Entry No. 48 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: speakeasy
The Daley
Tucked beside FRIDA Southwest behind a quasi-hidden doorway with no exterior signage, The Daley is the kind of place you could walk past a hundred times without ever knowing it existed. Inside, floor-to-ceiling shelves of spirits line a cozy parlor fitted with a modern fireplace and stacks of books — think private club for whiskey nerds, not velvet-rope theater. The cocktail list reads like a Frida Kahlo retrospective, each drink named for one of her paintings, and the whiskey and bourbon program is among the most comprehensive in Oklahoma City. In 2023 the James Beard Foundation named it a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program, which is the kind of credential that doesn't get attached to places that are just trying to seem secret. You can order the full FRIDA menu at your seat, which means a proper dinner happens quietly in the back room while everyone else is waiting for a table out front.
The move: Come on a weeknight when the parlor is half-empty, order something named after a Kahlo painting, then ask to see the whiskey library list — it's the move that separates the curious from the crowd.
📍 Before you go It shares an address with FRIDA Southwest at NW 28th and the Paseo, so aim for that building — the lounge entrance is the unmarked door alongside the restaurant, not a separate storefront, and asking a FRIDA host will save you circling the block. The Paseo Arts District is compact and walkable, with galleries and patios worth a pre-drink stroll, and the parlor is quietest early in the week if you want it to yourselves. Seating is intimate and fills fast, so reservations are wise even for two. Expect a grown-up, conversation-over-spectacle vibe rather than a party scene; come dressed to settle in for a while.
- 📍 Paseo Arts District
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 500 NW 28th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73103
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: fridasouthwest.com · Yelp · visitokc.com · okgazette.com
last checked: 2026-06-09