Located in the heart of Lisbon next to the beautiful Avenida da Liberdade, RED FROG Speakeasy Bar showcases the very best in bar and cocktail art. Inspired by the great masters of the past and using the most modern and relevant technologies, here to create such innovative and memorable cocktails that cause admiration and amazement from the first sip.
RED FROG Bar is not only one of the most beloved bars in Lisbon, but also the most recognized. In addition to numerous awards and honors, in 2022, RED FROG was ranked 40th on the famous list of The World’s 50 Best Bars.
Another interesting nuance is that this bar is not so easy to find, nor easy to get into it. It can take much time to find the entrance, which turns out to be hidden behind another bar called Monkey Mash (same owners). But when you finally on its doorstep, you gonna triumph!
To get inside, you need to ring the bell under the red frog attached to the wall. Security will greet you at the door and will definitely check if you have a reservation (unfortunately, you won’t be able to get into the bar without one). And then you find yourself in unbelievably versatile world of mixology.
-BUBBLES & TROUBLES (18€) — Refreshing, Velvety and Dry Fruity Notes, one of the bestselling aperitif cocktails from the current menu Monocromático.
(Ketel One Vodka, Pet Nat de Alvarinho, Greek Yogurt, Azores Purple Passion Fruit, Cumaru, Brioche Distillate)
-FLORAL (17€) — Floral and Dry With a Slightly Natural Carbonation, another good choice to start RED FROG acquaintance with.
(Belvedere, Azores White Tea, Kombu Viva Rosé, Rhubarb)
RED FROG was opened by Paulo Gomes and Emanuel Minez and in 2015 and it was a real sensation in Lisbon with its latest mixological trends. Despite its overwhelming success and international recognition, the bar closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. But the owners of the bar did not want to close it and they found a solution — to reopen the bar and hide it.
The new RED FROG Bar has become even better, but retains the traditions and trends of its predecessor. It’s a bar inspired by the “Prohibition-era” Speakeasy concept in the United States, but with the originality of its home country, tracing its various periods of development, creative culture and cocktail consumption — from the golden age to the culmination of the modern cocktails of the 90s until now.
Here, in a small, lively, fun and at the same time bohemian-hued lounge where swing music, jazz, funk or rock sounds, creating the desired atmosphere with decor inspired by the 20s and 30s, and in absolute isolation from the outside world, we are completely immersed in an intriguing art of mixology.
-SPICED RUSTY CHERRY (17€) — Created in 2014 this modern classic full of spices and aromatic smoke
(Ginja, Shrub Careja, Madeira Carejeira,
Canerock, Plantation Panamá by RED FROG, Dow’s LBV Porto)
-ZEPPEliN FUNK PUNCH (16€) — This Milk Punch Created in 2017 Full of Freshness and Velvety Mouth
(Smoke Earl Grey, Blueberries, Buttermilk, Tanqueray Ten, Cockburn’s Ruby Soho Porto)
As the bar owners say, when creating cocktails, they are based on the old tastes of the land, deeply connected to the traditions and culture of the country.
Exploring the relationship between ancient and modern mixology without losing the DNA of each classic cocktail in the process of “deconstruction-reconstruction”, and using modern laboratory technologies, they adapt and modernize flavors to create completely new and differentiated taste.
-BROKEN BONES (15€) — Fresh, Umami with Dry and Bitter Finish
(Iberian Pork Fat, Shiitake, Naked Mait, Amaro Lucano Bonanto, Black Grapefruit)
-ILUSÃO NEGRA (17€) — Robust, Full Body With Freshness and Spicy End
(Chipotle, Don Julio Bianco,
Perro San Juan Espadin, Black Lime, Giffard, Piment D’Espelette, White Chocolate)
All of these masterpieces are created in a tiny lab, which is located right next to the bar. Moreover, another unique feature of the bar is that not a single cocktail is mixed during the service: the bartender just takes a beforehand prepared cocktail base, shakes it if necessary and pours it into a glass. And all you need is just sit back and enjoy.
RED FROG SPEKEASY BAR
Address: Praça da Alegria 66b, 1250-004, Lisbon, Portugal
Instagram: @redfrogspeakeasy
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
