Speakeasies are special establishments that have their roots in the American Prohibition years, widespread abroad but also in Italy, where they continue to fascinate visitors and locals to this day. Find out which are the best speakeasies in Italy and get ready for a unique experience.
What is a speakeasy from Prohibition to today
Speakeasies were businesses where alcoholic beverages were illegally sold. They were widespread in the United States of America during the Prohibition years of the 1920s and 1930s, during which time alcohol was banned.
Unlike blind pigs and blind tigers, clubs where less affluent people hung out, speakeasies were exclusive places reserved for the wealthier social classes and sometimes required an elegant and luxurious dress code.
Speakeasies today: between mystery and mixology
Even today, speakeasies offer a highly sought-after experience, albeit with some obvious changes. First of all, gone is the illegality: contemporary speakeasies are totally above-board establishments that have retained the mysterious charm of yesteryear. They are intimate, often hidden, true secret bars where you can enjoy high quality drinks in a unique and atypical atmosphere.
The best-known speakeasies of the moment are true treasures for the world of mixology. In these cocktail bars, it is possible to find drinks with unusual and distinctive flavors, capable of delighting even the most discerning palates.
Best speakeasy in Italy
There is a fairly large network of speakeasies in Italy, but finding them is not always easy. Some of these venues are completely anonymous and do not give out the address, others require a membership card, and still others require a password.
Here are some of the best secret bars in Italy:
- Argot in Rome
- Dandelion, the secret bar of rebuses in Milan
- Mr. Simon, in Udine
- Donkey, in Bologna
- L’Antiquario, in Naples
- Speakeasy Bari, in the city of the same name in Puglia
What are you waiting for to start the tour of Italy’s best secret bars?