Bars
The tavern, saloon, public house, or bar occupies a key position in the development of society, dating back to ancient Babylon at least. From ancient times to the present, these were places for travelers and workers to eat, drink, relax, and socialize. Bars have been crucial gathering places throughout history; it’s said that the American Revolution got its start in the bars of Boston — alcohol specifically fueling the flames of independence. This section of the site comprises reviews of bars around the world — including bars focused on wine, beer, and (particularly) cocktails. If the bar is part of a restaurant, we’ll often cover the food offerings there, too.
Top Bar Posts:
Tasting the Classic Cocktails of New Orleans
Where to Drink in Asheville, North Carolina
Tyge & Sessil, Stockholm
The 404 Nashville
The Chandelier Lounge at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
Dining with Sammy Hagar at El Paseo’s Wine Collectors’ Dinner
San Francisco’s Redwood Room, part of the recently acquired-and-rechristened Clift Royal Sonestra Hotel, has long been a see-and-be-seen hotspot in the city. I’ve personally seen legit celebrities here, and heard tales of plenty more. It’s easy to see why they come: It’s one of the most gorgeous bars in town, with soaring redwood walls that…
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Berber is a new restaurant in San Francisco that specializes in the cuisine of Northern Africa. Open for about 3 months, Berber hosts live performances on the weekends — belly dancing, acrobats, and the like — that diners can enjoy in between courses. While we didn’t have reservations for the show (this takes place in…
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On the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas, you’ll find the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. When they say resort, they aren’t kidding. This is a sprawling campus that includes a full on water park, massive public areas, a golf course, four restaurants, and four bars to match. The High Velocity sports…
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Flores is a popular Mexican restaurant and bar in San Francisco, and the owners have just opened a new outpost in Marin County’s Corte Madera, just north of the bay. Marin, while it’s wedged between San Francisco and the NorCal wine country, isn’t known for being a hotbed of great bars and restaurants, mainly serving…
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The eclectic, mountaintop city of Asheville, North Carolina has long been a mecca for craft beer in the southern United States. Craft brewing behemoths like Sierra Nevada and New Belgium have even set up East Coast operations there, alongside more than 40 other, smaller breweries. But there’s more to Beer City USA than beer, as…
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The upscale bedroom community of Mount Pleasant is just a few minutes and a big bridge away from Charleston, South Carolina, and a decade ago no one would have thought to put a high-end French bistro in these parts. Things have changed, though, as Mt. Pleasant has continued to vault its way upmarket. NICO, which…
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You’ll find Taft’s Ale House in the Over-the-Rhine District of Cincinnati, Ohio, a region still grappling with its rapid gentrification, a place where burned-out buildings will dominate one block, chick boutiques the next. Taft’s occupies the remains of a church here, rebuilt and converted into a working microbrewery/taproom, with long picnic style tables replacing the traditional…
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You’ll find Reserve 101 across the street from the House of Blues in downtown Houston, right on the corner, where the HoB’s enormous neon sign blares through the window. It might be enough to distract you from the place you’ve stepped into, a small bar that just so happens to have the largest whiskey collection…
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Established in 2015, Alameda Island Brewing Company is the third brewery in this small suburb of Oakland, California, where a naval base moved out and legions of hipsters moved in. Here you’ll find one of the most richly cross-cultural communities in the U.S. (want Lithuanian food, you got it!), despite a tiny population of well…
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In San Francisco’s Outer Parkside district, one often gets the feeling that one has reached the literal end of the line. This is a beach community, but the water is so cold and the wind so brisk that spending much time on the beach is reserved only for die-hard surfers and masochists. (It’s so cold…
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