I attended the Venice Beach Fest. While roaming around Windward Avenue, the only street that…read moreremains from Abbot Kinney's Venice of America other than the 6 canals, I went into the Del Monte Speakeasy. Located in the basement of Townhouse in Venice, the Del Monte Speakeasy has been a hidden hideout since 1915. During Prohibition, Townhouse secretly operated the space located underneath a grocery store that served illegal hooch smuggled from the former Abbot Kinney Pier through underground tunnels. Today, the hooch is done, replaced instead with fancy-pants handcrafted cocktails, as well as live entertainment including local bands, comedy, jazz and vaudeville acts.

Bouncer/security guard outside said "no, we do not let dogs inside, not even service animals, dog"…read morewas inside the bar there the other night with my dog at the townhouse bar in venice. The next day i come back they did not let me in anymore, he said service animal, dogs only allowed on the patio. Well, this place should hire security and manager that a service dog is allowed inside and anywhere in public spaces by law. I have been to other speakeasy in orange county and las vegas, they did let me in. This place is just disappointing. The guy in the picture does not know what service animals are for people with disabilities. Places like this should educate their employees.

Very cool hidden tiki bar! The decor is great, really sets the vibe. Not too busy on Thursday…read morenight, but not dead either. Sat at the bar for drinks and appetizers. Not super attentive service considering there were only a few parties at the bar, but our bartender (woman with long wavy hair) was kind and made delish drinks. The coconut shrimp was great too. Karaoke started a little after 8:00pm. Not sure if that's a regular thing, but it was fun to watch! Happy Hour is only one hour a day on weekdays (5-6pm) which was a bit of a bummer because we arrived at 6:30 and thought it went until 7 or 8, but now we know. Would be awesome if it was still 5-8pm like it seems it used to be. Overall a fun time and we'll likely be back!

We recently visited Secret Island Tiki which has been on our list for a while. It is located on the…read morecorner of Broadway and Pine under Shannon's. We parked in the multi-story parking garage behind Hamburger Mary's. Secret Island is a little over a block away. You can make reservations on OpenTable. It has a bit of a speakeasy entrance, as it is not plainly marked. Look for the staircase going down with greenery around it and the Secret Island sign downstairs. Go right at the bottom of the stairs and there is a little walkway where you see a very cool tiki display. It you stay there long enough, the lights will flash and you will hear thunder. Walk a little further and go through the door to enter. I was blown away by the atmosphere and build. Kudos to Bamboo Ben! It is dimly lit with a ton of cave wall, bamboo, thatch, netting, tiki lights, floats, skulls, tikis, and other décor. The bar is loaded with bottles and looks great with dark blue and green backlighting. The bar top is wood with deep cutouts that are filled with clear epoxy. The booths in the main dining area are little tiki huts and even have clouds overhead. There was great tiki music playing the whole time. A few times an hour a thunderstorm hits. The lights dim, lightning flashes with thunder sound effects, and red lights illuminate cracks in the floor that looks like lava veins. There is also a photo-op "Pele's Throne" which is a big lava rock surrounded chair. We sat at the bar and had the coconut shrimp appetizer ($12). The shrimp were breaded and cooked well, and had a coconut sprinkle on top. The spicy dipping sauce complemented the shrimp well. I started out with the Drunken Monkey (Makers Mark 46, Jamaican rum, banana liqueur, cinnamon, allspice, Angostura bitters, normally $19, $17 during happy hour). It was somewhat bourbon forward with a little funk from the Jamaican rum. I definitely got the cinnamon notes with a little banana and allspice in the background. She started out with the El Capitan Hook (Del Maguey mezcal, pineapple, banana liqueur, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lime, $17, $15 during happy hour). This was smoke forward with light pineapple and banana flavor. I had the Hula burger ($18) which was very good with a lot of different flavors from the various toppings. It came with a decent amount of fries, and was a filling plate. She had the pineapple bowl fried rice and added with BBQ pork ($17 + $5 for pork add-on). It is served in half of a scooped out pineapple and had a good amount of rice with pork and green onions on top. It had a good mix of teriyaki sauce on the rice and BBQ sauce on the pork. Next, I had the Rum Runner (coconut and blended dark rums, banana liqueur, raspberry, grenadine, pineapple, orange, lime, $18, $15 during happy hour). It was very pineapple and coconut forward which overpowered all of the other ingredients. She also had the Let That ManGo (white rhum agricole, coconut, mango, lemon, $18, $16 during happy hour). The primary flavors here were mango with some grassiness from the agricole. We were here from about 6pm to 8pm on a Wednesday night and it was pretty dead with only a few other people in the place the whole time. They do have a stage in the back with live music acts, so it is probably busier when there is entertainment and on weekends. Our first bartender was Alex who was nice but we barely talked with him. Manager Pedro took over the bartender duties later on and we had a great time chatting with him. Service was great from both of them. The drinks are a few dollars above average, but if you come during happy hour, the drinks are several dollars off. Happy hour is currently all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday from 5pm to 8pm. The food was good, the drinks were ok to good, and the atmosphere was great. Normally, this would probably be a one and done, but I really liked the build and would like to come back when it is busier, maybe on a weekend.

This place is located inside a gorgeous shopping center in Irvine…read more It's located inside, Bacchus Bar and Bistro. Which, was extremely crowded. They have tons of parking in this shopping center. They share it with TONS of other places. One of my BFFs saw this on an Instagram video and wanted to check it out. *They do take reservations When we came in we checked in with one of the waitresses. She said she would seat us in a minute. To be honest, she did forget about us. A waiter walked up to us and asked us what was going on (we were standing there for around 7 - 10 minutes) and we told him we had a reservation for the speakeasy. He immediately apologized and sat us. This camp themed speakeasy has a couple booths. It's on the smaller sides. Which, speakeasy's are usually small to begin with. I did not get the waitresses name, my friend and I were busy catching up. The waitress was nice, but not attentive. I will say service was a 2/5. However, the actual restaurant, cozy pine is located in, was packed because of the World Cup being on TV. So I definitely was not going to complain The food Our food order did come out extremely FAST. Faster than our drink orders. -the campfire guacamole -BBQ shoestring fries (had bbq seasoning all over them so it tasted like a BBQ potato chip) -Glamping plate (charcuterie board) -steak tacos (one without onion and cilantro -churro affogato Again, the food was VERY fast!! And to be honest it wasn't that bad. I'll say, speakeasy's usually shine in the drink department vs food. Drinks -Lycheed and Loaded Ketel One, lychee liqueur, lemon, elderflower. This was extremely delicious! If you don't like to taste your alcohol? Go with this. It was really refreshing. Hand this to me at a spa and I'd be the happiest gal in the world -Camp Anawanna $17 Graham cracker-infused bourbon, licor 43, chocolate, torched marshmallow (the waitress catches the marshmallow on fire at the table) This one was stronger and I didn't think it was overly sweet despite the ingredients I think they had a good selection, especially for a small speakeasy. I have been to better, so I don't think I'd return. Especially since the service was not that great. We still had a good time and recommend for every speakeasy lovers list.

Ambiance is great. Feels like you're in a cabin in the woods. Service is prompt and friendly. Food…read moreis solid. Shrimp tacos hit and were absolutely packed with shrimp. Cocktails were tasty and followed the theme well. Will be bringing friends next time for sure!

Love this place. Nice service, nice food, very interesting…read moredrinks. But they had not fix the Lorem ipsum text on menu =p

(Drank/Snacked 06/27/2026 SA @ 10:00pm): This was a monstro feat as we all ended up in a beast of a…read morewhale's belly for drinks! After our party of six chatted over cocktails and preyed on pupus, we moved to a "secret" room tucked in the back of Stowaway and walked into a Belly Of The Beast. The founders and co-owners of Stowaway, Leonard Chan and Dominic Iapello, created this extension to the tiki bar with a wildly interesting Pinocchio theme and the famed encounter with Monstro the whale all the while serving the same offerings in Stowaway but with also an exclusive limited menu just for this adventure. With its proximity to Disneyland and its Enchanted Tiki Room, with the very niche underground-like society of tiki culture they found a consistent customer base and the thrill of island escapism through colorful cocktails, pleasurable pupus, tropical trimmings, and nostalgic know-how. How would my belly handle the beastly drinks concocted here!? PURCHASE(S) Gepetto's Last Words ($16.00): Intrigued by the cocktail's name, this elixir was crafted with Fid Street Gin, tangerine, creme de violette, lemon, and cucumber, it was a citrusy refreshing sweet drink that was decorated with bright yellow petals. It was nice, but for whatever reason it just didn't quite hit the spot. [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 4.0 of 5.0 STARS] Onion Rings ($9.00): A decent portion with rings of medium to large sizes, these were hot, dark golden browned, crunchy, and had a slight tendency to crumble when bitten into while the onion ring (sweet Maui!) rarely pulled out at times. They were lightly oily while the catsup wasn't needed but used. SERVICE While in Stowaway, we informed our male server to let us know when we were allowed to enter the belly. Once inside and situated, we had the place and bartender to ourselves. After we all perused the menu, we placed our orders, and everything arrived within ten minutes. The rest of the time was spent chatting, picture taking, and our bartender checked in on us also giving a Dole Whip taster. All was casual, chill, and somewhat on island time - aloha and mahalo! PARKING (FREE): They shared a medium-sized private lot with several other businesses who were closed at this time with plenty of spots - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE "Hidden" inside Stowaway which was located within a strip mall, the entire theme was based on the Pinocchio story, the interlude in time spent inside Monstro, and as we entered it felt like the beginning of the Disneyland "Storybook" ride as you road a canal boat into the mouth and sharp teet of a whale. There were several marionettes (appropriate and non-appropriate) that hung from the ceiling and belly walls, along with other Disneyesque memorabilia, a few sitting booths, and a tiny bar at the end of the roo. No natural lighting whatsoever while an assortment of extremely low-lit electric lights and table candles glowed. There were no TVs while I couldn't recall any background music. ATTIRE Although I was actually dressed appropriately for the occasion in an aloha shirt, linen pants, and flip-flops, this place was totally casual, so a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops would suffice. OVERALL Belly Of The Beast was an adventurous fun evening with friends, it left me feeling childlike with the need to watch "Pinocchio", and I couldn't wait to return to try more of their awesome-soundling elixirs. I generally loved all-things Disneyana, and this new wrinkle, albeit probably not approved by the mouse ears brass, caught my fancy. My one drink was tasty but just didn't hit the right spot, the onion rings were very good, the prices were a tad elevated, the atmosphere was awesome, and the service was friendly and professional. They had an extremely limited menu, and there was some doubt whether or not ordering from the Stowaway menu was an option. Plus, I always preferred to support small local mom & pop businesses. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $27.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS

Dang it looks like my review never posted but oh well. Went there on a Saturday night and the…read moreplace had just opened so there was only a few heads in the place. Got a nice couch facing the band where my wife and I had a great time. But those few heads very quickly turned into a full house. A funny side note, the drummer was a young dude and his band mates were easily in their 50s and 60s. The music for the night was a New Orleans style. Nice thing is there were no hoodrats in the place. All decent good people there to enjoy good drinks and good music. Rick, the bartender, makes a great margarita.

Killer Yacht Club is located inside the venerable Killer Shrimp restaurant, on their 2nd floor, in…read morewhat is, no doubt, their longstanding event space. They've done a nice job of turning this into a hangout you can enjoy anytime. It still has the vaulted ceiling and wood beams of a nautical-themed building, but the decor has been darkened into a Speakeasy feel, with muted colors and subtle lighting. Went to their New Year's Eve party, which featured a live band and a burlesque show. Seems like they transformed the space a bit for NYE, with cabaret tables and such, which is different than other descriptions, but worked well for the type of evening. Food was not being served during the NYE event, so we ate downstairs at Killer Shrimp first (separate review). Staff up in the Yacht Club Speakeasy was friendly and welcoming, and the bar was nicely stocked, though they only had large, plastic cups (20oz college kegger size), and all drinks were served in them, which was a bit of a contrast to the supposedly upscale NYE vibe. No matter, this is a very minor point. The dance floor is ample, and the live band was very good. The band was primarily playing older rock and American songbook standards rather than contemporary tracks, again because the crowd was mostly on the older side; different, I assume, from the regular crowd. I'm excited to come back and see what the vibe is like on a regular night.

Definitely speakeasy vibes. You will need to message ahead of time for the password. There will be…read morea bouncer outside that'll ask for it. Inside is a surprisingly large space. So much seating! I've never seen the venue overcrowded. Large menu so many drinks to try! Great spot whenever I have guests visiting

"The Speakeasy" is located in Old Pasadena. There is a large multi-story parking garage right…read morearound the corner. The place has some intrigue as you need to know a password to gain entry. I was pleasantly surprised when I sent an email to the address on the website and received a reply with the password in a little over thirty minutes. After parking, we didn't have any problems finding the entrance even though it is not marked. Look for the big wood double doors and doorman standing in front. After giving him the password, he opened the doors and we walked in. We were surprised in several ways. The place is way bigger than I would expect for a place named "The Speakeasy". And at 6:30pm on a Sunday, we were the only guests inside. Only one other couple came in during the 30 minutes we were there. I would assume they are a lot busier on Friday and Saturday night. It is dimly lit, and very red inside. The bar is large with many bottles of liquor on display and many seats. The rest of the space is one large area that must have at least 20 tables, and the ceiling is high. It gives off more of a nightclub vibe than a speakeasy vibe. I tried the Naked & Famous cocktail which has two of my favorite spirits (Vida mezcal, aperol, yellow Chartreuse, lime, $18). It was nicely balanced with a good mix of smoke and herbal flavor. She had the Pablo's Poison (Altos reposado tequila, strawberry, lime, jalapeno, elderflower, $17). The jalapeno flavor really stood out with strawberry and elderflower in the background. They have a good cocktail menu with almost twenty cocktails, as well as a food menu with ten items. Walk up to the bar to order your drinks. Jeremy, the manager, and the female bartender whose name who I didn't get were nice. We aren't in Pasadena very often, and while they have a good cocktail menu, I don't know if we would return. We were expecting more.

Best ambiance!! Best drinks!! And word around town is they are now open Monday & Tuesdays,…read more8pm-close Make sure you follow them on Instagram too so you can see the whiskey flights and special weekend drinks.

When it came to ambience, cozy, cute, tucked-away energy that made us feel like we had discovered a…read moresecret little gem. The decor and atmosphere gave "main character in a prohibition-era movie" in the best way. Unfortunately, the drinks didn't quite keep up with the setting. We wanted cocktails that would make us say "WOW, order another round," but instead we were left looking at each other like, "...that's it?" Not terrible, just missing that wow factor and creativity you hope for when you're paying speakeasy prices. Overall: adorable atmosphere, fun experience, and a place worth checking out for the vibe alone. We just left wanting and needing a little more from what mattered most, the drinks.

Made right and made up for a mistake. The distilled and manager Theron is amazing and super…read morehelpful. I truly appreciate what he did for us. Thank you, Theron

Like many of those around us, we all had seen the Social Media posts and videos on this place. So…read morewhy not try it! It was actually a secret date my wife had set up for us and I literally had no idea until we entered and sat down. Even then, I was curious if this was the same one I was going to plan for us as well! I don't want to divulge everything, but can just say the atmosphere is just cool as you can see in the pictures. This one is for Season 1 (there are two more seasons you can go to with different drinks and stories). You are taken through a journey of the alcohols they produce and the drinks that they prepare. Without a doubt, the most unique 3 drinks you will probably taste. My wife wasn't much of a fan but I just loved the experience and the different flavors.