A Drinks Writer’s Guide to Hotel Bars Around the World

Where to sip in style, according to spirits journalist Millie Milliken. 

Now I’m not one to question the wisdom of one of the most admired food (and drink) writers in modern history, but I wonder if Bourdain may have been staying at the wrong places.

When a hotel bar is done deftly, it is one of the most rewarding drinking experiences there is. From The Savoy’s American Bar in London, once frequented by Marilyn Monroe and Neil Armstrong, to the invention of the Singapore Sling at Raffles Singapore, hotel bars play an outsized role in the cocktail industry’s richest history.

But what makes a hotel bar good goes far beyond its famous clientele and signature serves. They have an unenviable task when it comes to keeping guests happy: from introducing tourists to the flavors and hospitality of a new city, to giving locals something unexpected or unmissable, all while providing sanctuary for solo business travelers, regular guests, weary families, and VIPs.

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A good hotel bar should root you geographically while simultaneously taking you on a journey; it should showcase unfamiliar local ingredients, while also making its guests feel at home; and it should make those who want to be anonymous remain so, while in the same breath make them feel completely, unabashedly seen. It’s a deftly choreographed dance that can only score a perfect ten when a bar team has practiced it over, and over again.

I’ve been lucky enough to watch that dance numerous times over the last 12 months. From my hometown of London and a Eurostar journey away in Paris, to a three-day trip to Bali, a pilgrimage to Singapore, and a riotous time in Mexico, it’s been a pleasure to remember some truly good hotel bars around the world.

American Bar, Gleneagles, Scotland

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in some of the world’s most extraordinary hotels, but I never tire of a trip back to the timeless beauty of Gleneagles. Soaring ceilings, rich oak paneling, mohair furnishings – the Glorious Playground has never looked so good in recent memory and having been the backdrop for my parents’ wedding over 30 years ago, it holds a special place in this drinks writer’s heart.

I’ve shot some clays, petted some Highland cows and held birds of prey at arm’s length during numerous visits, but a stay is never complete without slipping through the velvet curtains of its American Bar. A homage to 1920s glamour (when the hotel was built), it feels good to dress up and lower yourself into one of its plush sofas for a deftly turned classic cocktail, beautifully presented signature serve or, of course, a dram from its vast but cleverly curated whisky list. I’ve raised many a glass of all three to my lineage.

Kioku Sake Bar, Raffles at The OWO, London

You’d be forgiven for not associating London’s Whitehall with the proverbial ‘good time’, but recent years have seen welcome new additions thanks to the headline-worthy opening of Raffles at the OWO. Part of that opening also saw the arrival of Kioku, a small but, in my mind, perfectly formed listening bar which also happens to house Europe’s largest collection of sake.

There are lots of intimate nooks to enjoy any of the 140 bottles on offer, but a cocktail at the curved bar, set to the sound of a rotating roster of vinyl, is my favorite way to enjoy this bar, often solo. Served in carefully sourced and swoon-worthy glassware, they feature homemade ingredients like shiso leaf absinthe, wasabi distillate, and gingo sake vermouth alongside familiar (and unfamiliar) Japanese flavors in varying cocktail formats. Be sure to grab some snacks too which come from the renowned restaurant upstairs.

See also: Upscale Parties Call for These Champagne Cocktail Recipes

CopperBay Lancaster, Hotel Lancaster, Paris

Fancy drinking in a hotel that was home to film star Marlene Dietrich for three years? Well, you can: the Hotel Lancaster (which recently celebrated its 100th birthday) is where you’ll find CopperBay Lancaster, just a stone’s throw away from the Champs-Elysees. The cocktail menu pays homage to the hotel’s most notable guests from its past, while also celebrating French ingredients from Cognac and Armagnac to pastis and the bar’s own gin too. It’s worth noting that I had one of the best non-alcoholic cocktails I’ve tried here: the Monsieur is made using bitters, Crodino, thyme water, and black balsamic vinegar. Anywhere that stocks magnums of green Chartreuse will always hold a special place in my heart too.

Sora, Rosewood Phnom Penh, Cambodia

As far as bar views go, I can’t say I’ve seen many better than the one at Rosewood’s Cambodian property. Sora soars on the Phnom Penh skyline – level 37, to be precise – of this beautiful behemoth. Inside, well-pitched lighting turns the lofty main room into a dark but airy space, while outside, a spacious deck is the ideal spot for those without a propensity for vertigo to take in the Mekong River and more.

As ever, I’d opt to sit inside at the bar (or if in a pair, in the armchairs that face outwards onto those views) and chat to the young and passionate bar team, especially when it comes to learning about the local spirits and ingredients that pepper its cocktails. Its current menu, Alchemy of Anime, blends Japanese and Cambodian inspiration, with flavors like sesame, peanut butter, and banana bringing something comforting to the classics.

The Hudson Rooms, Capella Hanoi, Vietnam

One of the perks of having a sibling living in a foreign country is the obligatory annual trip to visit. And when that trip is to Vietnam, even better. I’ve had the chance to watch the cocktail scene evolve in giant-shaped footprints since my first visit nearly ten years ago, and Capella Hanoi’s rooftop bar, The Hudson Rooms, is now a regular stop off on my visits.

Taking 1920s Grand Central Station as a visual starting point, the corner wrap-around bar is the perfect perch for starting with champagne and caviar as the sun sets on the city of the soaring dragon, before digging into its train travel-themed cocktail menu of cleverly elevated classics, or exploring the whisky and oyster pairings. Oh, and if you think I told you about its secret whisky bar Track 61, no I didn’t.

See also: Interesting Wines To Order At Dinner, According To Sommeliers

Origin Bar, Shangri-La Singapore, Singapore

Tucked away from city’s more metropolitan areas, Shangri-La Singapore feels akin to a Bond villain’s lofty lair just off Orchard Road. The lobby of this concrete jungle-esque hotel is as dramatic as it gets, yet walk past the living walls, Herculean pillars and stone art features and you’ll find the quiet beauty of Origin Bar. Taking old-school travel as its aesthetic jumping off point, it takes inspiration from local flavors and history to guide its cocktails, with ingredients ranging from kimchi and lychee, to calamansi, Thai tea and nacho powder. Cocktail presentation is serious business here too, so be ready for theatrics. On my visit, the entire bar team was made up of women – a sight that always makes my heart sing.

Beach Club, Desa Potato Head, Bali

You got up at 5am for sunrise sound healing, spent the day exploring Balinese temples, and now it’s time to listen to the lapping of the Indian Ocean with a well-deserved drink in hand. May I suggest, then, that you head to Desa Potato Head, a tropical oasis which puts sustainability at the forefront of everything it does. The cocktails are no exception, with the bar team working with local farmers, artisans, and distilleries to create a ‘circular’ program where ingredients are used across different drinks to reduce waste but never compromise on flavor.

While every single one of its five outposts serves its own distinct purpose, it was the Beach Club which surprised me the most on my whistlestop visit early last year. Its unassuming bar turns out some exceptionally refreshing cocktails to a remarkable number of people over the course of the day. I loved the homemade non-alc Banana Coffee Tonic and the Bina Colada, which uses mesoyi, nutmeg, and pineapple-infused arak. Be sure to try some snakefruit, too.

Zapote Bar, Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico

On one of my many trips to Mexico to research my recently published tequila book, I was lucky enough to head to the coastal region of Playa del Carmen to stay at the extraordinary Rosewood Mayakoba. Lush surroundings, seamless service, abundant natural beauty and sensational produce make this a favorite of the hotel portfolio’s properties. But what really cinches it is the bar.

Zapote Bar, named after the eponymous tree native to the Yucatan province, might just be the most fun I’ve ever had at a hotel bar. The design is tactile, clean, living-room-esque and a tribute to local artisans; its cocktails are clever riffs on the classics, and an agave tasting room is where it’s at for local spirits; but it really is the hospitality and atmosphere whipped up by the team that made me rethink what a luxury hotel bar can be.

See also: The Surprising Return of High-Proof Spirits

Silver Lyan, Riggs Hotel, Washington DC

Nobody does it quite like Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan) and his first permanent Stateside outpost was celebrating its fifth anniversary when I visited during an alarmingly swampy July last year. Luckily, I felt like one of the cool kids after descending into the former bank vault at the Rigg’s Hotel in DC where Silver Lyan – resplendent in mid-century furnishings – turns out the Lyan standard of unorthodox, mind-bending serves (its current menu uses ingredients like Riesling ink, fish sauce sherbert, and, um, concrete).

I’d die happy if the ethereal Silver Apple Martini (using vodka, clarified green apple, Capreolus ‘1000 Trees’ eau de vie and bisongrass) was the last cocktail to pass my lips, and the jello shots with champagne chasers are also inspired. Tater tots, crispy cold bottles of Miller High Life, and a charming team, too? Make all my cheques out to Silver Lyan.

Champagne Bar, Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Miami

Just when you think you’ve had your fill of palm trees on a trip to Miami, may I suggest you head to the Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons where they beautifully complement its domed ceilings, conservatory-style furnishings, and wooden accents. Dating back to the 1930s, The Surf Club has been a playground to some of the world’s most well-drunk figures: Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Turner, Noel Coward. Now, it lets the likes of me into its resplendent Champagne Bar, where it houses Miami’s largest collections of champagne, while also turning out clean and classic cocktails. It leans into its beach-adjacent and playful locale, with fun serves like Cosmos, Palomas and an Espresso Martinis, but its Martini list is also worth a visit.