Speakeasies in Washington DC
Washington's speakeasies hide behind bookshelves and steel doors. The best speakeasies in Washington DC start at Allegory, behind an unmarked door in the Eaton DC's library: walk-ins only, waits up to three hours, No. 57 on the 51-100 list of North America's 50 Best Bars 2026 and the Spirited Awards' World's Best Cocktail Menu this year. Denson Liquor Bar is down a 6th Street staircase, booths bookable, the bar first come, first served. Code Red in Adams Morgan asks for the code at its steel door, OKPB is a walk-up above a Mount Pleasant dentist with no reservations, and The Wells sits between its sister restaurants by Eastern Market. These are the five we would start with.
★ TOP 10SPIRITEDSpeakeasyAllegory
Allegory is a cocktail bar behind a nondescript door in the library of the Eaton DC hotel on K Street. A mural by Erik Thor Sandberg spans the bar and retells Alice in Wonderland through the eyes of Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to desegregate the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960. Each menu is built as an illustrated story; the current one, Banned in D.C., draws on censored art and literature. The bar won World's Best Cocktail Menu at the 2026 Spirited Awards and the Best Cocktail Menu Award from North America's 50 Best Bars in 2023 and 2026.
1201 K St NW, Washington, DC 20005Mon-Thu 5pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-1:30am; Closed SunFull profile
SpeakeasyDenson Liquor Bar
Denson Liquor Bar occupies the lower level of 600 F Street NW in Penn Quarter, reached by a staircase on 6th Street opposite the fire station. The art deco room pairs craft cocktails such as the Maltese Swift, a rye sour with blood orange, honey and egg white, with fine spirits and a full food menu served until 10:30pm. Booths can be reserved, while the bar and its high tops stay first come, first served.
600 F St NW, Lower Level, Washington, DC 20004Tue-Thu 4:30pm-1am, Fri-Sat 4:30pm-2am, closed Sun-MonFull profile- Code RedSpeakeasy
Code Red
Code Red is a Prohibition-era themed speakeasy in Adams Morgan, entered through an unmarked steel door by speaking a code when the red light is on. The room is dark red, staff dress in period style, swing music plays, and the cocktail list is arranged by before, during and after Prohibition, with a long absinthe selection. It belongs to the American Dream Restaurant Group, which also runs Roofers Union next door, and offers cocktail classes and allocated bottles.
2440 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009Mon 5pm-10pm, Tue-Wed 5pm-11pm, Thu 5pm-1am, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am, closed SunFull profile - OKPBSpeakeasy
OKPB
OKPB is a second-floor walk-up cocktail bar on Mount Pleasant Street with room for about 30 guests. It takes no reservations and seats parties of up to six from a wait list, and the bartenders work from a menu that changes often plus a bartender's choice option built around each guest's preferences. A weekday happy hour from 5pm to 7pm puts martinis, Manhattans, mules and Fitzgeralds at half price.
3165 Mount Pleasant St NW, Floor 2, Washington, DC 20010Mon-Tue 5pm-12am, Wed 5pm-10pm, Thu-Sat 5pm-12am, closed SunFull profile - The WellsSpeakeasy
The Wells
The Wells is a gin bar near Eastern Market, set in a small 1920s Art Deco room with banquettes and low light, from restaurateur Hollis Silverman's group behind Duck and Peach and La Collina. The cocktail list is built on gin and changes with the seasons, with a selection of sipping gins from around the world and zero-proof drinks. Seating is by reservation for groups of one to four with a time limit, and snacks include caviar with potato chips.
727 C St SE, Washington, DC 20003Wed-Sat 5pm-11pm, closed Sun-TueFull profile
More of Washington DC
These are the speakeasies specifically. The full Washington DC guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 30 with a map and filters.
