Summer is winding down, it’s the start of a new school year and there are fresh beginnings on the global bar scene too, as an array of venues open their doors for the first time. Over in New York, the Dead Rabbit group are opening an Irish pub by Penn Station that’s perfect for a stolen moment before the commute, while in Hong Kong, a speakeasy that marks an end to the city’s lengthy lockdown years is set for launch. Meanwhile in London, beloved no-names wine bar Dan’s of Dalston opens a place on Exmouth Market. Read on to discover the best new bars to visit this September.
The best new bars to visit in September 2023
The Irish Exit
New York, US
The Dead Rabbit group have settled on Moynihan Train Hall, opposite Penn Station, for its Irish pub-inspired bar and latest experiment on the New York cocktail scene. At this all-day space, bartenders know time is of the essence – perhaps at the expense of parting pleasantries. Boilermakers and Irish coffees will come as no surprise but these classics could surely be in no safer hands. Club Oenologique joined the team on its research trip around Ireland last year and (if you have the time before your train) the fruits of that labour are now ready for sampling.
Opens now, irishexit.com
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Lise and Vito
New York, US
Founder Brittany Myrick worked as a sommelier at Michelin-starred Estela before opening this bar for the Brooklyn neighbourhood she lives in and it shows: small-production and low-intervention wines come by the bottle and glass with lots of Old World and a handful of US names. Look out for house specials, like a Spritz made with vermouth from the Finger Lakes. If you’re reaching for something a little stronger, there are also Palomas and mezcal Margaritas on draught. Lise & Vito is a cool place to enjoy an enormous wine list while in Greenpoint.
Open now, liseandvito.com
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Ken’s
London, UK
Labels are irrelevant at Ken’s; order ‘saline white’, ‘ethereal red’ or ‘serious orange’ by the glass instead. A younger sibling of the simply-named Dan’s in Dalston, Ken’s on Exmouth Market also carries a wine list by the bottle, full of eye-catching wines ranging from £300 grower Champagnes down to affordable Côtes du Rhône. Although wine is the star, the changing daily small plates menu (which, at the time of writing, featured scallops, cod and crab bisque, and chocolate mousse) makes this worth a visit, whatever they’re pouring.
Open now, quitegood.uk
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elNico
New York, US
Up on the roof of Williamsburg’s The Penny hotel is a Mexican bar with a cocktail list full of contemporary classics. Margarita lovers will have their heads turned with the strawberry and tomato version, purists by the clarified Cosmopolitan and traditionalists can find updated Micheladas, as well as Tepache-type sodas and Epazote dotted across the menu. Alongside the drinks are small plates of oysters, caviar and wagyu mix with mole, aguachile and tlayuda.
Open now, penny-hotel.com/elnico
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Lockdown
Hong Kong, China
Laura and Agung Prabowo, the brains behind Hong Kong’s The Old Man and Penicillin bars, are back. Lockdown, opened to pay tribute to the resilience of Hong Kong during the pandemic, is a speakeasy concept that draws parallels between Prohibition and the stay-at-home era (entailing three years of restrictions for Hong Kong’s publicans and punters). With just 30 covers, guests will get intimacy without the claustrophobia we left behind.
Opens 30 Sept, instagram.com/theforksandspoons852
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Gem Wine
New York, US
Gem Restaurant on Forsyth Street is giving way to a larger version of its beloved wine bar. After turning its smaller original venue on Broome Street into a private dining room, there’s double the space at the new venue as well as an on-site kitchen. Natural wines dominate the list, so look for surprising bottles and clever pairings from the snack menu.
Opens 20 Sept, gem-nyc.com/gemwine
