Regent Cocktail Club, Miami, US
For a long time the question “what is the best bar in Miami?” would yield hesitation and often the answer “there isn’t one”. Now the staff behind the Florida Room and the Shore Club have taken over the Regent and Gale Hotels and any of the three onsite bars would challenge for the crown of best bar. The Dolce restaurant bar is impeccable, the Regent Cocktail Club is a classical delight and the Rec Room below the hotel is sleazy yet tasteful and a whole heap of fun, even if clubbing is not your thing. Great bartenders mixing great drinks with a smile is a sea change for this slightly toxic town.
Ozone, Kowloon, Hong Kong
One traditional advantage of hotel bars is prime location and often their bars have awesome views. So when you add the world’s tallest bar to one of the world’s great skylines you have an irresistible combination. At a lofty 425m the view is safe for those who suffer from vertigo as it’s almost like being on a plane and not the top of a building. Being a Ritz Carlton means the drinks are adequately prepared but it’s the view of Hong Kong (especially at sunset and also at 8pm when the architectural lightshow starts) that your breath will be taken away (along with your ears popping in the lift on the way up).
Artesian, London, UK
Take a classically designed bar and then turn it over to some of the most bonkers bartenders in the world and you have an almost perfect confluence of style and fashion. Bartenders Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale have taken this bar to exalted heights but still are grounded in their desire not just to make great drinks but to make you feel great about you drinks. But forget the stiff upper lip and explore the cocktail list and its ‘experiential’ cocktails. Expect madness and smiles from everyone in the place.
Widder Bar, Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich may be known for its gnomes but this bar is a top-shelf wonder. Perhaps the most discerningly collected back bar in the world – if you have even just heard of it then it’s probably here and if you haven’t heard of it then it’s worth trying. Manager Markus Blattner is a man on a mission to find the perfect drink for each guest and he succeeds. It’s hard to be neutral about this vault of liquid gold… and silver and platinum.
