Speakeasy
530 William Penn Pl, Downtown, PA, 15219
Speakeasy Menu
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Address :
530 William Penn Pl
Downtown, PA, 15219 - Phone
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Late Night
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Dressy
Ambience : Intimate
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Stephanie H.
Loved the ambiance! Very dimly lit, tho. Our waiter was very helpful and took the time to describe many of the drinks. The prohibition era menu was very unique. I tried the absinthe, can't compare it to anything because I've never had it before, but it had a licorice flavor. My friend had a port wine and it was sweet and smooth.
(4)Dan M.
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.
(3)Nina P.
LET'S LEARN WHAT PROHIBITION COCKTAIL RECIPES REALLY ARE PEOPLE! CAUSE THIS AIN'T IT! Hi My Loves! Mommy and "Duane Michals missing child" went on a downtown bar tour/bender one night. We are obsessed with whiskey bars & prohibition cocktail trend right now. This was the last stop on the crazy train. I gotta admit I was disappointed :( The décor was super cool 20s secret classy speakeasy slick. Hidden away behind a velvet rope, cool vibe. The bartender was HUSTLING with 2 assistants helping her but she seemed like either a pull from a bar somewhere else in the hotel OR not knowledgeable about prohibition cocktails. Drinks were only OK. The menu was like reading "Boardwalk Empire" in novel form. What ended up being awesome was the wacko patrons. The obvious "I'm here for a wedding weekend" guests that requested frozen drinks and apparently can't read menus or are just crazy B's. Then there were the two FUGLY (FUCKING-UGLY) business men with the two questionable "dates"...that looked like 21 year old breast implant models...::wink wink:: whatever you say old man...the whole room figured it out in 2 minutes! They were some class acts by Pittsburgh standards. My sly well styled eye was able to spot phony Chanel handbags and rip-off Christian Louboutin heels from across the room...honey if your heels leave streaks of red on the bar stool foot rest - YOU'VE BEEN HAD! THE FASHION POLICE ARE HERE TO ARREST YOU...OH AND SO ARE THE PITTSBURGH POLICE...cause I'm pretty sure what you are doing is illegal! Hahahahaha! BAM! I'm never going back and you shouldn't either! Try Tender or Acacia! Love you, Muah
(2)Kim F.
I have been to speakeasy bars all over the country...Patterson House, The Violet Hour, Please Don't Tell, etc. This, my friends, is NOT a speakeasy. This is a hotel bar. I should have known based on the fact that "speakeasy" was emblazoned on the door of the bar. My husband and I decided to have a nightcap after a fabulous night of dinner and drinks at Meat and Potatoes (highly recommend). We found this "speakeasy" on the bottom floor of our hotel and were elated! We entered and were excited to try the offerings. After careful consideration, we went with the Pims Cup and a Whiskey concoction which I forget the name. My husband's drink was $17, so needless to say, he was excited to try it. The Pim's Cup was a very reasonable $8.50. We received our drinks after about 15 minutes. My Pim's cup was served in a wine glass. It was a dark red and topped with a plethora of fruit (apples, blackberry, ect). I double checked when our server set it down to make sure I didn't receive someone's sangria. Our server informed me that it was, in fact, a Pim's Cup. It was awful. Tasted like soda water. My husband (a devout Bourbon drinker from Louisville) said his drink tasted like licorice with no hint of whiskey what so ever. We contemplated what to do. We are not used to sending back drinks, but this was ridiculous. We couldn't choke them down. We spoke with the server and let him know that we were unhappy with our drinks. He was visibly dismayed. My husband asked for an Old Fashioned and I passed for fear of getting another subpar drink. We heard the bartender speaking ill of the couple that sent back drinks and telling other patrons she takes pride in her drinks. We were mortified. We waited 20 minutes and still, my husband had not been served his Old Fashioned. It was embarrassing and infuriating at the same time. We decided to leave since we felt very unwelcome. This is quite possibly the worst bar experience we have ever had. I warn all patrons accustomed to a certain level of craftsmanship and service when it comes to beverages to stay away. There are much better places in this city to enjoy an artfully crafted cocktail.
(1)Evan T.
I don't know where to begin. How do you begin to call yourself a speakeasy when you are this bad at making drinks? Worst Old Fashioned and Negroni I've ever had. They didn't have proper whiskey ice or glassware, but its called Speakeasy. Whiskey ice cube? Too much to ask. 50% Seltzer water in an old fashioned? Since when? This all is of course in addition, super-super slow service. Took us approximately 20 minutes to get all 6 drinks (party of 6) and ironically, the last person to get their drink (me) was the only person who ordered their whiskey neat. I guess they had to call corporate to figure out what "neat" means. Will not go back. Ever.
(1)Shaun E.
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.
(5)Bob B.
I don't consider this a Speakeasy. It just seems like a bar at the bottom of a hotel. My drink was solid, but the service was deplorable. I waited forever. This is the worst Speakeasy that I have ever been to.
(2)Josh D.
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.
(5)Elizabeth B.
Dawn, the face of this operation, and behind the scenes too, is a fantastic bartender. When I arrived to meet my boyfriend and his friend, Dawn was explaining to them about the gin rickey cocktail and the gimlet. I started asking her more about the gimlet and said in hadn't had cheery in a gimlet ever. I then proceeded to look at the menu and then informed Dawn I had made my choice. She looked at me and said "let me guess". After a few seconds of her feeling into my selection and personality she said "apricot gimlet". By golly she was right! Dawn has that magical bartender intuition that only someone who understands people and well thought out crafted cocktails could have. After being there for a 15 minutrs or so, she brought us complimentary warm spiced almonds. The apricot gimlet was very nice, not too atrong or sweet, it was balanced and refreshing. also makes a nice old fashioned. We will be going back because to Dawn.
(5)Randi R.
Rude staff. Horrible service. Closes earlier than posted times. Do yourself a favor and don't bother visiting the speakeasy. The hotel itself is great- too bad it's stuck with this bar inside it. Go to the tap room instead if you're staying in the hotel.
(1)Joseph S.
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.
(4)Alexander N.
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.
(5)Brian M.
Very cool little place in the basement of the Omni. Definitely an old school vibe type spot. Dawn the bartender was awesome. Try the Moscow Mule or just tell her what you like and she'll whip you up something. Worth a visit.
(4)James T.
Price = 4 Experience = 4 Cool dark and mixed drinks... not the cheapest place to drink, but swank.
(4)David M.
Service was poor. Long wait for a drink even though it wasn't busy. Worst old fashioned I've had! Much better options
(1)Bianca H.
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.
(4)T R.
Dawn, the bartender, is the real deal. After two wonderful cocktails (gin and rum), I told her to just surprise me, and I wasn't disappointed. If you understand what "bruising" an herb means, or what an atomizer is, come give this place your money.
(5)Nick F.
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.
(4)Wil C.
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.
(1)Heidi S.
A slightly better than average, but just as overpriced, over-hyped "hotel bar." Went on a busy night and waited about an hour to get in (waited in the even more mediocre bar upstairs), and then at least 15 minutes for service contact and another 20 for the drinks. Our server seemed more like an Eat-N-Park waitress dressed like a prostitute than a steward of fine libations. I think I had the "Blind Tiger" which was fine, but not better than cocktails I make at home and not worth the wait.
(2)Melanie E.
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!
(3)Nick F.
I normally don't write bad reviews on places because I'm in the industry and I usually give the place the benefit of the doubt but this one didn't make the cut. Both of us got the punch which doesn't actually need to be made. At around 25 minutes of waiting, the server came up to our table saying the bartender was going to get a refill on the punch... Yes, 25 minutes later. When the drinks showed up, they were two different ones when we both ordered the same thing. Keep in mind we are approaching about 35 minutes for two punch drinks. We figured we should ask for our tab because it was obviously going to take a while to get it. 20 minutes later our tab comes and without looking, I give him my card because I didn't have the patience any more. The credit card slip came and I was charged $26 for two $9 drinks. As I said my patience were depleted so I didn't bother to dispute the charge. All of this could have been changed if the server would have acknowledged the long wait time but he didn't in any way. I won't be returning to Speakeasy.
(1)Amy Z.
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.
(3)Joe M.
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!!
(4)Jen B.
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?
(5)Jess B.
Came here after a overly busy Butcher and the Rye. Wow.....and what a relief. This was exactly what I wanted. Easy to hear yourself talk and outstanding drinks. I had the Egg Flip as well as the Orange/Lemon Old Tom Cobbler. Both great. The Cobbler tasted so refreshing it would have been a great beach drink. We also got a Charcuterie board which was good, but wasn't a fan of the Pate (and I usually like Pate) I never knew this place existed until my friend showed it to me. I'm so glad I know about it now. I feel like I'm giving up this secret gem. A place for great drinks and conversation.
(4)Momar J.
The place itself is a cool location and I liked the decor but that's about it. When I first arrived I looked around an noticed most people were drinking beer or wine. I thought that was odd since this was a place that was supposed to specialize in prohibition style cocktails, but after I ordered my first drink I realized why. I got an old fashioned that was hands down the worst old fashioned I have ever had, everything was off about it including the bar tender shoving about half an orange in it. Next up I got a Tom Collins and when it arrived it was black, I have never seen this before and the drink itself was horrendous. Nothing that goes into a Tom Collins would make the drink black. I heard other patrons complain to the bartender about their drinks not being right and she would dismiss their concerns immediately and say things like you probably never had this style of drink before. This place really needs to hire a bartender that is passionate and knows about making these type of drinks. Bottom line if you are looking for a prohibition style drink avoid this place there are places like Acacia or Butcher in the Rye that are a million times better.
(1)K M.
Drinks are above average (fair priced for the quality) and staff is friendly, however after a couple times visits, I can confirm the service is always ridiculously slow (a minimum of 5 min wait time for a drink, sometimes almost 10 min after ordering). Your drink is always dry for several min before being able to order again. If they improved service time I would easily give 5 stars.
(2)Ellen D.
I went to the speakeasy bar in the omni last night. It was amazing! Five stars! The bartender was knowledgeable about everything and we were the last ones to leave the bar. The bartender's name is Dawn and Ben is the manager. The ambiance is so chill that it makes you feel like you went back in time to the early 19 hundreds. The room is a little bit small otherwise the place is perfect. The drinks are made it with fresh ingredients and the aroma from your drink what have you guessing which ingredient is making that smell.
(5)Blake R.
Cool atmosphere (Brilliant true history) - could be a little darker and include some live music at least one night a week.
(4)Sarah R.
Absolutely amazing place. It felt like we were in the 1920's. The drinks, lighting, and decor were perfect. It's a small place, small enough to make you feel like you're in an actual speakeasy, but not cramped. The decor is ornate, but doesn't feel stuffy. The manager and our waiter were very kind and welcoming. We felt that they genuinely wanted us to have a great time. The best part is that this was actually a speakeasy in the 1920s! I recommend highly!
(5)