![table with hidden bar table with hidden bar](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/hidden-bar-coffee-table-by-willy-rizzo-1970s-for-sale-picture-5/f_39443/1578850513739/657528_6__master.jpg)
There seems to be two kinds of hidden bars in San Diego. You tell the server or bartender what alcohol you like and the bartender will mix a drink specially crafted for you. They do have a menu of drinks to choose from, but I recommend "the Dealer's Choice". If you don't have reservations, they may let you in but will not likely have a seat for you. After you check in the hostess will seat you at a small table or at the bar. So if you have reservations, just skip any line and make your way to beer kegs. We made the mistake of thinking they would come out to get us or let us in. Pull the beer kegs toward you and on the other side you will find a hostess stand in a little room for you to check in. If it is still the same, you make your way toward the restroom and look for a wall of beer kegs.
![table with hidden bar table with hidden bar](https://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/hyde-hidden-storage-secret-mini-bar-coffee-table-6.jpg)
However, the Neighborhood is currently closed for renovations, so I'm not exactly sure where you enter now. When I went, the entrance to this hidden gem was inside the Neighborhood Bar & Grill. You can make reservations on their website up to a week in advance. This is a small location where reservations are highly recommended. The Noble Experiment is a hidden speakeasy in the East Village area of Downtown serving some of the best cocktails in San Diego. Our intention was to just check this place out and have one drink, but we were having such a great time, we stayed to listen to the music and had another cocktail. On Wednesdays they have an open jazz mic night. What makes sets this place apart from others, is they have live music every night. After getting our drinks we sat down at a little table directly across from the stage. On the night I went, they had an Old Fashioned special for only $5! It's the best drink deal I have seen in San Diego. Once inside, the bartenders can mix up a cocktail of your choice or you can choose from the prepared cocktail menu. After the bouncer gives you his okay, you wait for the light to come on to indicate the door is unlocked and ready to enter. The bouncer standing out front really gives the impression that there is a shady lawyer inside. The sign on the door reads Law Office, Eddie O'Hare. You'll need to look for a door set back from the street that can easily be missed. There is no sign directing you to the entrance. This place checks all the boxes when it comes to a classic speakeasy. I stumbled across Prohibition Lounge one night when dining at a restaurant across the street in the Gaslamp Quarter. We also tried the Cure My Appe Thai which had Johnny Smoking Gun whiskey, Tom Kha reduction, Shiitake mushroom, lime, serrano tincture and furikake. I had the Japanese Highlife which was Tiki Japanese whiskey, plum nectar, lemon, sea salt, soda and garnished with salted plum. This Asian speakeasy features unique cocktails with flavors not typically seen in American drinks. Then you place your palm on an ancient Asian script on a sliding glass door which will then open to a world of elegant decor. Every guest is taken into an apothecary and given a short presentation about the herbs and tonics that align the walls. Once you arrive, check in with the hostess at Common Theory and wait for them to take you back. The Realm of the 52 Remedies is in the back of the Common Theory Gastropub on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. The cocktails are not like any I've ever had before and the ambiance is over the top. One of the newest hidden bars to hit the scene has now become my favorite.