Behind unmarked doors and tucked down discreet alleyways, a new generation of ultra-glamorous speakeasies around the world is redefining nightlife with theatrical cocktails, intimate atmospheres, and the irresistible seduction of being in on the secret.
BY AMANDA McCOY
Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City
Tucked behind an unmarked black door in the Juárez neighborhood, the top entry in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 grants intrepid tipplers access to a secret society of cocktail obsessives. There is no neon signage, no booming music spilling onto the street – just a discreet entrance that opens into a moody, Prohibition-inspired world of velvet seating, gold accents, sultry lighting, and hushed glamour. The atmosphere channels Gatsby-era decadence through a distinctly modern lens, balancing old-school speakeasy energy with the polished precision of a world-class cocktail lab. The bar program is helmed by Dutch mixologist Eric van Beek, who approaches drinkmaking with Michelin-level rigor – clarifying, carbonating, distilling, and reconstructing classics into startlingly refined creations. Think Old Fashioneds deepened with brown butter mushrooms and martinis given the matcha treatment.
INDUSTRY recommends: Olive Oil Gimlet — Don Julio Blanco, apple olive oil, rosemary, Lillet Blanc
handshake.bar
Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal
The speakeasy scene is thriving in Québec’s largest city, with dozens of hidden cocktail dens opening over the last decade. This brasserie-style lounge has been a staple since its 2016 debut, a glamour-dipped dreamscape with maximalist French flair. To find it, wind down a narrow graffiti-lined alleyway and look for the industrial red light. Once inside, the mood goes full cinematic: mirrored ceilings, silver leather banquettes, lush greenery, low amber lighting, and playful pops of pink. There’s a full menu of high-end bubbles, beer, and wine, but the cocktails are the real smoke show (including, fittingly, the signature Smoke Show, served with theatrical special effects). Drinks are elegant and creative, infused with housemade syrups and unconventional flavors like fig, truffle, and vine leaves, while brasserie darlings like garlic escargots, frog legs, and salmon terrine are available to complement the booze.
INDUSTRY recommends: Piña Accolada — Planteray Rum 3 Stars, Leblon Cachaça, Malibu, pineapple, vanilla, salt
Lockdown — Hong Kong
In a city that endured some of the world’s longest and strictest COVID-era restrictions, Lockdown turns collective cabin fever into nightlife theater. Conceived by acclaimed bartenders Agung and Laura Prabowo during the height of the pandemic – when bars were forced to close by early evening and nightlife effectively vanished for years – the speakeasy reimagines lockdown culture through the lens of Prohibition-era glamour. Hidden along Hollywood Road behind a deliberately weird entrance (you’ll know you found it by the lone toilet and ladder in the window), the bar feels like stepping into an alternate-reality fever dream of 1920s decadence. Past the quirky entry décor, the atmosphere is richly cinematic: low amber lighting, iron mesh partitions, hand-blown glass installations, velvet textures, and custom-designed rotating bar stations. The drinks lean heavily into “forgotten classics,” resurrecting obscure Prohibition-era cocktails while layering in modern techniques and experimental ingredients – many of which have been sous-vide, clarified, or centrifuged.
INDUSTRY recommends: Left Bank — St-Germain elderflower, fennel pollen, absinthe, port, and white citrus
Truffle Pig Bar — Berlin
Entry here is an experience: first, venture inside the unfussy neighborhood pub Kauz & Kiebitz, then follow the pig tracks until you reach a bright red fire alarm. Press it, and a host appears to escort you into a velvet-draped hideaway with just a handful of seats surrounding the horseshoe-shaped marble bar. (Pro tip: there is no standing allowed, so get there early to claim your spot.) The brainchild of local nightlife wizard Damien Guichard and a World’s 50 Best Discovery winner, the intimate lounge highlights a creative, in-house-designed cocktail menu showcasing cleverly named drinks along with a pie chart of their ingredients. The bar also hosts immersive cocktail workshops to teach home mixologists how to mix, shake, and stir like a pro.
INDUSTRY recommends: White Ferrari — Rum, lime juice, green apple cordial, and amaretto
@trufflepigbar