Some hotel bars are the reason to book the room. Others are the place you go after dinner. The difference is the programme.
Classic hotel bars
Connaught Bar London
Repeatedly named among the world's best. Aged Negronis, theatrical ice service, the trolley.
Bemelmans Bar — Carlyle NYC
Murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, jazz piano, classic cocktails done right.
The American Bar — Savoy London
Inventor of the modern cocktail menu. The Sazerac was practically born here.
Hotel Costes Bar Paris
The Paris-rooftop intimacy bar. Famous music programming.
Bulgari Bar Roma
The Roman flagship — extensive Italian-vermouth programme, Roman aperitivo culture.
Modern hotel bars
Aman Tokyo Bar — 33rd floor
A six-storey lobby ends at the bar with a view across Tokyo to Mount Fuji.
MO Bar Singapore — Mandarin Oriental
Singapore-cocktail-scene leader. Asian-influenced cocktails.
Atrium Bar — Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
Riverside bar with old-Bangkok cocktail traditions.
Le Bar Anglais — Plaza Athénée Paris
Quiet luxury bar inside the Plaza Athénée. Pre-dinner Champagne ritual.
NoMad Library Bar NYC
The library setting, the leather chairs, the cocktail programme.
What to order
Order what the bartender is working on, not from the menu. "What's interesting tonight?" gets you the best result. Hotel bartenders develop seasonal items they're proud of — order them.
Five rules
- Sunset slot — the lighting is the meal
- Bartender's menu over wine list
- Two cocktails maximum — the third never tastes as good
- Tip per drink, not per round
- Hotel guests get priority — book through your concierge
For more, see the food and drink pillar.
