reposado, clarified cold brew, vanilla and orange liqueur, piloncillo, cream, house-made dulce de leche and salted orange, and the Sueño de Primavera ($14), made with chamomile-infused tequila, passionfruit, aperol, lime, housemade cardamom bitters foam and edible flowers. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
The vibe: OK, so this spot isn’t *quite* hidden or dimly lit enough to scream speakeasy like some of the other destinations on this list – but when it comes to the modern speakeasy’s other characteristics, like being a bar within a bar, serving thoughtful craft cocktails and being ensconced in extravagant interiors? They nail it.
The good news is that it’s just down the stairs at Hayward’s The Dirty Bird Lounge. There, you’ll find a spacious basement space that feels like a portal to a sophisticated yet comfortable lair designed by your favorite ornithophile. Murals of flamingos, tropical birds and birds of paradise flowers adorn the walls, and two pool tables and couches invite visitors to sit and stay a while. And despite their attention to detail in crafting cocktails, they’re delightfully unpretentious.
To celebrate the space’s one-year anniversary in July, they hosted a Shrek-themed party during which a portion of beverage sales was donated to the Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, according to owner Courtney Jackson. Coming up, they’ve got events like drag shows, R&B brunches, live music, tequila tastings and DJ themed nights.
The menu: The cocktail menu skews agave-forward. The Caramel Carajillo ($18) blends coffee bean-washed El Tequileño with reposado tequila, clarified cold brew, vanilla and orange liqueur, piloncillo, cream, housemade dulce de leche and salted orange, while the Sueño de Primavera mixes tequila infused with chamomile, passionfruit aperol, lime, house-made cardamom bitters, edible flowers and foam for lighter, fruitier sipping ($14). Or, ditch the tequila or mezcal for the pistachio butter and coconut milk “Tiki Temptation” ($15).
To eat, there are carne asada or mushroom empanadas ($8 each), mahi mahi skewers with mango habanero salsa ($20), buffalo meatballs ($16) or seabass ceviche and yucca chips ($18) – plus rosemary truffle fries ($9).
Details: Open Thursday 8 p.m.-midnight and Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.- 1 a.m. at 926 B St, Hayward; Instagram: @thedirtybirdofparadise.
Alter Ego Cocktail Club, San Jose
Dogfight ($19), one of the craft cocktails at Alter Ego Cocktail Club, a speakeasy at Still O.G. in San Jose, features bourbon, amaro, an aperitivo, lemon essence and orange bitters, plus a decorative paper plane on a wire wrapped around the stem of the glass. (Courtesy Alter Ego)
The vibe: Tucked behind a thick velvet curtain at the back of San Jose’s Still O.G., a vinyl listening bar, you’ll find Alter Ego Cocktail Club. Hip geometric light fixtures illuminate the tables from above, while the liquids contained in the extensive bottle collection behind the bar glow with ethereal uplighting.
The menu: Seasonal drinks rotate, and during a recent visit, the Summer Nectar ($20), featuring a brandy blend, nectarine, citrus, honey and fresh mint leaves, was the perfect way to wind down a warm day. On the standard menu, the Dogfight ($19) comes in a coupe, stem twined with a wire bearing a paper plane at the end, and it packed a punch, made with bourbon, amaro, an aperitivo, lemon essence and orange bitters. Sure, you can get something fruit-forward and refreshing, but consider sampling one of the more adventurous – and funky – concoctions. Among them: the Mycology Mixology, featuring scotch, coffee, hazelnut, porcini mushroom and truffle flavors ($24), or the delicious-sounding Asteroid Blues, which blends tequila with manzanilla, avocado, lychee and lemon flavors ($20).
Asteroid Blues, a cocktail on offer at Alter Ego in San Jose, blends tequila with manzanilla, avocado, lychee and lemon flavors ($20). (Courtesy Alter Ego)
When it comes to food, look for tapa-style bites like grilled melon ($8), hokkaido scallops with squash ($23), and desserts like flan ($8) or chocolate souffle ($13). On the simpler side was the bread and butter ($10), which pairs four ultra-fluffy Japanese milk bread rolls topped with furikake and salted butter for a mouthwatering carb fix.
Details: Open 5 p.m.-midnight Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 66 S. First St., San Jose; stillog.bar/alterego.
13 Orphans, Oakland
A collection of neon artwork greets visitors at 13 Orphans in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The vibe: Getting to Oakland’s newest speakeasy is like unpeeling a hip onion. You walk through a snack shop called Baba’s House, serving bun rieu pappardelle and beef-fat tomato rice, up some stairs into a mahjong parlor called 13 Orphans. That space is decked out in neon and groovy dorm room-worthy furniture and serves tea-based cocktails. Only then might you notice a door off to the side leading to a windowless room with its own dim-sum menu, sound system and climate control – the speakeasy proper, where seats are guaranteed only by reservation.
The more-public area at 13 Orphans is fun enough to fill an evening, though. There’s a modest cover charge for people to gather with friends and play mahjong – it’s quite popular among the youth these days – or attend events like karaoke or a “Cardi Spelling Bee.” Don’t know how to play mahjong? An instruction booklet says it takes “only” 20 minutes to learn. (Disclaimer: individual experiences may vary.)
Kaiyin Liu, of Oakland, left, stares at Zonelysse Martinez, of Oakland, as she ponders her next move while playing a game of mahjong while visiting 13 Orphans in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The menu: Suiting the high-energy environment of a gaming room, the cocktails are made with tea and thus caffeinated. They all come in virgin or alcoholic form. A Baba’s Legacy is made with Wuyi red tea, lychee and Thai basil oil with the option to add dried mandarin-peel soju. A Winter Melon Tonic mixes 2013 aged Gongmei white tea, winter melon syrup, herbal loquat extract and celery salt with goji-berry infused soju. There is also wine and, in a cooler downstairs, beer and other drinks, as well as Baba House’s unique food offerings that can be gobbled upstairs.
Details: Open 6-10 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday at 410 15th St. (second floor), Oakland; thisisbabas.house
Haberdasher, San Jose
The vibe: Dark, sultry, historic. Credit bartender-turned-entrepreneur Cache Bouren with ushering in San Jose’s modern speakeasy era, starting in 2010 with Singlebarrel at this subterranean location, then Haberdasher since 2015. Appropriately, there is no flashy signage. Find Haberdasher’s simple derby-and-tie logo hanging on San Salvador Street, then the low-key front door leading downstairs to cocktail nirvana.
The menu: Since the beginning, “reintroducing today’s drinkers to vintage classics has been our intention,” Bouren says. One such example is the Monte Carlo, a forgotten cocktail stirred and served like a Manhattan, he says, but more nuanced thanks to the addition of the liqueur Benedictine.
Remember the Ramos Gin Fizz? You can host a party here featuring those frothy concoctions. Or, Bouren says, “We have a place in our hearts for the Clover Club, also invented in the 1880s. Fresh raspberries, gin, fresh squeezed lemon juice and, while traditionally egg white was used to create a frothy texture, we now use aquafaba (aka chickpea water), making this refreshing and mouthwatering classic vegan!”
New cocktails developed by the talented staff include the Back in Black, a fusion of Asian flavors and an espresso martini designed by Julie Martinez, and the Pagoda, a gin and yuzu liqueur drink topped with house-made Thai basil oil created by Jean Garcia.
How skilled are Haberdasher’s bartenders? According to a patron who posted on social media, one of them fulfilled an unusual spur-of-the-moment request by designing a drink to match her attire and her mood.
Details: No reservations are required unless you’re coming with a group. Opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, serving until midnight or 1 a.m. (Friday-Saturday). 43 W. San Salvador St., San Jose; www.haberdashersj.com
Moonglow, Oakland
The speakeasy Moonglow opened in fall 2024 in the back of the restaurant Gold Palm in Oakland, Calif. (Daniel Gahr)
The vibe: Inside Oakland’s Pakistani restaurant Gold Palm is an unassuming door marked with a golden doorbell; ring it to enter Moonglow, a speakeasy opened last fall by real-life partners Daniel Gahr and Shirin Raza. The duo also run the hi-fi listening lounge Bar Shiru down the street, and like that place Moonglow is optimized for audio enjoyment. “We put a lot of thought into the acoustics of the space,” says Gahr, “and a lot of effort into putting together a sound system that feels tight and immersive, but not overpowering or ear-damaging.”
The interior is minimalist with seating at a counter and a long bar bookended by huge wood-veneer speakers. Painted stars and tiny candles lend “nighttime vibes” that should appeal to the downtown club crowd. Early evenings the vibe is mellow, then after 9 p.m. things ratchet up with guest DJs spinning deep house, left-field beats and underground electronic music.
The speakeasy Moonglow opened in fall 2024 in the back of the restaurant Gold Palm in Oakland, Calif. (Daniel Gahr)
The menu: A pared-down cocktail list is half devoted to “Martinis & Friends” – the friends being a Manhattan and a green-chartreuse Bijou – and half to “Glowed-Up Classics” like a Mai-Chai-Tai with Oaxacan rum and chai tea and a Clover Club with gin and house marmalade. Another “glow up” is the Scotch & Shroom Old Fashioned, mixed classically with the addition of sherry and chanterelle mushroom.
Details: Open 7 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Saturday at 1900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; goldpalmoakland.com/moonglow
Italian Cellar Speakeasy Bar, San Jose
Visitors mingle inside the Italian Cellar bar, located in the basement of the museum and cultural center in San Jose’s Little Italy. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group).
The vibe: Cozy, welcoming and, of course, authentically Italian. Two years ago the Little Italy Museum and Cultural Center opened in this always-evolving historic San Jose district — and with it came an underground bar that looks straight out of the 1920s. The Italian Cellar pays tribute to the old venue of the same name (later known more famously as Manny’s Cellar) at the city’s Fallon House.
The menu: Because this is officially a social club, you can join for a day for a $1 membership fee to enjoy the cocktails, music (Frank, Dino, Prima and the gang) and convivial atmosphere. Grab a seat at the bar or in one of the red booths. All proceeds from bar sales benefit the Museum and Cultural Center.
Naturally, Italian-made and Italian-themed cocktails (all $13) and other drinks dominate the offerings. According to bartender Lala, the Godfather — a smoky Scotch tempered with amaretto, then given a cirrus jolt with orange bitters — is among the most popular orders, along with the Little Italy (rye, sweet vermouth, Amaro Ramazzotti and bitters). Light, refreshing drinks include the Cellar’s Aperol Spritz, Limoncello Spritz and Peach Bellini.
Guglielmo provides the chardonnay and Bargetto the pinot noir; glasses of wine are $11. Reds from Tuscany and Sicily are also available. For beer, the Cellar keeps the Little Italy Lager, brewed locally by Narrative Fermentations, in the taps, and also sells beers from Italy in bottles.
As for the bites, well, you’re in Little Italy San Jose and surrounded by great food. You’re welcome to purchase pasta, pizza, sandwiches, appetizers or desserts anywhere in this district and bring them downstairs to the speakeasy. Planning to book a party here? They can help facilitate your food order.
Details: Open 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2-8 p.m. Sunday. 323 W. St. John St., Little Italy, San Jose; www.littleitalysj.com
The Middle 8, Pleasanton
The Middle 8 in Pleasanton considers itself a “groovy lounge” and features retro style furniture situated around a horseshoe shaped bar (photo courtesy of Credit Imaginem Productions).
The vibe: Groovy is the first word that comes to mind when Rick Dobbs explains the vibe of his five-year-old bar in Pleasanton. Walk into The Middle 8 and you’ll be attracted to the retro style furniture situated around the horseshoe shaped bar.
“It’s like a bunch of little living rooms,” said Dobbs, the managing partner. “We have 60 seats in a 3,500-square-foot space, so it’s a great place to come and hang out with your friends.”
The $100,000-speaker system may fool you into thinking this is a dance club, but it’s not, Dobbs said. It’s a lounge that also features cozy rugs and forest-green velvet chairs while people sip on martinis and mingle.
And the best part? The secret room in the back. They call it “The Back Beat.” It’s only open on the weekends, and it has its own sound system and bartender. Find the neon sign that says, “Back Beat Open,” and walk through the door beneath it.
“You have to know about it to get in there,” Dobbs said.
The Middle 8 in Pleasanton considers itself a “groovy lounge” and features retro style furniture situated around a horseshoe shaped bar (photo courtesy of Credit Imaginem Productions).
The menu: The most popular item, by far, is the porn star martini ($17), which features vodka, passion fruit and rose bubbles. Or get right after it with a disco lemonade, which features lemon vodka, lemon juice, egg whites, simple syrup and a sugar and black salt rim.
Details: Open until 1 a.m. six days a week (closed Mondays), at 310 Main St. in Pleasanton; middle8bar.com.
Wunderbar, San Mateo
The way to enter Wunderbar in San Mateo is by touching the glowing white rabbit. A door springs open, revealing a subterranean speakeasy that’s bookish and witchy. (Photo courtesy Molly Bradshaw.)
The vibe: With a cocktail menu that comes on tarot cards, an entrance marked by a glowing white bunny and decor that’s cozy yet refined, Wunderbar does both parts of its name well: it feeds one’s sense of wonder, and one’s thirst for great drinks. Plus, there’s bottomless buttered popcorn.
The menu: The menu changes, but it’s hard to go wrong, especially if you’re looking for an adventurous flavor blend. For instance, there’s the Temple Gate ($16), featuring gin, sichuan baijiu, peach shurb, kumquat aperitivo, sparkling wine and lemon, as well as the Sun God ($16), with mezcal, reposado tequila, sweet pepper cordial, corn and lime.
Details: Open 4:30-11 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and 4:30-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 310 1/2 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo; wunderbarsm.com.
The Syndicate, Livermore
The vibe: The Syndicate is a winter rebranding of the Last Word bar on Livermore’s Bankhead Plaza. It’s now an “underground mafia bar” where patrons can experience “whispers in alleyways… rumors over hushed drinks,” according to the new website. A red-and-black interior is dimly lit with wall sconces, and everything has a velvety feel from the couches to the wallpaper to the friendly servers – who sport red-and-black suspenders. Art of Tommy guns and distilling gadgetry hang from the wall, and the menus look like FBI Most Wanted lists.
The menu: The bracing, brown-hued cocktails of a gangster hideout are mostly here. A Meyer Lansky is an Old Fashioned variant with barrel-aged rye and bitters ($19), and a Johnny Torrio mixes Amaro CioCiaro with espresso ($15). There’s also a tropical storm circulating, as if the gangsters flew in from the tropics. A Lucky Luciano mixes two types of rum and lime, and a cask-poured Sister Ping – named for a human “snakehead” smuggler in Manhattan – is pineapple tequila and banana liqueur clarified with coconut milk.
If you’re in the mood for something specific to eat, the kitchen likely has it. There’s everything from Korean fried chicken ($21) to New England lobster rolls ($29) to beignet eclairs with Bavarian cream and chocolate ganache ($12).
Details: Open 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 2470 First St. #100, Livermore; thesyndicatebar.com
