A Not-So-Secret Guide
to D.C.’s Best Speakeasies
Words by Kit Warchol
Photo by Hawkeye Johnson
Prohibition may have outlawed booze across the U.S. in the 1920s, but D.C. never quite got the memo. On any given night, you could order a stiff martini at speakeasies all over the city — in the basements of row houses, down back alleys, behind fake walls in corner markets, you name it. After all, you can’t have a town full of work-hard-play-hard politicians without plenty to drink.
Cut to today and D.C.’s penchant for hidden bars is stronger than ever, courtesy of a spate of contemporary speakeasies, where the drinking is fully legal these days, but the hidden entrances still make you feel like you’re up to no good.
Since the first new-wave D.C. speakeasies arrived in the early 2000s, dozens of hidden-entrance bars have opened (and sometimes shuttered) all over the city. The result? You can find an excellent Prohibition-era cocktail in almost any neighborhood and on any night of the week.
Here are just a few of D.C.’s somewhat-secret speakeasies, starting with one only a few steps from the LINE Hotel’s front door.
Code Red
Located in Adams Morgan, just a few blocks from the LINE DC, Code Red offers a drinks menu divided by era (Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, and “Posthibition”) that appeals to history buffs and craft cocktail enthusiasts alike. Try a Southside, rumored to have been Al Capone’s favorite drink, or the titular Code Red made with Tito’s vodka, house-made grenadine, Cointreau, and citrus. Once you’ve had your fill of the 1920s ambiance, pop over to No Goodbyes Bar at the LINE for a contemporary nightcap created by our resident cocktail expert, Lukas B. Smith.
The Mirror
Located on K. Street in the heart of downtown D.C., you’ll find yourself standing in front of what looks like an empty building. But head down the flight of stairs and look around — the bar’s name is your hint to finding the entrance. Inside, the low-lit bar pays tribute to the Prohibition era with a simple menu of classic cocktails. No reservations are necessary, so The Mirror is a solid option for last-minute plans.
Silver Lyan
Located in a former bank vault beneath Riggs Washington D.C., the Silver Lyan is the brainchild of Ryan Chetiyawardana, better known as Mr. Lyan, the renowned London bartender who has received more awards for his cocktails than you can count. Silver Lyan is his first bar across the pond, with drinks you won’t find anywhere else, and it lives up to the hype. If you’re feeling like a Big Night Out, order the Silver Service Martini for one or for two.
Allegory
If you’re after a more — shall we say, literary? — feel, head for Allegory, a speakeasy in Old Town. The entrance is tucked inside a library at the Eaton Hotel. The bar team has won numerous awards for its original cocktail menu, which pays homage to the classics while also experimenting with molecular techniques. The ambiance is also on point: a massive work of art by Erik Thor Sandberg depicting Alice in Wonderland spans the entire bar.
OKPD
Pint-sized (no tables for parties bigger than six) and on the second story of a walk-up, OKPD in Mt. Pleasant definitely feels like you’re doing something illegal in the best possible way — sort of like you’ve stumbled onto a bar tucked into your best friend’s apartment building or on an unmarked floor at an office building you’ve visited for years. Once inside, you’ll find the night’s cocktails hand-scrawled on a paper clipboard and a mixed crowd of neighborhood locals and bar enthusiasts from around the city willing to make the trek for the promise of well-balanced and expertly crafted drinks. No reservations, which sometimes leads to a waitlist — worth it.
600 T
This speakeasy understood the assignment. So well, the owner refused to name the bar — 600 T St. NW is the bar’s address. Located in Shaw on the bottom floor of a row house near LeDroit Park, the bar serves all the Prohibition-era classics and a menu of signature house cocktails. Cozy up with a drink and someone you love — or at least like — under the moody light of Edison bulbs bouncing off 600 T’s exposed brick walls. If you can, make a reservation for Thursday, and you’ll also get live jazz.
Back Room at Capo Italian Deli
Also in Shaw, Back Room is possibly the most original location for a D.C. speakeasy. As the name implies, you enter the bar by stepping through a freezer door at the back of one of D.C.’s beloved sandwich spots. Inside, you’ll find an unexpectedly massive bar that knows how to throw a party, complete with live music on weekends. If your timing’s right, pop in for Throwing Shade, a recurring R&B and underground hip hop dance night that takes place on the first and third Thursdays of the month.
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