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At this speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar near Chiesa Nuova, hipster bartenders pour and shake American classics like Manhattans, Sazeracs and Old-Fashioneds in a smoky lounge. To gain admittance, make a booking and come armed with the secret password, a clue to which can be found on the venue’s website. Once you enter, you’ll be shown to a table or barstool, handed a menu, and asked to fill out a membership card. Service can be slow and snarky, but drinks are worth the wait. Cash only.

While modern Halifax has grown beyond its nautical roots, the 109-room waterfront Muir—a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of independent hotels and part of the city’s new $200 million Queen’s Marque district—offers a peek into its maritime past. In the lobby, walls of glass from an art installation glow like a lighthouse, and more works continue the theme throughout. Rooms are outfitted with midcentury modern–inspired furniture and custom-designed tartan blankets that nod to the province’s Scottish history. The restaurant serves Nova Scotia classics such as hodge podge, a hearty stew, and the hotel’s speakeasy BKS references the region’s rum-running past in cocktails like Her Majesty’s Displeasure.

Just off Wenceslas Square, Parlour is not easy to find. There is no sign, and once inside there is no menu. But the self-proclaimed cocktail artists at this small, cozy speakeasy-style bar have earned the title, and if you don’t what you want, they will help you figure it out. Sip yours out of vintage glasses while sitting at the small bar or in comfortable club chairs. Reservations can be made for four people max.

“Have you heard about d’Mongo’s? It is Ryan Gosling’s favorite place to visit when he comes to town!” Although I never saw Ryan Gosling, bartender Red knew immediately that I was new in Detroit and that I’d never been in before. She recommended I try the Detroit Brown, made with Michigan’s own ginger ale: Vernors. As I sipped gently from the cold glass and looked over the top of its rim at the eclectic crowd filling the speakeasy, I couldn’t help but think, “Who cares what celebrity does or doesn’t frequent this place, I’d come back here for the drinks and the crowd any day!” Cafe d’Mongo’s draws a crowd every night it is open—which is usually only on Friday, maybe Saturday—and whether the customers come because of the drinks, the music, the crowd, or because they hope to see Ryan Gosling or Mark Wahlberg, the point is they keep coming. There’s an element of secrecy that has kept even my hotel’s valet from being able to tell me how to get to the revered speakeasy, yet it’s one of the first places I heard about when I asked people on the street where I needed to go get a drink in Detroit. If you find yourself at Cafe d’Mongo’s, tell Red I say hello, and order the Detroit Brown.

At-home entertainers will enjoy the expansive digs at this Upper West Side property, where a number of studios and suites feature terraces and enough space to host upwards of 30 guests. Even its more modestly sized rooms evoke big-time comfort, though, thanks to luxury bedding, signature mattresses, and an array of everyday conveniences (think Keurig machines and free morning papers). There are plenty of perks to be found beyond the rooms as well, namely at the property’s three dining venues. Serafina restaurant excels at Northern Italian plates, while LOCL offers speakeasy-inspired cocktails alongside live piano sets and a library with an original fireplace. Guests will also want to check out RedFarm, where chef Joe Ng serves clever takes on Chinese fare and dim sum, such as oxtail dumplings and BBQ duck lettuce wraps.

The owners of this bi-level bar in the Prime Tower took great pains to create its visually stunning speakeasy-style décor: the impressive 80-year-old wooden bar and six tons of subway tiles were shipped from New York City. On a recent evening, patrons sipped whiskeys from Japan and ginger wines from Scotland to a soundtrack that ranged from Bob Dylan’s “Mississippi” to Fink’s “Blueberry Pancakes.”

Bourbon and Branch is a traditional speakeasy. Their 8 house rules—hushed voices and no cell phones among them—encourage neighborly conversation in a very relaxed setting. It’s a great way to meet people if you’re traveling alone as well. There is a binder’s worth of libations here that are each expertly prepared by resident ‘mixologists.’ Don’t forget the password—they’ll give it to you when you make a reservation. It’s all part of the fun!

Most people in the city know The Battery as an exclusive social club, but did you know it also houses a 14-suite, boutique hotel, open to members and non-members alike? Featuring a maximalist decor that channels the many sides of San Francisco—be it Chinatown inspired motifs on the curtains or beams from the old ships that used to dock in this location (this area was once water)—the hotel will remind you where you are at every twist and turn. Rooms are spacious, comfortable, and impeccably designed.

This is a slightly odd place. It’s in the middle of a commercial area, with no restaurants in sight. If you get to the right block, it’s actually behind a large building. You have to knock and be let in like a speakeasy. Once inside, it’s a pretty normal expat locale. The first floor is a Spanish restaurant, supposedly with one of the only wood-burning pizza ovens in Xi’an. Downstairs is the real Green Molly, an Irish pub. You can also order food here. The pizza was disappointing, but the Caprese salad and potato skins were outrageously good. Green Molly is 200 meters north of Ginwa Shopping Center on the intersection of Gaoxin Road and Keji Road. It is behind the GAOKE building.

Tucked away beneath the Pike Place Market — halfway down the long staircase to the waterfront known as the Hill Climb — is the Zig Zag Cafe, a charming little cocktail bar with a distinctly speakeasy-esque atmosphere. The craft cocktail menu boasts obscure liqueurs and spirits you’ve never heard of, but their knowledgeable servers and bartenders are happy to explain and guide you to your ideal drink. During happy hour, cocktails are $4 off, and food discounts are offered. We loved the Pendennis, a sweet-tart drink with gin, apricot brandy, lime juice, and Peychaud’s bitters. The dinner menu is small but intriguing, with offerings such as braised rabbit and camel burgers.

Nestled in midtown Miami, Bardot is a lounge that locals love due to its low-key vibe and speakeasy-like setting. The lounge feels more like someone’s home than a bar, with bookshelves lining the walls, filled with random items and stacks of coffee table books. While Bardot offers VIP bottle service, it also brings live music to the living room-like setting, letting concertgoers get up close to the acts, followed by a DJ dance party. The best part? After a late night out, you can hop next door to sister restaurant Gigi for Korean barbecue. Pork buns and cornbread, anyone?

Come for a sip of the Cliff Bell at happy hour (that’s Dewar’s Scotch, sweet vermouth, Absinthe Ordinare, and orange bitters), stay for the live jazz and the lively 1930’s atmosphere. Cliff Bell’s jazz bar in downtown Detroit is a slinky watering hole, and a legendary one at that, named for speakeasy owner and colorful local entrepreneur John Clifford Bell. Although the club was shuttered for 20 years from 1985 to 2005, it now swings on with nightly live music and even serves up bottomless mimosas for Sunday brunch.

No signs designate this speakeasy-style bar located near Dupont Circle, but rather a green light and a relief of Senator Morris Sheppard, namesake and architect behind the Sheppard Bone-Dry Act of 1917 banning booze in DC. Upon seeing the green light, enter the lobby and take an escorted elevator ride to the second floor where a 35-seat small, sexy, dark place with banquettes, chandeliers, and photos from DC’s prohibition era awaits you. While enjoying the bevy of rotating cocktails and snacks like deviled eggs with caviar and key lime pie, honor the following rule: no photography inside.

Why we love it: A conveniently located boutique property where history meets hip

The Highlights:
- A location just steps from bustling Market Square
- Handcrafted furniture and local art throughout the property
- A popular speakeasy that draws guests and locals

The Review:
From the team behind the recently refurbished Hotel Clermont in Atlanta and the design-forward Fairlane Hotel in Nashville, The Oliver shares the same dedication to historical preservation and cool, minimalist design as its sister properties. It’s also extremely convenient, with a location near Knoxville’s popular Market Square and some of the most beloved restaurants in the city. The circa 1876 building was home to a bakery, a drug store, and a dancing hall before becoming a hotel in time for the 1982 World’s Fair. When two young developers took control of the property in 2011, they set out to create a hotel that honored that history but also offered the modern amenities guests crave. Their success is your gain at this boutique stay, which features 28 elegant rooms filled with regional art, handcrafted furniture, and fixtures created by local artists.

Dining options include Oliver Royale, which uses ingredients from local farms and purveyors in its elevated comfort food, and an outpost of the popular farm-to-table Tupelo Honey café, where guests can enjoy lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch just steps from the hotel lobby. Most notable, however, is the much-buzzed-about Peter Kern Library, with its speakeasy vibe and craft cocktails. Now that the word is out, patrons line up under the red lamp in the alley that marks the secret entrance, but hotel guests can just stroll in through a door in the lobby like they own the joint.

Billy Club opened in Allentown toward the end of 2015 in a formerly boarded-up apartment building turned contemporary hideaway. From the start, owners Dan Hagen and Jake Strawser focused on cocktails, in part inspired by the speakeasy that operated out of the building during Prohibition. Drinks here are creative and delicious, made with top-notch spirits and local ingredients. There’s also a strong focus on whiskey, as well as a full food menu with dishes like house-made pasta, whole trout, and aged duck breast with figs. While you should definitely try one of the whiskey cocktails, you should also visit during Sunday brunch for the Bloody Mary—it’s one of the best in Buffalo.