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Top 10 most exciting bar openings of 2016

A London whisky den kitted out with a 185-year-old tree trunk and a Hong Kong hangout by famed bartender Salvatore Calabrese were among the hottest new bars to open around the world last year.

We reveal our top 10 most exciting bar openings of 2016

More than any other year, 2016 proved that a cocktail can be made by the bartender, but inspired by the chef. Experimenting with texture, vapour, aromatics and form has become commonplace behind the bar – but the focus is on not on drinks alone.

Take postmodern tiki paradise Pagan Idol in San Francisco, which is decked out with thatched tiki huts and smoking volcanoes, or Sydney-based post-WWII themed speakeasy Kittyhawk, named after the US fighter plane.

Last year also witnessed the rise of the multi-purpose bar space: hot-desking, coffee-making, cocktail-creating snack spots which have all occasions covered – from brunch through to date night.

Click through the following pages to discover our list of the world’s hottest new bar openings of 2016.

Le Boudoir, New York – January

Inspired by the private entertaining chateau of decadent French queen Marie Antoinette, Le Boudoir – with all its gilded mirrors and velvet banquettes – is tucked away behind a false bookcase. The speakeasy is quite literally fit for a queen, in fact Antoinette’s relics can be found  dotted around the bar, including a doorknob allegedly taken from her bedroom. Cocktails named after Her Majesty are served in silver-plated goblets and crystal glassware. Try Axel von Fersen; a heady mix of Bourbon, applejack, sesame, curry, and black caraway.

Pagan Idol, San Francisco – February

Take a tropical holiday in San Francisco with postmodern tiki paradise Pagan Idol. Between its two rooms the bar offers duel experiences: a seafaring adventure complete with portholes and a thatched tiki hut complete with smoking volcano. Aesthetics aside, you’ll discover a phenomenal cocktail list featuring flaming bowls, torched marshmallows and secret spices. There’s also a secret menu of 50 classic tiki drinks.

Black Rock, London – March

One of the most talked about bar openings of the year, Black Rock features an 18ft tree trunk as an alternative bar workstation, which also doubles up as a cocktail ageing system. With an aim to “remove the stigma” of whisky, more than 250 bottles from around the world are organised into a simple three-tier price point per dram. Or, if the mood takes you, you can order ‘from the tree’. Excellent.

Maison Eight, Hong Kong – April

Famed bartender Salvatore Calabrese launched Maison Eight after leaving his namesake bar at London’s Playboy Club. This gorgeous ‘French fine dining bar’ offers stunning views from 21 floors up and – as if that isn’t enough – is decked out with the world’s first ‘Bollinger Champagne Room’. Try the Zen Cha, which offers “powerful anti-pollution properties”.

Ophelia, Hong Kong – May

Inspired by an exotic bird shop and 19th century opium dens, Ophelia has a clear peacock theme – a nod to an urban legend that a shopkeeper in the city was gifted a bird bearing a copper band with ‘Ophelia’ on it. The interior is truly a sight to behold; 600,000 hand-painted tiles adorn the venue – and the drunks are just as fabulous, and feature Asian herbs, spices, fruits and aromatics aplenty.

The Bloomsbury Club Bar, London – June

Housed within The Bloomsbury hotel, The Bloomsbury Club Bar takes inspiration from the lives of the hedonistic Bloomsbury Set – an influential group of English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists. The bar is split into two areas, an inside lounge space adorned with artwork and a bohemian heated outside bar. The menu celebrates the golden age of cocktails with a selection named after literary icons – try the Virginia Woolf; a “tart yet fruity” combination of No. 3 gin, lemon juice, raspberry shrub, Cochi Americano and egg white.

Kittyhawk, Sydney – July

Kittyhawk comes from the team behind Sydney bar Lobo Plantation. Kitted out with a post-WWII theme, the speakeasy setting serves up an array of rum and rye cocktails. The bar takes its name from the US fighter plane, and is inspired by the merriment and sheer party vibes shared between American soldiers and Parisians during the liberation of Paris in 1944. You’ll covet the menu design – which is presented like a deconstructed cocktail manual – and love the clever libations in it.

Blacktail, New York – August

The award-winning team behind cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit last year launched its awe-inspiring sister venue. Themed on the American bars that pitched up in Cuba during Prohibition, BlackTail has five distinct focuses – highballs, punches, sours, old fashioned and cocktails – with one glass style for each, and eight drinks per category. Sit down and prepare to be schooled as you sip contemporary interpretations of classic recipes from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Iron Fairies, Hong Kong – September

Designed by Ashley Sutton – who is the creative brain behind Ophelia and invitation-only venue J Boroski – Iron Fairies is truly surreal. Illuminated by candles and iron chandeliers, the bar’s key feature is a hanging garden of 10,000 preserved butterflies dangling from the ceiling. The cocktail menu too is a sight to behold – try the Watermelon Daiquiri with organic honey and fairy dust burnt marshmallow.

Cedar Tavern, Austin – October

Built in 1866, the bar itself is a living piece of history that was the stomping ground for the likes of Jackson Pollock, Jimi Hendrix and Jack Kerouac. After it was shut down, the 150-year-old bar was disassembled and preserved, and now housed in Austin’s Eberly, Cedar Tavern where it offers a unique drinks lineup that focuses on craft cocktails.

Swift, London – November

Located on the former site of bartender favourite LAB, Swift certainly had big shoes to fill – and it hasn’t disappointed. The two-story bar is the brainchild of cocktail power couples Nightjar founders Edmund Weil and Rosie Stimpson, and Milk & Honey’s Mia Johansson and Bobby Hiddleston, and offers a bright standing bar upstairs, juxtaposed with a atmospheric speakeasy in the basement. Try the Irish coffee – arguably the best in London.

Martello Hall, London – December

Coffee and hot-desking by day, cocktails and pizza by night. Cocktail bar-cum-restaurant Martello Hall is set over three floors, and there’s even an on-site gin distillery producing small batches of Martello Gin, paired with home-made syrups, limoncellos and locally sourced beers. Famed bartender Salvatore Calabrese launched Maison Eight after leaving his namesake bar at London’s Playboy Club. This gorgeous ‘French fine dining bar’ offers stunning views from 21 floors up and – as if that isn’t enough – is decked out with the world’s first ‘Bollinger Champagne Room’. Try the Zen Cha, which offers “powerful anti-pollution properties”.

Ophelia, Hong Kong – May

Inspired by an exotic bird shop and 19th century opium dens, Ophelia has a clear peacock theme – a nod to an urban legend that a shopkeeper in the city was gifted a bird bearing a copper band with ‘Ophelia’ on it. The interior is truly a sight to behold; 600,000 hand-painted tiles adorn the venue – and the drunks are just as fabulous, and feature Asian herbs, spices, fruits and aromatics aplenty.

The Bloomsbury Club Bar, London – June

Housed within The Bloomsbury hotel, The Bloomsbury Club Bar takes inspiration from the lives of the hedonistic Bloomsbury Set – an influential group of English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists. The bar is split into two areas, an inside lounge space adorned with artwork and a bohemian heated outside bar. The menu celebrates the golden age of cocktails with a selection named after literary icons – try the Virginia Woolf; a “tart yet fruity” combination of No. 3 gin, lemon juice, raspberry shrub, Cochi Americano and egg white.

Kittyhawk, Sydney – July

Kittyhawk comes from the team behind Sydney bar Lobo Plantation. Kitted out with a post WWII theme, the speakeasy setting serves up an array of rum and rye cocktails. The bar takes its name from the US fighter plane, and is inspired by the merriment and sheer party vibes shared between American soldiers and Parisians during the liberation of Paris in 1944. You’ll covet the menu design – which is presented like a deconstructed cocktail manual – and love the clever libations in it.

Blacktail, New York – August

The award-winning team behind cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit last year launched its awe-inspiring sister venue. Themed on the American bars that pitched up in Cuba during Prohibition, BlackTail has five distinct focuses – highballs, punches, sours, old fashioned and cocktails – with one glass style for each, and eight drinks per category. Sit down and prepare to be schooled as you sip contemporary interpretations of classic recipes from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Iron Fairies, Hong Kong – September

Designed by Ashley Sutton – who is the creative brain behind Ophelia and invitation-only venue J Boroski – Iron Fairies is truly surreal.  Illuminated by candles and iron chandeliers, the bar’s key feature is a hanging garden of 10,000 preserved butterflies dangling from the ceiling. The cocktail menu too is a sight to behold – try the Watermelon Daiquiri with organic honey and fairy dust burnt marshmallow.

Cedar Tavern, Austin – October

Built in 1866, the bar itself is a living piece of history that was the stomping ground for the likes of Jackson Pollock, Jimi Hendrix and Jack Kerouac. After it was shut down, the 150-year-old bar was disassembled and preserved, and now housed in Austin’s Eberly, Cedar Tavern where it offers a unique drinks lineup that focuses on craft cocktails.

Swift, London – November

Located on the former site of bartender favourite LAB, Swift certainly had big shoes to fill – and it hasn’t disappointed. The two-story bar is the brainchild of cocktail power couples Nightjar founders Edmund Weil and Rosie Stimpson, and Milk & Honey’s Mia Johansson and Bobby Hiddleston, and offers a bright standing bar upstairs, juxtaposed with a atmospheric speakeasy in the basement. Try the Irish coffee – arguably the best in London.

Martello Hall, London – December

Coffee and hot-desking by day, cocktails and pizza by night. Cocktail bar-cum-restaurant Martello Hall is set over three floors, and there’s even an on-site gin distillery producing small batches of Martello Gin, paired with home-made syrups, limoncellos and locally sourced beers.

 

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