Wunderbar is a “not so secret” cocktail bar tucked away in the basement of San Mateo, CA, restaurant Wursthall. Full of curiosities and visual delights, it’s an experience all its own. You leave behind the raucous, bustling beer hall upstairs, following a trail of white rabbits down into a cozy, dimly lit den tucked behind a false bookcase door. Here, you will be immersed in a world of wonder, magic, and even a little sorcery as you discover the fantastical concoctions being stirred up behind the bar.

Originally pitched to us as an upscale 1920s speakeasy theme, Wunderbar would serve a curated menu of prohibition-era classics, each paired with a re-imagined, contemporary twist for the more adventurous carouser. However, there seemed to be nowhere left creatively to take the Speakeasy concept, which is where we began to work our magic.

Having previously partnered with the team upstairs on the brand refresh of Wursthall, we’ve come to understand how they surprise and delight guests with an unexpected and modern twist on traditional German classics. With this aspect of Wursthall’s spirit in mind, we found our creative spark to set Wunderbar apart.

To truly inspire a sense of wonder and live up to the bar’s name, we had to surprise, delight, and bring joy to a new experience. We looked to old German fairytales for inspiration to uncover a spellbinding world in which we could evoke fun, whimsical, and curious elements to contrast the more traditional aesthetic of the underlying interior.

With whimsy and a sense of astonishment in mind, we sourced the imaginative décor with funky antique touches, hand-painted murals, and a gilt 2-way mirror to keep every visitor engaged and finding new details throughout their visit. Seeking to up the magic of the experience, we equipped a bunny statue with a handwave sensor, which opens the hidden bookcase door to reveal the lounge, and we created a tactile element with a Tarot-inspired cocktail menu for visitors to flip through while selecting a drink. These elements come together to strike the right balance between childhood fantasy and a composed, elevated cocktail experience that enhances the hard work happening behind the bar. In the cozy lounge of Wonderbar, the illuminated pages of a fairytale come alive to balance a well-crafted and sophisticated cocktail.