Meh. Overpay? If you like... this had more of a hotel basement bar feel than a speakeasy. I got basically ignored while I looked over the menu and it was populated with rich business folk. There are just too many better bars to spend your money at IMO. And it is just my opinion so perhaps it was an off night but for me impressions are key. read more

Oh my goodness this is my new favorite place for drinks. I'm not sure how I didn't know this place existed but I absolutely love it! It is right up my alley. We came here in a pretty large group this past Saturday to celebrate a friends birthday. The place is definitely small but that was nice for our group. Because of how small it is it doesn't get overly crowded like most bars where you stand on top of people. They only let so many people in so you are guaranteed to have space to breath. The drink options were amazing as well. I only had the chance to try the Old Fashioned but I saw many of the drinks my friends ordered and they all looked delicious. read more

Marvelous cocktails, made by people who respect the ingredients, served in a dark yet appealing establishment... The only thing keeping this from bring 5 star is the price, but this is, ultimately, a 'hotel' bar, so... Go there. Enjoy the drinks, soak in the ambiance. Live a little, okay? read more

Speakeasy - Manhattan... Properly mixed by people who understand and respect the ingredients - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Amazing. DAWN. George. Dave. Great bar and those guys know what they are doing. I ordered no drinks, and let them decide every drink. Each drink was perfect and we really appreciated the personalized experience. Definitely go here if you are in the Pittsburgh area! read more

Located below our hotel was an exclusive, dim lit, cocktail bar called speakeasy. Ingenious name, I know. The place is actually very nice. With top of the line drinks, good service, and nice decor. Our server gave excellent recommendations. After a long week of whiskey and red meat, my stomach needed something more refreshing. I got some dark and stormies. Our drinks were accompanied with some snacks. Perfect to munch on seeing how I wasn't planning on eating much that evening. The two seats were perfect for two people people wrapping up nice vacation. My only knock was the service was a drop slow. I understand fine cocktails like these take awhile to make, but that wasn't the issue. I felt there were times we weren't checked on for awhile. After we were ready to go, it took awhile for them to even walk around for us to let them know we were ready. Still, and excellent time. read more

Something different to check out downtown. Ground floor of William Penn Hotel. Older crowd and chill music. Bartender was very friendly read more

Speakeasy - Speakeasy in Old William Penn Hotel - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Loved this spot. Dark classy atmosphere had me feeling completely relaxed. Tried 4 house drinks they were all very yummy. Service was good to. Wish they had a few more food options but over all I'll definitely be back. read more

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Not my favorite prohibition bar that I've ever been to but it is certainly cool. It is in the basement of the William Penn Hotel and was apparently originally a real speakeasy during prohibition. I talked to the bartender a bit and found out that the place was not even discovered until about a year ago when they found a false wall during hotel renovations! There were also three unopened bottles of liquor dating from the early 1900's that are now on display. The drinks are all reminiscent of 1920 style cocktails. Very cool. Don't expect your drink fast, these bartenders know what they are doing and take their time making your drink look and taste perfect. Waiting is easy though when the surroundings that you are in are very well done and there is old fashion music playing throughout. I would definitely go back here though. Be careful how many drinks you order here. There prices are quite expensive. read more

The Speakeasy is a small bar in the Omni William Penn Hotel. It is a really small place, but has a nice ambiance about it. The lounge area is setup for small intimate parties, and the bartenders come out to provide personal service to the tables as well as the bar. The lighting is low and the art is reminiscent of a 20's speakeasy. I went there with a few colleagues and a client after a day or meetings and dinner. It was a pretty nice spot for a Thursday afternoon. Quiet and personal. Between us we had the Moscow Mules, which come in a regular and citrus version. I had one of each and they were both outstanding. My colleagues had a Gin Rickey and Manhattan, both of which were very good according to those imbibing. This was also one of the few places I have been to that has Absinthe (a favorite of mine) and also has the cold water fountain to go along with it, though they are loathe to use it. I did have two issues with the place though. One was that the drink menu had mostly complicated drinks that take many steps to complete. The drink orders were very slow to arrive after placing. I was typically ordering my next drink when my current was only 1/2 done. Also, it was very easy to hear everyone else conversation. While there was only a few people there at the time, had it been busier I expect it would have been pretty loud, which does not fit with the ambiance if you ask me. Also, a larger crowd would have slowed down the service even more. read more

Excited about another first review! Met up with a friend here for cocktails during the Christmas break. True to form for speakeasies, you have to go down a set of stairs to enter the bar. Granted down a staircase in one of most ornate hotels in the downtown and is well lit and plush. Overall first impression of the venue is that it's decorated very nicely; however they need to tone down the lighting, I would say by half to get a real speakeasy feeling. Drink prices are right on par with some of the priciest joints in San Francisco so it will be interesting to see how well it does for the next few months. $14 for a Manhattan is just too much for this market. I don't even pay that much for some of the best Manhattans in San Francisco (Burrit Room, House of Shields, etc) Service was great. George was a doll and very attentive to our group. Drinks, just one round were decent, I had a hot buttered rum kind of drink, but the one I had a bit later at Meat & Potato was much tastier. So it's just the early stages and I think they'll get their groove on as the months pass and I'll keep it in my radar for future visits to da Burgh. read more

I cannot say enough about how awesome the location of this bar is! The decor, furniture, history is amazing! The reason I give this only 3 stars is because the service was poor and the bartenders do not do well at making these cocktails that are on their menu. The back bar was in total disarray and there were dirty dishes everywhere. If someone can get in there with great mixologists and knowing how to organize the liquor behind the bar and get someone to wash dishes, this place will be true hotspot for Pittsburgh! I hope it works out, because they have a perfect location in a beautiful hotel! read more

Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Unique experience. Super fancy fun place in the bottom floor of the Omni. The bartenders are top notch. The drinks are unique to represent prohibition times and even are made with many local distilled liqueurs on the very same street. The pricing is reasonable and there are many drinks to choose from. Very fun ambiance. read more

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Great location in the bottom of Omni. Hidden in the bottom of the hotel and was an actual speakeasy in prohibition times. The feel and atmosphere of the bar is relaxed and chill. The drinks and food are locally sourced and original twists on some ancient and modern classics and surprisingly affordable. Out waiter was amazing. Highly recommended. read more

The ambiance makes this place. Perfect for an after dinner cocktail. We had to wait at the doors until there was room inside. Honestly, I think that is a smart play by management because when we were late escorted to our table by the bouncer, we had nothing but stellar service. Controlling the numbers keeps service good and also stays true to a traditional speakeasy where waiting at the door is part of the experience. Manhattan was great! read more

I had been wanting to stop in at this bar and will say glad I did! Yes, it's low key and rather dark but the drinks are excellent! There is an amazing bartender at this location and she makes the absolute best drinks and makes her own fresh Lemmon juice! Hard worker and a great person! I'm looking forward to coming to town to make a stop here again and hope she is working when I do stop by. If your on the fence go...I really liked it! read more

I'm not going to give it a bad review, but I guess when I was hearing about it and envisioning a speakeasy... this just didn't really connect in my mind. The drinks were ok, but again, only in my opinion, not really that interesting or satisfying. The time to make a drink is very slow & when it's not busy, hard to understand why. I ordered a gibson & got an old fashioned so then re-ordered and that was slow coming, too! It was o.k. The Jack Collins was meh. The cobblers were lots of muddled fruit & tasty, but hard to drink. The decor is... meh & the lights were glaring to me. I didn't get the bare halogen lights strung across the ceiling. The seating is odd... Long banquette style benches along the wall, but no real separation and then only footstools and an inconvenient low table. A couple of four-tops and one two top with big wing chairs in a little alcove, a small, awkward seating area coming in from the entry. I think the space would be great for an intimate event or gathering, but not really conducive to a 2-3 people coming in and being comfortable or feeling like they're in a speakeasy. I also think they should limit the music to prohibition-era styles/tunes. Much more appropriate. I also think they should have a smart-casual dress code. That would make it much more of an experience than just seeing everyone in flip-flops & sloppy t-shirts. I'm sorry if I'm being picky. I love this hotel & I'm glad they have a space like this, I just think it could be soooo much more! read more

Great handmade drinks. Dark and quiet atmosphere. Very cool place to hang out after work. Love it!

Worst speakeasy ever! Not even a decent hotel bar. The only thing about this bar that resembles a speakeasy is the name on the door. The one bartender is trying, but limited selection makes classic drinks difficult. Spent the evening sitting at the bar while the bar back placed dirty glasses in front of me. read more

Escape from reality, sneak downstairs under the lobby and slide into this little hideaway. Dark and cozy, smells of roasted nuts and perspiration. Order something that someone invented long ago during a time of mixological taboos. Glance around the room at the other patrons just sipping the hours away, until the world calls them back. The energy here is self reflective and calming, which only adds to its value. I shall return read more

The experience at Speakeasy was fabulous. The cocktails were delicious and the banter with bartender Dawn was memorable. Make a point to visit Speakeasy whenever you're in Pittburgh. read more

Speakeasy - Blanton neat - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is a good bar! Not really a Speakeasy - although it may have been one decades ago. Dawn is a wonderful person and great bartender. She really helped make the time there fun. They have some pretty good hot nut mix. read more

This hidden gem is located on the bottom floor of the William Penn Hotel. The ambience is romantic and relaxing. The drinks are spectacular and the servers make the experience even more exciting. They are so nice and a pleasure to talk with. You can sit at the bar or find a cozy little spot by yourself. Love the prohibition music, decor and feel. It's definitely worth a visit. read more

Authentic to the bone. Hipsters turn to dust. Dawn is a professional angel of the spirit world, and an absolute master of life.

This is a cool spot in the lower level of the Omni hotel. I would give it a 4 if I were a hotel guest for the convenience of having not just this speakeasy but plenty other bars/attractions in the hotel (especially in the winter). Hubby and I checked this Speakeasy out on a Fri late night, at my request. And we got there bit past midnight and it was kinda empty :(. The ambiance was still neat and timey like you'd expect. The cocktails were good but nothing outta this world. Price point was standard for a cocktail bar. Good variety of drinks on the menu and altogether a pretty bar and seating area. Wish it would've been much more lively! read more

Really cool atmosphere. The bartender was excellent! She was so friendly and knowledgeable! Took her advice on the seasonal punch! It was excellent! read more

Cool atmosphere. Definitely worth a drop by for the ambience alone. Food plays it's purpose. Nothing bad to say about it. Thinking about the times this place has experienced gave it a good energy for me. Definitely recommend a trip if you're in the area. read more

I can understand all the comments about service difficulties; I can see how a place that makes drinks as good as these could get overwhelmed. Dawn makes the best drinks I have had in Pitt. I fly here all the time and don't Yelp the establishments because I have rarely been impressed or massively disappointed. I was impressed. Great drinks; excellent bartender. Great experience. read more

If you're looking for an authentic speakeasy experience, this is not the place. The speakeasy is not even remotely hidden. It's located in a well-lit basement of the Omni William Penn Hotel with the name ("speakeasy") branded all over the door. Also, a speakeasy named "speakeasy", really? To me, this place has more of a hotel basement bar feel than an actual speakeasy. We ordered the mescal old fashioned and the apricot sparkling gimlet. Between these two drinks, I recommend the mescal old fashioned if you're looking for something with a more unique taste, and the apricot sparkling gimlet if you're looking for something more refreshing. I personally prefers the mescal old fashioned over the apricot sparkling gimlet. The cayenne simple syrup in the drink definitely gives it a really nice kick, while the gimlet tastes a bit underwhelming to me. Drinks were about $15/each if cost is a concern of yours. We had no complaints in regards to service, though our drinks took awhile to come out despite the place being almost empty. read more

This was a real disappointment. Met a friend for drinks after a day of business, having heard the Speakeasy was a good spot for quality cocktails. While the space is comfortable enough, everything else is off, starting with the faux red velvet rope experience at the door. Ordered a Sazerac, expecting a classic cocktail presentation using a few local spirits. What I got was a watery over sweet mess garnishes with limp bits of lemon and orange peel and a licorice candy that the server said was meant to accent the anise notes in the drink. What?? If you're going to charge $17 in Pittsburgh for a cocktail, which is ridiculous on its own, at least execute a classic correctly. I expect there are some worthy cocktail bars in this city. The Speakeasy is not one of them. read more

Speakeasy is quite easy to find nowadays, as signs in Omni will point you to the right direction. During my first visit, I was told the room was vacant for decades before it was rediscovered. It used to be a legit speakeasy. The bartenders here are humorous and pour heavy. The drinks are delicious and strong. If you want to try an appetizer along, I recommend their pesto mozzarella. Speakeasy is one of my favorite spots to grab a fancy drink. I find it economical and calorie-friendly since one drink is enough and two drinks can be too much for me! read more

Dirty, poor service and bad cocktails. So unfortunate. I've been a couple different times hoping it was just a bad night. But, it is consistently Bad. Plenty of nice places in Pittsburgh. This just isn't one of them. read more

I asked the bartender for "something whiskey but refreshing". She mixed up an off-menu drink with a fresh lemony flavor that didn't overpower the whiskey at all (like a cheap sour mix does) Excellent service. Wonderful dark and comfortable atmosphere. My wife ordered a "Michael Collins" and it was even better! read more

We checked out the Speakeasy a few times while we were staying at the Omni Penn for a work conference. I liked that it never got too crowded, even on Friday and Saturday night. They also had a nice selection of drinks. We had a great server, Dave, but i'm knocking off a star for the rest of the staff. One bartender was downright rude and the rest acted very dismissive. Overall though, this is a great place to grab a drink if you're staying in the area. read more

I'm surprised about previous reviews on bad service. The only one in this joint with bad service is the manager. The employees are amazing and very welcoming. Dom made excellent drinks. All I know was I wanted bourbon and she made me several amazing cocktails. The manager does his own thing and is of zero importance. read more

Being a parent of three, the babysitter situations don't always become available as often as Mama and I would like. When the opportunities do arise for a grown-ups only date night, I need to make the most of it to ensure I get another date night in the near future - if you get my gist. Lets add to that challenge by having date night on Valentines Day, dinner at a restaurant we have never tried, and after dinner drinks at a place neither of us had ever heard of. Now that the scene of this story has been set and the bar has been set to 'impress the little lady or sleep with the dog tonight' we begin at the William Penn Hotel at the doors of the Speakeasy. When we arrived, we were met by a very friendly gentleman who promptly informed us, in a very apologetic manner, that he was at capacity and couldn't let us in. Thinking that this was simply part of the experience, we figured we needed a password. When 'Capone is a two-bit hooch jockey' and 'twenty-FOUR skadoo' didn't work, we regrouped for a quick powder. After loitering around in the hallway and pretending to be interested in the wall paper, all the while watching the 'bouncer' gently reject large groups of finely dressed Monopoly Men and trophy wives, we got in and were seated right at the bar. Immediately upon entering, you felt a different atmosphere in the joint, but not in a bad way. The room was warmer than in the hall and you could feel that this was a place that was never intended to be occupied, much like a hide-away that would have been ideal for a prohibition party. The lights were low, and big band, swing, and jazz music were playing setting the soundtrack for the night. Groups were seated around small tables in velvet lined chairs, sipping period-inspired drinks like Rob-Roys, Gibsons, and MONhattans. Couples at the bar enjoyed trying new drinks and overlapping the experience with new friends, all the while preserving the close, intimate conversation or to simply wind down at after a raucous evening of fast-paced stunt-swing dancing! The entire experience to this point was made complete by Dawn, the bartender, who not only made us feel very welcome, but she took our picture to preserve the memory. Dawn took the time to tell us about the menu, the history of the room, and we marveled watching her mix drinks. After reviewing the menu, Mama and I each opted for Moscow Mules with the house blend, citrus infused vodka and slapped rosemary. Slapped rosemary? As unconventional as us 'nightlife rubes' thought that was, it presented a wonderful flavor to an amazing drink. Before we knew it, we were engaged in conversation and being able to complete thoughts without being asked for a snack (parents know what I'm talking about). We didn't try any food, hence I'm only compelled to give four stars. I'm sure when we make it back, that will be raised to five, especially since I had my eye on the duck charcuterie and Mama wants to taste absinthe. So as we close out our evening and head back to reality Mama and I both agreed that the Speakeasy was the perfect place to close out a romantic evening...and yes, the dog slept alone!! read more

Beautiful set up and great location. Drinks were delicious. Can't wait to go back. Definitely a place you want to dress up for.

Horrible service. Not sure I can put it any other way. Just horrible. Compared to the excellent hotel it is in, even more so. The service was so bad we just left without our drinks. Place has potential, but they need to look at their staff to see if they can get a drink to a table within 20 minutes. Too bad. read more

Loved the environment and the specialty drinks! The Tom Collins were amazing with house made sour mix.

Dawn was AMAZING!!! She asked what my go-to drink was (Vodka/Club) and whipped up an amazing Gin Old Fashion with this delicious maple froth on top. She had a lot of knowledge and great charisma! read more

Very cool place. Music is old school. And i mean like piano silent movie old school. The server is very knowledgeable and they give you free snacks to eat while you sip your beverage. The vodka Collins is to die for. And it had a bbq chip as a decoration. They only thing I can't agree about is the price. $30 is for 2 drinks is a little over the top. Lower the prices to $8 and you'd have a grand slam. This is pittsburgh and not NYC after all. Would highly recommend. read more