This sexy San Juan bar hidden behind a tea shop was named the best speakeasy in America

While speakeasies aren't a necessity like they were during Prohibition, these hidden bars around the U.S. still offer a bit of sneaky fun on a night out. USA Today's 10Best Readers Choice Awards recently named the best speakeasies in America for 2026, and you won't find the number-one spot on the mainland—that's because it's in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Calle Loíza in San Juan's vibrant Santurce neighborhood is famous for its eclectic energy, colorful street art and buzzing culinary scene. It's also home to a secret gem of a bar featuring an inventive cocktail program. Hidden behind the unpretentious storefront of a local tea shop, Furtivo Speakeasy is making waves and earning deserved recognition.

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To enter Furtivo, you push past a hidden door into a dimly lit recreation of a bygone era with crimson velvet drapery and vintage chandeliers. The bar's theatrical vibe is crafted around the tale of Don Sebastián, a fictional 1920s bon vivant whose clandestine spirit infuses every detail of the space.

While the moody, romantic aesthetic sets the stage, the bar’s innovative cocktail program takes center stage. Bartenders utilize local Puerto Rican botanicals and tropical ingredients as well as tea-infused elements inspired by the front shop. Highlighting the menu are collaborative drinking experiences, including two-person tea-and-spirit infusions and a traditional Japanese tea service. Late night DJs and Japanese fusion brunches round out the mix of offerings.

Trifecta Glass Art Lounge in Lexington, Kentucky—a cocktail lounge hidden behind a working glass studio—and the back-alley Shanghai MKE in Milwaukee, Wisconsin claimed the number two and three spots respectively. Find the full list of these (literally) hidden gems here.

The 10 best speakeasies in the U.S., according to USA Today:

1. Furtivo Speakeasy — San Juan, Puerto Rico
2. Trifecta Glass Art Lounge — Lexington, Kentucky
3. Shanghai MKE — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
4. Hidden Bar at Noelle — Nashville, Tennessee
5. Bar 414 at The Gunter Hotel — San Antonio, Texas
6. The Hidden Nēnē — Hilo, Hawaii
7. Please Don't Tell — New York, New York
8. Bathtub Gin — New York, New York
9. Hell or High Water — Louisville, Kentucky
10. 21st Amendment at La Louisiane — New Orleans, Louisiana