Entry No. 15 — the Salt Lake City file — filed under: basement-bar
The Rabbit Hole at Lake Effect
Lake Effect's own site calls it their 'enigmatic basement speakeasy' — a room built to feel like a cross between a beatnik bar and a 1940s vintage nightclub, with couches and booths meant to conjure New Orleans' Vieux Carré, where the house band Flamingo plays brassy swing jazz every Wednesday night to a crowd that dances mid-week.
The story
Head into Lake Effect at 155 W 200 S, step past the main bar noise, and find the stairs dropping into the basement. The Rabbit Hole was designed as a mid-century crossover—part 1940s vintage nightclub, part beatnik lounge. Booths and velvet couches line the subterranean room, styled after the dark, close-quarters drinking spots of New Orleans’ Vieux Carré.
The real move is timing your arrival for Wednesday night. That is when house band Flamingo sets up in the cellar and starts ripping through brassy swing jazz. While much of Salt Lake City turns in early for the workweek, this basement pocket becomes an impromptu swing dance floor where people show up specifically to move, not just to sip cocktails against the wall.
Beyond the weekly jazz sets, the underground room holds private crowds of up to 250 and occasionally undergoes full thematic overhauls—like their immersive Alice in Wonderland pop-up takeovers. But even on an unprogrammed night, slipping down the cellar stairs feels like finding a part of downtown that stays deliberately below street level.
What it's like
Walk past the main floor chatter, find the staircase, and drop below street level into the low-lit cellar room. Grab a booth early if you want a seat before the mid-week crowd gathers. On Wednesday swing nights, give yourself some room near the front—Flamingo's brass section gets moving fast and turns the narrow floor into an active dance space.
The move: Show up on a Wednesday, find the basement room, and dance to Flamingo's live brass-and-swing set instead of just drinking through it.
- 📍 Downtown Salt Lake City
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 155 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Repeal — Double up on downtown cellar lounges by heading three blocks east to Repeal, located in the basement of the historic Walker Center bank tower.
- The Rest (beneath Bodega) — Trade French Quarter swing decor for taxidermy and vinyl records at another subterranean hideout hidden behind Bodega's hot-dog counter.
- Sayonara — Follow up your 1940s cellar jazz set with a trip into Sayonara's neon-lit Tokyo izakaya interior just four blocks away.
Good to know
Where is The Rabbit Hole located?
It is in the basement directly beneath Lake Effect at 155 W 200 S in downtown Salt Lake City.
When is live music hosted in the basement?
House band Flamingo plays live brassy swing jazz every Wednesday night.
What is the vibe and seating setup inside?
The room is styled like a cross between a 1940s nightclub and a beatnik lounge, with dim lighting, velvet couches, and booths inspired by New Orleans' French Quarter.
Does the space host special events or pop-ups?
Yes—the underground space accommodates up to 250 people for private events and periodically hosts themed pop-ups, such as an immersive Alice in Wonderland bar takeover.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · saltlakemagazine.com
last checked: 2026-07-20