Camparino in Galleria, Milan, Italy
This historic bar, first opened in 1915, ticks the beauty boxes on three accounts: locale, interiors and stylish Campari-based aperitivo. Overlooking the intricate frontage of Milan’s magnificent Duomo cathedral, it’s a destination of two halves. First, a glass-lined seating area where serene lunches or silver towers of snacks accompany frothy Campari Seltz. Next, the mosaic-lined bar, where white-suited barmen whip up Negronis for punters standing and sipping. Choose the latter, and you’ll get around €5 off your drink, basically enough to justify a second round.
Bemelmans Bar, New York, USA
In the grand old Rosewood Carlyle hotel, sandwiched between stalwart galleries the Frick Collection and the Met, this piece of old-world New York is a work of art in itself. Walls are scrawled with the 1947 drawings of Ludwig Bemelman, an artist for the New Yorker and Vogue (you might know him better from the Madeline children’s books). Romantic NYC-inspired scenes, from boaters in Central Park to snow-covered landscapes with ice-skating elephants, lend a sense of place nowhere else can replicate. And behind the bar they don’t fix a half-bad Manhattan, either.
The Connaught Bar, London
If you’ve never been to this award-winning London bar, you can’t truly say you know a great Martini – because mixologists Agostino Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani are the masters. The signature pour is crafted theatrically on a trolley while you watch, customised with your pick of bitters and finished with a twist of Amalfi lemon. ‘Course the drinks aren’t the only thing that’s wow-factor. The intimate space is as sophisticated as its signature serve, featuring moulded ceilings, green leather banquettes and sleek marble tabletops. No wonder there’s often a queue come evening.
Blaue Bar, Vienna, Austria
Cosied within the opulent old-world surroundings of the Sacher Hotel – inventors of that famous chocolate torte – this bar is nothing if not true to its name. It’s a sea of blaue (blue), with crushed sapphire sofas, sky-toned paint hues and patterned navy fabric. As befitting the regal classical ambiance, all the greatest hits from Old Fashioneds to Negronis are on offer, though you could also go off-piste with a Caribbean Beer – a concoction of rum, beer, lime juice and honey. Afterwards, if you’re hungry, carry on the colour-block theme at sister Grüne (green) or Rote (red) restaurants.
Rock Bar, Bali, Indonesia
Built into a rock formation on Bali’s Jimbaran coast, this dramatic alfresco bar is all about the ocean view – especially during sunset, when pinks and oranges on the horizon bathe rolling waves in kaleidoscopic hues. This kind of otherworldly spot is why people come to Bali in the first place, and it would be rude not to order something lavishly tropical, like a lemongrass and kaffir-infused vodka Rock My World. The spot is understandably popular, but check into the wider hotel, AYANA Estate, and rather than a one-off you can make romantic cheers’ing sessions a nightly affair.
Bar 228, Paris, France
Old and new in beautiful synergy; this landmark spot in glam Le Meurice, a croissant’s toss from the Tuileries, mixes worn panelled wood walls with a fresh Carrara marble bar from design maestro Phillippe Starck. Leather chairs and moody lighting complete the vibe; with such evocative atmos, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Ernest Hemingway wander in for a whisky. Though instead you’ll have to make due with the chicest breed of Parisians, nursing the L’Impérial Black – whisky, mandarin, cocoa and cranberry.
Svanen, Oslo, Norway
Oslo is a city defined by remarkable modern design, but this beautiful little bar on a popular shopping strip transports you to a time before signature Scandi minimalism. Set in a neoclassical former pharmacy dating from 1896, it’s a timewarp of polished wood and ceiling frescoes, complete with original chemist’s drawers and other features. Cocktails are just what the doctor ordered, with owner Yunus Yildiz’s team turning out a complex gin-based Tomato & Strawberry or an aquavit Negroni with rosé vermouth.
Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
You don’t get named the world’s best bar unless you’re a bit extra. So while the experimental drinks at this Barcelona star are obviously first-rate (try The Cloud, with mezcal, vodka, hibiscus bitters and vermouth), there’s a lot else to love here, including a strong sustainability programme. Enter the speakeasy-style space from behind a retro fridge door, then take in the sculptural wood structures, designed to evoke the waves of the Catalonia seaside. After a photo of the centrepiece bar (come on, you know you want one) ask for access to the Macallan room – a speakeasy within a speakeasy covered in copper.
Le Sereno Al Mare, St Barts
Laid-back beach meets chichi sophistication at Le Sereno’s waterfront bar and restaurant, warmed by the reliable rays of the Caribbean. Many come to the space to dine – to sit with toes in the sand on striking designer chairs and nibble at mahi-mahi crudo – but with sophisticated cocktails that blow run-of-the-mill rum punch out of the water, there’s plenty of incentive to stick to a liquid diet. Order up the Elderly, a blend of fine rums from the Antilles aged together in an ex-sherry cask, and sip the brooding mix over ice while staring out to glittering sea.
Atlas Bar, Singapore
Raffles may be home of the Singapore Sling, but Atlas Bar has bragging rights in being ranked the 16th best bar in the world. And it’s no shrinking violet on interiors either, with a decadent Art Deco-style look featuring sky-high ornate ceilings, button-back leather sofas, plush carpet and large-scale paintings in gilded frames. It’s somewhere you could plunk down in mid-afternoon and survive on nothing but expertly mixed G&Ts and great people-watching until the wee hours (there is a hefty gin collection spanning Kenya to Korea). Or you could go with creative pours such as a Crimson Pipe, with pink peppercorn bourbon and Italian herbal liqueur.
Byrdi, Melbourne, Australia
Down Under in Oz’s hottest culinary hub, Melbourne, this design-forward drinking hole shows that sometimes less is more. A low-lit wooden bar, set below a canopy of dried foliage is beautifully streamlined; neutral walls echo the earth – it’s a masterclass in thoughtful simplicity. Of course drinks are more complex, with an onsite lab for concocting new ingredients and a heavy focus on local bounty. Clear your schedule and work your way through the list – you won’t be able to taste a Fistful of Peppers, made with 30-day fermented Yarra Valley peaches, Ramarro Farm Padron Peppers and Mountain Marigold, anywhere else in the world.
The Fortnums’s Bar and Restaurant at The Royal Exchange, London
If you ever need a reminder as to why you live in London, this bar set in the Royal Exchange at Bank is it. It’s grand, it’s historic and it’s unashamedly regal in ambiance, yet it’s also a place to get a good stiff drink. You’re here for the fizz – this is elegant Fortnum’s, of course – which can be had by the bottle or in bubbly cocktails where it’s mixed with the likes of Tarquin’s Cornish pastis. The best bit is the sun-trap seasonal terrace, where all of the City passes by in a blur as you sip away in enviable summertime bliss.
Flair, Shanghai, China
With a plum view over Shanghai’s neon-laced Pudong and across to the historic Bund, this rooftop on the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton isn’t the newest or trendiest bar in this ever-changing city, but it sure has staying power. And no wonder. On warm evenings snag a seat on the outdoor terrace, overlooking the skewered-cherry figure of the Oriental Pearl Tower, and let the bar staff serve up an array of nibbles and classic cocktails. Come early if you want to visit around sunset – with such a prized view, spaces are a hot commodity.
The ROOF, Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik isn’t exactly known for its rooftop bars, but whether it’s during the midnight sun of summer – when long days are backdropped by the fringe of mountains – or in the cosy northern-light nights of winter, this spot on the harbourfront delivers. Sink into one of the comfy armchairs, illuminated by flickering candlelight and strewn with blankets, and sample drinks mixed with local flavours such as blueberry or rhubarb liqueur, birch-smoked seaweed syrup or liquorice salt.
Subsix, Maldives
Part-restaurant, part-bar – 100% jaw-drop – this under-the-sea spot at Maldivian resort Niyama Private Islands lets you watch passing reef fish as you drain a Daiquiri or Paloma. Descend to the subaquatic space via a three-tier staircase after being delivered by speedboat by the resort; inside, chairs are inspired by anemones, chandeliers by coral and an array of capiz shells line the ceiling like a wave of foamy surf. They serve shots in sets of two so don’t hold back; this is prime holiday territory and you’ve got nothing on your to-do list but napping off the effects on a lounger.
Tabanco el Pasaje, Jerez, Spain
This historic drinking hole in the southerly Spanish city of Jerez comes with oodles of el olde atmosphere. Sherry casks pile high by the bar, vintage posters line the wall, a tiled floor is well-worn from generations of locals coming in for tapas. The drinks are reasonable and there is flamenco – a speciality here in Andalucía. This being Jerez you are here for the sherry, and there’s a long list to choose from with fresh finos and decadent olorosos. Bottles of the house pour are available to take away too.
