There’s a lot to be said for a good old local pub, but sometimes you might be looking for something a little bit different. From subterranean speakeasy-style spots hidden behind unmarked doors right up to rooftop cocktail bars that soar above city skylines, these are the places worth seeking out for their atmosphere, decor and, of course, drinks. Here are some of the world’s coolest bars. Due to COVID-19, check travel restrictions and individual websites before visiting.

Grandmaster Recorders, on the site of the former studio, whisks patrons back to the wavy, hazy 1970s. There’s a great restaurant and a rooftop bar, which has views of the Hollywood sign, but the coolest place to hang out is 71 Studio Bar, tucked in the concrete bunker where legends including Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Red Hot Chili Peppers once recorded. It’s now a tucked-away cocktail bar and live music lounge, with brown leather seats and retro-inspired drinks.

Everything is pretty in pink at Bisou, a standout bar in Paris’ lively Oberkampf neighbourhood, from the awning that juts over pavement tables to the floral-filled interior. Even the cocktails, often containing house-made and organic seasonal liqueurs, syrups and bitters, often veer towards shades of fuchsia and cherry. Throw in some flamingo wallpaper and bartenders who will whip up bespoke drinks based on your taste and whims, and you have somewhere truly special.

Opened in 2021, Argo has quickly become the place to sip and be seen in Hong Kong. In the lobby area of the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, the cocktail bar resembles a particularly ornate chandelier, with lights and plant-filled terrariums dripping from the ceiling and an illuminated display of spirits. Unusual offerings include the world’s first gin created using artificial intelligence and a lab-made whiskey, while cocktails feature botanicals and ingredients like Ethiopian green coffee, cardamom and bee pollen.

Waxflower pays equal attention to its acoustics and libations, describing itself as an "audiophile listening space" as well as a wine bar. The vibe is less pretentious than that might suggest – this is a cosy, chilled-out spot that happens to play great music, as well as serve top food and drinks. The acoustics are, as you might expect, excellent, and the bar regularly hosts DJs and vinyl evenings.

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The lobby at International House Hotel in New Orleans is a little different to most. For a start, there’s an original Banksy artwork on one wall. Then, tucked just across from the reception desk, there’s Loa, one of the most unusual cocktail bars in town. The small space, named after divine spirits of the Voodoo faith, is rich with chandeliers, velvet and brocade. The drinks are equally special, infused with locally sourced ingredients from herbs to honeycomb and paying homage to the city’s cocktail heritage.

Named to reflect its use of spices, Mace has a reputation for mixing cocktails that are consistently innovative, surprising and delicious. The eponymous signature drink combines Aperol with beetroot juice, orange acid, a Thai coconut cordial and mace mist, while other unusual ingredients include sweet potato, bee pollen, black pepper and white miso. The space itself, which includes a pretty patio area, is a mix of industrial chic and botanical heaven, filled with plants and jars of herbs and spices.

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Drinks tend to come with a side of drama at BarChef, though we’re not talking about rowdy customers or bar fights. The theatrics are in the modernist cocktails, served with a flourish and sometimes a cloud of billowing smoke. Many of the drinks look more like courses served in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and it’s not just for show. Favourites like the vanilla and hickory smoked Manhattan owe their complexity to impeccable mixing skills and the way they are served.

The Bellwood looks like an old-school tavern from the outside and feels like a vintage cocktail bar on the inside. In other words, it’s all charm – and its appeal extends to the drinks menu too. Inspired by the kissaten of the early 1900s, the menu takes classic beverages served at these old-school Japanese coffee shops and gives them an innovative, alcoholic twist. There’s the espresso martini-style udabura, made with barrel-aged rum, café con leche and sesame, and a sazerac with truffle and raw honey.

Fernet is even more popular in Argentina than in its native Italy, though many people here drink it with cola. La Ferneteria's mission is to prove it has more potential. The bar, in Buenos Aires’ Palermo Soho neighbourhood, has taken over an old garage and brightened it up with murals. As you’d expect, the menu revolves around the herbaceous amaro spirit, with a variety of bottles designed to be savoured alone or enjoyed in cocktails with regional ingredients. The bar also serves delicious Italian food.

This wonderfully retro cocktail lounge is all leather banquettes, shelves heaving with books and cocktails packed with complex, delicious flavours. Green Door – named because it is hidden behind a green door – is styled to look like a 1970s living room with gingham wallpaper, a curved countertop and kitsch ornaments, including an illuminated dog that sits on the bar as a mascot. Tables (and crowds) spill outside in summer.

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You’re unlikely to just stumble upon The Coldroom, a stylish speakeasy-style bar in Montréal. Entrance is granted by ringing a bell next to a huge black door and hoping that one of the bartenders will let you in. The low-key and low-lit space has attracted celebrities including Bruce Willis, Ben Stiller and Emily Blunt, with people coming to see what the buzz is all about – and staying for the excellent cocktails.

Lab 22 has featured on the World’s Best Bars list thanks, largely, to its innovative approach to mixology. The theme, as the name suggests, is scientific, with forensically prepared cocktails served in vintage teacups, crystal glasses and smoking goblets. Some are brought out under cloches or in lab ware. The decor is equally eclectic, with a cheeky Einstein face and periodic table behind the bar.

The coolest bars are often found in the most unexpected places. Cold Drinks Bar is a fine example. It’s part of China Live, which incorporates a tea room, shop, an innovative fine dining restaurant and this chic cocktail bar, tucked upstairs behind a door enigmatically decorated with bats. Furnished in opulent shades of chocolate, caramel and gold, the intimate space has a cocktail menu centred around whisky, and drinking here feels like being part of a delicious secret club.

Cool and cosy are not mutually exclusive concepts, as this Edinburgh favourite proves. Tucked down a staircase marked with a discreet plaque, Bramble serves cocktails that are equal parts pretty and packed with complex flavours in a space with exposed brick walls, comfortable sofas and plenty of little nooks. The soundtrack keeps people there too, with DJs spinning tunes from disco and funk to hip-hop and R&B.

The brilliantly named Salmon Guru was a winner in the 2021 World’s 50 Best Bars awards, singled out for its excellent customer service. This wonderfully whimsical bar, opened by master mixologist Diego Cabrera in 2017, is equally lauded for its fun atmosphere and adventurous cocktails. Ingredients include makrut lime, hibiscus and violet liqueur, while the bar itself is divided into three rooms, with a neon-filled homage to comics, a 1950s-style tropical room and a Hollywood-inspired drinking den.

American-style cocktail bars were all the rage in London and Paris during the 1920s and 30s, and The American Bar at The Stafford is one such spot that’s managed to stay relevant. The quintessential hotel bar combines timeless elegance with a creative approach to cocktails, serving a mix of classic and newer creations, including several twists on the negroni.

Pappy & Harriet’s seems to rise from the desert like the best kind of oasis. It’s located in Pioneertown, founded by Hollywood investors as a living filmset in 1946. The wonderfully ramshackle music venue, barbecue restaurant and bar opened in 1982 in a building that featured as a cantina in several 1950s westerns. Nowadays it’s a favourite with locals and people travelling through the area, close to the Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree National Park.

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Tesouro proves there’s much more to Goa than beaches and yoga retreats. The name is Portuguese for ‘treasure’ and this really is a gem. Vibrant, playful cocktails are mixed with creativity and infectious enthusiasm, with the menu including a play on peanut butter and jelly and an espresso martini with house-made cold brew coffee liqueur. The food is a cut above too, with snacks like spinach and Cheddar balls, and beef and shiitake mushroom stew.

In Sydney’s historic The Rocks neighbourhood, Maybe Sammy – named after Rat Pack star Sammy Davis Jr. – describes itself as a hotel bar without the hotel attached. In other words, this is the type of timelessly elegant spot you might expect to find off the lobby of a swanky hotel. It’s a beautiful space, with Art Deco features, a palette of pinks and greens, and bold, tropical wallpaper. Throw in impeccable service and a perfectly curated list of cocktails, wines and beer and you have a triple threat that’s earned a roster of awards.

The Hideout isn’t just cool – it’s completely, utterly joyous. Its history stretches back to the late 19th century, when it was operated by bootleggers and gin runners, and it opened legally in 1934. Plenty has changed since then but what hasn’t is the rebellious spirit and sense of fun, along with a winning formula of strong drinks, jovial company and an eclectic programme of entertainment from live music to readings.

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The only Indian bar to make the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021, Sidecar is a cocktail lovers’ haven in the heart of hectic New Delhi. One floor is occupied by a bookstore, tea room and coffee shop, with the cocktail bar tucked away upstairs. The long wooden bar dominates the room, with people gathering for cocktails mixed with house-made vermouths, bitters and liqueurs, as well as delicious snacks.

If the sight of bones freaks you out then this bar, inside the HR Giger Museum, perhaps isn’t for you. For everyone else, this is an experience not to be missed. The museum, which contains works by the artist known for the Alien films, is inside a medieval castle and the bar’s walls, seats and vaulted ceilings are lined with vertebrae and creepy baby masks. It has been described as like being in the belly of a whale – though the drinks are undoubtedly better here.

As the name suggests, this bar is all about celebrating the swirling colours of the Northern Lights, which can often be seen in Iceland between autumn and spring. Located just an hour outside capital city Reykjavík in ION Adventure Hotel, the bar has floor-to-ceiling windows for uninterrupted views of the spectacular light show. It’s even better with a liqueur, spirit or craft beer from a local producer.

Bali’s coastal gem gives patrons a front-row seat to experience an incredible sunset over the Indian Ocean. Perched on jagged rocks at the base of AYANA Resort and Spa and reached via a cable car, this open-air bar is the place to go for cocktails with a view. Guests can soak up the ambience and listen to tunes from the DJ booth, which is carved into the cliff face.

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The trend for speakeasy-style bars shows no signs of going away, and Thyme Bar is a fine example of how to do it right. The lounge bar, in New York’s Flatiron district, is in a pre-war cellar fronted by a bakery and reached via a steep staircase. Inside, it’s suitably stylish and dimly lit, providing the perfect atmosphere for theatrical cocktails that come embellished with botanicals and, in some cases, billowing with smoke.

A cave in a cliff makes for a dramatic setting for sunset cocktails, and this bar in Cala en Porter, Menorca is equally beguiling in the daytime. Cova d’en Xoroi is a popular spot for sunbathing with drinks and views over the Balearic Sea, and once the sun goes down, it transforms into a vibrant cocktail bar and nightclub. The mix of tunes spun from the DJ booth and waves crashing against the rocks makes the atmosphere truly special.

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A visit to the Blue Lagoon is a must when in Iceland. But what could possibly make relaxing in the naturally warm, geothermal seawater, surrounded by the country’s wonderfully craggy landscapes, even better? A bar, of course. The In-Water Bar serves a variety of soft drinks, smoothies, wine and beer to anyone who fancies bobbing through the steam to order. Guests are issued with bracelets which are scanned with any purchases – preventing problems with soggy cash.

Located in the swanky W Hotel, Red2One is a place where you can escape bustling city life and take in the jaw-dropping views of both the Andes and the Santiago skyline. The rooftop bar is sleek and has an equally chic cocktail menu, reflecting the glitzy crowds it attracts. It’s best to arrive before sunset to make the most of the views – and stay for the DJ set as the sky turns inky blue.

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This dizzyingly cool bar is a neon beacon on the 63rd floor of one of Bangkok’s swankiest hotels, lebua. Its centrepiece is the round bar, illuminated at night, while you can also grab a seat at a booth or perch around the edge, taking in the incredible views of the city skyline and the river below. Just try not to look down too much, especially after drinking any of the excellent cocktails.

Topping The World’s 50 Best Bars list four times in the past and still considered a top spot for atmosphere, cocktails and service, Artesian, in the Langham Hotel, is a charming mix of classic style and quirky cool. The cocktails alone are worth visiting for, with inventive concoctions served with even more inventive presentation. Its speciality is taking drinks that some might consider a little naff and elevating them. The Pornstar Martini, for example, contains vanilla acid and the French dessert wine Sauternes, with Champagne on the side.

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