“Speaky-what? A speakeasy is a type of bar often considered clandestine, as it was particularly common during Prohibition (the American period when the sale of alcohol was banned in the USA). Long after this ban (and at a time when some people are counting their benders by the hundreds – no, we’re not judging you), many bars in the same style and inspired by a 1920s-30s decor have opened in Lyon.
La Baignoire: a plunge into the 1930s in La Guillotière
Secretly located at number 11 rue des Trois Rois, La Baignoire invites you on an exotic journey halfway between Peaky Blinders and Boardwalk Empire. With its themed cocktails, steamy ambience and Art Deco decor, this is a bewitching place!
📍 11 Rue des Trois Rois, Lyon 7
⏰ Tuesday to Thursday : 6pm-1am / Friday and Saturday: 6pm-2.30pm
Bar de bon Secours: the bar of our dreams
Here’s a bar with plenty of chachet! The Bar de bon Secours awaits you in the basement of a chocolate shop in Vieux-Lyon for a moment out of time. Sip your drink and let yourself be seduced by the ambiance, the posters on the wall and the 1930s furniture. As for the menu, you won’t be disappointed either: here, cocktails made from hyperlocal liqueurs and spirits are served well and well. As you can see, this is the kind of place you need to know if you want to call yourself a Lyonnais.
📍 12 rue du Boeuf, Lyon 5
⏰ Thursday to Monday: 7pm – 1am
Le Fantôme de l’Opéra: the Roaring Twenties at the foot of the Croix-Rousse
Return to the Roaring Twenties with Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, reminiscent of Gaston Leroux’s work. The foggy, atmospheric decor features an old phonograph, leather armchairs, a Chesterfield sofa, soft lighting and jazz music… and special attention is paid to the cocktail glasses: skulls, unicorns, popcorn boxes… so Instagrammable!
📍 19 Rue Royale, Lyon 1
⏰ Tuesdayto Saturday: 6pm-1am
Soda Bar: soul and spirits 70’s style near the quays of Saône
“Soul’n’Spirits” is the credo of Soda Bar, as stated on its website. In this intimate speakeasy with its retro banquettes and posters, you’ll feel like you’ve travelled back to the 70s thanks to a selection of themed cocktails (fifteen with alcohol and four without – no mean feat!) with amusing names and served by a friendly team.
📍 7 Rue de la Martinière (inside Baroudeur Cycles)
⏰O pen daily from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. (2 a.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Fri-Sat)
L’Antiquaire: vintage and good cocktails a stone’s throw from Saint-Paul
Often considered one of Lyon’s best cocktail bars, L’Antiquaire is a true benchmark for those seeking a cosy, subdued speakeasy in a decor that fully respects the jazzy ambience of New York bars from the 50s and 60s. An incomparable journey back in time, reserved for the most curious and the most discerning.
📍 20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, Lyon 1
⏰ Daily 6pm – 1am (3am Fri-Sat)
Le Passage: velvet lounges and a patinated bar near Les Terreaux
Are we backstage at the Oscars, in an incredible old-fashioned restaurant or on a luxurious Art Deco train bound for nostalgia? The incredible décor of Le Passage restaurant is sure to enchant visitors curious to sample its hushed ambience and signature cocktails. A real must in our beloved city of Lyon.
📍 8 Rue du Plâtre, Lyon 1
⏰ Tuesday to Thursday 7pm – 12am and Friday and Saturday 7pm – 2am