From food-inspired cocktails to negroni-only bars, here are 10 brilliant new spots to put on your list.
Schmuck, New York
Opened Jan 2025
@schmuck.ny
The much-anticipated East Village opening from Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy has already made a splash since opening earlier this year. Eclectic yet minimalist, the interiors blend vintage furnishings with pops of colour that give the space the feel of a sophisticated, neighbourhood hangout. Drinks are bold, brilliant and deceptively simple, reflecting New York’s evolving cocktail culture. The star? The Schmuck Martini, an elegant mix of gin, shochu, eau de Normandie and two vermouths, garnished with an olive and droplets of olive oil.
Montana, Hong Kong
Opening late summer
@montanabarhk
Asia’s cocktail scene is set to gain a new star bar as Simone Caporale of Sips (No.3 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024) and Lorenzo Antinori of Bar Leone (No.2 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024) unite to open Montana this summer. Having first crossed paths when they were working at Artesian and The Savoy’s American Bar in London, their debut collab pays homage to 1970s Miami, with Cuban-inspired classics alongside their signature hospitality. Expect sensational el presidentes, mojitos and daiquiris.
June, Vancouver
Opened April 2025
@juneoncambie
Opened in early April 2025, June is the latest venture from the team behind The Keefer Bar, a stalwart on the North America’s 50 Best Bars list. The bi-level brasserie-bar space was conceived by Mexican architect Héctor Esrawe, blending vintage features with modern, vibrant touches. The upstairs main dining area serves playful, herbaceous cocktails, with the Blue Fizz – a mix of vodka, calpico, blue banana and egg soda – already a local favourite. On the floor below, the 40-seat listening bar Lala is all about the classics with a notable martini programme. When it comes to food, June channels French flavours with West Coast sensibilities offering spiced crab madeleines, beef tartare and frogs legs. As summer approaches, the bar’s outdoor patio will open, embracing the Pacific Northwest sunshine.
Waltz Bar, London
Opened March 2025
@waltzbar
After refining his craft at top bars across Singapore, Sydney, and beyond, Gento Torigata most recently honed his skills at Kwãnt (No.52 in extended list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024) before launching Waltz Bar in Shoreditch. Inspired by nature and jazz, the chic space centres on an eight-metre counter, seating 12 for a close-knit cocktail experience. The drinks programme celebrates Japan’s 72 kō (micro seasons) with seasonal creations that combine ingredients like asparagus, peas and vodka for floral and delicate drinks. A selection of ‘evergreen’ sips and classics remain year-round, accompanied by the timeless crooning of Miles Davis, Chet Baker et al.
Ahorita, Mexico City
Opening late June
Fresh off its second consecutive win as The Best Bar in North America, the team behind Handshake Speakeasy is opening a new Mexico City outpost. Ahorita, the new bar takes its name from the colloquial Mexican phrase which can mean ‘right now’ and immediately’ or some point in the future. It promises to offer the same style of drinks that earned Handshake international acclaim, distilled in a cantina-style setting. Expect a dash of speakeasy cloak and daggery thrown in for good measure.
Advocatuur, Amsterdam
Opened May 2025
@advocatuuramsterdam
The newly opened ultra-luxe Rosewood Amsterdam, housed the city’s former Palace of Justice, introduces Advocatuur, an elegant haven named after the Dutch term for ‘profession of law’. At the helm is Yann Bouvignies, who previously guided London’s Scarfes Bar to its debut onto the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2023. Expect refined surroundings, from bartenders in bespoke designer uniforms to an adventurous cocktail menu featuring knockout pours such as the Order + Disorder, which uses white rum, matcha orgeat, aloe vera and clarified soursop. Don’t miss out on the glut of mini cocktails or ‘baby serves’, available individually or as a flight.
Herbs Taverne, Sydney
Opened May 2025
@herbstaverne
The team behind Cantina OK! – No.96 in extended list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 – introduces Herbs Taverne to Sydney's buzzing bar scene. Laid-back yet vibey, the red-hued space gently draws guests towards the base of its 12-step drinks list: the negroni. The menu showcases the classic in a variety of forms, from traditional renditions to aromatic ‘gold’ varieties made with gin, gentian, vermouth, and passion fruit liqueur.
Canes & Tales, Osaka
Opened April 2025
@canesandtales
The glistening Waldorf Astoria Osaka is one of the city’s hottest new openings, but its new speakeasy Canes & Tales is a destination in its own right. 1930s-era cocktails and knockout city views await those that find the entrance, discreetly marked and set down a dark corridor. True to its name, each menu will pay homage to a literary classic, with its debut drawing inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age. The Camel’s Back, for example, combines green chartreuse, pear, gobo and gari cordial and ginger beer. For fans of the classics, its signature old fashioned is an essential order.
Lavantha, Kuala Lumpur
Opened May 2025
@lavanatha.kl
From the brains behind Penrose – ranked No.8 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 - comes Lavantha. Formerly a bank vault, guests are invited through a sleek, sliding door that reveals a softly lit space festooned with mirrored columns, plush seating and richly coloured wood and marble tabletops. Drinks build on the philosophy of ‘base, core, contrast and length’, and are distilled in minimalist, but vibrant creations. Try the bar’s signature namesake cocktail, which blends gin, elderflower, yuzu and cacao.
Paradox, Mumbai
Opened April 2025
@barparadoxmumbai
‘Nothing is what it seems’ is the mantra behind the latest bar from Masque (No.19 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025). Designed to evoke nostalgia and comfort, the space blends traditional Indian opulence with a theatrical Art Deco thread. But don’t be fooled by the old-world vibe, Paradox is muscular with its cocktail programme, helmed by Masque’s head mixologist Ankush Gamre. Its most daring cocktails includes the Cthulhu, a mix of tequila, mezcal, pandan syrup, citrus and fermented squid. Lower ABV cocktails are also available and just as big on flavour, such as the #1, made with clarified muskmelon, osmanthus blossom and orange.
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