Los Angeles hides some of its best bars behind pizza parlors, fake ATMs, and bookcases. This guide covers eight vetted, currently open hidden bars and speakeasies across LA, plus exactly how to find the door at each. One former pick, Potions & Poisons, has closed and is dropped from the list.
The lineup shifted since this list was last checked: Potions & Poisons in Koreatown has closed, that address now belongs to a different bar (Hera Bar & Karaoke), so it's out. The Tangerine Room's one public night moved from Tuesdays to Mondays. Everything else below was confirmed open as of July 2026, with current hours and entry details pulled from each venue directly.
A theme across almost all of these: no cover charge, no published guest list, just knowing which door, staircase, or fake appliance to walk through.
Where and how to get in, at a glance
| Bar | Neighborhood | How you get in | Open |
|---|
| Melrose Station | Melrose | Ask the host inside Glass Hookah Lounge | Sun-Thu 7pm-1am, Fri-Sat 7pm-2am |
| Sunset & Vinyl | Hollywood | Through 800 Degrees Pizza, up the back stairs | Nightly, 7pm-2am |
| Breakroom 86 | Koreatown | Hidden passage at The Line Hotel's service ramp | Tue-Sat 9pm-2am |
| The Tangerine Room | North Hollywood | Public only on "Tangerine Room Mondays" | Mon 5pm-11pm (private events other nights) |
| Rideau | West Hollywood | Inside Arden restaurant, walk-ins under 6 welcome | Thu-Sat 8pm-12am |
| Good Times at Davey Wayne's | Hollywood | Vintage refrigerator door behind a fake garage sale | Thu-Sat 8pm-2am, Sun 2pm-close |
| Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | Koreatown | Fake ATM on Wilshire Blvd at The Line Hotel | Thu-Sat 9:30pm-2am |
| Cold Shoulder | Fairfax | Secret bookcase inside Blue Collar Bar | Nightly, hours vary by day |
Vintage speakeasy$$
Tucked inside Glass Hookah Lounge on Melrose Avenue, this speakeasy is built out like a vintage train car, dim lighting, plush booths, and antique railway signage. Once you're past the unmarked door, it's a cocktail bar with a slower, cozier pace than most of the block.
Know before you go: There's no obvious entrance, ask the host at 7384 Melrose Ave to point you to the hidden door. Open Sunday through Thursday 7pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday 7pm to 2am. Email ahead for a reservation, especially on weekends.
Music speakeasy$$
Sunset & Vinyl sits above (and behind) 800 Degrees Pizza on Vine Street, a low-key 70s-style lounge with a record collection you're invited to dig through and play yourself. It's one of the least fussy "hidden" bars on this list, there's no password or bouncer, just a staircase.
Know before you go: Walk into 800 Degrees Pizza, head past the restrooms, and take the stairs up. Open nightly from 7pm to 2am. There's no dedicated website, current hours and any closures are best confirmed by phone before you go.
80s speakeasy$$
Breakroom 86, inside The Line Hotel, channels a full 80s throwback: retro arcade cabinets, karaoke rooms, and nightly DJs or live bands playing decade-appropriate hits. A host walks you in through a hidden passage near the hotel's service ramp, no wandering the halls trying to find it yourself.
Know before you go: Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9pm to 2am (closed Sunday and Monday). Reserve ahead by emailing rsvp@houstonhospitalityla.com, walk-ins are hit or miss on weekends.
04
The Tangerine Room
North Hollywood
Hidden lounge$$
The Tangerine Room is a private lounge inside The Front Yard, built for cocktail receptions and small dinners. The one night it opens to the public is Monday, when it runs as a standalone event with live music, curated cocktails, and the full Front Yard menu.
Know before you go: The public access point is "Tangerine Room Mondays," 5pm to 11pm. A seat via OpenTable is recommended but not strictly required. Outside of Mondays, it's booked for private events only, so don't show up expecting a walk-in bar any other night.
Magic speakeasy$$$
Rideau, hidden inside Arden in West Hollywood, leans hard into 1920s Paris: red velvet banquettes, low light, and close-up magic performed tableside most nights. It's one of the more theatrical entries on this list, part bar, part nightly magic show.
Know before you go: Walk-ins are welcome for parties under six, no reservation required, though larger groups should book ahead through Arden's events form. Open Thursday through Saturday, 8pm to midnight. Cocktails start around $22, and the dress code is cocktail chic.
06
Good Times at Davey Wayne's
Hollywood
70s speakeasy$$
Good Times at Davey Wayne's hides behind what looks like a rundown garage sale storefront in the heart of Hollywood. Inside: full-on 70s den energy, wood paneling, an indoor lounge, and a backyard patio that gets loud on weekends with music and the occasional live set.
Know before you go: The entrance is through a working vintage refrigerator door, if there's a short line outside an unmarked facade, that's the tell. Open Thursday to Saturday, 8pm to 2am, and Sunday 2pm until close. Closed Monday through Wednesday.
07
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Koreatown
Disco speakeasy$$
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the disco counterpart to The Line Hotel's other hidden bar, Breakroom 86, run by the same team (the Houston Brothers). Mirrored walls, a DJ booth built to look like a 70s piano, and a dance floor that stays busy once the lights go low.
Know before you go: Entry is through a fake ATM facing Wilshire Blvd. Open Thursday through Saturday, 9:30pm to 2am, with a dress code enforced at the door. RSVP by emailing concierge@houstonhospitalityla.com or calling the hotel directly.
Upside-down speakeasy$$
Cold Shoulder is a bar within a bar: find the secret bookcase inside Blue Collar Bar on Fairfax and you're in an entirely flipped room, furniture and fixtures mounted upside down on the ceiling. The cocktail list matches the whimsy, playful, dessert-inspired drinks built for photos as much as flavor.
Know before you go: Open nightly, Monday through Wednesday 7pm to 1am, Thursday through Saturday 7pm to 2am, Sunday 7pm to midnight. Seating is first come, first served, email ahead only if your group is six or more.
A few more worth knowing
- Black Rabbit Rose (Hollywood) pairs a speakeasy bar with a magic theater in the same building, good for a full night out rather than just a drink.
- The Slipper Clutch (Downtown LA) is a hidden bar behind a hidden bar, tucked behind Temaki Society inside Grayson. Worth seeking out if you want the most "how did I get here" version of a secret bar.
- If you're willing to leave the city, Tokyo Noir in Long Beach has a red-lantern door hidden down an alley behind a Mexican restaurant.
- Call or check social before any of these, hidden bars in LA change hands and hours more often than regular restaurants.
Frequently asked
What happened to Potions & Poisons?
It's closed. The Koreatown space at 3514 W 8th St now operates as Hera Bar & Karaoke, a different business. We've pulled it from this list rather than send you to the wrong address.
Do I need a reservation to get into these bars?
It depends on the bar. Rideau and Cold Shoulder take walk-ins for small groups. Breakroom 86, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Melrose Station are safer bets with a reservation or RSVP, especially Thursday through Saturday. The Tangerine Room is only open to the public on Mondays.
How much should I expect to spend?
Most of these run in the standard LA craft cocktail range, with Rideau's list starting around $22 a drink. None of them publish a cover charge, but call ahead if you're bringing a larger group since some venues (Breakroom 86, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) have minimums for reserved tables.
Is there a dress code?
Rideau asks for "cocktail chic" and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang enforces a dress code at the door. The rest are casual-friendly, though you'll fit in better dressed for a night out than for daytime errands.
Which of these are good for a first-timer versus a regular night out?
Sunset & Vinyl is the easiest entry point, no password, no bouncer, just a staircase. Good Times at Davey Wayne's and Cold Shoulder are both laid-back enough for a casual night. Rideau and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang lean into more of a produced, dressed-up experience.
Is parking difficult at any of these?
Street parking is tight around Melrose Station, Sunset & Vinyl, and Cold Shoulder, especially on weekends, budget extra time or plan on a rideshare. The Line Hotel (Breakroom 86, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and Arden (Rideau) both have valet.
