No matter where you're hitting the town—from New York to Shanghai—these bars, clubs, and cocktail establishments will have you at the center of the city's nightlife scene.
WHAT: A factory mess hall from the Cultural Revolution—now a cocktail and whiskey bar.
THE LOOK: Industrial brick walls and iron beams; a narrow spiral staircase leads to a large-group-only lounge lit by tiers of Edison bulbs.
WHO GOES: Beijing’s local and expat cool crowd.
THE SOUND TRACK: Jazz, some blues, and doo-wop.
WHAT TO WEAR: Men sport pricey jeans and button-downs; women, slim-fitting dresses.
WHAT TO DRINK: The Sir Collins, a local play on the classic Tom, involves tea-infused gin with citrus and a fizzy splash—plus a salted plum garnish.
THE DOOR POLICY: When the smallish split-level space fills, no one gets in. Reserve a table to assure entry (Lot 10, Courtyard 4, Gongti North St., Chaoyang).
Courtesy of Janes & Hooch
WHAT: Berlin nightlife for grown-ups—a great scene, perfect cocktails, and delicious bar snacks. This low-key bar in the Das Stue hotel was conceived by the guy behind Berlin’s über-hip Bar Tausend, but it’s the antidote to Berlin mega-clubs.
THE LOOK: A contemporary and stylish living room with quilted-fabric sofas and chairs, parquet floors, and theatrical Hollywood-style floor lamps.
WHO GOES: Local entrepreneurs and writers in their thirties and forties; hotel guests. The Missoni women—grandmother, mother, and daughter—had a girls’ weekend at the hotel.
THE SOUND TRACK: Eclectic—’90s dance music, crooner tunes, Berlin electronica.
WHAT TO WEAR: Ditch grungy Berlin garb and go for a gallerist’s all-black look.
WHAT TO DRINK: The Mescal Mule, a modern Moscow Mule—mescal, passion fruit purée, cucumber, lime, salt, and tonic.
THE DOOR POLICY: No need to reserve—for now (Drakestrasse 1).
More from Condé Nast Traveler:
Courtesy of Stue Bar
WHAT: A 1970s-style discoteca/bar that’s like a Latino house party, with lots of dancing in lounges and on a patio.
THE LOOK: The design was inspired by a fictitious character dreamed up by the owners: Armando Fuentes, a 1970s-era Don Juan in Brooklyn. To that end, den-like rooms are lined in vintage wallpaper and wood paneling lit by retro mottled-glass lamps; the courtyard has brick walls, weathered posters, and hanging plants.
WHO GOES: Creative types and anyone who likes to dance.
THE SOUND TRACK: Latino crossover like electro-cumbia, tropical, reggaeton, and hip-hop.
WHAT TO WEAR: For men, jeans with a button-down and a leather jacket. For women, heels, skinny jeans, and a cool top.
WHAT TO DRINK: A Hipnotica Agraz (agraz—a sour grape—with vodka, sugar, and lemon) or a mojito with lulo, a fragrant Colombian fruit.
THE DOOR POLICY: A wait in line on weekends and a $10 cover gets you into Armando All Stars and its upstairs sibling, Armando Records (Calle 85 Nos. 14-46).
Courtesy of Armando All Stars
WHAT: Rooftop bars might be de rigueur in a city like New York, but BA didn’t have anything of the sort until this place opened recently on the thirteenth floor of the Hotel Pulitzer. It’s elegant, with nice views of downtown.
THE LOOK: A polished wooden deck and marble bar are simple and chic with white banquettes. Soft lighting complements the city’s subtle glow.
WHO GOES: Hotel guests and stylish local professionals just off work.
THE SOUND TRACK: Smooth electronic beats.
WHAT TO WEAR: Professional with an edge. Men sport tailored jackets (no ties), and women model chunky platform shoes and statement accessories.
WHAT TO DRINK: The savory Malbec Mary cocktail is a reduction of Argentina’s top grape with vodka, tomato juice, and herbs. The door policy: None, but look the part. It’s open only in spring and summer and busiest on Thursdays (Calle Maipú 907).
Courtesy of Sky Bar
WHAT: A historic Cape Town orphanage inspired the name of this place for potent elixirs on Bree Street, the city’s trendiest drag.
THE LOOK: Not quite Oliver Twist but getting there: dark wood, stained-glass windows, flickering kerosene lamps, and a skeleton-key chandelier.
WHO GOES: Advertising guys, media types, social climbers.
THE SOUND TRACK: Down-tempo house.
WHAT TO WEAR: Dresses, jeans, polos—dress up by dressing down.
WHAT TO DRINK: The “More Tea Vicar?”—vodka, cranberry, and roobios syrup in a porcelain teacup.
THE DOOR POLICY: None, but book in advance if you want a table (227 Bree St.)
Courtesy of Orphanage Cocktail Emporium
WHAT: A high-minded ode to “multisensory mixology,” wherein centrifuges and evaporators are used to create drinks on an antiquey stretch of Central’s Hollywood Road.
THE LOOK: Understated—dim lighting plus cozy clusters of couches, armchairs, and ottomans.
WHO GOES: The after-work crowd and cocktail aficionados of every stripe.
THE SOUND TRACK: Low-key house and lounge tunes thump in the background.
WHAT TO WEAR: Anything from business casual to jeans—refreshingly, this is one Hong Kong bar that eschews a dress code.
WHAT TO DRINK: A souped-up cocktail like a Bloody Mary with wasabi-infused vodka; a lemongrass G&T; or an Earl Grey Caviar Martini—served in a martini glass, it’s topped with tea-flavored foam and Jell-O-like capsules the consistency of caviar.
The Door Policy: The open-to-all ethos means the bar fills fast; go early or make a reservation (56-58 Hollywood Rd.)
Courtesy of Quinary
WHAT: In the heart of Istanbul’s cool Karaköy neighborhood, it’s jazz star Ilhan Ersahin’s music venue. Housed in the basement of the Gradiva Hotel, Nublu has live music and DJ sets five nights a week.
THE LOOK: Two levels of electric-red lights and industrial metal and wood beams and banisters.
WHO GOES: Jazz and indie-music lovers as well as the occasional hipster.
THE SOUND TRACK: Live bands and eclectic jazz.
WHAT TO WEAR: Casual cool, which in this hood means skinny jeans and silk shirts for ladies, button-downs for guys.
WHAT TO DRINK: Mojitos and martinis are popular, but try raki, Turkey’s anise-flavored aperitif.
THE DOOR POLICY: Covers vary by performance. Hint: Don’t show up with a gang of guys (Bankalar Caddesi Voyvoda Sokak 2/1).
Courtesy of Nublu
WHAT: A two-woman mission to introduce agave’s finest to East London. Hidden below a kebab shop, the bar was inspired by Mexico City’s La Clandestina mezcalería.
THE LOOK: DIY squat-party with balloon lights hand blown by the owners, a mirror wall, and a lovers' corner pasted with bootylicious Mexican comic-strip porn.
WHO GOES: A good-natured bunch of spirit lovers, Shoreditch hipsters, and expat Mexicans.
THE SOUND TRACK: English rock on the jukebox; cumbia and feel-good, coats-off, let’s-dance house on weekend DJ nights.
WHAT TO WEAR: A lucha libre mask will win you friends; otherwise anything goes, since this is backstreets Hackney (beware the sticky floor).
WHAT TO DRINK: Artisanal mescal, obviously—try a shot of Oaxacan Real Minero served with orange slices and worm salt, or the Blue Steel, a mescal margarita with curaçao.
THE DOOR POLICY: It’s “one in, one out” after 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (184 Hackney Rd.).
Courtesy of Mezcaleria Quiquiriqui
WHAT: A high-class, Parisian-style cocktail lounge on a quiet stretch of Melrose Avenue—with decadent perks like oysters, chocolate, and the occasional lingerie-clad aerialist gyrating overhead.
THE LOOK: Jazz Age in its heyday, with red-velvet tufted banquettes, chandeliers, a sunken fireplace parlor, and a glass-domed ceiling.
WHO GOES: A sophisticated Hollywood set—Paramount execs from the nearby studio and champagne-sipping Francophiles.
THE SOUND TRACK: Smooth tunes from jazz to hip-hop.
WHAT TO WEAR: A well-enforced dress code requires you to leave your rocker tee and fly kicks at home. Instead, don a fitted sport coat or cocktail dress.
WHAT TO DRINK: Libations skew baroque, such as the Kina Crusta (Lillet, Campari, lemon, grapefruit, and curaçao) and the Zou Bisou (vodka, lemon, honey, pineapple, lime—and champagne, bien sûr!).
THE DOOR POLICY: They welcome the hoi polloi but prefer the well-heeled. Go early on weekends unless you know someone (5574 Melrose Ave.).
Courtesy of Pour Vous
WHAT: Shopping while drinking could be disastrous, but Pawn & Co.—a bar-store mashup in cool South Yarra—already has a legion of fans. Everything here is for sale, even the vintage bar stools, and it’s a party until 7 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday.
THE LOOK: A thrift shop specializing in 1920s bohemia, with a bar made from a vintage piano.
WHO GOES: Melbourne’s young socialites and media types.
THE SOUND TRACK: Musicians get behind the decks, spinning everything from funk to electronica.
WHAT TO WEAR: Something retro tempered by a modern boot and bag.
WHAT TO DRINK: Arsenic & Old Lace (gin, Noilly Prat, crème de violette, and Jade 1901 absinthe).
THE DOOR POLICY: Look good and you’re in (402 Chapel St.).
Courtesy of Pawn & Co
WHAT: Posh Québécois recall the days when mink stoles and fox coats were big business in Montreal, and this place is a 1900s-era reminder in a former fur factory. Drinks are by the alco-cognoscenti behind hot spots like Buvette chez Simone, and a changing food menu flutters on pieces of paper strung from a line.
THE LOOK: Very Industrial Era, with repurposed sewing tables, factory stools, and light fixtures that look like radiator covers hanging from the high ceiling.
WHO GOES: The design-obsessed from Montreal’s milieu culturel.
THE SOUND TRACK: An unironic medley of French ’60s pop and electro.
WHAT TO WEAR: Something that says you’re financially secure yet in touch with your fey side.
WHAT TO DRINK: A bottle from the selection of natural wines or a pint of locally brewed hefeweizen with notes of roasted banana.
THE DOOR POLICY: None. On weekends prepare to wait outside with a klatsch of smokers (425 rue Mayor).
Courtesy of Bar Furco
WHAT: On top of the Stalinist Peking Hotel in central Moscow, this joint venture between Time Out and Russian mixologist Alexander Kan has 360-degree city views and reasonably priced drinks (for expensive Moscow).
THE LOOK: A tiny elevator whisks you from the Peking’s film-noirish lobby to the glass-enclosed penthouse, where the cathedral ceiling, dramatic pillars, and Socialist Realist ceiling fresco are dressed down with industrial wood tables and plastic chairs that give the bar a Berlin vibe.
WHO GOES: On the early side, intellectuals; on weekends (when it’s open from midnight to 6 a.m.), partiers here for the all-night DJ sets.
THE SOUND TRACK: On weeknights, jazz and funk at just the right level.
WHAT TO WEAR: Moscow’s new nightspots are increasingly casual—you won’t get turned away in jeans.
WHAT TO DRINK: Vodka, of course. Try Kan’s signature Isaev (vodka, birch sap, and lemon) or a Bull Shot (vodka and beef bouillon).
THE DOOR POLICY: The elevator is the main form of crowd control (Ul. Bolshaya Sadovaya 5).
Courtesy of Time Out Bar
WHAT: A Manhattan rarity—a quiet-but-cool bar where you can get a seat and a genius drink. Whereas other East Village boîtes are frat-tastic and/or packed, this elegant place (inspired by the 1949 film of the same name) is not. It’s co-owned by Edi Frauneder of Edi & the Wolf, an Austrian restaurant down the block.
THE LOOK: The wood booths at the front are the coziest seats, but the whole place feels woodsy and warm, with whitewashed brick walls, candle lighting, and vases of evergreen branches on the sleek square bar.
WHO GOES: It’s rare to see white hair in the East Village (unless it’s the result of a bad bleach job), but all ages are welcome here. You’ll find older fans of Edi & the Wolf (Alec Baldwin had his wedding lunch here) and twentysomething fashion types.
THE SOUND TRACK: Random. Folksy and Austrian on weeknights, ’80s anthems and rhythmic Brazilian tunes on weekends.
WHAT TO WEAR: Anything. Edi is a jeans-and-sweaters guy.
WHAT TO DRINK: The Spirit of ’49, a just-sweet-enough sipper with bourbon, honey syrup, lemon juice, Amaro Averna, and Angostura bitters.
THE DOOR POLICY: Low-key to nonexistent (116 Ave. C).
Courtesy of The Third Man
WHAT: After a run of New York–style cocktail lounges and London-vibe bars, here at last is a place that gets what the French do best: wine. While other bars à vins feel like restaurants, this one (from the Experimental Cocktail Club guys) is barlike—although the bellota ham and steak tartare on toast do make delicious nibbles.
THE LOOK: A friend’s apartment—low armchairs and small marble-topped tables plus a piano-turned-drinks-cabinet. Prize position is the table by the marble fireplace, but you can always sit at the mahogany bar.
WHO GOES: Bright young things here for a cozy chat and literary wine musers sampling serious quality.
THE SOUND TRACK: None.
WHAT TO WEAR: Understated Left Bank chic or literati tweed.
WHAT TO DRINK: Connoisseurs, try a glass of the “mystery bottle” and win a free bottle if you correctly guess what it is.
THE DOOR POLICY: Reserve if you want a table (7 rue Lobineau).
Courtesy of Compagnie des Vins Supernaturels
WHAT: Part of the continued gentrification of the once-unpolished Lapa district, a sleek São Paulo–style lounge and supper club.
THE LOOK: The three-floor mansion is a spectacle of pop culture past—collages of 1950s singers hang on brick walls, while saint statues sit in front of the DJ decks.
WHO GOES: A mix of artistically inclined thirtysomething locals and those escaping Lapa’s samba onslaught.
THE SOUND TRACK: Big-name DJs relish the chance to spin traditional samba and forró alongside house, rock, and pop.
WHAT TO WEAR: It’s Carioca casual, but leave the Havaianas at the hotel.
WHAT TO DRINK: The Gemido, a cashew caipirinha (vodka, cashew-fruit juice, limes).
THE DOOR POLICY: Not bad, but remember this is Brazil’s most beautiful city (Rua do Lavradio 170).
Courtesy of Barzinho
WHAT: Until recently, discerning drinkers near the Campo de’ Fiori were better off sticking to wine. But then ace bartenders stepped in at Barnum, which serves coffee by day and excellent cocktails after 6 p.m.
THE LOOK: Whitewashed brick walls and wood beams in the front room; the back is even cozier with dim lighting, well-worn sofas, and a carpenter’s table.
WHO GOES: Young Romans weary of the neighborhood’s watery cocktail norm.
THE SOUND TRACK: Everything from electronica to classic rock.
WHAT TO WEAR: Any attire goes, but dressing down is best.
WHAT TO DRINK: Classic Sazeracs and old-fashioneds, or let the barman craft something to your taste.
THE DOOR POLICY: Free entry—seat yourself (Via del Pellegrino 87).
Elizabeth Haddad/Courtesy of The Coffee Experiment
WHAT: Next to a graffitied building, behind an unmarked door, a monument to San Francisco’s creative cocktail expertise.
THE LOOK: Unadorned industrial, with shipyard lights and exposed eaves. A soapstone bar and concrete walls make you feel as if you’re at a secret gathering.
WHO GOES: Mission District locals and cooks—a sure sign of quality in San Francisco. On weekdays, cocktail fans come solo just for the drinks.
THE SOUND TRACK: New Orleans jazz and big band brass.
WHAT TO WEAR: Jeans, T-shirts, boots.
WHAT TO DRINK: The Baby Turtle—tequila, lime, grapefruit, and egg white. Try the triple-cooked fries too.
THE DOOR POLICY: None, but expect a line on Friday and Saturday nights. Upstairs is reserved for those ordering food (3010 20th St.).
Courtesy of Trick Dog
WHAT: A swinging scene behind an unmarked door on a sleepy, leafy Concession street.
THE LOOK: The whole Prohibition thing is passé at this point, but you’ve got to love this place for doing it so well—pressed-tin ceiling, velvet-damask wallpaper, flattering low lighting.
WHO GOES: An insider expat crowd who greet one another with double cheek kisses.
THE SOUND TRACK: Big band music. What to wear: The bow-tied barkeeps look snazzier than flannel-clad patrons.
WHAT TO DRINK: The cocktail list is like a candy shop menu for grown-ups: The Almond Joy contains coconut rum, Disaronno, and dark chocolate syrup.
THE DOOR POLICY: If you find it, let yourself in (98 Wuyuan Lu).
Courtesy of Senator Saloon
WHAT: Bridging old and new Tel Aviv, this bar is in a building said to be one of the city’s first. It’s named for the rebellious, promiscuous daughter of Zionist leader Theodor Herzl, Paulina Herzl, whose legend gives the place its edgy vibe.
THE LOOK: Ancient on the outside, bohemian on the inside, with artwork that changes regularly. The bar is divided into two areas—the relaxed and quiet Paulina, and the dark and smoky Stash, with late-night dancing.
WHO GOES: Those who don’t want to club but don’t want to sit in a stuffy bar either—this blends the two well—and anyone hankering for the star of the small food menu, crunchy brownie fingers.
THE SOUND TRACK: Mainstream and indie, with a different DJ every night.
WHAT TO WEAR: Anything goes, but a little red lipstick is always nice.
WHAT TO DRINK: Something with whiskey.
THE DOOR POLICY: None (2 Hertsel).
More from Condé Nast Traveler:
Amazing Pools at the Best New Hotels of 2013
WHAT: Drinks with a view of Tokyo old and new. From this 14th-floor bar at the Gate Hotel Kaminarimon, you can see the steeply pitched roof of the seventh-century Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest, and the 2,000-foot spire of the new Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest broadcast tower.
THE LOOK: Tiny, sleek, and sultry, with black walls, dim lighting, and the aforementioned views. There’s a 13th-floor bar downstairs for the masses, with a long black bar, glass walls, and leather booths.
WHO GOES: Well-heeled couples and sharp-dressing salarymen.
THE SOUND TRACK: Live jazz on weekends.
WHAT TO WEAR: Something tailored.
WHAT TO DRINK: A Graceful (dry gin and passion fruit juice) or a Vogueish (a blue Zubrowka vodka–based drink).
THE DOOR POLICY: The 13th floor is open to all, while the tiny 14th is theoretically limited to hotel guests—non-guests are allowed if it’s not busy (2-16-11 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku).
Courtesy of B Bar
