Speak the secret phrase to the owl sculpture in the lobby of this private club, and the rest—well, we don’t want to ruin the surprises in store for visitors at this magical institution. The mansion is over a century old, but since 1963, it has been the home of the Academy of Magical Arts, an exclusive organization made up of more than 5,000 magicians. Perhaps the hardest trick to pull off here? Getting inside. Dinner is a delight, featuring the Academy’s beef Wellington and a rich and tender Colorado rack of lamb—both dishes come with bordelaise sauce and garlic confit, and all entrées are served with roasted fingerling potatoes. While the bar feels like a speakeasy inside Hogwarts, complete with cheeky options like mystical margaritas and sorcerer’s sangria. But the move is the NPH old-fashioned, a Castle favorite named after past president Neil Patrick Harris. If you can’t find a member to tag along with, stay at the adjacent Magic Castle Hotel for access.
With reporting by Giovanny Gutierrez