This was published 1 year ago
More than just drinks: The world's 15 greatest bars named
By Ben Groundwater
Sky Beach, Bangkok's highest rooftop bar.
A bar is not just a bar – not anymore. Though these drinking establishments have historically been thought of purely as purveyors of alcoholic beverages - faceless venues in which to nurse a beverage or two and move on, these days bars are so much more.
They're tourist attractions. They're cultural experiences. They've matured, in the same way so many of us have.
There's a bar for every traveller now, regardless of what you're looking for. If you seek romance, there's usually a cosy nook or a spectacular view to accompany a cocktail that's as unique and well thought out as a plate of fine-dining food. If it's history you're into, there are drinking establishments that celebrate the past, and that have often played an active role in that story. If you're into music, literature, sport or food in almost any city in the world now you will find a venue that caters to your needs.
And perhaps the most important barrier of all has now been broken down. There's a growing movement of bars where alcohol isn't even served. These are social environments with all of the attractions of a regular drinking hole, only without the drinking. Zero-alcohol craft beers are on offer; mocktails that will make you forget those other drinks even exist.
There's so much to be gained from a visit to any type of bar when you're on the road. These establishments are part of the social fabric of your destination, capturing local passions and sensitivities, places to meet people, places to relax, places to fit in to new surroundings.
These are some of our favourites.
THE ROMANTIC
Sky Beach, Bangkok, Thailand
WHY WE LOVE IT Though some people's idea of romance might be a cosy, barely-lit nook, ours is the jaw-dropping perfection of Bangkok's highest rooftop bar.
THE LOWDOWN Sky Beach is part of the Standard Hotel Bangkok, perched on the 78th floor of the King Power Mahanakhon building in Silom. The bar's bright yellow hues may not scream romance but the 360-degree views of Bangkok, plus classy cocktails and deep breaths of sultry tropical air, combine for one memorable evening.
THE TIPPLE Try one of head bartender Khunn Thanaworachayakit's excellent cocktails, like "Wet Gold" consisting of aged pineapple rum, Dolin Rosso vermouth, and Campari.
DON'T MISS Nab a table near the glass walls for an intimate evening and the best views.
ESSENTIALS Sky Beach is open daily, 10am to midnight. Note there's a charge of about $37 to enter. See standardhotels.com
THE TEETOTALLER
Sans Bar, Austin, US
WHY WE LOVE IT Forget everything you know about bar culture because there's a new style in which no alcohol is served at all, and Austin's Sans Bar is at the forefront.
THE LOWDOWN Sans Bar is all about inclusivity. This is a bar for the "sober curious", the "sober sometimes", those in recovery, and those in the company of people who just don't want to drink. It's a social venue with all of the trappings of a friendly neighbourhood bar, just without the booze.
THE TIPPLE Go for a Rosemary and Ginger Mule, a zero-alcohol take on a Moscow Mule.
DON'T MISS On any given night you're likely to find games, karaoke, or other activities to encourage social mixing.
ESSENTIALS Sans Bar is only open Friday nights from 7pm, no bookings necessary. See thesansbar.com
THE COCKTAIL ENTHUSIAST
Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo, Japan
WHY WE LOVE IT Only in Tokyo do you find bartenders as obsessed (and talented) as Hiroyasu Kayama, a farmer by day and wildly inventive cocktail specialist with his own Shinjuku venue by night.
THE LOWDOWN You have never tried the drinks at Benfiddich, and you will never see them again. Each of Kayama's creations is unique, depending on the preferences of the drinker, and the seasonal ingredients at hand. The atmosphere here is hushed and reverent, though attention is always paid to customers' enjoyment.
THE TIPPLE Kayama's cocktails are based on one of four key spirits: whisky, gin, absinthe or amaro. From there, you're in the master's hands.
DON'T MISS Keep an eye on the herbs, fruits and vegetables used. Most are grown by Kayama on the family farm.
ESSENTIALS Bar Benfiddich's hours vary depending upon Kayama's availability (check his Instagram account - @benfiddich_tokyo- for monthly updates).
THE HISTORY FANCIER
Locale Firenze, Florence, Italy
Credit: Giovanni Corti
WHY WE LOVE IT What could be more historic than drinking in a Medici-era palazzo dating back to the 1500s? Well, how about taking a seat in its 13th-century basement?
THE LOWDOWN Open since 2015 in the restored Palazzo Concini, Locale Firenze oozes class, whether you're in the upper bar, set in what was once a courtyard where carriages would drop visitors, or in the 1200s basement. There's excellent food, too.
THE TIPPLE Cocktails lean into molecular gastronomy – try "No Clouds Mexico", a signature blend of tequila, lemongrass and "fake lime". At $30 or so, it's a sip, not slurp drink.
DON'T MISS Pay attention to the archways near the wine cellar at the basement level – they're thought to date to the first century BC.
ESSENTIALS Locale is open daily, 7.30pm-2am. Reservations required for the restaurant, though the bar is walk-ins only. See localefirenze.it
THE HOTEL GUEST
Downtown, Mexico City, Mexico
WHY WE LOVE IT A good hotel bar should centre you in its surroundings, making you feel comfortable and yet part of the destination. Downtown Mexico City's rooftop bar nails that brief.
THE LOWDOWN This boutique, design-led hotel is set in the heritage-listed Palacio de los Condes de Miravalle, and from its rooftop bar you have incredible views of Mexico City's historic centre. You couldn't be anywhere else.
THE TIPPLE This is Mexico: you need something local. Downtown's mezcal and cucumber pairing is particularly tasty.
DON'T MISS The hotel building is home to three other venues worth checking out: modern Mexican restaurants Azul Historico and Puntarena, and mezcalerÃa La Botica.
ESSENTIALS The bar and pool terrace is open daily 8am-2am – reservations for evenings recommended. See downtownmexico.com
THE LITERATURE LOVER
Kennedys Bar, Dublin, Ireland
Credit: Alamy
WHY WE LOVE IT Oscar Wilde used to work here. Samuel Beckett and James Joyce would call in for drinks. Literary histories don't come much stronger than that of Kennedys.
THE LOWDOWN Budding writers and passionate readers will immediately fall for Kennedys, a bar and restaurant that has been serving the Dublin masses since 1850. The literary history here is celebrated via memorabilia, and even a few statues.
THE TIPPLE Wilde was known to spend his hard-earned shillings on bottles of stout, so you could do worse than order a Guinness.
DON'T MISS Kennedys is known for its traditional Irish music, too – there are live bands every Saturday and Sunday.
ESSENTIALS Open daily from midday until 11.30pm. No bookings. See kennedyspub.ie
THE WINE CONNOISSEUR
Anchoita Cava, Buenos Aires, Argentina
WHY WE LOVE IT If you enjoy wine, you're going to love a bar that has an amazing 52 by the glass (not to mention more than 100 cheeses to pair them with).
THE LOWDOWN Anchoita Cava is a slick venue in Buenos Aires' hipster Villa Crespo district, the sister venue to restaurant Anchoita. Sommelier Valeria Mortara has amassed a huge, global wine collection that goes far beyond standard Mendoza malbec. You're going to want to call in here multiple times.
THE TIPPLE Obviously wine, whether something esoteric, like a Georgian skin-contact white, or a vertical tasting from Argentinian legends Zuccardi Q.
DON'T MISS Make a reservation for dinner at Anchoita, which offers more sizeable bites.
ESSENTIALS Anchoita Cava is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-12am. No bookings. See anchoita.com.ar
THE VIEW CHASER
Aer, Mumbai, India
WHY WE LOVE IT Sitting in the open air, 34 storeys above buzzing Mumbai, with panoramic vistas over the city and the sea? It doesn't get much better.
THE LOWDOWN Aer is the hotel bar at the Four Seasons Mumbai hotel, a luxurious terrace where simple monochrome tones allow the colour and the buzz of Mumbai to shine. The cocktails are inventive and the snacks high quality but it's all about those views.
THE TIPPLE Try a unique house cocktail such as "Sweet & Soy", a blend of whisky, demerara sugar and dark soy reduction.
DON'T MISS Four Seasons' third-floor pool deck is another great place to grab a drink while the sun is shining.
ESSENTIALS Aer is being refurbished, and is due to reopen on June 1. See fourseasons.com
THE THIRSTY FOODIE
Le Clown Bar, Paris, France
WHY WE LOVE IT This place is legendary among visitors to Paris, a natural wine bar and bistro serving some of the most successfully innovative cuisine in the city.
THE LOWDOWN Clown Bar began its life in 1907 as a meeting place for circus artists from around the world. Since 1995 it's been a bar and bistro, with a phenomenal natural wine collection, and a menu of French bistro standards given a Japanese tweak.
THE TIPPLE Grab a sommelier to take you through the wine list – many entries won't be recognisable, but you're sure to find something to suit.
DON'T MISS Look up while you're enjoying your meal. The ceiling of Clown Bar is covered in painted tiles depicting circus scenes.
ESSENTIALS Clown Bar is open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner, with drinks served in the afternoons. Bookings recommended. See clownbar.fr
THE WHISKY FANATIC
Lidkoeb, Copenhagen, Denmark
WHY WE LOVE IT This is everything you want in a whisky bar: deep leather couches, a roaring fire, warm lighting, vinyl records spinning, and a whisky list as long as your arm.
THE LOWDOWN Set in the back streets of Vesterbro, once Copenhagen's red-light district (now home to eateries, bars and boutiques), Lidkoeb is mostly a standard cocktail bar, though two nights a week they open up a beautifully designed attic that is all about whisky.
THE TIPPLE The 200-plus drams on offer are sourced from around the world with most from Scotland and plenty from Ireland, Japan, Sweden, Finland and even Denmark itself.
DON'T MISS If you can't choose, opt for a "Journey", a flight of three whiskies running on a set theme. There are eight to discover.
ESSENTIALS Lidkoeb's whisky bar is open Friday and Saturday evenings. No bookings. See lidkoeb.dk
THE BAR HOPPER
Parte Vieja, San Sebastian, Spain
WHY WE LOVE IT This isn't merely one bar but a grouping, a flourish of tiny establishments that makes a bar crawl not so much an option as a necessity.
THE LOWDOWN San Sebastian's Parte Vieja, or Old Town, is a network of narrow alleys lined with hundreds of bars all serving pintxos, the Basque tapas, and drinks. It's become custom to spend a small amount of time in several bars, with a drink and a snack at each.
THE TIPPLE You could opt for local beer, cider, or Rioja wine. Our favourite, however, is a "Marianito", red vermouth with a dash of gin and Campari.
DON'T MISS Though every bar has a specialty pintxo, there are several that are unmissable, including the tuna in escabeche, at El Tamboril (no website).
ESSENTIALS Most bars are open for lunch and dinner seven days. See sansebastianturismoa.eus
THE MUSIC FAN
Bar Martha, Tokyo, Japan
WHY WE LOVE IT The team at Bar Martha are serious about music, with state-of-the-art audio equipment, and a collection of more than 10,000 vinyl records.
THE LOWDOWN Bar Martha, in busy Ebisu, is a "listening bar", a Japanese establishment that serves plenty of great drinks, including excellent whisky, though the focus is firmly on the music. DJs scan the room and play songs to suit the crowd – and they have impeccable taste.
THE TIPPLE Go for a local Japanese whisky, maybe Hakushu, served with a single hand-chipped sphere of ice.
DON'T MISS Bar Martha has two sister establishments, Bar Track and Bar Nica, which both have similarly impressive music collections, and high-end audio gear.
ESSENTIALS Martha is open daily from 7pm, with a $9 cover charge. See martha-records.com
THE SNOW BUNNY
La Folie Douce, Val d'Isere, France
WHY WE LOVE IT This is Europe's original apres-ski venue, an open-air bar at French resort Val d'Isere where the views are stunning and the music is loud.
THE LOWDOWN Having opened in 1974, La Folie Douce pretty much invented apres-ski, and has since spread to seven more resorts across France. The idea is that you spend an hour or two on the slopes before retiring to La Folie to drink and dance the afternoon away.
THE TIPPLE Though there's an excellent wine cellar, the classic drink is a simple, frosty beer.
DON'T MISS Party venue it may be, but La Folie Douce also does food, offered across six areas specialising in everything from burgers to steaks to cheese and cigars.
ESSENTIALS La Folie Douce is open during winter, seven days from 9am to 5pm. Bookings recommended. See lafoliedouce.com
THE SPORTS NUT
The Ainsworth, New York, US
WHY WE LOVE IT Americans know how to do a sports bar and this bar takes that concept to all new heights.
THE LOWDOWN You've got the TVs at the Ainsworth, in Midtown New York City. Dozens of flatscreens line the walls and play every game imaginable, from basketball to football to ESPN chat shows on a never-ending loop. So that's the sport taken care of. But the Ainsworth does some seriously great food to go with all the expected beer, and the floor isn't even a tiny bit sticky.
THE TIPPLE It's beer, for sure. Go for a local brew such as the Coney Island Merman IPA.
DON'T MISS Make sure you book well ahead for any seriously big game (NBA finals, Superbowl), because this place is well known, and it fills up quickly.
ESSENTIALS Open Sunday to Thursday 11am to midnight, and Friday to Saturday 11am to 1am. See theainsworth.com
THE BEACH BUM
Shipwreck Hut, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
WHY WE LOVE IT There's nothing fancy about this beachside bar and restaurant in Rarotonga, where the drinks are cheap and the sunsets are stunning – and we wouldn't have it any other way.
THE LOWDOWN Shipwreck Hut is part of Aro'a Beachside Inn, and it's a roughly pirate-themed establishment with wooden tables and white-sand floors, overlooking a lagoon and those amazing sunsets. The welcome is warm and the vibe is low-key. There's really nowhere else you would want to hang out.
THE TIPPLE Try a very reasonably priced cocktail – maybe The Grumpy Pirate, a mix of bourbon, coconut rum, lime and ginger ale.
DON'T MISS Shipwreck has live music every Tuesday and Thursday, which just adds to the atmosphere.
ESSENTIALS Open daily from 5pm, no bookings necessary. See aroabeach.com
FIVE OF OUR FAVOURITE BARS IN OUR BACKYARD
MAYBE SAMMY, SYDNEY
One of only two Australian entries on the current World's 50 Best Bars list (along with Cantina OK!, also in Sydney), Maybe Sammy is a classic cocktail bar oozing European style. This is the place to kick back with a very well-made cocktail and just enjoy the sort of venue that shouldn't be so rare. See maybesammy.com
GERALD'S BAR, MELBOURNE
Gerald's is the platonic ideal of a neighbourhood wine bar, a place where the welcome is warm and the crowd is friendly, where the wine list is thoughtfully chosen, the food is high-quality, and the music is just soft enough to allow conversation. If you're in Melbourne, head to Carlton North and enjoy. See geraldsbar.com
INSTITUT POLAIRE, HOBART
Don't be put off by the ice-cold tones of this polar-themed bar near the waterfront in Hobart. The welcome at Institut Polaire always has a tropical warmth to it, and the drinks and snacks are second-to-none. Grab a cocktail made with the house gin, Sud Polaire, plus a bottarga toast snack, and you're away. See institutpolaire.com.au
GERARD'S BAR, BRISBANE
Here's another bar that's deservedly better known for its food than the drink options. Gerard's Bar, in Fortitude Valley, is the sister establishment of Gerard's Bistro, and it shares its pan-Middle Eastern sensibility, with inventive mezze plates by chef Adam Wolfers, and a considered wine list. See gerardsbar.com.au
BAR ROCHFORD, CANBERRA
You like wine? Bar Rochford has wine. Usually 15 by the glass, plus an impressive list of sherry, port, grappa, Armagnac and Amaro. This cosy Canberra wine bar is doing everything right, pairing all of those delicious drinks with Euro-style bar snacks or Mod Oz set menus, with vinyl records spinning in the background. See barrochford.com
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.