Newhall’s Sidecar Market speakeasy rewards those who know to enter

Psst. I have a secret for you—don’t tell anyone.

The Sidecar Market on Main Street in Newhall is easy to miss by day but has a classy, if-you-know-you-know vibe by night. The speakeasy has no outdoor signage and Google leads you to an upstairs ReMax Realty office. (A pleasant woman behind the desk will assure you that it is a real estate office and not a speakeasy.)

Opened September 2023, the Sidecar is the brainchild of the team behind the Old Town Junction Restaurant, which serves elevated American fare adjacent to the speakeasy. The origin story of the cocktail-forward spot goes like this: When a record store vacated the space, Shane Bothwell (general manager of Sidecar Market and The Old Town Junction restaurant) and Executive Chef/Owner Daniel Otto started “spitballing ideas” during COVID on its replacement. Otto brought up a speakeasy and it seemed like a fun idea, says Bothwell.

“It took us a little over a year to create the space,” says Bothwell. “There’s nothing like it out here [in Santa Clarita Valley].”

Interior decorator Shawlyn Otto (Chef Otto’s wife) draped the space in rich emerald green and gold tones. Mood lighting and dark floors and furniture complement the palette. Framed historical pictures of the location and family members who had a hand in the business decorate the walls. “The chef calls it a ‘Love Wall,’” says Bothwell.

But outside at night, you don’t see any of this. All you see is a small, well-lit retail space with a large, lighted Sidecar Market sign mounted on a wall.

A hostess knocks on a wood-paneled wall and a door magically opens into the speakeasy…

Following the speakeasy theme, the front door is locked. A hostess invites me into the small space outfitted with colorful artwork and a display case with custom, one-of-a-kind ornately decorated knives.

All the items are for sale, though there’s more to this story.

Another hostess knocks on a wood-paneled wall and a door magically opens into the speakeasy, an intimate space that holds only 34 people.

I perch at the bar while Frank Sinatra croons about the moon. I look around and think Frank would be at home here, his hand wrapped around a classic Martini.

The Sidecar has an expansive, upscale alcohol menu of single spirits, beer, wine and wow-worthy cocktails. The Signature, the house Old Fashioned, uses Otto Bothwell High West Bourbon (a collab with the Park City, Utah, distillery) and smoked with cherry wood. The Last Word is spiked with Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, green Chartreuse, Luxardo liqueur and fresh lime. A smoke-filled bubble is the impressive drink topper. And there’s always a Dealer’s Choice (ask the bartender).

“Our culinary team and mixologists are always crafting daily and weekly specials to keep it fun and exciting,” Bothwell tells me.

The scratch kitchen’s food menu uses local and sustainable resources, says Otto.

“The inspiration [for the menu] was what felt good and what I personally liked to eat,” he adds. “The great option with a menu like this is it will keep progressively changing throughout the months. Which gives me culinary freedom and creativity for a fun, balanced, seasonal menu.”

Scanning the menu, diners might find items like an A5 Japanese Kagoshima tenderloin steak and Hokkaido smoked diver scallops, along with caviar and toast and “Sugar Daddy” grilled cheese.

You’ll need to make reservations online because there’s no phone. Walk-ins can grab a seat at the green marble bar, though.

Now you’re in on the secret.

Sidecar Market
24273 Main St., Newhall
SidecarMarket.com