10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

You’ll find this secret spot down an inconspicuous little alleyway off of 2nd Street Southwest, through a door underneath—you guessed it—an alley light.

Upon entering the building at 390 Franklin Street, you may be confused—expecting a luxe restaurant and bar with vintage trappings and instead stumbling into what seems to be an old-timey barber shop. Fear not; the entrance you seek is through a hidden door behind the green vintage candy machine.

The term “hole-in-the-wall” rings true here, where the entrance to the intimate, cozy cocktail space is through a trick wall in Railbird Kitchen, the front-facing restaurant. Ring the doorbell (an innocent-looking flag hanging on the wall) and a doorman will fetch you to come inside. 

A hidden door panel adjacent to the bar at this seafood restaurant leads to a smaller exclusive speakeasy room, where reservations are recommended. 

Behind a false bookcase and a password, which you’ll have to check their social media for, as it changes weekly. 

This jazzy food and drink escape is tucked inside Open Road Distillery in Reston Town Center. The entrance is an unmarked, ornate door subtly placed near the restrooms. 

Their website instructs visitors to knock on the gray door behind 92 South Main Street to enter their realm of clandestine atmosphere and creative, 1920s-esque cocktails. 

Charlottesville’s Tavern & Grocery has a magical secret lurking below: a speakeasy that seems to transport one back in time. The basement bar is accessed through an entrance marked “LS,” and staff can help point the way.

This sister restaurant to Fin & Tonic doesn’t disappoint with a surreptitious speakeasy of its own, this one found behind a door masquerading as a wine storage wall.

A little easier to find than others, this speakeasy entrance is marked but still lodged in a little alleyway. Plus, its old barrel tables and classic billiards add that touch of back-in-time atmosphere.