Summer is finally here and it’s time to return to rooftops: Joia gives epic views of London, while over in Ibiza, Rooftop Nine serves Spritzes by the pool. Savoury cocktails are the order of the day in Hong Kong at the latest opening from the founders of COA, and Champagne Laurent-Perrier is floating rosé lunches on the terrace at Nobu Portman Square. Read on for the best new bars to visit this month.
The best new bars to visit in June 2023
Superbueno
New York, USA
For Tequila and mezcal fans, there can’t be anywhere more urgent to visit this month than this new East Village haunt. Run by a New Yorker hailing from Guanajuato, you’ll find a bar lined with mole Negronis, mushroom Margaritas and mezcal slushies. Mexican ingredients star across the board in everything from the guava vodka soda to the pickled plum mocktail – and of course, there are Monopolios in the fridge. Pair your drinks with quesadillas, tacos and fresh fruit with sweet, sour, salty, spicy chamoy.
Open now, superbuenonyc.com
Joia Rooftop, Battersea
London, UK
Lisbon-style evenings beckon this summer with the launch of arguably London’s chicest new rooftop bar. Up on the 16th floor of Battersea Power Station, guests can pair Portuguese small plates with wine and cocktails over an unparalleled city view. Highlights from the wine list include Portuguese and English fizz from Bairrada and Hattingley Valley, neatly paired with sourdough pan con tomates and croquetas.
Open now, joiabattersea.co.uk/rooftop-bar
3’6 at Fortum & Mason
London, UK
Mixologist Mustara Tumburi has come in hot for the relaunch of Fortum & Mason’s third-floor bar space with a menu that boasts nitrogen-aged spirits, activated charcoal suspensions and highballs made with fermented cola. Experiments extend beyond its spectacular cocktail menu: the architect-designed bar and ceiling are 3D-printed with bioplastic features that can be composted after use. Best of all, the bar also hosts an exhibition space: visit soon to see work by the photographer Alan Schaller, its inaugural resident.
Open now, fortnumandmason.com/3-and-6-bar
Rooftop Nine
Ibiza, Spain
Warm up for the summer at Melia’s newest opening. The cocktail menu keeps the glamour alive with frozen Daiquiris, Sangria Cava and Espresso Martinis to sip poolside. The hotel is a stone’s throw from the beach, giving the rooftop admirable views of the mountains, sea and the lights of Sant Antoni de Portmany. It’s also the perfect spot for recovery, thanks to its infinity pool, loungers and food by La Chickeria rotisserie.
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Madeline’s Martini
New York, USA
Martini-lovers, the search is over. This new nineties-noughties-inspired bar reinvents vodka and gin Martinis, then adds a brine-y mezcal version for fun. Whether you like yours wet, dry, dirty or completely unorthodox (see: Appletinis), this menu is equal parts nostalgic (remember the Breakfast Martini?) and inventive. Whether guests will stop at Dorothy Parker’s recommended dose (‘two at the very most’) is up for discussion.
Open now, www.madelinesmartini.com
Larry’s
London, UK
Underneath the National Portrait Gallery in a former Victorian coal store, Larry’s is hung with portraits of some of the West End’s most notable people, from Blitz kids to Sir Laurence Olivier. Expect cocktails made with spirits by UK independents such as Gattertop vodka – perfect for the umami-rich dirty Martini, finished with Welsh seaweed. Pair your drinks with the lobster roll, bar-menu hero, and enjoy the show. Larry’s arrival coincides perfectly with the Gallery’s reopening too.
Opens 22 June, daisygreenfood.com/location-larrys
Octo
London, UK
In the newly opened basement bar of Amazónico on Berkeley Square, tropical cocktails are having a field day. Latin influences can be felt everywhere, from the rum Manhattan to a coconut and pineapple Sazerac. The bar menu will also whisk you away: snack-sized arepas share the table with sea bass chicharron and langoustine pibil. Supported by Amazónico’s staggering wine list, there’s no such thing as a dull night at this new venue.
Nobu
London, UK
A world away from the crowded terraces and car park rooftops, Nobu’s terrace promises a quiet corner of calm on Portman Square. Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé – one of Essi Avellan’s favourites from 2022 – is available with a paired menu of delicate dishes: dragon fruit ceviche, lobster salad and salmon tabbouleh. Long, sun-dappled lunches beckon.
The Savory Project
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong’s latest arrival promises the mouthwatering menu many of us have been waiting for. Jay Khan and Ajit Gurung of COA’s cocktails are a savoury delight: a leek and pepper Gibson rubs shoulders with a charred-corn mezcal cocktail, a mushroom-umeshu concoction, and a Tequila teriyaki. Sober drinkers are served equally with Seedlip mocktails alongside a papaya-seed and kombucha creation. This Soho newcomer will make you wonder whether the ‘strong, sweet, sour’ rule has had its day.
Open now, thesavoryproject.com
