The World's Greatest Bars
fancy a drink?
I believe it was James Bond that said, “let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini.”
In any event, as all lists in this newsletter, this one is highly subjective. However, if you do not give your own opinions, then what are you really doing around these parts? From old guard staples, to complete whole-in-the-walls dives, these are haunts that I will happily return to over and over. Do you agree?
Bemelmans Bar (New York City)
It doesn’t make much sense to start this list anywhere but at the top. This famous piano bar is located inside the esteemed Carlyle Hotel. With its legendary red-jacketed barmen and delightful piano lounge bar grooves, this is the quintessential destination for a drink with both your grandmother as well as a first date. How often does that happen?
Bar Gyu (Niseko, Japan)
Famously known as “the fridge door”, one arrives at this powder-drenched paradise by entering through a refrigerator door. What awaits is a dark buzzing room filled with rare Japanese whiskeys and as of late many “check the box” tourists. Tripadvisor popularity aside, one can tell when the owner of a bar lives and breathes his domain and creates the perfect place to nestle into a drink while watching the snow pummel down outside. In other words, a tourist trap I highly recommend.
Bar Palladio (Jaipur, India)
While Italian owner Barbara Miolini originally moved to Jaipur to start her own textile factory, she subsequently decided that the city needed a bit of Italian flair. The affectionately known “blue bar” is located down the entranceway of the Narain Niwas Hotel and boasts playful azul mirrors throughout the space. Palladio elegantly captures the all-day establishment with patrons rocking up from noontime all the way through midnight for their nightcaps. Excellent people watching to boot.
Das Hotel (Berlin, Germany)
In contrast to some of the aforementioned destinations, Das Hotel would proudly call itself a dive bar. This Kreuzberg stable is often candlelit and radiates a cozy and warm energy (not always the case in Berlin). Often buzzing with a selection of great music, one should stop by and try their Old-Fashioned before hitting the harder nightlife the city generously offers.
Amaya (New York City)
This mezcal social club located on the Lower East Side is an absolute gem. Located beneath the restaurant Casa Mezcal, one would likely miss the entrance to this discrete location while walking the streets of the Lower East Side. With a capacity of less than 100, this Latin box of energy was my favorite place to DJ as well as slide into a night of mezcal and boogie. While currently closed due to pandemic-related measures, we hope this place we hold so fondly in our hearts returns soon.
The Palace Lobby Bar (Gstaad, Switzerland)
Ah, opulence. The “living room of Gstaad” as it is so notoriously known is one of the few places where one can truly see all the walks of the privileged life. During the day, the lobby bar is filled with the non-skier crowd playing a game of backgammon by the fire or diving into one of the best club sandwiches you will find outside of New England. In the evening, this becomes the waiting room of the R&F as they decide which path their night will follow. Drink prices are not for the faint of heart, but this is just one of those outposts you have to see to believe.
Leonor (Mexico City, Mexico)
It would be difficult to publish this list and not include a venue from the coolest city in the world. Leonor, now a Condesa staple, is the classic hybrid between a lively bar and tiny nightclub. Like Amaya above, this venue boasts low ceilings, punchy music, and endless mezcal. What is not to love?
Blaue Bar (Vienna, Austria)
While most of the venues on the list would likely recommend a drink, the primary purpose of visiting this plush velvet room in the Hotel Sacher is to try the venerable Sachertorte. For decades this dessert has been imitated around the world, but when in Vienna, there is no greater room to try the original chocolate cake.
Experimental (Ibiza, Spain)
To take the cake as the best sunset location in Ibiza is not an easy task. While that statement could be misinterpreted as debatable, there is no debate that for years Experimental has been the place to watch the day seamlessly turn into night. Located down a long dirt road behind the airport, this is often a great location to either start or end your visit to the magical Isla Blanca.
The Chicken Box (Nantucket, Mass)
To close the list, I must include the bar I have unequivocally visited the most during my misspent youth. Originally the island staff watering hole, the Chicken Box quickly become the spot to be for anyone looking for a night out on the town. Over the years I have been blessed with the good fortune of seeing a cameo performance from Jimmy Buffett as well as sharing endless life-is-good’s (a delicious yet lethal vodka drink) with so many of my friends. See you at “the box” baby.