20 Of The Best Cocktail Bars In Brisbane

The Japanese brand’s glasses have a slight lip that adds a bit of pizzazz to what would otherwise be a standard short glass or highball—effortlessly cool, to match the bar. It’s no surprise that the team had its glassware in mind before the menu was even locked in. You feel it the second you walk into the vibey, living room-like space. “This glass strikes a perfect balance of size, proportion, weight, and visually, it is just stunning,” says Sonde Kasin, director of bars at Gracious Hospitality Management. When it came time to select the vessel for this playful display of excess, nothing fit the bill quite like the Bobo Drajja. Bartenders in white tuxedo jackets fill glasses with liquid nitrogen, then toss the smokey substance onto the mirrored bartop to prove just how cold your cocktail will be.

• Classic creations feature the likes of the vieux carré, a complex and silky New Orleans stalwart that combines rye, cognac, sweet vermouth and Benedictine with bitters, and the London negroni, which uses spirits from Highgate’s Sacred distillery.
• A chic French-American bar and restaurant with a hidden 1920s-inspired lounge that feels like stepping into another era.
• At Ally's insistence, Kunal and Diya hold separate bachelor and bachelorette parties during which Ally discusses her feelings with Kunal and then takes Diya's phone at her party.
• The fried brie sticks coated in pistachio and served with a verjus sauce contend for the greatest bar snack in the city.

The city’s cocktail scene has been revitalized by award-winning bartenders who are bringing their A-game in restaurants both grand and chill. From experimental martinis to crowd-pleasing punches, here’s the exceptional libations worth sipping Any new hangout in Rainier Beach is welcome news indeed, but Rosette’s menu is a refreshing change of pace for the entire city — this adorable cocktail bar revolves around nonalcoholic drinks. There’s also a full kitchen with smash burgers, Bavarian-style pretzels, and funnel cake fries.

Welcome to Alcotraz Penitentiary, where the serving inmates are your bartenders, the guards are crooked and you become a part of the story. Successfully smuggle in your own liquor, keep your contraband hidden from the Warden, and serve your time with a covert supply of quality cocktails. It feels moody and intimate, although it does offer 1,200 square feet of space. This speakeasy-style spot is attached to the omakase concept, Sushi Bar, in the East Quarter. Some favorite drinks include the Firing Squad (tequila, hibiscus, ginger, house Tajin) and passionfruit vodka fizz. This iconic Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel bar has been serving killer cocktails for years.

Try the Alan Conway, a nutty blend with Brugal Blanco rum, or the spicy Thomas Crown with Finlandia vodka, grapefruit and pepper. A favourite among locals and just-off-work bartnenders alike, this Syntagma haunt gets very busy and animated in the after hours, while its outdoor tables occupied all day. Athens’ popular open-air αζορ skate bowl, with a garden shed cafe and performance space, this place was esigned by a skater-architect and is loved for its unique 3D plywood bowl that doubles as a seating area at night.

Shanghai's popular cocktail bars

Offering a diverse and innovative drinks menu, this world-acclaimed establishment boasts over 400 varieties of rum. Its has a colonial-style setting that transports you to the essence of Latin America, with palm trees planted in the middle of the space and in the late hours, barmen who shake tambourines and bang metal drums creating an ambience that makes dancing irresistible. The project comes from Armelina Antonaropoulou, Mikaela Tsikoudaki, and Spyros Anagnostou, drawing on long-standing experience behind the bar.

This “drinking house for the discerning” offers expertly crafted cocktails that pay homage to classic drinks while adding contemporary twists. From the food menu to the drinks, Nutmeg & Clove weaves Singaporean inflexions into its menu, interpreting several elements of Singapore in each taste and flavour profile. Located on the third floor of Mandarin Oriental, this spiffy bar spotlights progressive techniques through bespoke cocktails. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves when we catch the breathtaking views of Marina Bay, but we recommend you do it with a drink in hand at Mo Bar. Skilful, attentive, and extremely creative, the bartenders at Jigger & Pony concoct some of the best bespoke cocktails in town. Each cocktail is inspired by Little India, and you’ll be amazed at the innovative way the team infuses spices in each sip.

Vodka Wodka Merchant Square

The flavours changed and mellowed the more I drank, until what was left was a perfectly sweet syrup at the bottom or the glass. The highly-alcoholic first sips are like french-kissing a salamander. We also spotted a viking helmet, a pirate sign, and a couple on what looked like a first date. Hanging Ditch is like if a wealthy expat left a basement for his student son to use as a rumpus room. But we had the setting sun coming through the window, mixing with the low strain of a jazz trumpet. Normally, the table we were at would have been dark by this time of night.

You have to line up at the bar, but it gives you time to peruse the eclectic menu, cheesy fries and vegan burgers and quesadillas. A sense of nostalgia permeates Clinton Street’s Dots Cafe, like someone forgot to tell the bartenders about the torments of the last decade. Its charm is aided by the bright, cheerful decor with hand-painted walls that look like rings left over from glasses of rosé on a white tablecloth. The versatility extends to the glass pours, from affordable table wines to splurgy champagne. But Bar Diane manages a difficult feat, working both as a casual neighborhood drinking spot and a vinophile’s destination.

Don’t sleep on the food menu too, which has spot-on seafood dishes like white wine mussels and gambas. Plus points go to its exceptional pours – the list sees 12 interesting options from the highly raved coffee kombucha espresso martini to the Blueberry Cheesecake with aged Parmigiano-infused bourbon. Welcome to the Emerald City, with a gorgeous green marble long bar lit by the glow radiating through the stained glass. The cocktails here are certainly for the adventurous and those who love Indian cuisine, so don’t be surprised to see some inspired by crab rasam, biryani, or even chicken curry.

We have everything from breakfast bars and sultry, dimly lit date-night spots to Japanese-inspired vinyl listening bars vibrating with music. Drinks at a cocktail bar can be as expensive as parking at the Wells Fargo Center. Signature serves at Subject of Athens (SOA) share space with classics such as a Dry Martini or a Margarita, executed with precision. It specialises in agave-based spirits, especially tequila and mezcal, with an extensive selection. With a simple, earthy decor reminiscent of a Mexican farmhouse patio, this bar captures the essence of Mexico.

The food menu is approachable and delicious; expect to use your hands (shrimp tacos), toothpicks (trumpet mushrooms), or the occasional chopsticks (chicken chow mein). If you study its cocktail menu, you’ll notice each drink is simple and dialed in with just three to four ingredients, such as the house drink — and former-secret-menu-item — pineapple sherry. Cavaña is a beautiful rooftop bar, but without the lousy drinks that sometimes accompany that kind of vibe. The highball menu can serve as an appetizer or a fun in-between while deciding on your next cocktail adventure. The curvy design of the drink rail rolls in and out like waves, grouping people in a comfortable way that doesn’t feel too crowded — even at its peak. Pacific Cocktail Haven, better known as PCH, boasts some of the most talented bartenders in the country and serves their creative and thoughtful cocktails without arrogance.