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The ceiling of a Norigami’s hidden bar is decorated with origami cranes.
Each of Houston’s speakeasies brings something different to the average drinking experience.
Jenn Duncan

15 Houston Speakeasies to Spice Up Your Night

Hideaway, sip cocktails, and spill secrets at some of Houston’s most alluring and hidden hotspots

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Each of Houston’s speakeasies brings something different to the average drinking experience.
| Jenn Duncan

As a throwback to the Prohibition era when bars had to be hidden due to strict laws on the sale of alcohol, speakeasies have found a new light in today’s drinking landscape, adding a heavy dose of mystique to an otherwise average night out.

Houston is home to many such bars, including a mix of tried-and-true watering holes and exciting new destinations that offer a lot more than what you see at first glance. From a vibe dining restaurant disguised as a cinema to a cocktail bar hidden behind a bookshelf, passage through these gateways will lead you to some of the most exclusive drinking places in the city. Here are some of the best speakeasy-style bars and restaurants Houston has to offer.

This map has been updated to remove Quiote and include newer speakeasies like James, Meo Bar, Norigami, and Sushi by Hidden.

Don’t see your favorite speakeasy on the list? Shout it out in the comments.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Mèo Bar

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Head into the bright Tex-Asian restaurant Wokker, spot cowboy-hat-wearing money cat and lift up the nearby framed kitty portrait to reveal a doorbell. Press the button, and enter a world of moody mystery, mirrors, and hand-crafted cocktails, including a refreshing tomato water martini and a lychee gimlet. Light bites, including dumplings and dim sum-inspired dishes, are also available to order if you work up an appetite.

Patton's

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Look to your left and you may imagine that you’re in the company of the Rat Pack at this moody Heights steakhouse. Known as a restaurant within a restaurant, Patton’s is located inside its more relaxed counterpart, Savoir, and can be accessed via a hidden door behind the bar. The 38-seat restaurant is an homage to old-world American steakhouses of yesteryear. Find all the classics, from rib-eyes and New York strips to shrimp cocktails, alongside live jazz performances.

Patton’s dark and moody dining area, illuminated by small lamps and chandeliers.
Patton’s moody dining area will make your experience feel like the best-kept secret.
Barrett Doke

Mijo’s at Cantina Barba

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Go to Cantina Barba for the late night eats, and stay for a drink in the restaurant’s hidden mezcal bar, coined Mijo’s. Try a mezcal flight or a mezcal-fueled cocktails served aflame, then pose for a picture in front of the dramatic wall of skulls.

Kanpai Club

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Located in a secret alleyway accessible by a door inside the Hando dining room, this 10-seat bar serves up innovative cocktails which change with the seasons. Expect drinks like yuzu white negronis and shochu highballs, presented in festive vessels. Hungry? Order small bites from next door, including dishes like crispy chicken kara-age or wagyu kushiyaki skewers.

an array of tropical cocktails sitting on a bar, including a drink served in a coconut-shaped mug with a tiny umbrella
Cheeky drinks and delicious bits. What more could you want?
Kanpai Club

Accessing this elusive, membership-only speakeasy might take some research. The bar, helmed by Permission bar owner, is membership-only and technically off-the-grid, meaning, there’s no website, email address, or phone number available to get more information. Instead, interested bargoers must “inquire within” at Permission about the bar, and only then might they be able to enter the next-door bar, which promises rare whiskeys, cocktails, and personalized menus and drinks for its members.

The bar at James.
James is Houston’s newest open secret.
James

Sugar Room

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Walk into this bar, and you might mistake it for a dessert shop. A few steps in, and through the passageway of a back storage room, you’ll be transported to a vibrant, Prohibition-style bar complete with a spacious patio. Like the space, the cocktails are attractive, made in whimsical colors and with dehydrated fruit and rose petal garnishes.

HandleBar

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This lively Washington Ave. bar is a good time, but find the hidden Tom Selleck-themed room inside for something really unique. The secret “Magnum Room” is an homage to Selleck’s iconic 80’s series Magnum P.I. and is over the top, in a tongue-in-cheek way. Expect tiki-themed cocktails, Tom Selleck posters galore, and retro decor and memorabilia.

The exterior sign of Handle Bar.
A secret Tom Selleck-themed room is hidden inside Handle Bar.
HandleBar/Facebook

Houston Watch Company

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Located in the historic Southern Pacific Railroad building in downtown, this former watch shop turned bar is a great place to get an Old Fashioned and pretend you’re an extra in Boardwalk Empire. Brown spirits are plentiful, and the cocktails are classic. Pick your poison, and explore the storied two-level space.

Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar & Spirit Lodge

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What appears to be the entry to a downtown law office is actually the passage way to one of downtown’s most beloved cocktail bars. Venture up the narrow staircase, and find a bar with a terrace peering over Main Street below. Armed with a large spirits and wine list, the bartenders at Bad News Bar craft imaginative cocktails that change seasonally.

Bandista

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Like something out of a movie, this ultra-exclusive, reservation-only cocktail bar is quietly situated behind a bookcase within the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown, and it requires a code to enter. Once inside, prepare to be wowed with head-turning cocktails and pours of rare premium spirits, presented in vintage glassware, in a chic and sophisticated setting.

A brown cocktail in a goblet topped with a bread garnish.
Cocktails are presented in vintage glassware at Bandista.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Emilia’s Havana

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What was once a storage room inside the Annie Cafe & Bar has been transformed into a Cuban-themed bar with a hidden entrance that can only be accessed from the restaurant’s kitchen. Once inside, help yourself to a drink from the working rum fountain, and settle in for live musical performances, fruity cocktails, and elevated bar snacks like papas and caviar, crab croquetas, and lobster empanadas.

The interior of Emilia’s Havana with banquettes, a fountain, a live music stage, and a neon sign that reads “Emilia’s”.
Emilia’s Havana has live entertainment and a working rum fountain.
Jenn Duncan

The illuminated marquee prominently displayed in the Americana development may lead you to believe a movie theater lies beyond, but don’t be fooled. A mock cinema entrance, complete with a ticket counter and concession stand, actually leads into a sprawling restaurant and patio with a Hollywood-theme. Juliet offers lavishly ornate dishes like twin lobster tails, double cut pork chops, and the Golden Star, a tomahawk rib-eye wrapped in 24-karat gold.

Juliet’s entrance, which looks like a movie theater with bright lights.
Dining cinephiles will enjoy this movie theater-themed speakeasy and restaurant.
In-House Social

Norigami

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Make a reservation at Norigami, where hand rolls and crudo reign supreme, and then slip into the Hidden bar, quite literally hidden behind an obscure door on the right. Adhering to the restaurant’s theme of origami, the restaurant’s ceiling is decorated with hundreds of origami cranes and lit up with pink and purple fluorescent lighting. The drinks are just as pretty, with the Paper Crane, a mixture of bourbon, Jamaican rum, Jamaican bitters, aperol, Campari, and pineapple, coming in a nifty glass with a miniature paper crane as a garnish.

A bar lit up with fluorescent pink and purple lights and decorated with origami cranes.
Norigami’s hidden bar has just 24 seats, offering a quaint but vibrant cocktail experience.
Jenn Duncan

Lees Den

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This wine bar and restaurant is located atop the Local Foods Market in Rice Village, and can be accessed by a hidden door on the side of the building. Once upstairs, the bright and airy space offers comfortable indoor seating with a covered patio looking onto the village. Peruse the well-curated wines, sourced from trusted producers, and pair a bottle with snacks like pistachio whipped goat cheese, oysters on the half shell, and umami black cod in miso.

Covered outdoor patio with booth seating and globe lighting.
The covered patio at Lee’s Den overlooks Rice Village.
Jenn Duncan

Sushi by Hidden

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From the owners of Hidden Omakase comes a second speakeasy focused on sushi. Nestled in Rice Village behind what is perceived as an art gallery, Sushi by Hidden offers a 10-seat, speedy 30-minute sushi experience, with a front-row seat to chefs packing nigiri bites full of flavor. Since it’s BYOB, feel free to bring your own bottle of wine, or stop into a nearby restaurant or bar after for a little imbibing.

Sushi by Hidden’s sushi bar, with just 10 seats.
On the outside, it looks like a museum gallery. On the inside, it’s a sushi dream.
Rodrigo “Kico” Tovar

Mèo Bar

Head into the bright Tex-Asian restaurant Wokker, spot cowboy-hat-wearing money cat and lift up the nearby framed kitty portrait to reveal a doorbell. Press the button, and enter a world of moody mystery, mirrors, and hand-crafted cocktails, including a refreshing tomato water martini and a lychee gimlet. Light bites, including dumplings and dim sum-inspired dishes, are also available to order if you work up an appetite.

Patton's

Look to your left and you may imagine that you’re in the company of the Rat Pack at this moody Heights steakhouse. Known as a restaurant within a restaurant, Patton’s is located inside its more relaxed counterpart, Savoir, and can be accessed via a hidden door behind the bar. The 38-seat restaurant is an homage to old-world American steakhouses of yesteryear. Find all the classics, from rib-eyes and New York strips to shrimp cocktails, alongside live jazz performances.

Patton’s dark and moody dining area, illuminated by small lamps and chandeliers.
Patton’s moody dining area will make your experience feel like the best-kept secret.
Barrett Doke

Mijo’s at Cantina Barba

Go to Cantina Barba for the late night eats, and stay for a drink in the restaurant’s hidden mezcal bar, coined Mijo’s. Try a mezcal flight or a mezcal-fueled cocktails served aflame, then pose for a picture in front of the dramatic wall of skulls.

Kanpai Club

Located in a secret alleyway accessible by a door inside the Hando dining room, this 10-seat bar serves up innovative cocktails which change with the seasons. Expect drinks like yuzu white negronis and shochu highballs, presented in festive vessels. Hungry? Order small bites from next door, including dishes like crispy chicken kara-age or wagyu kushiyaki skewers.

an array of tropical cocktails sitting on a bar, including a drink served in a coconut-shaped mug with a tiny umbrella
Cheeky drinks and delicious bits. What more could you want?
Kanpai Club

James

Accessing this elusive, membership-only speakeasy might take some research. The bar, helmed by Permission bar owner, is membership-only and technically off-the-grid, meaning, there’s no website, email address, or phone number available to get more information. Instead, interested bargoers must “inquire within” at Permission about the bar, and only then might they be able to enter the next-door bar, which promises rare whiskeys, cocktails, and personalized menus and drinks for its members.

The bar at James.
James is Houston’s newest open secret.
James

Sugar Room

Walk into this bar, and you might mistake it for a dessert shop. A few steps in, and through the passageway of a back storage room, you’ll be transported to a vibrant, Prohibition-style bar complete with a spacious patio. Like the space, the cocktails are attractive, made in whimsical colors and with dehydrated fruit and rose petal garnishes.

HandleBar

This lively Washington Ave. bar is a good time, but find the hidden Tom Selleck-themed room inside for something really unique. The secret “Magnum Room” is an homage to Selleck’s iconic 80’s series Magnum P.I. and is over the top, in a tongue-in-cheek way. Expect tiki-themed cocktails, Tom Selleck posters galore, and retro decor and memorabilia.

The exterior sign of Handle Bar.
A secret Tom Selleck-themed room is hidden inside Handle Bar.
HandleBar/Facebook

Houston Watch Company

Located in the historic Southern Pacific Railroad building in downtown, this former watch shop turned bar is a great place to get an Old Fashioned and pretend you’re an extra in Boardwalk Empire. Brown spirits are plentiful, and the cocktails are classic. Pick your poison, and explore the storied two-level space.

Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar & Spirit Lodge

What appears to be the entry to a downtown law office is actually the passage way to one of downtown’s most beloved cocktail bars. Venture up the narrow staircase, and find a bar with a terrace peering over Main Street below. Armed with a large spirits and wine list, the bartenders at Bad News Bar craft imaginative cocktails that change seasonally.

Bandista

Like something out of a movie, this ultra-exclusive, reservation-only cocktail bar is quietly situated behind a bookcase within the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown, and it requires a code to enter. Once inside, prepare to be wowed with head-turning cocktails and pours of rare premium spirits, presented in vintage glassware, in a chic and sophisticated setting.

A brown cocktail in a goblet topped with a bread garnish.
Cocktails are presented in vintage glassware at Bandista.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Emilia’s Havana

What was once a storage room inside the Annie Cafe & Bar has been transformed into a Cuban-themed bar with a hidden entrance that can only be accessed from the restaurant’s kitchen. Once inside, help yourself to a drink from the working rum fountain, and settle in for live musical performances, fruity cocktails, and elevated bar snacks like papas and caviar, crab croquetas, and lobster empanadas.

The interior of Emilia’s Havana with banquettes, a fountain, a live music stage, and a neon sign that reads “Emilia’s”.
Emilia’s Havana has live entertainment and a working rum fountain.
Jenn Duncan

Juliet

The illuminated marquee prominently displayed in the Americana development may lead you to believe a movie theater lies beyond, but don’t be fooled. A mock cinema entrance, complete with a ticket counter and concession stand, actually leads into a sprawling restaurant and patio with a Hollywood-theme. Juliet offers lavishly ornate dishes like twin lobster tails, double cut pork chops, and the Golden Star, a tomahawk rib-eye wrapped in 24-karat gold.

Juliet’s entrance, which looks like a movie theater with bright lights.
Dining cinephiles will enjoy this movie theater-themed speakeasy and restaurant.
In-House Social

Norigami

Make a reservation at Norigami, where hand rolls and crudo reign supreme, and then slip into the Hidden bar, quite literally hidden behind an obscure door on the right. Adhering to the restaurant’s theme of origami, the restaurant’s ceiling is decorated with hundreds of origami cranes and lit up with pink and purple fluorescent lighting. The drinks are just as pretty, with the Paper Crane, a mixture of bourbon, Jamaican rum, Jamaican bitters, aperol, Campari, and pineapple, coming in a nifty glass with a miniature paper crane as a garnish.

A bar lit up with fluorescent pink and purple lights and decorated with origami cranes.
Norigami’s hidden bar has just 24 seats, offering a quaint but vibrant cocktail experience.
Jenn Duncan

Lees Den

This wine bar and restaurant is located atop the Local Foods Market in Rice Village, and can be accessed by a hidden door on the side of the building. Once upstairs, the bright and airy space offers comfortable indoor seating with a covered patio looking onto the village. Peruse the well-curated wines, sourced from trusted producers, and pair a bottle with snacks like pistachio whipped goat cheese, oysters on the half shell, and umami black cod in miso.

Covered outdoor patio with booth seating and globe lighting.
The covered patio at Lee’s Den overlooks Rice Village.
Jenn Duncan

Sushi by Hidden

From the owners of Hidden Omakase comes a second speakeasy focused on sushi. Nestled in Rice Village behind what is perceived as an art gallery, Sushi by Hidden offers a 10-seat, speedy 30-minute sushi experience, with a front-row seat to chefs packing nigiri bites full of flavor. Since it’s BYOB, feel free to bring your own bottle of wine, or stop into a nearby restaurant or bar after for a little imbibing.

Sushi by Hidden’s sushi bar, with just 10 seats.
On the outside, it looks like a museum gallery. On the inside, it’s a sushi dream.
Rodrigo “Kico” Tovar

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