Prohibition, otherwise known as the Volstead Act or the Eighteenth Amendment, barred the manufacture, transportation, and sale of all alcoholic beverages in America from 1919 to 1933 – but for some people, the appeal of the “forbidden” remains today. Despite the illegality of drinking establishments during prohibition, hidden bars could be found in just about every major American city if you knew where to look. Today, speakeasies are making a comeback in a very big way.

Blind Barber – NYC, Brooklyn & Los Angeles

The name of this establishment may sound like a cruel joke or even an anti-advertisement, but it’s all part of a brand that has come to represent a simpler time. Past generations have enjoyed gathering and socializing in barber shops, and even today customers trade gossip as they get a haircut and enjoy a glass of wine in upscale salons.

This type of community gathering place is recreated in Blind Barber. An old-timey barber shop up front provides a bright and friendly place to sit and shoot the breeze as you enjoy a shave or a trim. Take a little walk through the secret door in the back and you’ll enter an a very different type of space.

The bar is outfitted in rich wood, low lighting, and period-appropriate black and white tiles on the floor. The owners wanted to create not only an enjoyable drinking establishment, but a place where people could get together to socialize, relax, and maybe pretend for a bit that they are part of a small crowd of those who are “in the know” about a secret club.

Flask and The Press – Shanghai

It might be surprising to learn that there is an American-style speakeasy in China (although if you’ve been there you will have seen quite a few), but it’s even more surprising to witness someone actually entering the bar. The building’s front contains a bright, cheery sandwich shop with a classic Coca-Cola machine on the back wall.

Pulling a lever on the soda machine reveals a “secret” passage that leads to Flask, an intimate and delightfully mysterious bar designed by Alberto Caiola. An eclectic mix of furniture calls to mind the furtive nature of assembling these establishments during prohibition.

A floor-to-ceiling display of 25 liter jugs filled with whiskey is a visually stunning detail which may or may not be historically accurate – speakeasies were generally designed to be easy to disassemble if the cops came sniffing around, after all. Regardless, it is still a charming deviation from the loud, crowded urban bar.

Williams & Graham – Denver

The first thing that will strike you as unusual when you walk into the small Denver “bookstore” called simply Williams and Graham is that it’s only open from 5 pm to 1 am. Good news for insomniac bibliophiles, perhaps…or maybe there’s a little more to this story.

At the back of the shop, a heavy curtain swings open to reveal a very cozy little space with scarce seating, low lighting, and vintage furnishings. One can imagine the hoodlums and society folks alike lining up in the 1920s for a tasty libation while always keeping a wary eye trained on the door.

The bar serves cocktails straight out of the prohibition era – though admittedly, not with liquor made in clandestine basements distilleries or delivered only under the cover of night. The establishment emphasizes its mission to replicate the speakeasy with its fancy drinks, relative exclusivity (reservations are recommended), and general air of mystery.

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Secret Speakeasies 6 Bars Clubs Hidden In Plain Sight

If knocking pack a pint in a subterranean Victorian urinal doesn’t sound like a good time to you, read on. Extensive renovations have transformed the most unlikely of settings into quirky and often beautiful places to have a drink, from dumpsters and sheds to historic bank vaults and gothic churches.

The Temple: Victorian Urinal Pub

Once dark, dingy and far from sanitary, a subterranean Victorian urinal is now a popular pub in Manchester, UK. One of the city’s smallest bars, the Temple nevertheless offers a vast array of foreign bottled beers. Meanwhile, in London, a urinal from the same era has now become an eatery after a $150,000 renovation.

Oran Mor Church Pub

Europe is brimming with former places of worship that have since been converted into private residences, hotels and more due to an overabundance of churches that just don’t draw the same crowds that they used to. The Oran Mor in Glasgow, Scotland is just one (particularly stunning) example, which has become one of the nation’s hottest nightspots after a major renovation that includes trippy murals painted all over the ceilings. This may remind some visit of the cultre of a Bratislava night if they ever went on a Bratislava stag do.

Woodhenge Shed Pub

It’s not hard to see why John Plumridge’s handmade backyard structure won Shed of the Year in 2012. After all, not many sheds are lined with hundreds of bottles of ale. Plumridge spent 4 years converting his Woodhenge Pub Shed into “a great venue for family and friends to party in.”

Dumpster Bar

Urban waste and a dumpster became a tiny, charming bar as part of the Foundation Projects by designers Rikkert Paauw and Jet van Zweiten. This adaptive reuse project shapes found materials into little dumpster houses that have practical purposes throughout the cities in which they’re built.

1926 Bank Vault, Chicago

A beautiful 1926 bank vault in Chicago with many of its historic features still intact – including that incredible door – is now known as The Bedford, a local kitchen and bar serving food and cocktails in a signature mix of German and Southern cuisine.

Hop On Inn: Double Decker Bus Pub

Named for its hop-on, hop-off rear platform, the Hop On Inn is a renovated 1966 London double-decker bus that now hosts a full bar downstairs and a lounge area upstairs complete with a stage and removable roof cover for live music. The bus, which once served Piccadilly Circus, is among the last classic Routemasters that were taken out of service in 2005.

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Top-shelf cocktails, fine cuisine and unparalleled views of some of the most exciting cities in the world – what can beat that? These 13 sky bars represent the coolest, most chic rooftop recreation spots in Bangkok, London, Mexico City, Melbourne and of course, New York. Fire pits, live music, movies and stargazing only serve to sweeten the experience.

Sky Bar at Sirocco, Bangkok, Thailand

(images via: femtalks)

Ascend to the heights of one of Bangkok’s top luxury hotels – the second-tallest building in the city – and gaze over the glass walls of the rooftop deck at the sprawling metropolis below. Not only does The Dome State Tower boast the visually thrilling Sky Bar, but the adjoining restaurant, Sirocco, is said to serve food that’s even more impressive than the view.

Rooftop Cinema, Melbourne, Australia

(images via: world architecture news)

This might just be the coolest movie theater in Australia. Oh, yeah, and they serve alcoholic drinks, too – what more can you ask for? Owned and operated by a team of artists, the Rooftop Cinema plays classic, current and art-house films in the open air on the top of a six-story building. Sit back and relax in a colorful striped deck chair and just try not to be distracted by the bustle of the city around you.

The Penthouse, Madrid, Spain

(images via: memadrid.com)

Take in the heart of Madrid from The Penthouse, a skybar owned by entrepreneur Rande Gerber and frequented by stars of both the celebrity and celestial variety. The bar’s open until 3AM but you’d better arrive early, because the view here is so sought-after, there’s always a long line to get in. Find it at the top of Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria in Plaza Santa Ana.

The Strand Hotel, New York, New York

(images via: thestrandnyc.com)

Chosen by New York Magazine as Manhattan’s coolest rooftop bar, The Top of the Strand offers a jaw-dropping view of the Empire State Building four blocks away. With visuals dreamed up by Sex and the City set designer Lydia Marks, The Strand skybar dazzles, keeping patrons warm on chilly nights with an unusual retractable glass roof.

Moon, Las Vegas, Nevada

(images via: palms.com)

A wild smashup of the Playboy Club and the Palms, Moon is one of Las Vegas’ hottest tickets.  Located on the 53rd floor of the hotel’s ‘Fantasy Tower’, the space age-themed Moon features a large central dance floor with color-changing tiles surrounded by VIP booths, all offering unparalleled views of The Strip.

Vertigo & Moon Bar, Banyon Tree Bangkok, Thailand

(images via: banyantree.com)

One of the highest al fresco bars in the Asia Pacific, the Moon Bar seems to hover like a spaceship over the chaotic streets of Bangkok. Sip cocktails and partake in canapes, or stroll over to The Vertigo restaurant adjacent to the bar and enjoy premium western cuisine like seafood and steaks. Both the Moon Bar and Vertigo are located on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel.

Gravity, Dublin, Ireland

(images via: bjaglin, savagesteve)

If you’re visiting Dublin, you’ve got to go to the Guinness Storehouse, where Guinness beer is fermented – and naturally, once you’re done taking a tour and working up an appetite for dark yeasty beverages, you’ll want to sit down and enjoy a proper pint. There’s no better place than Gravity, the seventh floor bar with a 360-degree view of the city of Dublin. The glass panels of the walls are printed with James Joyce quotes that relate to landmarks in the distance.

KU DÉ TA at Sands Skypark, Singapore

(images via: marinabaysands.com, senatus)

Ever since they pulled off an impressive feat of architecture by topping three 55-story towers with a ‘sky deck’, Marina Bay Sands has become one of Singapore’s ultimate destinations. Just wandering around the SkyPark could keep you busy all day, and when you’re ready to relax, you can take a seat at KU DÉ TA, a rooftop oasis with the SkyPark’s signature views and one of the world’s most stunning infinity pools.

Rooftop Bar, Standard Hotel, Los Angeles

(images via: bestclubsin.com)

Not only can you catch a stunning view of downtown Los Angeles from atop the Standard Hotel, you can catch a flick projected onto a neighboring skyscraper. The Standard features a dance floor, a pool with curving white lounge chairs and a patio with red waterbed ‘pods’ where you can relax and gaze out at the city.

Luna Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

(images via: ariaski, shayan)

If you want to take in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur – with a drink in hand – look no further than the Luna Bar. On the 34th floor of the Pacific Regency Hotel, beside the KL Tower, the Luna Bar has both upper and lower deck seating areas offering a 360-degree view as well as a tempting swimming pool.

Top of the Gherkin, London, England

(images via: searcys.co.uk)

It may be small but the top floor bar at London’s 30 St. Mary Axe, affectionately known as The Gherkin, is an unforgettable experience. Gaze out the geometric windows at the highest bar in London and get a panoramic view of the city, from a vantage point nearly 600 feet above the ground. Not just anyone can waltz in and have a drink here, however; it’s a very exclusive private lounge and dining club.

Aer at the Four Seasons, Mumbai, India

(images via: fourseasons.com)

Mumbai’s highest rooftop bar is perched atop the chic Four Seasons Hotel, covering the entire roof of the 34th floor. Aer features modern white furniture and a glass balcony wall that might just give you a little bit of vertigo if you approach it too quickly.

Condesa DF Rooftop Bar, Mexico City, Mexico

(images via: mr and mrs smith)

The serenity of this rooftop bar, surrounded by lots of greenery, will almost make you forget you’re in one of the busiest cities in the world. The rooftop spa bar at the Condesa DF, a small boutique hotel in Mexico City, features a triangular space of dark wooden decking where sushi is served. Expect lots of charm and character: the wedge-shaped building itself is an architectural landmark from 1928 and it’s located in a very boho-chic neighborhood.