Rideau Speakeasy @ Arden

This place is kind of a scam. We booked for our friend’s birthday with mandatory per person charge and percentage tip fee. No server was waiting on us the entire time after our initial order was placed, however when we didn’t reach our per person minimum we still got charged the full per person fee. We wanted to order more but couldn’t ! A girl in our group actually broke a glass from accidentally hitting it on the way to the bathroom since no one came to collect our empty cocktail glasses after so long. In addition, we ordered ceviche and dip- apps with chip dips. The chips were so light, they kept breaking in the dip. We asked for spoons multiple times so we could actually eat the food but was ignored. I ended up walking out of the speakeasy myself to 1. Ask for spoons and 2. Bus our empty cocktail glasses as no one was coming and I wanted to avoid another glass from being broken. The bar is not big and maybe holds 3 groups. The “manager” and the bartenders were actively ignoring us the entire night. The manager quoted our “contractual agreement” for reasons why we had to pay the 20 percent $600+ service fee and additional $200 we were due per person as we couldn’t meet our minimum since no one came by to ask throughout the 2 hour booking if we wanted additional items. When questioned about this, the manager (?) couldn’t even give us cocktails to make up the “ minimum“ as he said there are other people waiting for our booth. I’m sorry but if we are obligated to pay 20 percent service fee on $25 cocktails and expensive appetizers, I don’t expect to be begging for utensils, bussing my own table, and waving down servers in a tiny bar that wasn’t particularly busy. To make matters worse, the manager (???) made no effort to rectify the situation by offering us at bare minimum a glass of wine, or removing an item off the bill, but instead demanding we pay the $200 we couldn’t make up due to “contractual agreement”. I will say the one cocktail we did get was amazing and the magician was cool, but the terrible service and manager really killed the rest of the night when we were trying to celebrate our friend.

There’s a buried review calling this place a scam and I couldn’t agree more. Was there from our reservation time at 10:30 to about 12:15am and magician Scotty Syme Jr. did not come to us once, nor did he perform for the entire crowd at. Place is small and cramp with no tables for eating despite having a food menu. We were not addressed by the magician at all, would not want to use race but sitting ignored for 2 hours it makes you think. We ordered oysters and wagyu sliders, after about 40 minutes of sitting around the sliders came, we were shocked ant the size to time it took ratio. After about an hour still no oysters. Eventually a waiter comes over with a caviar on cream cheese and a piece of toast the size of a dime. They tell us they are out of oysters so this was a comped alternative valued much higher than what we ordered. I personally am not a fan of cream cheese and was surprised it took an hour and 45 minutes (with no magic or acknowledgement) for them to tell us we would be provided an alternative. In the end the total bill did not add up, I told the bartender and he could not understand that we should not have been charged. Overall I just wanted to leave and didn’t mind paying the extra to do so. He made a sly remark about “over priced food” and “definitely wanting to give back the $20 mistake if it was warranted” because he “totally understands.” Overall we left feeling belittled and upset and wouldn’t want others to go through the same.

This place is a must go. Magician Jeff Black is absolutely AMAZING, so so entertaining. I can’t stop laughing, truly so enjoyable. He is so good. drinks are fab, vibes are good, love it. Thank you all!

It was really nice being inside the hidden gem loved our espresso martins while enjoying the magic show

The best! The magic was amazing, and Kane was absolutely phenomenal. We had the best night!

This place was so much fun 🤩 and they have a really good expresso martini 🥰

Excellent cocktails + great show = wonderful evening with friends !

Amazing the magic too is like how the hell!!!! Recommended 100% your mind will be blown!

Rideau is a speakeasy located in Arden Restaurant. Reservations are a must as the place probably holds 30 max. You can make reservations on their website via email. Heads-up they do require a credit card for reservation. Rideau is behind Arden's main bar you will see a fountain and the society room labeled on the floor. Upon entry it feels like you are whisked to a 1920s French setting. They do have small bites but the focus is cocktails. All the drinks are done well and with intention. They are stiff but good! Pricing is $22 and up. The bartenders are the servers and are so kind. They really explain everything and give great recommendations. I ordered the La flamme cocktail for $35 and the prep was incredible. It was so good too. I was impressed! They tend to also have magicians on the weekends. Scott was the magician of the night and he was phenomenal. I still am thinking, "how did he do that?!" The whole vibe of Rideau was special and I will definitely be back next time I'm in West Hollywood.

Rideau is a one of a kind bar. This one of a kind bar one of the best kept secrets. From the moment you step in you're immersed in to a sea of vibrant reds that set the perfect mood, bold yet intimate and just the right amount of mysterious. Each cocktail feels like it was crafted by a wizard mixologist, balancing flavor and creativity. Rideau isn't just a speakeasy, it's an experience.

It's located inside Arden, limited seating . Hence, RESERVE ahead by going to their website, filling in a form which sends you an OpenTable link to hold a card, and then an OT confirmation. Paid street Parking on the dreaded SM blvd street which is full of restaurants and shops so if you're lucky, you'll find one on a busy weekend. Open 8.30pm to 1 am. Parisian themed, speakeasy with nifty bartenders and magicians to keep you engaged. Blasting air in that tiny space made it ridiculously cold. Even w around 10-12ish capacity since they've two tenders, it feels short staffed or like busy. Esp, when they forgot/mixed our orders w our side table. From a price and taste perspective, there are much better places in socal. But from an experience standpoint, makes for a fun evening.

Had a wonderful Thursday night at the Rideau! Good drinks and great ambiance! The drinks came out quickly and the bartender came to our table and made sure we were doing alright. We loved the magic show and the Real Kazam blew us away with his performance! Thank you and we'll be back!

my boyfriend and I had a FANTASTIC time at Rideau! The ambiance was great, it wasn't super packed, and the magician of the night, Alex, was amazing. The drinks were unique and delicious and we loved the up close and personal magic that we received! 10/10! We will definitely be coming back

Too crowded. Loved the magic show/tricks Food was 6/10 I love the decor.. and the dark ambiance

My best friend and I made a reservation weeks in advance of our birthday. Drove over 90 minutes to get there only to find out our reservation was canceled because someone "bought-out" the whole speakeasy for the night. It's not a good sign to ask folks to hold a credit card to secure a reservation and then suddenly cancel on them for a better offer the same day, when they may already be in route. Poor professionalism.

I had a wonderful time here for date night! I highly recommend this sexy spot! The service & drinks were amazing, the music choices had me feeling myself 10/10 coming again!

This place is kind of a scam. We booked for our friend's birthday with mandatory per person charge and percentage tip fee. No server was waiting on us after our initial order however when we didn't reach our per person minimum we still got charged for the full amount. Though all of us wanted another drink and no one came to check on the group the entire time after the initial order was placed. A girl in our group actually broke a glass from accidentally hitting it on the way to the bathroom since no one came to collect our empty cocktail glasses after so long. In addition, we ordered ceviche and dip- apps with chip dips. The chips were so light, they kept breaking in the dip. We asked for spoons multiple times but were ignored. I ended up walking out of the speakeasy myself to 1. Ask for spoons and 2. Bring our empty cocktail glasses to the bar as no one was coming to avoid another from being broken. The bar is not big and maybe holds 3 groups. The "manager" and the bartenders were actively ignoring us the entire night. The manager quoted our "contractual agreement" for reasons why we had to pay the 20 percent $600 service fee and additional $200 we were due per person as we couldn't meet our minimum since no one came by to ask throughout the 2 hour booking if we wanted additional items. When questioned about this, the manager (?) couldn't even give us cocktails to make up the " minimum" as he said there are other people waiting for our booth. I'm sorry but if we are obligated to pay 20 percent service fee on $25 cocktails and expensive appetizers, I don't expect to be begging for utensils, bussing my own table and waving down servers in a tiny bar that wasn't particularly busy. To make matters worse, the manager (???) made no effort to rectify the situation by offering us at bare minimum a glass of wine, or removing an item off the bill, but instead demanding we pay the $200 we couldn't make up due to "contractual agreement". I will say the one cocktail we did get was amazing and the magician was cool, but the terrible service and manager really killed the rest of the night when we were trying to celebrate our friend.