We took the Bright Line train from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale to get ready for our cruise and spent the night before the cruise at the Hyatt Centric because it is located on Las Olas Boulevard, where all the interesting shops and restaurants are, in Fort Lauderdale. But it was raining pretty hard, and we decided we didn’t want to go out walking to find a place for dinner. Searching around online, a speakeasy called Room 901 showed up, but we couldn’t figure out where it was. It seemed really close, though. So I went online, and there was a reservation open just 30 minutes from the current time. I booked a table for two, not having any idea what I was getting into.
When the confirmation email showed up, it didn’t really contain any clues, either. All we knew was that the place was called Room 901 and was really close. Then we realized we were in Room 956. “Is it possible that it’s at the other end of this hall?” I said.
So we walked down to the end of the hall and knocked on the door of Room 901. It opened, and there it was. Apparently, if you’re not staying on the ninth floor of the hotel, you’re supposed to somehow know that you go to the front desk of the hotel and ask for a key that will let you access the room. But the way we stumbled on it made it even more mysterious. Of all the speakeasies we’ve been to, it has definitely the most secret.
It is also the best. The mixology was phenomenal. The drink recipes are entirely enthusiastic to the period. And even though it’s in a room at a hotel that appears to not have a room service or a fancy restaurant, the food was terrific.
And the ambiance is amazing. The room is extremely dark, authentically decorated to the period, and features an imposing wall of every kind of liquor and liqueur you can imagine. The whole thing is run by a single bartender who acts as host and server, and made everyone in the room feel special and welcome. It’s 12 seats only, and you definitely need reservations. I would go back to Fort Lauderdale just to enjoy this experience again.