The Emerald Isle, a land known for its pubs and famous black beer! While we do enjoy a well pulled pint of Guinness, you know our true hearts desire lies in the depths of a well-hidden speakeasy flowing with luscious libations and a sultry atmosphere.
A reservation is necessary for this tiny bar not only to secure your space, but to obtain instructions for how to find the venue itself. And there are a lot of steps: a code, an alley, a sign, and a password. It was the most fun entrance we’ve had in a long time, and the nature of a true speakeasy!
The Blind Pig in Dublin continues this tradition as a fun basement bar found behind a bookshelf underneath an Italian restaurant. The establishment is narrow and dark creating the feel of secrecy without feeling in any way pretentious.
This little hole in the wall is a dark rustic room on the lower level for walk ins reminiscent of a castle dungeon mixed with a knights of templar secret pub. While this level is plenty enjoyable for the drinks alone, to truly experience Peruke & Periwig you need to make a reservation to be seated upstairs.
Headed South to Cork, we find a really neat hidden bar called Upstairs, and you guessed it, you can find it above it’s parent establishment – Arthur Mayne’s. This intimate bar had a funky vibe that gave off a relaxed groovy atmosphere. The two tiny rooms that make up the space provide a few tables for intimacy among guests and friends.
Now the Prince of Wales bar is not a true speakeasy – but you have to know its there to find it, and it has a vintage atmosphere from a bygone era that we also appreciate spending an afternoon sitting in.
Margot was an excellent start to our Emerald Isle tour, they were open for lunch and allowed us an early pop in to gain sustenance in the form of both alcohol and fantastic food. This bar does not offer typical pub fare – the menu was as culturally diverse as it was intricate.
Late April 2022 we had the chance to stopover London for two nights and tried to hit a number of Speakeasies to add to the map. Our first visit to London in 2017 was just before we started the blog and hadn’t taken good notes or pictures. Unfortunately, London has shamefully been ill represented by Hidden Libations.
Located in a shop that looks like an abandoned suit store from the 90s, this long-time speakeasy still had a lovely local feel without the tourist hoopla that typically comes with age and maintained a regular subterranean basement living room atmosphere.
A rather grungy drinking spot, the cocktails are nothing fancy but delicious, and chatting with the staff was the best part. DSC makes you feel relaxed, at home, and ready to return. We certainly wish we had a local bar like this near our home to frequent for the lovely community vibe.
Very small hidden neighborhood bar. This speakeasy was interesting to find because it felt right in the middle of a residential district. No theme to this place, just a nonchalant local drinking hole that’s not easy to see unless you know where to look. The drinks were very unique and very tasty; even better was their great selection of mocktails.
This bar was so quirky and fun! Definitely a unique theme we enjoyed and would recommend people visiting. The only caveat is that it didn’t feel like a speakeasy, but more just off the beaten path. The bar is found on a bendy alley off the main road, but it’s clearly marked and has lights pointing you downstairs. The drinks were more typical but good and it was a fun place overall.
Disrepute was by far our favorite this time around in London. Located in the ever-popular Kingly Court – Disrepute avoids the tacky tourism and stays true to its elegance. You walk in on a red carpet to its classy mod atmosphere which was as sophisticated as its libations. The cocktails are carefully crafted to elevate your evening to new heights. Light bar snacks are included and the wait staff is well educated on their menu and can gracefully help you decide what to imbibe for the night.