Modern Shanghai Speakeasy Accessible Through a Vintage Coke Machine

It's hard to find The Flask Speakeasy Shanghai, and that's the point. Alberto Caiola designed the exclusive locale, and it's one of the hottest new cocktail bars in Shanghai. But, it all remains hidden behind an innocuous vintage Coca-Cola machine that's located in The Press, a quirky sandwich shop. Just a twist of the machine's coin return and you'll enter the strikingly modern watering hole.

When you see The Press, you'd never realize that there's a bar behind it. The place has concrete walls, a pink drop ceiling and a bright orange counter. Having a vintage Coke machine just adds to its unique decor.

At night, guests enter the Flask Speakeasy through the vending machine's door. Once inside, they're welcomed by an amber-lit interior that combines the aesthetics of a 1920s-era America speakeasy with futuristic design elements. Brown tufted leather couches and copper-topped tables are offset by bold, geometric sculptures that hang from the ceiling. It's meant to feel contemporary, cozy, and intimate.

The bar is now open for those who are privy to it. So if you'd like to attend, visit The Press and tip your server well. Maybe you'll get invited back to the Coke machine later that night!

Alberto Caiola website
via [The Coolist]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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