Close Menu
Top 10

Spring’s hottest global bar openings

Now that we’ve had the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and we’re officially in the midst of summer, we’re looking back at the 10 biggest bar openings around the world this spring.

spring openings
Thief opened its second location in New York’s Lower East Side

From a sky-high bar in Melbourne that champions vintage spirits, to a futuristic bar in Hong Kong that hasn’t held back on luxury – the global bar scene this spring has not disappointed when it comes to fresh new venues.

Here, we look at 10 of the hottest global bars that have opened their doors over the last few months.

If you would like your new bar to feature in our next seasonal round-up, send details to info@thespiritsbusiness.com.

For more new bar openings, check out the hottest new drinking dens from last winter.


Coya Marbella, Spain

Coya Marbella

To kick things off, we’re casting our memories back to April when Peruvian luxury lifestyle group Coya opened its latest venue in one of the most luxurious residential areas along the Mediterranean coast.

Located at the Puente Romano luxury resort in Marbella, Spain, Coya Marbella is the ideal place to hit up if you’re looking to spend a night in a vibrant setting, with Pisco Sours and Peruvian dishes on tap. It boasts the Coya day pool, a first for the group, where guests can lounge while enjoying a range of signature Peruvian favourites that are blended with local ingredients and styles.


Fox Liquor Bar, North Carolina

Fox Liquor Bar

Located in Raleigh, NC, Fox Liquor Bar is a subterranean drinking den from Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants that features classic and contemporary cocktails, a sprightly zero-proof programme, and ‘craveable’ bar snacks.

The drinks menu is said to balance excellent but approachable libations of the spirited and spirit-free varieties, including B’s Secret Sauce, a play on the hot chicken sandwich from upstairs neighbour Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, made with with Bourbon, dry Curaçao, hot honey, and lemon; and the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, a non-alcoholic cocktail featuring lemongrass, Seedlip Garden 108, lemon, and soda.


Post Haste, Philadelphia

Post Haste

Located in Philadelphia’s East Kensington, Post Haste is a cocktail bar with a farm-to-glass beverage philosophy and robust food programme. Helmed by Gabe Guerrero (formerly of The Dandelion and El Vez) and Fred Beebe (previously found at Momofuku and Sunday in Brooklyn) Post Haste’s drinks menu exclusively features spirits, beers, wines, citrus, herbs, produce and mixers from the Mid-Atlantic. Nothing is imported in an effort to both support local suppliers and address the bar’s environmental impact by reducing food miles.

An outpost helmed by musicians, the cocktail menu offers four categories, including ‘Covers’, featuring variations of classics made with local ingredients, ‘Remixes’, showcasing signature spins built on a familiar base, and ‘Experimental Pop’ for adventurous drinkers interested in brand-new cocktail creations, as well as robust non-alcoholic options in their ‘Free Spirit’ section.


Artifact bar, Hong Kong

This new Hong Kong bar is the future. Or at least, it looks like the future, with its ultra-modern, minimalist design. At Artifact, brown spirits are the focus, and the cocktail and spirit offering is a constantly evolving one that tells a story of how whisky, brandy, rum, gin, Tequila and wine are affected by age, the ocean, land and the hand of man.

If you enjoy the finer things in life, you’ll enjoy this bar’s penchant for championing luxury products. In the Caviar Martini, you’ll find a generous inclusion of the eponymous savoury ingredient, while one whisky cocktail on the menu, called Bitter, makes use of Wagyu jus.


Alba Accanto, New York

Alba Accanto spring openings

This New York spot is the latest from the innovative team at Prince Street Hospitality. Located below the High Line and on the ground floor of the Lantern House in West Chelsea, this Italian holiday bar will transport you to a dreamy Positano escape, where you can sample the pleasures of an Amalfi Coast adventure without ever leaving the city.

The space embodies the grandeur of the Mediterranean with playful interiors, pastel colours, and hand-painted tableware sourced from Puglia, while the drinks, curated under the creative direction of beverage director Tristan Burnell, are all Italian-coast-inspired, such as the Calabrese, a mezcal-based punchy blood orange house beverage; and the Portofino, the signature reposado Tequila-based pineapple Margarita that has already proven itself to be a fan favourite.


Cameo Bar, Melbourne

Melbourne Australia spring openings

Boasting a top-down view of Melbourne’s impressive skyline, Cameo is a new intimate and luxurious destination bar that shines a light on vintage and antique spirits from the 80th floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Cameo is an homage to the golden age of cocktails – the period that spans 1860 to 1920 and and the era we have to thank for classics such as the Martini and Old Fashioned. At Cameo there are seven antique cocktails to try, including a 1917 Sidecar, created using Calvet Grande Champagne Cognac made in 1917; a 1930s’ Old Fashioned made using Hiram Walker’s fine bourbon made in 1930; and the 1931 Manhattan which utilises Barclay Gold rye made in – you guessed it – 1931.

The 30-seat space was originally set aside for a private dining room, but the restaurant’s loss is every cocktail connoisseurs gain.


Superbueno, New York

Superbueno spring openings

More than a cocktail bar, Superbueno is described as a place for shared conviviality and joyful gatherings that pays homage to Mexican culture while distinctly reflecting its home in New York.

Here, hospitality industry powerhouse Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez has approached cocktails in the same way a chef would approach food, focusing on quality ingredients and culinary techniques to create well-balanced drinks, hitting an array of tastes for any palate.

This vibrant bar’s cocktails are about pushing the boundaries and expectations of what Mexican cocktail culture can be, by highlighting noteworthy Mexican ingredients and dishes through creative creations. The carefully crafted menu features 10 cocktails alongside non-alcoholic serves and a selection of Mexican beers and wines.


Gothic Bar, London

Gothic bar spring openings

Absinthe and eaux-de-vie are the star ingredients of the concise and sophisticated cocktail menu found at this new opulent bar in London’s King’s Cross.

Located within the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the ornate soaring painted ceilings and lavish details (such as the peacock-print velvet banquettes) make every corner of this bar jaw-dropping, and that’s before you’ve looked at the menu, created by bar manager Jack Porter.

The menu is split into two; The Gothic Signatures, which encompasses eight drinks and sits alongside three Grand Signatures, which best embody the wider team’s ambitions for the Gothic. Highlights include the Eau de Martini (with guests encouraged to choose their own eaux-de-vie) and the seasonally-changing Grand Royale (Champagne, strawberry trilogy, and absinthe).


Thief, New York

Thief spring openings

This new bar in New York’s Lower East Side neighbourhood is the second location for the Thief brand, owned by industry heavyweight John McNulty.

At this new location, McNulty pairs classic and modern art pieces, graffiti murals and a killer playlist with a distinctive cocktail menu and expansive food offering. Inspired by the thriving art and music scene of New York City in the 80s, the space is decked out with pieces sourced from some very talented artists such as Maripol and Lynn Goldsmith, and boasts a large mural opposite the bar by Bisco Smith.

Some soon-to-be-favourite menu items include the Dillinger’s Downfall cocktail (rum, papaya, banana, honey, lemon), described as the perfect drink for a spring day in NYC, as well as their signature ‘friesling’ (frozen riesling) on tap, a popular choice for summer months.


3’6 Bar at Fortnum & Mason, London

3'6 fortnum & mason spring openings

Reimagined in partnership with pioneering French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, 3’6 is the latest venue to open within luxury grocer Fortnum & Mason flagship store in London.

3’6 Bar is said to reflect the evolution of Fortnum’s as an experimental industry leader, not only in its approach to design, but in the way it challenges customers to engage with culture, food and drink. In the daytime, it acts as a bookable workspace serving hand roasted small batch coffee, tea, smoothies and softs; come evening, it transforms into a laboratory for Fortnum’s mixologist Mustafa Tumburi – perfect for creative cocktails and dining.

Customers can experience the world of mixology, from clarifying and dehydrating ingredients to nitrogen aged spirits, and watch on as the bar teams who work across Fortnum & Mason trial new techniques.

Related news

Absolut teams up with Little Moons at All Bar One

Prohibition-themed bar opens in Warwickshire

Autumn 2024’s hottest global bar openings

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No