Entry No. 27 — the Des Moines file — filed under: speakeasy
de Kelder Speakeasy
de Kelder ("the basement" in Dutch) is a genuine Roaring Twenties-style speakeasy tucked beneath a downtown Pella building, serving craft cocktails, small plates, and desserts in a dimly lit, eclectic space that feels utterly incongruous amid the town's tidy Dutch Reformed streetscape. It won Iowa Tourism's Outstanding Dining Business award and has earned a devoted following for its atmosphere and housemade bites.
The move: Reserve a table Thursday–Saturday (it fills fast — reservations strongly recommended) and spend the evening working through their creative cocktail menu and shared small plates; the intimate 21+ basement space, soft lighting, and Jazz Age vibe make it ideal for lingering over drinks and dessert well into the night.
📍 Before you go It's a genuine hidden basement on Franklin Street in downtown Pella's tidy square: look for the lions and follow them down to the unmarked entrance rather than a street-level sign. Park free around the square or in nearby public lots a short walk off. Because it's an intimate, adults-only (21+) room that opens only in the evening and fills fast, treat a reservation as essential and book well ahead, especially around the first-full-weekend-of-May Tulip Time festival, when the whole town packs out. Make a day of it: the Vermeer Windmill and Central Park sit a block up at 720 Franklin, with the Klokkenspel carillon and Molengracht Dutch shops nearby.
- 📍 Pella
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 621 Franklin St, Pella, IA 50219 (basement)
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Tripadvisor
last checked: 2026-06-07