Entry No. 1 — the Des Moines file — filed under: speakeasy
The Atlas Room
West Des Moines' newest speakeasy is hidden inside Serenity Couture Salon & Spa in the old Wells Fargo building. There's no password, but you have to figure out the entrance yourself: it runs through a barber chair and a massive door into a dark hallway, opening onto a warmly backlit lounge with plush sofas, jazz and big-band on a hi-fi, and world maps projected on the walls.
The move: Make it a puzzle date: arrive without telling each other how you think you get in, and the first one to work out the barber-chair entrance picks the first round. Sink into the oversized throw-pillow sofas under the projected maps and play 'name that country.'
📍 Before you go You'll find it inside Serenity Couture Salon & Spa, on the ground floor of the Atlas Building (the old Wells Fargo bank) near 7001 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, with surface parking around the building. It's open to the public and there's no password, though the lounge is small and dimly lit, so a weeknight or early evening and reserving ahead beat fighting a weekend crowd. There's no full kitchen here, so eat dinner first or pair it with one of the restaurants elsewhere in the Atlas Building, then come over for craft cocktails and a nightcap.
- 📍 Valley Junction (West Des Moines)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dmcityview.com · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-06