The Bar as Sanctuary: Where Design Meets Escapism

I stood at the polished marble counter of a London institution recently, nursing a perfectly crafted martini, and it hit me: a great bar isn't just about the drink. It's a carefully orchestrated escape—part theater, part refuge, entirely seductive. As Ben Reed, the legendary manager of London's Met Bar during the cocktail renaissance of the 1990s, once put it: "A bar is both a stage and an altar."

That philosophy has spawned something extraordinary across the globe. From prohibition-era speakeasies to the Tiki boom of the 1930s, from the Cool Britannia movement that gave us the Espresso Martini to today's craft cocktail revolution, bars have always been cultural barometers. And now, some of the world's most visionary designers are transforming them into architectural masterpieces.

Reddit: "A bar with good design? That's a destination in itself. Worth the flight alone." — r/travel

Cultural Union's stunning new photographic volume, The World's Most Beautiful Bars: Extraordinary Bars by the World's Leading Designers, celebrates 11 venues that prove this thesis convincingly. Here are the ones you absolutely need to experience.

New York: Two Rooftop and Downtown Revolutions

Mulberry: Soho's Hottest Ticket Since 2023

I visited Mulberry last year when it was at peak hype, and I understood immediately why Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio made the VIP Whisper Room their unofficial clubhouse. The Swedish design studio Ateljé Nordöst delivered something New York desperately craved: a sophisticated "living room for like-minded people" with hideaway nooks, low ceilings, and whispers of history.

The entrance features an inlaid brass 'M' logo directly copied from a signature on an original liquor licence dating back to 1895. This isn't nostalgia—it's reverent archaeology. The Whisper Room itself, with its domed ceiling and couch-like banquette, feels impossibly exclusive. Order their house-made blue cheese dirty martini and prepare to understand why this place became Soho's hottest ticket within months of opening.

Nubeluz: Where Clouds Touch Empire State Views

Fifty floors above Manhattan's chaos sits Nubeluz, a name that marries Spanish words for "cloud" (nube) and "light" (luz). Martin Brudnizki Design Studio created something transcendent here: an onyx bar that glows like molten gold against a sparkling skyline backdrop.

The menu mirrors the map below—divided into Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown sections. I recommend the Melon Cloud, a tequila-forward composition using Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila, chai, Provence melon, and lemon. It's the kind of drink that makes you pause mid-sip to appreciate where you are.

London: Two Institutions Redefine Sophistication

The Connaught: A Study in Reinvention

The Connaught is home to two of London's most storied bars, each a masterclass in different philosophies. David Collins Studio reimagined the Connaught Bar in 2007, stripping away dated 1980s panelling to reveal architectural elegance. The walls shimmer with surfaces created by Paris-based artist Pierre Bonnefille, while furniture detailing borrows from Savile Row tailoring—because, yes, even bar furniture gets bespoke treatment here.

Behind a velvet curtain lurks the Red Room, a speakeasy designed by Bryan O'Sullivan Studio and inspired by Louise Bourgeois's artwork 'I Am Rouge'. The space is a cocoon of rose-coloured marble and oxblood walls, centered around a pink-onyx bar. This is where you order grand cuvée wines and contemplate what luxury really means.

Order a bespoke Connaught Martini served from a dedicated trolley—because in London's most sophisticated bars, even the delivery method is ceremonial.

Sketch: Where Theatrical Glamour Never Stops

Sketch in Mayfair isn't just a bar—it's a complex of galleries, restaurants, and bars in an 18th-century Grade II listed townhouse. Each room is a distinct artistic statement. The Gallery, reimagined by India Mahdavi in 2022 for the bar's 20th anniversary, erupted in sunshine-yellow with metallic wallpaper and gold banquettes. Paintings by renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare add African warmth to the space.

Elsewhere, the space-age East Bar & Pods (designed by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance) contrast sharply with the Glade—an enchanted forest-like retreat. Head to the Glade's drinks laboratory for the Alchemy Espresso Martini, a crystal-clear coffee martini infused with hazelnut and tonka bean. This is a house of fun for glamour-seekers who take their cocktails seriously.

Continental Europe's Most Coveted Addresses

Maison Souquet, Paris: Belle Époque Resurrection

Tucked inside Paris's Pigalle district, Maison Souquet occupies a former belle époque "pleasure house" that Jacques Garcia transformed into a five-star boutique hotel in 2015. The bar is a masterwork of fin-de-siècle fantasy—crimson and purple velvet banquettes, dark-wood panelling, silk-shaded lamps, gilded mirrors.

This is immersion design. Cocktails are inspired by the neighbourhood's colourful past: try the Leila, made with raspberry-infused vodka, St Germain, citrus, and ginger ale. Every sip tastes like 1890s intrigue.

Casino Royal Palm, French Riviera: Wes Anderson's Playground

For nearly a century, Cannes's Royal Palm casino has embodied French Riviera mythology. Recently reimagined by local architects Caprini & Pellerin, the design credits Bauhaus, Dadaism, and Surrealism—though casual observers will spot unmistakable Wes Anderson sensibility in the whimsical symmetry.

The Botticino marble countertop bar, crowned by a custom satin chandelier, is where you order a Porn Star Martini made with Cîroc French Vanilla Vodka, Passoã, fresh passion fruit, and Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne. The aesthetic is pure movie magic.

Baratta Sedici, Italy: Clifftop Elegance Above the Ligurian Sea

On a clifftop above the azure Ligurian Sea, Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, re-emerged in 2025 after a multi-year renovation led by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio. Baratta Sedici, the hotel's cocktail jewel, has welcomed Churchill, Bogart, Bacall, and countless luminaries.

The redesigned space is a pretty jewel box featuring hand-painted botanical murals, backlit onyx, and copper panels. Order the Negroni La Vela, made with local Portofino Gin, Campari, Amaro Camatti, and Pineo. The view alone—where sea meets sky—justifies the flight.

Latin America's Rising Star

Cochinchina, Buenos Aires: Franco-Vietnamese Immersion

Since opening in 2020 in Buenos Aires's Palermo district, Cochinchina has become one of Latin America's foremost cocktail spots, steadily climbing The World's 50 Best Bars list. Designed by local interior designer Eme Carranza under the direction of bartender-designer Inés de los Santos, this homage to French Indochina transports you to a vanished world.

Neon signs usher patrons toward a U-shaped central bar or up a mirrored stairway for a tasting menu of cocktails. Franco-Vietnamese cuisine completes the immersion—this is destination drinking at its most ambitious.

Key Factors: What Makes These Bars Unforgettable

Venue Location Designer(s) Signature Drink
Mulberry New York Ateljé Nordöst House-made Blue Cheese Dirty Martini
Nubeluz New York (50F) Martin Brudnizki Design Studio Melon Cloud
The Connaught Bar London David Collins Studio Bespoke Connaught Martini
The Red Room London Bryan O'Sullivan Studio Grand Cuvée Wines
Sketch Gallery London India Mahdavi Alchemy Espresso Martini
Maison Souquet Paris Jacques Garcia Leila
Casino Royal Palm Cannes Caprini & Pellerin Porn Star Martini
Baratta Sedici Portofino, Italy Martin Brudnizki Design Studio Negroni La Vela
Cochinchina Buenos Aires Eme Carranza Franco-Vietnamese Cocktails

Why Hotels Lead the Cocktail Revolution

One pattern became clear while researching these destinations: hotel bars have consistently led shifts in cocktail culture. There's a reason. Hotels exist outside normal rules—they're licensed sanctuaries. That freedom enabled prohibition-era speakeasies, 1930s Tiki bars, and the 1990s cocktail renaissance that gave birth to the Espresso Martini.

This tradition continues. The Connaught, Mulberry, Nubeluz, Maison Souquet, Splendido—all hotel bars. And all architectural statements that treat cocktails as seriously as Michelin-star kitchens treat cuisine.

Planning Your Bar Pilgrimage

Each of these venues rewards advance research. Some require reservations weeks ahead. A few, like Mulberry's VIP Whisper Room, operate on invitation-only status. Contact your hotel concierge or check The World's 50 Best Bars guide for current reservation protocols.

Budget accordingly—we're talking $30–$60 per cocktail at most venues, with bottles reaching four figures. But consider it education in design, hospitality, and craft. You're not just drinking; you're experiencing how the world's most visionary designers imagine pleasure.

The cocktail bar renaissance that began in London's 1990s didn't fade. It evolved, spread globally, and now commands some of the finest design talent on the planet. These 11 venues prove that a bar—when designed with intention, staffed with expertise, and stocked with passion—becomes more than a place to drink.

It becomes a destination.

The world's most beautiful bars aren't accidents—they're pilgrimages in a glass.

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Disclaimer: Prices, reservation policies, and operational details are subject to change. Contact venues directly or consult recent travel guides before planning visits. Opening hours and signature cocktails may vary seasonally.