Ushering in the party season is a fleet of new bars around the world with revelry firmly on the agenda: from Sydney late-night lounge Tiva to London live music venue The Lower Third. Even though both these night spots are fiesta-focused, that doesn’t mean they’re compromising on the quality of their food-and-drink offering: expect prestige cuvée Champagne, original world-class cocktails and caviar served on the side of what’s on the stage.
There are some big names in the bar world attached to some of the latest launches this month, too. Internationally renowned bartender and head judge at the IWSC Shannon Tebay is mixing the drinks at the aforementioned Lower Third; omakase cocktails are now on offer at a new offshoot from the third best bar in the world, Sips; and expect knowingly retro drinks from one of New York’s most forward-thinking bartenders, Julie Reiner, at revived dive Milady’s. Read on for our pick of the best new bars to visit around the world this November.
Hot new bars to visit in November 2022
Amphlett House
Melbourne, Australia
The co-founder of one of Australia’s most successful cocktail bars, Maybe Sammy, is branching out and bringing delicious drinks to the masses at Amphlett House, a new bar in Melbourne that’s serving cocktails on tap. Andrea Gualdi is calling his latest venture an ‘upmarket taphouse’, and it carries a Memphis-influenced design much like the new Ovolo Laneways hotel in which it resides. Americano cocktails are available on draught alongside craft beers and a concise range of wine – or bartenders will be mixing more creative concoctions, highballs and zero-proof libations. With British-born chef Ian Curley on board, you can also seek out elevated pub grub.
@amphletthouse
Bar Americano
New York, USA
A new temple to vermouth has opened its doors in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint, channelling a modern European aesthetic and boasting a well-appointed back-bar decorated in tall, red-hued bottles of the aperitif wine. Bar Americano also plans to showcase the digestif in all its glory, as well as presenting a concise and considered list of European natural wines by the glass. Small plates from a Mallorcan-born chef add an additional touch of Mediterranean authenticity to Bar Americano.
@baramericanonyc
The Lower Third
London, UK
Star bartender Shannon Tebay moved to the UK for a stint as head bartender at the Savoy’s American Bar before taking on her latest gig at The Lower Third, a live music venue now open in a part of London renowned for its musical heritage. The bar sits on Denmark Street – a stretch long associated with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie – in a part of town that’s undergone a drastic transformation since its more bohemian days. Tebay is bringing a slice of nostalgia to punters, though, through a strong line-up of 16 ‘approachable yet inventive’ cocktails that reference the classics and take their name from famous tracks and albums. Make ours a Hunky Dory.
@lowerthirdsoho
Milady’s
New York, USA
As the founder of New York’s Clover Club and Pegu Club (the latter closing down to much dismay in lockdown), Julie Reiner has long been a name to know in the cocktail world – and could soon be a household name, too, as one of the judges of Netflix’s brand-new mixology competition Drinks Masters. She’s also just rebooted a notorious NYC dive bar that closed its doors back in 2014 after decades of service. While she’s bringing Milady’s back to life under the same name and at the same address, it seems the vibe is altogether less ‘divey’. Retro is instead a fair assessment, with Appletinis, beer floats and boozy iced teas making up the menu. Many drinks will come in miniature form, and guests can even order in a round of Jell-O shots. It might be a change of direction, but it sounds like Milady’s should easily maintain its reputation for a wild night out.
@miladysnyc
Swift Borough
London, UK
Third time’s a charm for one of London’s most deservedly popular cocktail bars. Swift last spread its wings from Soho to Shoreditch, and now it’s landed on Borough High Street for its hat-trick bar launch. Swift Borough will continue the upstairs/downstairs approach: on ground level, expect light and bright Art Deco decor and aperitivo cocktails; in the basement find a darker design and a menu of just 11 drinks themed around stories from the local surrounds. That includes a malt whisky-based concoction called Biscuit Town (honouring the old Bermondsey biscuit factory) and The Rose Theatre, a nod to the neighbourhood’s Shakespeare connection. Don’t worry: Swift’s notorious Irish Coffee will still be a menu mainstay.
@swiftbars
Tiva
Sydney, Australia
Sydney has a new and glamorous late-night music venue in the shape of Tiva, a basement bar hosting live acts and DJs four nights a week. While that is exciting in itself, the drinks list is a class act, with Champagne and extravagant cocktails given equal billing. The menu includes over 50 fizzes, with options from some of the most-esteemed houses available by the glass, while cocktails lean on the theatrical side – like the Tiva Old Fashioned For Two, poured from a glass decanter at your table. A round of oysters or a bump of caviar should seal the decadent deal.
@tivalounge.sydney
Esencia
Barcelona, Spain
Fresh from securing the number three spot at the World’s 50 Best Bar awards, Barcelona cocktail bar Sips is taking things to the next level with the launch of Esencia. In an Inception-style move, it’s a bar within a bar that’s hidden behind Sips – and where you’ll find high-concept cocktails on a new tasting menu. Customers are asked to select from a list of themes (from ‘Ice’ to ‘Bloody Mary’) and are then presented with a series of drinks that echo each idea. Sound showy? With Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez at the helm – two of the cocktails world’s most decorated bartenders – this is definitely not a case of style over substance.
Opens mid-November, @sips.barcelona
