Flask Speakeasy Shanghai by Alberto Caiola

One of the hottest new cocktail bars in Shanghai is a well-hidden secret. The Flask Speakeasy Shanghai by Alberto Caiola is hidden behind a nondescript vintage Coca-Cola machine in a sandwich shop. Just twist the coin return on this old-timey vendor, and you’ll enter an exclusive speakeasy with an unreal design.

A visually striking cocktail club that is as sexy as it is secretive.

The Flask Speakeasy Shanghai is paired with The Press, a street-facing sandwich shop. The Press is quite a design itself — it features unpainted concrete walls with a pink drop-ceiling section, an orange counter and wood seating for natural tone accents. To the left of the counter, a simple vintage Coke machine adds more than just a bit of character. It’s an entry way into a completely different world.

At night, guests can enter Flask Speakeasy through the slim door of the Coca-Cola machine. Guests are greeted with an exquisite design, one that balances the era-appropriate speakeasy furnishings with futuristic design elements. The tufted leather seating, vintage wooden bar stools and copper-topped tables might feel right at home in a 1920’s American speakeasy. At Flask, these traditional furnishings are met with sculptural ceiling elements that hang down in wild geometric patterns. These hide lighting fixtures and help silence ambient noise for a private, dimly lit environment. In concert, this old-meets-new design is fascinating, a visually striking cocktail club that is as sexy as it is secretive.

Flask is open now in Shanghai for those in-the-know. Guests can swing by during the day and visit The Press for a sandwich and a soda. If you tip the server well, you just might get invited to walk through that Coke machine door later that night…

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