The clocks have gone forward and there are the first hints that summer is on its way in the northern hemisphere. Adding to that feeling is this month’s selection of new bars, which is dominated by al fresco drinking venues, with rooftop bars opening in New York, Los Angeles and London.
Those drinkers still not ready to embrace the great outdoors can consider cocktails and celeb spotting at an exclusive spot in London and drinks in a snug, speakeasy-style bar at a recently opened hotel in Osaka.
Read on to discover the most exciting new bars to visit this month.
The best new bars to visit in April 2025
Leonessa
New York, US
The 16th-floor rooftop of the five-star Conrad New York Downtown hotel, boasting views over the Hudson, is the home of Leonessa, a cocktail bar inspired by Italian aperitivo culture. Created in partnership with hospitality guru Ariel Arce, the brains behind Tokyo Record Bar and Niche Niche in the city, the design and colours of Leonessa attempt to evoke the Amalfi Coast, and the drinks menu is divided into sections entitled Spritzes, Bitters, Frutte, Martinis and Specialty Cocktails. Drinks at launch include the Molto Forte, a bourbon-based cocktail infused with coffee and tobacco bitters, the Kingston, a tropical twist on the Negroni featuring rum, sweet vermouth and Campari, and the Leonessa Martini, a blend of Portofino Dry Gin (winner of the IWSC’s 2024 London Dry Gin Producer Trophy), dry vermouth and citrus bitters.
Opens 3 April, hilton.com/leonessa
The Rex Rooms
London, UK
151 King’s Road in Chelsea was home to a nightclub called the 151 for more than 30 years before it finally closed in the wake of the Covid lockdowns. By all accounts, it was something of an exclusive dive bar; a place to spot celebs letting their hair down – now the same address has been taken over by the people behind Mahiki and Whisky Mist (including the main creative force, Marc Jacques Burton) and turned into a two-room ‘cocktail lounge’, suggesting the exclusive, A-list drinking is set to continue. The Rex Rooms’ main space takes inspiration from Dali and Gaudi, with a handcrafted wooden bar and curvilinear wooden walls with embedded mirrors to distort light. A ‘health-conscious’ cocktail menu features mushroom extract-infused drinks, like the Enchanted Shrooms that incorporates Tequila, mushroom extract, honey and pineapple. A sharing cocktail called the PDA blends Perrier-Jouët rosé Champagne with cassis, framboise and vodka. There’s a second, smaller room called The King’s 1942 Room that’s invitation-only; find yourself sipping a cocktail here and it’s likely you’re either a celebrity or you’re getting on well with one.
Open now, therexrooms.com
View this post on Instagram
Canes & Tales
Osaka, Japan
This is a new cocktail spot for Osaka in the Waldorf Astoria hotel that’s just opened in the city. The design of Canes & Tales is inspired by 1920s speakeasies and every cocktail menu will be designed around a ‘specific tale’ from the era; the opening drinks list is based on F. Scott Fitzgerland’s Tales of the Jazz Age, with the 11 short stories within it reimagined as a cocktail. The Jelly Bean is a mix of pisco, Armagnac, Calvados, sake, passionfruit, verjus, white peach, coconut, egg white and bitters.
Opens 3 April, hilton.com/osawawa-waldorf-astoria-osaka
View this post on Instagram
Florentin Rooftop Bar
Los Angeles, US
The Broadway Theater District of Downtown Los Angeles is home to a new rooftop bar inspired by the Mediterranean. The list of signature cocktails includes twists on the classics, such as a Prickly Pear Hibiscus Margarita, Passion Fruit Paper Plane and Lavender Collins but traditionalists can choose from a selection of classics plus four different takes on the Martini. A concise pizza menu plus snacks inspired by the Med are on offer to soak up the drinks while guests enjoy the views of LA as summer approaches.
Open now, florentindtla.com
View this post on Instagram
Forza Taps
London, UK
The opening of Forza Wines’ restaurant at the National Theatre proved a hit and the team took advantage by opening a pop-up bar for the summer last year on the terrace below the restaurant. It’s back again for 2025 in mid-April, serving a small selection of beer, wine and cocktails on tap to sip while watching the sun set over the Thames. Drinks are complemented by snacks of cheese, charcuterie, pickles and arrosticini (Italian kebabs). It’s walk-ins only, with the terrace opening at 4pm during the week and noon on Saturdays for those keen to secure a spot in the sun.
Opens 17 April, forzawine.com
