The hottest place to be this New Year’s Eve is in one of the world’s best cocktail bars. From quirky vintage décor, to backstreet speakeasy’s and world-famous mixologists – this is the best of the very best, for the discerning travelling drinker.
Please Don’t Tell, NYC
As the name suggests, PDC is a highly secretive establishment - a modern-day speakeasy that can only be accessed through a vintage phone booth in the local hot dog restaurant. It’s the bespoke cocktails (courtesy of world-famous mixologist Jim Meehan) which the customers come back for – but the quirky atmosphere doesn’t hurt either, and the bar’s slick image helped it to nab the number one spot on the World’s Best Bars of 2011 list.
Milk & Honey, London
Quaint house rules like ‘gentlemen must remove their hats’ bring an air of wit to this old-fashioned reservation-only bar, nestled in intimate surroundings somewhere in London’s Soho. Cosy booths and 30’s swing music add to the old-time feel of the place, which provides a cultured breath of fresh air from Soho’s usually more raucous haunts.
Harry’s New York Bar, Paris
The birthplace of classic cocktails like the Bloody Mary – no bar is more iconic than Harry’s New York Bar, in Paris. Despite the name, and the attempts at re-creating Americana, this is fundamentally a Parisian establishment – complete with a cluttered bar, neon signs, dark oak furnishings and … hot dogs? Come for the history – Harry’s has been serving and inventing world-famous cocktails since 1911.
The Dry Martini Bar, Barcelona
As the name suggests, this bar is a shine to all things Martini. Aside from its main draw - which is, of course, a huge selection of expertly prepared Martini Cocktails - the bar also boasts a secret restaurant, oak furnishings, bow-tied staff and Martini memorabilia. Despite the old-fashioned air, the bar is famously un-stuffy and popular with a young clientele. Mr Bond wouldn’t be happier anywhere else.
Eau de Vie, Sydney
One of Australia’s finest cocktail bars – Eau de Via is simply about brilliant service, and brilliant drinks. The extensive menu includes numerous inventive concoctions, like the refreshing ‘East Side Peach’ – made from Ketel One Citroen vodka, poached peaches, fresh pink grapefruit and lime juice. The bar takes its service so seriously that the cocktail menu introduces the bar tenders to you as thoroughly as it introduces the cocktails and, like any good Australian bar, there’s also an extensive food menu to choose from. The playful décor, including a cocktail shaker shaped like a woman’s leg, adds to the relaxed, informal atmosphere.
One of the world’s biggest metropolises, Tokyo is always on the go; it’s loud and crowded, yet modern and efficient. Nightlife here is varied and can range from a French boudoir to a themed nightclub, an aquarium style bar, to an Arabian treasure trove. Clubs can be dingy and gothic or elegant and glamorous and almost always cost a lot. One thing’s for sure, nothing is done by halves in this dazzling mega-city.
Drinks International’s The World's 50 Best Bars 2012 poll placed Artesian in the top spot, ahead of nominations from the UK, Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East
The Icelandic capital is well known for its vibrant nightlife, great music and mix of bars and its backdrop of colourful buildings and snow capped peaks, makes it both quirky and charming. So where are the best places to be seen during the Friday night runtur – a wild pub crawl around some of the most stylish of the city’s clubs?
The Hungarian capital of Budapest has been described by some as the most beautiful city in central Europe and it’s not hard to see why, with its location right on the romantic River Danube and being filled with stunning architecture. Spend your days visiting top class museums and sailing down the Danube, and by night discover the hottest places to be and been seen, from a ship night club, to the city’s best cocktail bar and a fancy Mediterranean restaurant that holds fashion shows and theatre performances.
Sweden’s most attractive city, renowned for its beautiful people and chic Scandinavian lifestyle is one place people definitely go out to be seen. From elegant palaces sipping cocktails under crystal chandeliers, to the cool ICEBAR, and the sophisticated Fredsgatan 12 - here are the best places to be and be seen in Stockholm.
Once the playground of the rich and famous, Havana today is not only the crumbling facade that everyone imagines and is still home to classy cocktail lounges, atmospheric bars and swish live music venues in historic mansions. These are the best places to be and be seen in iconic Havana.
Cape Town is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, located right on the coast, overlooking the famous Atlantic Seaboard and set in the shade of the impressive Table Mountain. Cape Town has a glitzy and glamorous nightlife, where the beautiful come to gather in stunning rooftop bars, beachside clubs and elegant wine bars.
Philadelphia may not be the first place you’d think of for chic underground cocktail bars and swanky sky-high restaurants. But, as a city that is often disguised as New York in films, Philadelphia has its fair share of stylish bars, lounges and underground speakeasies.
Italy is synonymous with luxury and where better for a luxurious city break than the Renaissance city of Florence? Here are some of our top five luxurious activities to do in the city, from gourmet eating, to opera in the Gardens of Boboli and Italian leather glove shopping.
