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Hottest bar openings in September 2017

Whether you want to spend your autumn evenings in the plush surroundings of 1920s London or the gritty cyberpunk dystopia of 2049, there are drinking dens across the world that can accommodate your wishes. Here are 10 of the hottest bar openings in September 2017.

Bar 2049 features on our hottest bar openings in September 2017

September saw the launch of several new and highly unusual bars across the globe. In Sydney, there are rum-heavy tiki drinks available in a Twin Peaks-themed bar, or further round the coast in Melbourne, Bar 49 is celebrating the launch of Blade Runner 2049 with a themed pop-up which takes inspiration from the film.

Several bars are also changing the way we think about what we’re drinking, such as Cub, the new off-shoot of White Lyan that aims to be a zero-waste restaurant.

Then again, if you fancy something really unusual you can always come to London where Alcotraz will set you up in a jail cell to drink your smuggled in booze.

Click through the following pages to discover some of the world’s hottest new bars in September 2017.

Missed our top openings in August? Check out last month’s list.

Ichibuns, London

London’s Chinatown received a Japanese infusion in September with the opening of Ichibuns, a restaurant that offers both “high-end indulgence and food-to-go” with its Hokkaido-inspired cuisine. The menu includes Wagyu beef burgers, shiitake mushroom ramen, hand-rolled maki and a range of milkshakes and cocktails.

The three-story Soho venue combines the styles of Tokyo subcultures from the 50s and 60s, as well as the American diner. The counter has been moulded from concrete to look like Japanese granite, and the ground floor features typical Japanese sunken tables allowing for views for Chinatown.

The cocktails also maintain the Japanese theme with names like Kaizen, Samurai Sword and Geisha Special, the latter of which boasts Bombay Sapphire gin mixed with liquorice bitters, lime and pineapple juice. There are also Japanese twists on classic cocktails, such as the Yuzu and Grapefruit Collins and the Smoked Whisky Negroni.

Alcotraz, London

Hopefully none of us will ever end up in prison, but a new pop-up in London is giving drinkers a chance to temporarily experience life behind bars. Alcotraz opened in Brick Lane this September and will stay open for three months, introducing customers to a world of crime, corruption and smuggled booze. Visitors, or inmates, smuggle their own alcohol in, which is used to make bespoke cocktails by the staff, who are not limited by rules and menus, and served in unassuming containers so as not to be caught by the wardens.

All criminals will be given orange jumpsuits and a prisoner number, and will be able to drink their contraband in the cells or in the visiting room. Sam Shearman, the founder of Inventive Productions, said: “Whilst being a hugely fun experience, Alcotraz will allow visitors to experience a world only seen by most in fiction.”

For more information, click here.

Cub, London

Revered London bar White Lyan has become a sustainable restaurant after noted bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana teamed up with Doug McMaster of Silo, a Brighton-based zero-waste eatery. Opened above Super Lyan’s basement bar, Cub approaches food and drink as a “united entity” and “blurs the boundaries of food and drink”.

The bar, which has always pushed boundaries, wants to keep this up, “but in a way that feels accessible and honest as well as exciting and modern,” said Chetiyawardana. The venture is the Mr Lyan team’s first foray into dining, and McMaster’s first project in London.

For more information, click here.

Bar 49, Melbourne

Blade Runner 2049 has not only inspired a new release of Johnnie Walker Black Label, but will also be marked by a month-long pop up bar in Melbourne. Cinema Nova will be converted into Bar 2049, providing an immersive experience that takes inspiration and visual cues from both the new film and the 1982 original.

The menu will include such cocktails as The Offworld and Nexus 9, served under an audio soundscape that puts synth pop over the iconic music from the original film.

Prairie School, Chicago

Star bartender Jim Meehan has opened a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspiried bar in Chicago that combines a creative yet concise cocktail list, Midwest nostalgia, and a fondness for foreign cultures. Taking inspiration from Wright’s work in America and Japan, the menu includes 12 cocktails that will be served in rotation, including a Gin Blossom that trades out the citrus peel garnish for a pickled peach, and two non-alcoholic blends that contain Spirit Teas.

Prairie School boasts that no cocktail takes more than thirty seconds to mix, and they will be alternated based on the 24 Japanese sekkis, or short seasons, rather than the more traditional seasons of the western world. As Wright would have turned 150 in 2017, it seemed a great way to mark the occasion.

Jacoby’s Tiki Bar, Sydney

Just in time for summer in the southern hemisphere, a Twin Peaks-themed tiki bar has opened in Sydney. Jacoby’s is the second establishment for Pasan Wijesena who already owns Earl’s Juke Joint.

Cocktails include the Vicious Virgin #2, which is the same colour as a tropical ocean, and the Scorpion, a punch bowl for two that mixes rum, gin, Cognac, lemon and orange. While the bar also serves beer and natural wine, it is the cocktails that stand out.

Level Seven, Sydney

Primus Hotel Sydney is a particularly lavish location, with a bar on its seventh floor that up until recently was only available to hotel guests. Now it has been opened its doors to the public, and allows visitors to relax in the view of the Sydney skyline.

The bar contains a pool, too, and is in stark contrast to its earlier uses. During World War Two, the rooftop bar was instead a shooting range, and then in the 1970s, it served as a basketball court. Now it provides a much more luxurious and less athletic spot to chill out.

Gilly’s Fry Bar, London

Finsbury Park last month saw the opening of Gilly’s Fish Bar, a fish and chip shop with Asian influences and a raft of cocktails to accompany your food. Owner Neil Gill was inspired by the Northern chip shops of his childhood, but has also brought his experiences of tempura cooking to the restaurant.

Drinks-wise, it specialises in highball cocktails, with combinations including gin, lemon, elderflower and cherry, as well as a variety of shots and punches. Some of these have a twist to keep them within the theme, such as Salt & Vinegar, which contains whisky, salt and pickle juice.

Matrix, San Francisco

In San Francisco, the team behind Forgery and Wildhawk, have opened Matrix, a cocktail bar containing its own pop-up “bar-within-a-bar”, Concorde. The bar was originally called MatrixFillmore but has been redecorated with a more relaxed design and simpler decor.

Concorde is only temporary, and takes inspiration from 20th century London bars, where guests can expect afternoon tea and sandwiches, and Martinis served “fresh and floral” or “umami and dirty”.

Mnky Lnge, London

Billed as an intimate and creative hub, the Dover Street bar Mnky Lnge will be an exclusive lounge bar and events space and part of Mnky Hse. With a separate entrance to the original restaurant, Mnky Lnge will have a focus on music with a long programme of live performers and resident DJs to entertain patrons.

With low seating and sensory lighting, the bar houses a long list of rare and distinctive drinks, with a focus on tequilas and mescals, alongside signature cocktails created by bar manager Javier Escribano. These include  refreshing and floral options, such as the ‘Monkey 47’ (Merchant’s Heart Hibiscus Tonic, plum wedge, edible flowers) and more intense and spicy alternatives, such as the ‘Bloom’ (Merchant’s Heart Pink Peppercorn Tonic, cracked black pepper, grapefruit twist, mint).

With a capacity of 40 seated or 100 standing, Mnky Lnge  will be available for exclusive evening hire from Sunday to Wednesday, and for daytime hire throughout the week.

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