From spins on French bistros to Bladerunner-inspired boltholes, these box fresh and soon-to-open bars should set your drinking agenda for the year to come.
Abstract Bistrot, Paris
Opened: October 2025
Abstract Bistrot's espresso-based Milano Torino cocktail
The latest art-themed opening from international bar magnate Remy Savage is as ultra-cool, fashionable and cutting edge as its siblings. Following the success of Abstract – a part-lab, part-vintage bistro – a Parisian offshoot opened in late 2025, tucked away on a narrow street in the 2nd Arrondissement. Inside, the venue delivers on both style and substance, with the size of the space requiring a functional bent. Savage's signature fusion of art and science is dialled in here, with 10 takes on classic cocktails made with distillates produced in-house in its mezzanine micro lab. There's a capsicum-based margarita, Martini Patissier laced with butter, rice and orange blossom, or floral chrysanthemum infused with passionfruit marigold. Order a Picon Biere for lingering over your options.
Bar None, Kuala Lumpur
Opened: December 2025
The Antipasto cocktail combines Campari, granny smith oregano soda, sweet basil and honey vermouth over crushed ice
The past five years has seen Malaysia's cocktail scene bloom into one of the region's most exciting, with 2025 bearing witness to the arrival of Bar None. Spearheaded by Malaysia-born Raz Ng – who built her name at Singapore's now-closed Sugarhall and local veteran Arsenio 'Ash' Mariano Jr – the bar tries to reclaim the idea of day-drinking through staples imbued with Malaysian flavours, living by a mantra of being "too unserious to be taken seriously". The None-tini, for example, adds preserved plums, ambarella and nutmeg to the mix, and its version of Malaysia's most famous cocktail is a must-order, listed as The Jungle Bird.
Shakerato, Amsterdam
Opened: December 2025
Bartender Eric van Beek
After two years of building work and bureaucratic hurdles, Shakerato has finally flung open its doors. From the team behind Handshake Speakeasy, named The World's Best Bar 2024, this marks the first opening from co-owner Eric van Beek on home turf. Timelessness will dictate the evening beverage programme, with each drink supercharged by van Beek's penchant for mad scientist-adjacent levels of flavour extraction through high-brow technical equipment behind the scenes. For the bar's interpretation of its namesake cocktail, the concoction is boosted with a touch of yuzu sake. For those looking to maximise their sampling of the menu in one sitting, many of the signature serves are available as miniatures.
BOP, Singapore
Opening: January 2026 
The Perilla Smash combines perilla oil, leaf, lemon and soju (Image: Jaehun Yang)
In the decade-plus since Jigger & Pony first opened, it's become one of the Lion City's most decorated bars. The Jigger group hasn't skipped a beat since, launching Pop City late last year and the arrival of BOP scheduled for early 2026. BOP, short for Bartenders of Pony, will tap into the hospitality of Jang's home country, offering a quintessentially Korean cocktail dining experience, grounded in three guiding principles: 끼 (kki) the pursuit of excellence; 흥 (energy) and 정 (heart). Drinks are inspired by daily Korean rituals and ingredients, while the food will come from chef Jason Oh of Netflix's Culinary Class Wars fame.
Drink Kong Campo Marzio, Rome
Opening: February 2026
Sip inventive martinis against a retro-futuristic backdrop
Ranked in the last seven editions of The World's 50 Best Bars, Drink Kong is set to open in a second Roman venue this February. From mixology heavyweight Patrick Pistolesi, the Campo Marzio bar will bring the bar's familiar Blade Runner-esque aesthetic to a larger, multi-sectioned space, with an eight-metre-long counter at the centre, flanked by marble, wood and geometric designs on the walls. Immaculately executed, accessible classics with edgy character will be the name of the game, with a special focus given to martinis.
Pearl Bar, New York
Opening: Spring 2026
New York's Lower East Side has become a hotbed of high-profile cocktail bars, with Pearl Bar joining its ranks this year. The Japanese-style bar is a collab between ex-Eleven Madison Park bartender Richie Millwater and Toshiyuki Kubo, owner of Ark Lounge in Aomori, Japan, showcasing the duo's different approach to cocktails, but in a way that feels unique and unapologetically 'New York'. Expect a line-up of classics supercharged by Millwater's love of fermentations and advanced techniques, paired up with Kubo's exacting attention to detail.
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