One of the best bar trends in recent years is the return of the speakeasy: quasi-underground establishments that are just hard enough to find to make it feel like you’ve earned that expensive cocktail. One of my going out regrets in Alexandria is that my husband and I never got dressed up enough to make it to the PX Lounge, where only a blue light signals the fab lounge inside.

So when I read that Philly had opened its own version, Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., last year while I was gone, I had to check it out. Plus I wanted to see if I should include it in my iPhone travel app, Philly Essential Guide (available on iTunes in just a few weeks!)

I found the Franklin Mortgage easily on 18th Street, not far from Rittenhouse Square,  mainly because when I looked up, a black banner with the bar’s name fluttered in the rain. So much for secrecy (I hope this is a new addition, otherwise I have to wonder about the people on Yelp who said they had a hard time finding it).

The door is below street level from a club named Liquid, yes, but there’s a proper sign above it so it really isn’t hidden at all. A nattily dressed man was out front, shaking hands with people as they came in. I introduced myself and walked downstairs.

Despite my disappointment with the lack of theatrics getting in, I loved the bar’s decor. A mural on one wall, lit by two chandeliers, expressed the speakeasy theme. About 30 people were sitting along the wall, attending a tasting sponsored by Four Roses Bourbon. The bartenders told me that Franklin sponsors spirit classes every other Monday, publicized through the website and Facebook. The man from out front, who turned out to be part-owner Michael Welsh, invited me to join the class, but I had two other bars to photograph that night, so I went to the back bar for one cocktail.

The bartenders – excuse me, mixologists, as they are called these days – were great. They had the right mix of personality – no snobbiness here – and seriousness about their drinks. After perusing the thick leather drink menu, I ordered a Gentile E Onesta, a concoction made of aperol, orange liqueur, cane, muddled grapefruit peel and champagne, served up in a flute. The mixologist took his time putting it together (this is not a place where your drink will come quickly), but the well-balanced cocktail was worth the wait.

Was it worth the $13.50, though? A night out at Franklin Mortgage will not come cheap, as most cocktails range from $12 to $14. I’d say yes, seeing as the atmosphere is hard to duplicate (and for this wine drinker, the alcohol content in the drink seemed strong. It would be hard to have too many). I loved the fact that the bar had an upscale concept, yet none of the pretension that you can often see in Philly lounges. (At least that’s how it felt on a Monday night; on a weekend when it’s crowded, Franklin Mortgage could be an entirely different scene).

I would come back with my husband on a date, with my sister and friends for a Happy Hour gossip session, or bring friends from out of town. It’s a grown-up place to drink, and a nice change from the gastropubs that we all normally go to. And yep, it’s going in the app.

My favorite bars in the world are still in New Orleans, where I lived for six years (St. Joe’s, Snake & Jakes, Maple Leaf, Donna’s, Napoleon House, I’m talking about you). What are some of your faves – and where are they?