The world’s 10 best hotel bars 2015

Hotel bars were once characterised as stuffy venues which thrived on a captive audience, but these 10 best international hotel bars shortlisted by TOTC demonstrate why this is no longer the case.

These are the world’s 10 best hotel bars in 2015, according to judges for Tales of the Cocktail’s upcoming Spirited Awards

Tales of the Cocktail recently revealed the shortlist for its esteemed Spirited Awards 2015, naming some of the most highly regarded hotel bars selected by a panel of expert judges.

London’s Artesian, named world’s best bar by Tales of the Cocktail in 2014, is demonstrably absent from this list, however the venue’s previous win in the category meant it could not be nominated again.

Nevertheless, a number of superb venues, from London and Hong Kong and Zurich to Barcelona, have earned a coveted spot on this list.

Click through the following pages to discover the world’s 10 best hotel bars, as identified by Tales of the Cocktail’s shortlist for the Best International Hotel Bar Spirited Award 2015. If you think an exceptional hotel bar should have received a spot this list, let us know by leaving a comment below.

American Bar – The Savoy, London

The Savoy’s American Bar is something of an institution in the UK, famed for its impeccable service, delectable drinks and storied history. Based inside the beautiful Savoy Hotel, which celebrated its 125^th anniversary last year, the bar emanates old world luxury and glamour and has played host to royalty, fashion designers, movie stars and world leaders. First opened in 1893, it is still a haven for cocktail lovers looking to experience an evening of elegance and class.

Beaufort Bar – The Savoy, London

Named on TOTC’s shortlist last year, Beaufort bar is the American Bar’s much younger sibling, having opened in 2010. Specialising in Champagne and cocktails, the room continues with the Savoy’s Art Deco design with its jet black and gold interior, evoking images of old-world sophistication. The bar itself stands on the hotel’s former cabaret stage, which was graced by such luminaries as Carol Gibbons, the Savoy Orpheans and George Gershwin. The bar reached new heights earlier this year when it launched its brand new cocktail menu into space.

Black Angel’s Bar – Hotel U Prince, Prague

One of TOTC’s final four top international hotel bars last year, Black Angel’s Bar is one of the most highly regarded bars in the Czech Republic and is renowned for its dark and broody speakeasy style. Based in the 2nd basement of Hotel U Prince, the bar is the brainchild of Pavel Sima and Zdeněk Kaštánek, who jointly transformed the area in 2009. The venue gives a decadent edge yet fun to its inspirational rough and ready saloon bars of the Prohibition era.

Coburg Bar – The Connaught, London

Usurping the place of the London hotel’s namesake Connaught Bar, which was shortlisted by TOTC judges last year, is Coburg Bar. Voted the “best bar in London” in 2008 by Time Out Magazine, the bar has recently undergone an extension, but manages to retain its quite, intimate and relaxed atmosphere. Featuring forgotten cocktails such as sours, flips, fixes and fizzes, the bar oozes timeless style.

Lobster Bar – Island Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong

Based inside the famously opulent 56-storey high Island Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong, those visiting Lobster Bar have high expectations, and they are rarely disappointed. With a beautiful duck egg blue interior and grand piano, the bar specialises in fine European seafood dishes and unusual “forgotten” cocktail recipes, with no mention of what it calls “timeworn classics” such as the Old Fashioned and Negroni. The majority of cocktails on the bar’s menu are from Jerry Thomas’s 1862 A Bar-tender’s Guide and Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual, including the Lemon Sherbet Bishop and Genever Smash.

Manhattan – Regent Hotel, Singapore

Said to be the place where “craft bartending meets artisanal spirits”, Manhattan at Singapore’s Regent Hotel evokes an image of New York’s grand 19^th century hotels. Billed as having the “world’s first in-hotel rickhouse” to create barrel-aged cocktails, the bar also uses a range of house-made ingredients for its classic serves.

Ohla – Ohla Hotel, Barcelona

In the centre of Barcelona sits the five-star Ohla Hotel, where its boutique bar has has quickly become a popular meeting point for trendy locals and jet-setting travellers. A venue where the contemporary and baroque meld into one, Ohla Boutique Bar serves an array of classic cocktails with a contemporary edge. Drinks are created by award-winning mixologists Giuseppe Santamaria and Giamcomo Gianotti can also be enjoyed on the roof of the hotel, where some of the most spectacular views of the Barcelona cityscape can be enjoyed.

The Punch Room – The Edition Hotel, London

The London Edition Hotel opened in 2013 amid massive buzz. Famed chefs Jason Atherton and Gareth Evans – who also run The Blind Pig – have been busy creating an awe-inspiring space with drinks, food and service to match. Add to this the intriguingly elusive, reservations only Punch Room – a fumed-oak paneled den inspired by the comfort of manor house libraries and nineteenth-century London’s private clubs sporting vintage leather chairs and beautiful punch bowls. As the name of the bar suggests, punch is the signature serve. Serving two-eight people, guests can order one of eight carefully crafted specialty punches including the gin infused Edition Punch with jasmine tea and oak moss.

Widder Bar – Widder Hotel, Zurich

Zurich’s famed jazz haunt the Widder Bar, at the Widder Hotel, is on the bucket list of many liquor-loving barflies, boasting a “library of spirits” of over 1,000 different bottles, 500 different categories, and 250 variations of malt whisky alone. Also named in TOTC’s best international hotel bar’s shortlist list year, the bar features a whisky flavour map, cocktail flavour map and a complete library of spirits listed alphabetically, and by category.

The Zetter Townhouse – London

Based inside a 13-bedroom Georgian townhouse in London’s stylish Clerkenwell, The Zetter Townhouse bar is quintessentially, eccentrically English, complete with nooks and crannies at every turn and even a stuffed kangaroo. Described by Time Out Magazine as “one of the most beautiful and unusual bars in London, Zetter features experimental cocktails created by famed bartender Tony Conigliaro, of 69 Colebrook Row fame.