Vieux Carre Brings Prohibition Vibes to the Strip District

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Vieux Carre is a High-End Speakeasy in Pittsburgh

Getting into Vieux Carre is, admittedly, part of the experience.

This speakeasy, tucked inside a backroom at Sea Monkey in the Strip District, is not something you can wander around and find yourself. To reach this one, you have to check in with the host and be escorted back through the bar's kitchen space.

So if you are thinking about just wandering around Sea Monkey to discover this one, we'll stop you right there- you won't be getting in without an escort (and, when busy, an advanced reservation on their separate booking system as well).

But if you do that, a trip back in time is your reward.

Quickly after entering the back room bar, you'll feel like you were transported to the roaring 20s (the 1920s, that is) with a secret lounge, bartenders in tuxedos, and an elegance and attention to detail that we all have come to expect with a Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group experience.

It is a perfect, beautiful space.

The bar menu was created by Brian Maxwell, founder of Shaker of Spirits and beverage director of the restaurant group, and almost feels like a capstone from his illustrious career.

There are classics from the late 1800s and early 1920s, creations of Brian's from former bars in recent years, and, of course, new creations exclusively made for Vieux Carre as well. But, all that said, one thing that we both loved and perhaps were cautious about with Vieux Carre's menu is that it is massive.

So massive, in fact, that we could probably visit this one four or five times and not even get through the entire menu- it is just that big.

We started our night off with a round of the Chiquita Old Fashioned (with pineapple rum, aged Jamaican rum, creme de banane, amaro timous, and bitters) and the Palm Court Strut (with barrel-proof bourbon, an aperitivo blend, guava cordial, ginger syrup, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and an egg white).

The Chiquita Old Fashioned is, for me at least, up there in the category of “perfect Old Fashioned,” as it was smooth, not too sweet, and had a well-integrated flavor profile with undertones of pineapple and banana that did not overpower the cocktail. Take some time to sip and appreciate this one!

On the flip side, the Palm Court Strut was a punchy drink with a strong presence of guava cordial on the front end with subtle ginger and grapefruit notes. If you like a tiki punch, don't overlook this one, as it may have been our favorite cocktail of the night.

Our second round included Mac's Final Boogie (with Russian grain vodka, blue curacao, passion fruit, red beans and rice orgeat, Donn's spices no 2, and lemon juice) as well as the Apothecary Colada (with Haitian clairin, agricole rhum, bitters, Donn's spices no 2, passion fruit, pineapple juice, and toasted coconut).

These two cocktails reminded us more of the tiki train as fun takes on a hurricane/blue hurricane and a pina colada, respectively. Mac's Final Boogie upped the complexity with subtle, rich, and savory notes from the orgeat, and the Apothecary Colada reminded us of a clarified milk punch with undertones of the cream coming through on the palate- both a delight to drink that we'd order again.

We ended with a final drink of a Ramos Gin Fizz (with Old Tom gin, gomme syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, cream, egg white, orange blossom, vanilla, and club soda).

I'm often hesitant to order a Ramos Gin Fizz at a bar, considering they take quite some time to prepare, but despite the 10-minute wait for the foam to set, this one was a beauty with a lovely creamsicle-esque foam on top thanks to the infusion of orange blossom and vanilla.

With this spread of cocktails, we were delighted that there really wasn't a miss in a single drink we tried. Truly, the only downside here is that allergens are not noted on the menu (although each individual spirit/liquor is noted), but the knowledgeable bartenders more than helped out with our questions all the same.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about the price of this one, as Vieux Carre may be one of the most premium cocktail bars in the city. At the time of opening in 2026, for example, most cocktails ran $18-$20, with some premium and shared drinks running a fair bit more.

While we normally have a moment of pause at price points at this, mostly because we're just not prepared to normalize that price range in Pittsburgh at the time of publishing this article, we do have to admit, this one holds up and then some.

In fact, from our first visit to Vieux Carre, we'd go as far as saying that it is hitting the ground running not only as one of the finest cocktail bars in the city, but it is up there with some of the top speakeasies we've visited around the world- albeit with a price to match.

That said, we are so excited to go back, particularly with more friends, so we can work our way through the entire menu!

Vieux Carre is located inside Sea Monkey at 2305 Smallman Street in the Strip District. It is available to book via a separate reservation system from Sea Monkey, and guests must be escorted back to the bar with a staff member. Reservations are highly recommended.