Neha Mehrotra
01-Jul-2025
From Delhi to Goa and beyond, we’ve found the hidden bars, secret codes, and smoky cocktails worth whispering about; just don’t spill all the tea or the cocktail!
Speakeasies were born in the 1920s America, where alcohol was illegal and the best parties were invitation-only. A century later and several time zones away, the vibe has travelled—sans the ban, but with all the secrecy. India’s speakeasy bars have no problem pouring you a drink, but they do make you work for it. Hidden behind vending machines, disguised as cafés, or revealed only through cryptic Instagram codes, these cocktail dens are more puzzle than pub. Here are the best speakeasies in India for nights you’ll want to remember, but sip in secrecy!
1. Pass Code Only, Delhi
To enter, you need to dial a secret code on an old-fashioned rotary phone to gain access which changes two to three times a week, and the door to the bar is accessible only for five seconds. If this hasn’t already caught your attention, ‘The Director’s Room’ offers an omakase cocktail menu where you can pick your ingredients and let the mixologist do its magic. Inside the speakeasy, you will find a cosy atmosphere, vintage décor, dim lighting, and plush leather seating.
2. PVT LTD, Hyatt Centric Chandigarh
Behind an unmarked door in a hotel lobby is this speakeasy bar in Chandigarh, which is the city’s best-kept secret, where access is invite-only and the vibes are straight out of the Roaring Twenties. Inside, it’s all velvet charm with jazz on vinyl, low lighting, and innovative cocktails. The Member’s Reserve lets you store your bottle in your own locker.
3. ZLB23, The Leela Palace, Bengaluru
This Kyoto-inspired speakeasy bar hidden within Zia’s legendary garden at the Leela Palace Bengaluru invites you to embark on a journey through time. Upon arrival, you are greeted by a discreet entrance and you can ask the expert mixologist, “What’s special today?” A must-try is the Kyoto Sunrise, a tribute to Japan’s Land of the Rising Sun. Complementing the exquisite cocktails is a menu of gourmet delights and live musical performances.
4. Koi Bar, St. Regis Mumbai
One of the most obvious reasons to visit Koi Bar is its extensive bar menu which runs into 15 pages! Located on the 37th floor of The St. Regis Mumbai, the sleek and stark bar serves Nikkei-inspired cocktails, Pisco sours, Japanese sake, whisky and a lot more. The bar is designed as a lounge, with a high ceiling, plush sofas and sprawling views of the city.
5. Lair, Delhi
A quick glance at one of the best bars in India and the shadowy glass-brick façade may not reveal much. But step through, and you enter a world built on contrast and restraint—all black concrete, mirrored accents, soft uplighting, and long corridors that feel like a set from a neo-noir thriller. Signature cocktails like the Coorg Highball and Hummingbird echo the bar's local-meets-global spirit and the pan-Asian menu perfectly complements the expertly crafted cocktails.
6. Cocktails and Dreams, Gurgaon
With live music every week, trivia nights every Friday, and hands-on cocktail workshops, there's always something happening here. Tucked away in an unassuming Gurgaon market, this classic speakeasy hides in plain sight. At first glance, it’s just a café—until you discover the discreet staircase. As you descend into the basement, the atmosphere transforms into a 1920s Prohibition-era escape. Think flapper-era artwork, walls scribbled with vintage cocktail recipes, rustic grills, and weathered wood underfoot. The bar serves everything from classics to bold New Age signatures, all set against the lore of bootleggers, rumrunners, and moonshiners.
7. Ocho, Mumbai
Ocho is anything but your average night out; you step into an elevator, breeze past a door marked “Authorised Personnel Only”, and find yourself in a 2,500-square-foot underground lair that feels like entering the Mayan region with plush purple Chesterfields, limestone Mayan carvings, and volcanic ceiling details. The cocktail menu—13 concoctions inspired by the Mayan calendar’s moons is as mystical as the setting. Add in lamb birria tacos, jackfruit tostadas, and crispy mushroom empanadas, and you’ve got yourself a Latin American séance with a very stylish setting.
8. 1240 Bar, Goa
Disguised behind a library door at Big Fat Sandwich, this speakeasy takes its secrecy seriously- no Google Maps link, no glowing neon signage, and absolutely no walk-ins without the secret code. Once inside, 1240 delivers a vibe that’s intimate, unpretentious, and brimming with character. The cocktail menu leans experimental—seasonal, spirit-forward, and often laced with locally sourced ingredients. The bar also plays host to live music sets, quiz nights, pop-up gigs, and creative takeovers.
Cover Credits: Instagram @ochobandra
