Jeez, I am slacking with the reviews as of late. I have been here countless times over the years. It was a favorite spot for after work drinks with colleagues. Located within the William Penn hotel, this dark and moody lounge sets the mood for all things prohibition. The decor is spot on. Service is always fantastic. The drinks are stiff and tasty. A true Pittsburgh gem. read more

Love a speakeasy. Since it's an intimate dark cocktail bar in the lower level of the hotel, there can be a line to get in. It only was around a 15 min wait for a Saturday night around 9pm. The ambiance was great and the drinks were tasty with a good balance of flavor and spirit. read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

What a find!! Terrific space that is decorated appropriately for the Speak Easy vibes. Located inside the hotel, it is on the lower level. Even if not staying here, highly recommend visiting. There is a bar are, couch seating, table/chairs. All super comfortable. There's even a back room. Super cool vibes and great drinks. They also have snacks available. You will be greeted by a host who will give you a table and get you settled. The menu has lots of options for some very crafty cocktails, as well as the classics. We ordered several cocktails (can't even remember the names of them) and all were amazing. You can't go wrong. Our server was amazing - ask for Stacey! She was very helpful and attentive. She really helped make the experience even more enjoyable. They do offer charcuterie, flatbreads, etc for snacks. Listen - get the chips with Millers mustard. You will be asking for more chips! Just so tasty. This is a great find! It's obvious that great detail had been made to creating the proper vibe with the decor, drinks, mood lighting, and delicious drinks!!! read more

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I was definitely a fan of Speakeasy. If you didn't know where it was, you will probably walk right by it. We had no problem getting 2 seats at the bar around 5pm on a Saturday. Once you enter, it is dark and cozy. I absolutely loved the smell- like an incense smell. All of the drinks were very fancy and I loved watching them get made. Im not a fan of liquor so I ordered prosecco. I still felt fancy. The bartender was great! Super friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. We also ordered the chips and dip while we were there. The dip had a nice kick to it. The only issue is parking. We ended up in the garage across the street which filled up shortly after we entered! I will definitely be stopping back again in the future! read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Speakeasy has a unique vibe, with a velvet rope and host outside the door to let you in (down the main steps of the Omni William Penn hotel). While the speakeasy ambiance was cool, the service and drinks fell flat for us. There were plenty of seats in the main room, but we were seated alone in the back room, which we thought was kind of strange. No one waited on us for awhile, so we ended up moving up to the bar. They offer an extensive menu, but we weren't super impressed with the drinks we ordered (especially for $16-$20 each). Also, once we received our drinks, no one checked on us for the rest of the night. read more

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It's very cool that The Omni was able to restore an original speakeasy; however, the cocktails are average at best. This is a spot best for those looking for a specific vibe, but not so much a spot for a true cocktail enthusiast. The Prickly Bootlegger was very heavy on the orange juice, and the pear flavors did not come through very much. The Sazerac was very bourbon-heavy, and the flavor of the absinthe was not present at all. We probably would only return if we wanted to show it to someone from out of town. read more

Speakeasy - The Prickly Bootlegger- Tequila, Orange Juice, Prickly Pear Syrup, Muddled Pear - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This place had it all, location, vibrations, celebrations, and more. The hotel is a blend between luxury, modern and comfort. Upon entry your eyes are greeted with the beautiful interior from ceiling to the floor. Each furniture is brilliantly placed for a timeless look and comfort. With three places for drinks and fun it's hard to go anywhere else. Each gathering are felt like an episode of Cheers, you want to go where everyone knows your name and boy do the staff remember. Each eatery was delicious, well priced and local. I must say that unit 1430 was just perfect, the room was cozy and made me feel at home. All the other amenities made me feel like I was part of a royal family and made me wish I visited a lot longer. read more

It's a really beautiful speakeasy but pricey and dark. Other than that, it's super classy and nice. Really had a wonderful time here and thought this place was a lot of fun read more

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Overall this place is very relaxing. The environment is very chill and feels like a speakeasy. It took a moment to get seated but the drinks were fantastic and the staff were extremely friendly read more

We stopped by on Saturday night around 10pm and waited about 15 minutes for a table for the three of us. The inside of the speakeasy is intimate and also really really dark so you'll need the table lamps to read your menu. We got a round of cocktails and our drinks were decent. We wanted to get a snack but the charcuterie boards were sold out and the not homemade kettle chips were $10 so we closed our tab and left. I love the vibe but the drinks were just okay. I would go back if someone else wanted to or if there were no options available in the area. read more

Speakeasy - Drink menu - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Our only disappointment with Speakeasy is that it isn't open on Sunday evenings. Excellent creative cocktails that don't cost a fortune in an environment designed for quiet conversation, relaxation and sipping. read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cool atmosphere! Tucked away in the basement and roped off. Would definitely visit again. read more

Speakeasy - The Rose Gold Rose - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Nice try by the Omni but the place feels like a small conference room they slapped some stuff up and call it a Speakeasy. The classic cocktails are fine but the first few things we tried to order couldn't be made cause of lack of ingredients, which on a Friday night seems a misstep. So we went with a classic Manhattan and called it a night after one drink. The staff is trying. The service was good especially while sitting at the bar. For hotel guests, I suppose it offers a different feel than the lobby restaurant but I wouldn't suggest someone make a special trip while in Pitt to check out the craft being offered. read more

Drinks and service was amazing!!!! Best drinks on the strip, hands down. Samera made me a drink with elderberries. She is good at what she does read more

Speakeasy - Gin drink that she made me - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dear Yelpers Looking for prohibition vibes and upper class feels? Well, this is definitely your place. From the dim mood lighting to the suede decor, this place has all the roaring 20's nostalgia you could be looking for. But, with the nostalgia comes a price. Drinks here are $12 and up for even the most simple cocktails. And the high end stuff gets somewhat obnoxious. A "smoked" old fashioned was $20 with the basic bourbon. I'm not one to complain about prices, but seemed a little excessive. Especially when the waiter made it seem like it was the same price as a regular old fashioned. Cool spot to explore, but wouldn't advise planning your whole night there. Just a wee bit boring Your friendly neighborhood foodie read more

Speakeasy - Smoked Old Fashioned Giggle Water - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A true Speakeasy in my opinion often has an elevated cocktail experience, this did not. I had to give the recipe for the Black Manhattan that I requested; it was not listed on the menu in defense of the establishment. The atmosphere is nice and no standing is permitted. The staff were attentive and effective. read more

My normal review would be the good, the bad, and the improvements. In this instance, there are some twists and turns. My review will be carried out in several acts, as a play unfolds. Starting with the positive, followed by the normal and OK, then next would be... the suspense. As twists happen, here is the bad, and the finale would be - what I might do differently So here is my review in four acts: Act 1: the positive: The gentlemen who greeted at the door was lovely. He was surprised that there was 10 of us standing at his gate, looking to come in. Doing his job as gatekeeper, he politely asked the hidden door keep if we should be allowed in. Moments later; hurray! we made it. Act 2: the normal and OK: door greeter brought out actor who pretended to "let us in". Nothing else was normal and OK. Act 3: the suspense The fake actor, who pretended us to do us a favor to let a group of 10 in, to an empty bar, placed us in a waiting room area, far from any normalcy, or nice ambiance. As my uncle Rick would say: "this is a waiting room...we shall wait... until the time has arrived to be seated at our table". Here, after just a few short seconds, our collective realized that we would appreciate being in the open room, where we may freely enjoy drinks, in a nice room, whilst in the company of others... all the while too also observe the thoughtful decor of the hidden, tucked away bar. Suspense continues: "you must all be on 1 check", he says. "That's fine", stated by myself. As I walk in to the bar, I think to myself; that's odd, we are about to spend $400 - $600. Why would they care how the transactions happen? The suspense continues part 2: I walk out of the waiting area, to see if there is room in the "actual bar" area for us. To my surprise........ There was approximately 25 open seats! HURRAY as I thought. It's not a big deal. We shall move from the waiting hole to the luxury of normalcy! curtains close.... The narrator approaches the crowd: " HEAR YE, HEAR YE"... he says: the collective now believes that they may approach the normal room, for which we will allow them to accompany the others. Act 4: THE BAD: The fake actor says: "We can't seat you 10 people, because we won't be able to force all of you on one transaction. We as a bar shall not inconvenience ourselves by multiple transactions, or servers". I thought to myself, how dare us for thinking this would be ok! The actor continues to tell you that they can not seat us, because the way the tables are set up, would not for us to have multiple servers. My reaction was that this was ok. As we do not need to sit together, we just need to be near each other. The actor turned to use and made us feel as If we were being the most inconvenient patrons of all. I said to the actor "do you not want us here? If so we can leave". They responded with no response to try and accommodate. This was asinine. So we left. THE FINALE: If I owned this bar, and I had a half empty bar, I would not push away a group of 10 people. Or 5 people. Or 2 people. I would want to treat all people well. If this were my bar, I would take care of my door person. That gentlemen's was sweet, kind, and deserves a great operational backing. If this were my bar, I would not be pretentious. I would welcome more people, as long as they were respectful. If this were my bar, I would train my staff to be respectful, and treat humans the right way. Because the current regime, does not. Ping me when ownership changes. Won't see your all til then. The end. read more

We walked up for 2 seats at the bar, and told there would be a short wait. Within 5-10 mins we were seated. Great service by the bartender. Great drinks. The informant was delicious. read more

Was a great hidden place! Perfect for a small group or just a romantic sit away. The service was stellar!

Super secret Speakeasy. Small, dark and chill. I got a Sidecar with a rock candy garnish. It was yummy. Out of a few beers, so if you want that. Forget about it. My friend got a Mule and she thought it was perfect. It's a little louder than I expected because it was well packed for a random Tuesday night. read more

Speakeasy - Sidecar with rock candy. - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fun basement Speakeasy. Low light and good drinks. Bartenders were pleasant and helpful. Stayed for a nightcap. It was fun to find it in the basement and have the bartender let you in. read more

Easily one of my favorite bars in Pittsburgh and Dawn, the bartender, is amazing! The Speakeasy at the Omni William Penn is perfect for groups and special occasions and I've never had a subpar experience here. From the service, to the quality of the drinks and the ambiance, and even down to the sweet/salty bar snacks, everything has always been nothing but perfect. This is one of the few bars in the city that really offers the "speakeasy vibe" that I'm usually looking for in a bar, as well as the caliber of classic cocktails (Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Vieux Carres, etc.) * Parking: Street parking downtown can be a little tricky unless you come late at night; hotel valet is always an option though. * Pro Tip: The Speakeasy doesn't offer reservations, so having to wait on a crowded night is a possibility, but thankfully I've been lucky (and usually come late night) and have never had to wait. read more

Speakeasy - Appetizers: Hummus and the Meat/Cheese Plate - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I finally dropped by here on a random Thursday night. I was recently on a cruise where I was trying all the old prohibition classics and tried a side car. Although I liked it, I wanted to try it when it was made at a speakeasy or something like that an the speakeasy at the Omni William Penn was perfect for that. It was a nice relaxing night, great conversation and charcuterie board (special of the week) was a wonderful pairing. I also tried their Manhattan (my normal go-to) and it was equally well made. Only negative is that I feel like this place would be a hit or miss and you can't really plan to go there. By the time we left at 9 pm on a Thursday they were at max capacity (47 people - due to fire codes). If I wanted to take people for drinks I know I would have to have a plan B in place as well, because getting a seat is never going to be an absolute. read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've been to this bar twice. I loved it the first time and recommended it to others. I finally made it back this past Friday with a group of 5. The bar was 80-90% empty while we were there from about 6:00-7:30. We had 2 rounds of about $18 cocktails, and while we were enjoying our drinks, one of the staff members came over to tell us we needed to be quiet. I'll admit that we were laughing loudly, but we were not talking loudly, and as I previously stated, the bar was 80-90% empty. No adult in their right mind would continue paying $18/cocktail at a place in which they were scolded. I guess having a good time at a speakeasy isn't the vibe? Regardless, our party of 5 took our business elsewhere and we will not be back. read more

Oh, such a super fun concept, deftly executed, with some caveats. It is indeed quiet, relaxing, and super chill. It doesn't quite have the actual 'speakeasy' feel like some modern speakeasy style places I've been to (with hidden entrances, fake passwords, etc.) but it is a cubbyhole and is cozy as hell. Yes, you'll spend ninety-eleven dollars on cocktails that aren't really that special. But it's a fun stop. It's *not* a good place to meet people, but if you are already with the people you're drinking with, fun. Note that they have a limited capacity so if you arrive later in the evening you may have to wait. Just pretend the Revenooers could bust in at any time and the wait will go faster. read more

What a great place! Small and dark like a good speakeasy should be. Dawn, the bartender, makes this place! She doesn't take anything from anyone and if you are on her good side, she'll make you amazing cocktails not on the menu! Ask her for a Gin Old Fashioned. You won't be disappointed! read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Fun vibe, different decor, dark lighting with music from days past set this place apart. But, it's hard to read drink menu. Great cocktails - I had the Sidecar, listed as one of the popular drinks from the prohibition. Very good service, nuts are placed at table as you are treated- nice touch. We loved the place but wanted food so, only stayed for one drink. The scotch was great (according to my husband.) read more

Speakeasy - Signage showing you where to go - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is a very cool hotel bar to sneak into for a drink if you are hanging out in the cultural district for a show, a movie, or a gallery crawl. I see that some people complain about the prices. It's in the beautiful Omni William Penn hotel in downtown Pittsburgh so prices comparable to NYC are acceptable in my opinion. This place has a very curated vibe and attentive staff. If cost is on your mind while drinking some of the most finely crafted cocktails in Pittsburgh just stay for one and be on your way. You will enjoy the experience. The acoustics are great for conversation in this room. I've been here 3 times over the past 5 years and I've enjoyed my experience every time. read more

I really love this idea. I really want to love this place. I've only been twice, so maybe I've come on bad nights. It feels crowded. It feels like they had some grand ideas but didn't fully execute them. It doesn't feel like a speak easy. It feels like a fancy basement bar. The drinks are expensive and I felt we're not up to the price point. Maybe I'm a cheapskate. Maybe I'm used to throwing together my own drinks. Maybe I didn't order things that matched well with my tastes. I don't know but what I do know is, if I'm looking to drop that kind of money I'll probably look elsewhere and maybe more towards home? read more

Wow, what an incredibly cool bar hidden away at the William Penn hotel! My friend recommended this place and we stopped by after attending Pittsburgh's Beerfest last weekend. Needless to say I didn't have a lot to drink here after being at Beerfest all evening- but I did sample a few of my friend's cocktails and they were fabulous. The service here was excellent and the ambiance could not be cozier. This spot was an actual speakeasy back in the day, making it an even more unique experience. I can't wait to come back! read more

We tried out this speakeasy with a few friends last night. I can't speak to the crowds on weekends, but on a weeknight it was the perfect cozy vibe without feeling cramped. We sat on a sofa with a few small ottomans and a table large enough for drinks and a few small shared plates. I started with the violette lemonade followed by a gin-based cocktail that I cannot recall the name of. Both were delicious and beautifully executed. I want to try the gimlet again next time. The one my friend got was delicious. We snacked on a cheese and charcuterie board as well as small bowl of nuts and the house made potato chips with mustard dip. The chips were the unsung heroes of the menu! I was questioning the decision to order an $8 serving of fried potatoes, but they were crispy, perfectly seasoned, and came in a generous portion enough for four adults to snack on. (I love anything salty or crunchy with cocktails.) Overall it was a fun experience, albeit a bit of a splurge, and I'm sure we'll be back sooner rather than later. read more

Dynamite drinks. Great, moody low-lit atmosphere. It's a speakeasy. Highly recommend. A great, windowless, weather-proof basement bar beneath the hotel. One of downtown's best kept secret spots. read more

Lovely space, brilliant menu with plenty of fun facts on the history of speak-easies and specific information about Pittsburgh during prohibition. Local pride is instilled in the drinks and the anecdotes in the menu. LOVE! Get your tail down here during their limited opening of Thursday thru--Saturday? It better be here when I visit next, ok? read more

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Great place if you are looking for a small, quieter place to chill. Dim lighting and jazz playing. Good whiskey selection. Classic cocktail menu. Friendly service. Take the elevator to the WP floor (down) and walk toward the front door of the hotel (will Penn street) and it's on the right. read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I don't know who the Thursday night mixologist was (tonight) but she was damn good! There were about 30 people asking for drinks at the same time. She made drink after drink without a break. She did a really good job on dressing up my drink, and made me feel special, so thanks a bunch! The doorman guy was nice too. Good cocktails take a while to make, so be patient! read more

Pittsburgh has a lot of bars. Their South Side is very concentrated in terms of bars and a popular area to hit up for the nightlife scene. But I'm a speakeasy kind of gal. I like the quiet and intimate environment and the crafty cocktails that all good speakeasies offer. Sadly, Pittsburgh only has a small handful of these speakeasies. Speakeasy is one of the former speakeasies that was restored from the Prohibition Era. It's located in the basement of the Omni William Penn Hotel. I wish the entrance was a little more hidden to recreate the experience of entering a speakeasy. The doors are labeled Speakeasy, which is obviously a dead giveaway. Service was also lacking despite a small crowd. There was a 10-15 minute wait for our drinks. Otherwise, the interior and the drinks were spot on. We were able to sink into their velvet armchairs in a semi-private nook and sip on our Oktoberfest and Apricot Sparkling Gimlet, letting the night swallow us in. read more

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Better than your average hotel bar, with very nice dimly lit atmosphere. The cocktail list is long, and the drinks were pretty good. A very strong old fashioned, and the moscow mule comes in the proper mule mug with some solid ginger flavor. What keeps them from being a top notch place is that the bartenders get overly flustered when there are more than a handful of people here. The chaos behind the bar brings the vibe down if you are sitting at the bar, and they are quite slow. Still, if you're staying in the Omni, it's worth checking out. read more

First off Dawn is incredible. She made such a delicious and refreshing drink. I really enjoyed myself here. Very low back and friendly atmosphere. Real grown and sexy once you enter those doors. The doors says it all! Shh!! Grown folks here!!! I love it ! The fashion decor and furniture is marvelous! I want to come back! read more

As folks who love a good classic cocktail & the service / knowledge that comes with it, we were SUPER excited to try this spot out. The hotel is epic, historic and gorgeously decorated......then down to the basement level where you will find Speakeasy. Unfortunately, the decor in the space is very modernized, no one was dressed up, and the $20 cocktails were put together carelessly. No one should be serving an Old Fashioned with 1/4 of a section of orange (pith included) jammed into a rocks glass with hotel ice machine chips...murky, ugly...served on a dirty glass topped table. I could go on and on about the other cocktails we tried however, they were all just "ok" or were actually hideous to look at - the antithesis of a good cocktail IMHO. Overpriced, no class, unfriendly / aloof staff, slightly dirty (as in not cleaned well) and 1995 style prohibition decor (not cool). We will not return to speakeasy, the lobby of the hotel is a much more romantic and beautiful place to enjoy a cocktail. read more

While the ambiance tries hard to be chill, the drinks don't match. Only lasted for one round as wasn't really worth the price.