Returning to Friday nights down your local boozer is going to be a real struggle after reading about these mind-bending bars from around the world. Incorporating earth, wind and water into their designs, the bar has well and truly been set high by these uber-cool watering holes.
The New York Bar, Park Hyatt – Tokyo
Made famous by the 2003 film, Lost in Translation, the New York Bar is well worth a visit. Elegance positively oozes, from the low-hanging light fixtures to the structured lines of lamp lit tables. The star of the interior show is without a doubt the floor-to-ceiling windows, which perfectly stage the stunning views of the Tokyo skyline – from way up on the 52nd floor! Head there at sundown to watch the sky turn from orange to black, and the city light up beneath you.
What should I order? Keep it classic and local with a Japanese whisky on the rocks, which you can sip at a window side table, quietly pretending that you’re Bill Murray.
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Monkey Bar – Berlin
Not just a name for name’s sake, the Monkey Bar comes with the very real possibility of spotting one of nature’s cheekiest friends from its 10th-floor windows. Situated on top of Hotel Bikini, you can enjoy a jungle chic interior alongside views of the city and more intriguingly, the Monkey House at the Berlin Zoo. Visit in the summer to make the most of the roof terrace, then stay until late to party on down to a live DJ set.
What should I order? Stay on-brand with the Chimperator, one of the bar’s signature cocktails, and you’ll be treated to a medley of rum, passion fruit and chocolate syrup.
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Subsix Bar– Niyama Island, Maldives
There’s no need to come up for air at this underwater bistro. Located 500 metres off Niyama Island in the Maldives, roles reverse, and it is us who are on display to the fish. The bar may be a novelty, but it certainly doesn’t wear off, with panoramic aqua views and a serene coral-inspired interior, the highlight of which is surely the cascading ceiling décor.
What should I drink? The Blood Orange Mimosa will leave you feeling suitably refreshed with a little vodka kick to remind you you’re on holiday.
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Sky Bar – Bangkok
This vertigo-inducing venue edges ‘New York Bar’ out by a cool 11 floors as the highest on this list. Perched way up on the 63rd, views over Bangkok are breathtaking, while a stroll along the precipice can trigger jelly legs in some. A welcome pampered break for many backpackers who have been penny-pinching their way around the country, the Sky Bar exudes luxury.
What should I drink? With an astrology-themed Signatures Menu we couldn’t possibly tell you which sign would suit you best, but it would be the delightful lime leaf gin-based ‘Earth Taurus’ for us.
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Northern Lights Bar, Ion Adventure Hotel – Iceland
If you like your drink with a side of awesome natural phenomenon then this is the place to be. Set on a hillside, an hour out of Reykjavik, guests are in the ideal location to watch the stunning light show that graces Icelandic skies during the dark winter months. You’ll find the bar nestled into one of the boxy ends of the minimalist industrial hotel, with cinema-style seating pointing at the floor-to-ceiling windows.
What should I drink? Match your tipple to the night sky and order a Sweet Black Death, the blueberry liqueur base will give you the energy boost you need to stay up late spotting those mesmerising lights.
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The Carousel Bar, New Orleans
As extra as they come, this New Orleans haunt has been a staple of the city’s bar scene since the fifties. Famed for its ever-rotating carousel-esque bar, you can pull up a stall and slowly twirl your night away in the city’s notoriously lively French Quarter. Mingle with tourists and locals alike in the opulent surrounds, where gold accents the décor and live jazz plays over the buzz of conversation.
What should I drink? A Sazerac: declared the official cocktail of New Orleans in 2008, this whiskey highball is for those who like their drinks short and sharp.
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Cave Bar, Crystal Cove – Barbados
Bring the James Bond fantasy to life at the Cave Bar. Reached via a waterfall, this Barbados hideaway boasts submerged seating and a Palaeolithic atmosphere. Reaching the top ten World’s Best Swim-Up Bars, the dress code doesn’t call for much dress at all – though there are dry seat options for those who don’t wish to hydrate both inside and out.
What should I drink? Stay true to island life and indulge in a fruity rum punch, extra points if you order one garnished with fresh fruit and a cocktail umbrella.
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H.R. Giger Museum Bar, Gruyères
Like you, we here at dealchecker have always wondered what the inside of the alien from the classic 80’s movie would look like. Well, wonder no more, with a visit to this seriously sci-fi Swiss venue. Designed using H.R Giger’s artwork both on and off the Alien set, the interior is out of this world. The metal vertebrae that arch across the ceiling give you the feeling of drinking inside the belly of a beast.
What should I drink? Indulge in a classically Swiss tipple and order kirsch, the liquor is made from the juice of cherries and packs quite the punch.
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The Rock, Zanzibar
Perched atop a rock just off the Zanzibari coast, this compact watering hole can be reached by boat at high tide and wading at low. With the Indian Ocean stretching out before you and swaths of untouched white sand beach behind, it’s all about the location at this fishing post-turned-bar. Arrive at sunset to watch the sky set the sea on fire.
What should I drink? Leave feeling refreshed with the caipirinha, the white rum and lime is beautifully balanced by the brown sugar and soda.
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Black Rock, London
We couldn’t not include one of our own on this list, and what’s cooler than a Whisky Bar? A Whisky Bar in east London of course! To be found in hippest of hip, Shoreditch, Black Rock’s decor provokes a mood of understated chic. The centrepiece is, without a doubt, the split oak tree trunk placed in the middle of the room, with two hollowed out ‘rivers’ of whisky running down the length of the tree.
What should I drink? Try the house blend that runs down one side of the oak and enjoy the novelty of being served straight from the tree.
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