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Feature
Summer 2024’s hottest global bar openings
Summer was a feast for many great things – from beach holidays to festivals – but for the cocktail-inclined, there were also a ton of bar openings around the world.
From grand returns of popular haunts that previously shuttered to new launches from industry veterans in destinations such as Jakarta and Shanghai, the bar world certainly wasn’t in holiday mode over summer. From Oriole in London and The Dead Rabbit in Austin to Opposites in Hong Kong, we’ve rounded up 12 of the hottest bar openings from the season.
And if you wanted to look back further, check out our list from spring.
Want your new bar to be considered in our next seasonal roundup? Please send details to info@thespiritsbusiness.com.
Oriole, London
Live music and cocktail venue Oriole is back with a whole new show.
Having fine-tuned their experimentations at their three-month pop-up Prelude, the team are now back for real in a two-storey space within the Yards, bringing back everything that old Oriole was known and loved for – the live music (jazz and cabaret), the classy speakeasy atmosphere and cocktails that transport you around the globe through their worldly techniques and ingredients – along with few fresh additions to the concept as well.
The first floor offers aperitivo-style cocktails at the Bamboo Bar, with a few on tap as well as bar snacks, while downstairs gets more serious with dinner and drinks. A pre-theatre dinner menu has been added, and cocktails are developed in an in-house bar lab, equipped with machinery like an ultrasonic homogeniser and a centrifuge. Serves such as the Japan-inspired Mizuwari – made with Appleton 12 and brown-rice miso asparagus eau-de-vie – show why it was one of London’s best bars during its first go, and why version 2.0 will likely follow suit.
Address: 7-9 Slingsby Place, London, WC2E 9AB, UK
Cosmo Pony, Jakarta
Cosmo Pony is the project of two bar teams with plenty of pedigree: the Jigger & Pony Group and Indonesia-based The Union Group. The two have combined their wealth of experience in the industry (Jigger & Pony was just nominated for Best International Bar Team at the 2024 Spirited Awards) to create what they call ‘the living room of the city’ up on the fourth floor of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Jakarta – which also happens to have spectacular skyline views.
The debut menu, titled Rising City, starts things off strong, highlighting Jakarta, its people and stories through 20 cocktails, mocktails, and premium decanter serves. The bar’s eponymous cocktail – the Tequila Cosmo – can be a starting point for those shaking with indecision: a twist on the Cosmopolitan that pairs Don Julio Blanco Tequila with roselle, a local ingredient that’s similar to a cranberry.
Address: Grand Hyatt Jakarta, fourth floor, Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia
Aster, Melbourne
Cocktails and wine – find yourself a bar that can do both. Aster takes over the two-floor space in a heritage building on Tattersalls Lane, which previously housed Ferdydurke before it closed in April. Aster is run by the same owner, but with a new team – headed up by Manny Platsis.
The interior’s brick and wood features, as well as an open fireplace, give the bar a classic cosy, warm feel – perfect for date nights – which is only accentuated by the soulful soundtrack. Settle in with a bottle of wine, or one of the bar’s signature cocktails, such as the Spicy Coco Margarita or the Japanese Skipper, made with rum, green melon liqueur and pandan.
Address: Level 1 & 2/31 Tattersalls Ln, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Opposites, Hong Kong
On one hand, Antonio Lai (co-owner of The Tasting Group) has a penchant for classic cocktails, without the fuss – whereas Samuel Kwok (ex-bar manager at one of Lai’s Hong Kong bars, The Quinary) is all about the flashy tricks and theatre that come with modern mixology. You could say the celebrated bartenders are opposites when it comes to their approach – hence the name of their new joint project on Hollywood Road, which divides its menu between the pair’s interpretations of various drinks.
There are 16 drinks in total, with eight on each side. Take the Pisco Sour: Lai’s version is presented in an ice-cream-cone glass and made with pink guava redistilled pisco, with a smoky bubble at the top; while Kwok has opted to base his Pisco Sour around Hong Kong’s beancurd-sheet sweet soup, featuring tofu and ginger foam above the pisco, passion fruit and lime base. Both present different propositions and personal touches, which is the running theme – bring a pal and run through the list yourself, to see where your preferences lie.
Address: LG/F, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong
Barules, Shanghai
Barules was part of the first wave of Shanghai’s speakeasy-inspired bars when it opened in 2014 in the former French Concession, gaining a following in cocktail circles and beyond before it closed in 2020. After a few years in the wilderness, however, owner Sam Kuan decided to reopen the bar on Tongren Road in the Jing’an neighbourhood over the summer, in a space that he says ‘pays homage’ to the works of European architect Carlo Scarpa from the 1980s.
Guest enter through the door marked with a poster of Dick Bradsell (the inventor of the Espresso Martini, among others), passing into a room with a confessional booth (meant for a bartender, not a priest), and can dive into a menu split between three sections: customised cocktails, modern twists on Dick Bradsell creations, and old favourites from the original Barules.
The customised cocktails feature eight categories – fruit, floral, herbal, tea, spicy, woody, bean (legumes and nuts), and umami – which can then be further tailored to a level of strength, sweetness, sourness and bitterness, and then adapted with a choice of close to 100 ingredients. Yes, close to 100 ingredients – anything from honeydew melon and sage to smoked barbecue sauce and salted egg yolk.
Address: 304-2 Tongren Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, China 200040
Little Violet Door, London
Some of London’s liveliest parties are found behind little colourful doors, and the latest is a violet one in Carnaby – harking back to the neighbourhood’s heyday in the sixties. The team’s fifth outpost Little Violet Door mirrors what many might envision as the dream Central London flatshare, complete with a games room, dining area, dancefloor, kitchen island from where a DJ plays, and a bathroom with an actual bath.
Expect kitchen discos with groups of strangers turned friends, set in motion through rounds of Pornstar Martinis and Picantes. However, if you’re after a chilled evening, there’s room for that too – even for those who just want to drop by for a beer and a session of Super Mario Kart on the Nintendo.
Address: 9 Kingly St, Carnaby, London, W1B 5PH, UK
Bar Suehiro, Los Angeles
Considered an institution in LA, having been around for 52 years, Japanese café Suehiro relocated from its original setting in Little Tokyo to downtown earlier this year. Owner Kenjir Suzuki took the move in his stride and added a bar area, aptly named Bar Suehiro, which offers an American perspective on Japanese bartending and plenty of Japanese whisky.
The space is minimal in both size and design, with a dozen seats around a shiny counter – but it’s the drinks that do the talking. Think meticulously stirred Martinis made with Ki No Bi or Roku gin, whisky Highballs fitted with impressive hand-cut blocks of ice, and a selection of original cocktails where bartender Huy Nang Pham shows off his creative side. The Hoa Mai blends Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai Sake with apricot liqueur and sakura bitters.
Address: 400 S Main St #102 Los Angeles, California, 90013, USA
The Saloon, New York City
Pleasing news: Julie Reiner has decided to make her saloon-style private events summer pop-up – named The Saloon – a permanent fixture, and it’s now open to the public. It’s located in Brooklyn, right next to another of Reiner’s cocktail venues, Clover Club, and sees itself as more ‘casual’ in comparison with its neighbour.
Even if it’s trying to be casual, the drinks are serious business – think classic American cocktails like New York Sours, Rye Old Fashioneds and, of course, Clover Clubs. The space is decked out in cowgirl wallpaper and ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ posters, and is led by a vintage 13-seater, wood-carved bar that also plays host to cocktail-making classes. There’s even a set of swinging saloon doors. Yeehaw!
Address: 210 Smith St, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
Exímia, São Paulo
Having consulted on the opening of SubAstor and founded Guilhotina – two of São Paulo’s hottest spots – Márcio Silva is a household name in Brazil’s cocktail scene. After a period of consulting in Europe, you can now find him back in São Paulo in the city’s Itaim Bibi district, where he’s manning the bar at two-floor Exímia and looking to showcase Brazil’s premiere bar culture without any clichés.
Backed by food from Manu Buffara (named Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2022, and someone who Silva has been collaborating on projects with since 2012), Silva serves up cocktails that mix natural ingredients native to Brazil with top-end spirits, with standouts such as the Eróica (with Hibiki Suntory Whiskey, Haku vodka, Eroica Riesling wine, uvaia, mango, chamomile and coconut water) and Odisséia (made with The Macallan Sherry Oak 12-year-old, cambuci, tangerine, orange, elderflower and palo santo). The name, Exímia, is said to mean a constant search for perfection, which should give an indicator of the kind of detail and care that goes into each pour here.
Address: R. Dr. Mário Ferraz, 507 – Jardim Paulistano, São Paulo – SP, 01453-011, Brazil
The Dead Rabbit, Austin
It’s time to say ‘slàinte’ in Texas, as the Dead Rabbit team have taken their pilgrimage-worthy Irish Coffees down south to Austin. In New York, along with said Irish Coffees, the world-famous Irish pub has been an industry awards magnet for its mix of Irish hospitality (always a good time, or craic…) and a top-notch drinks selection including Irish whiskey-based cocktails and a perfect pour of Guinness.
If you’re looking to be brave and branch out from its Irish offerings, the Austin site has its own set of exclusive cocktails, such as the Peach Pit Fuzz, which brings together Scotch, Champagne and white peaches. For other cities wondering ‘Why Austin and not me?’, the team plans to expand into Washington DC and Boston next year.
Address: 204 E 6th St, Austin, Texas, 78701, USA
Archive & Myth, London
The cat was let out of the bag in the summer when London’s newest secret bar was revealed: Archive & Myth.
Located under the Hippodrome Casino and accessed via a password-protected door (check their Instagram for the code), the plush space – masterminded by designer Rachel O’Toole – balances itself between cosy corners for private conversations and a central bar for guests who want to see the bartending action, while also paying tribute to the building’s history through a cocktail menu where classics are given a modern spin.
Start off small, literally, with their tiny take on an icy Martini or the pastel de nata-inspired Sazerac injected with a cured egg yolk, and then work your way through the ‘full-sized libations’, such as the Absinthe Frappe and the Scotch-based Rapscallion, served with a ricotta-filled black olive. Linger for long enough and the staff may let you in on a few other secrets – like their ‘off-menu’ serves or collection of vintage spirits.
Address: The Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7JH, UK
Gokan, Hong Kong
As ever, bar supremo Shingo Gokan has been a busy man this year, having already opened Sip & Guzzle in New York. Now the globetrotting bartender is adding to his drinks empire in Asia with Gokan in Hong Kong.
It’s situated on Ice House Street in central Hong Kong Island – a historic one-way street that was the city’s only source of ice at one point – and much like his venues in Tokyo (The SG Club) and Shanghai (Sober Company), it centres itself on Japanese techniques and concepts. Besides being his name, Gokan means ‘five senses’ in Japanese (taste, sight, smell, hearing, and touch), with the drinks exploring these through three sections: Highballs, on the rocks, or straight up – with many also incorporating culinary ideas.
Focusing on flavours such as sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and umami, the menu finds joy in unexpected flavour pairings (such as with the Watermelon Coffeezz), while other highlights include a Black Truffle Sour and a Grilled Corn Colada, the latter combining the SG Group’s Mugi shochu with Hokkaido sweetcorn. Hong Kong is already stacked with many of the world’s best bars, but it looks like it’s just going to have to make room for one more…
Address: 30 Ice House St, Central, Hong Kong
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