Hidden Pubs: Discover Secret Bars and Speakeasies Around the World

When you think of a hidden pub, a quiet, hard-to-find bar that avoids tourist crowds and offers real atmosphere. Also known as secret bar, it’s not just about being out of sight—it’s about being in the know. These places don’t advertise. They don’t have neon signs. You find them by word of mouth, by following a local’s glance, or by noticing a door that looks like it leads to a storage closet. The best ones feel like they’ve been there since the 1920s, even if they opened last year. They’re the kind of spots where the bartender remembers your name after one visit, and the music isn’t blasting—it’s just there, like a quiet conversation you weren’t supposed to overhear.

These speakeasies, a type of hidden bar that often mimics Prohibition-era secrecy with password entries or disguised entrances. Also known as underground bar, it’s more than a gimmick—it’s a ritual. You don’t just walk in. You find the right alley, knock three times, maybe say a phrase. In London, a city where hidden pubs thrive in old basements and behind bookshelves. Also known as British pub culture, it’s where you’ll find a whiskey that’s been aging since before you were born, served by someone who’s seen it all. In Abu Dhabi, a place where luxury and discretion blend, and the best bars hide inside hotels or private clubs. Also known as UAE nightlife, you won’t find them on Google Maps. You need someone who knows the city’s rhythm—the quiet after midnight, when the lights dim and the real crowd arrives. And in Berlin, a city where hidden pubs live in abandoned factories and basement rooms with no name on the door. Also known as alternative nightlife, the vibe is raw, real, and rarely polished. You go for the music, the people, the feeling that you’ve slipped into something private.

What makes these places special isn’t the drinks—it’s the story. The bartender who used to be a jazz musician. The wall covered in handwritten notes from regulars over the last decade. The fact that you didn’t know it existed until someone whispered, "Come with me." These aren’t just bars. They’re experiences you can’t book online. You can’t pay extra to get in. You have to earn it—by being curious, by listening, by wandering off the map.

Below, you’ll find real guides to the kind of places locals swear by—from the dim corners of Parisian backstreets to the rooftop secrets of Monaco. No fluff. No fake reviews. Just the places that actually matter after the tourist crowds go home.