How to Find All of Rochester, MN’s Secret Speakeasies
All over Rochester, Minnesota we have some pretty cool places to hang out. There are great local coffee shops, breweries, and bars. There are also some really sweet spots that are like secret cocktail lounges in the downtown area.
Are of them are a little hidden, some more hidden and secretive than others, but they all are going for a speakeasy-type cocktail lounge vibe.
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Have you been to all of them yet? I've been able to try them all and they all have their own unique twists, which I love. They're great places to meet up with friends for a drink or go for a date.
Rochester, MN's Secret Cocktail Lounges
The one that I'd say is the easiest to find is the 1928 Cocktail Lounge inside Bebap. 1928 opened just a few years ago and feature unique cocktails and small bites.
I say this is the easiest one to find because when you walk into Bebap there's a big staircase which is where you go up to the speakeasy. It's not too hard to miss.
They're open Fridays and Saturdays 5 - 11 PM with live jazz music 7 - 10 PM.
Next, we have Bitter and Pour, the place that my husband and I go to most often. They're the ones who have been around the longest out of the cocktail lounges. They only serve cocktails, no food, but man, do they do it well.
To find them, there's a sign on 3rd St. marking the door to go in. Once you get inside though, you need to go downstairs and figure out the riddle to get yourself into the lounge. It's so fun!
They're open Monday - Saturday 4 PM - Midnight.
Bitter and Pour's rooftop location is the most recent addition to our list. They're located just a block away from the original basement location.
To find them, you'll go past Bitter and Pour's basement location, down 3rd St. toward Broadway. Cross Broadway, go past Terza, and there will be a door on your right (past Terza's outdoor dining). You'll get in the elevator once you're inside and go up to the 7th floor. And boom! You're there!
The BP rooftop location is open year-round (the outdoor patio is obviously closed in the winter) Tuesday through Thursday 4 PM - 11 PM and Fridays and Saturdays 4 PM - 1 AM.
Up next: Palmetto Room. This speakeasy-style bar is below Our Paladar. They're a rum bar and also have small bites that you can order. It's all super tasty.
Palmetto Room is harder to find. There's no sign outside and the staircase you need to go down when you get in the front door looks like it's a place you're not allowed to be. But trust me, it's down there.
They're open Tuesday - Thursday 4 - 10 PM and Friday - Saturday 4 - 11 PM. But make sure to check Our Paladar's Facebook page first, Palmetto Room is often booked out for events. Also, heads up, they're only open in the winter.
And finally, we have Shhhh... which is below ThaiPop. This cocktail lounge has such a cool vibe but it's also the smallest one, so you may want to make a reservation (which you can do by calling ThaiPop). They serve unique cocktails and also quite unique small bites.
This is definitely the hardest one to find because you literally can't get in without someone from the ThaiPop staff walking you there. And then you have to walk through the entire restaurant and down some back stairs. So it's the most complicated, but totally worth it!
They're open Fridays and Saturdays 5 - 11 PM.
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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross
