The 10 Top Bars in the US, According to the Experts

Of all the watering holes across the country, these bar programs have been pinpointed by the pros as the best in the business right now.

What all have in common: They take drinks seriously but keep the emphasis on letting guests relax and have fun. Even those that channel speakeasy vibes in some way (see Austin’s Midnight Cowboy, or the “Sip” side of New York City’s Sip & Guzzle), draw on whimsical drinks or themed menus to keep the mood light.

This group also reflects bar owners and operators whose drink menus are informed by their heritages and values, from Bar Flores in Mexico to Kumiko in Japan. They embrace local produce and culinary traditions to build creative drinks, such as at Miraté and Esters Fair.

They also demonstrate the importance of staying nimble. In an age when drink “experiences” are valued and guest attention is in short supply, smart pros refresh beverage programs and recognize that guests often want memorable drinks with social media appeal (see Happy Accidents, Law Bird, and Trick Dog). These top 10 bars deliver not just great drinks, but noteworthy experiences that keep guests talking (and Instagramming) long after they’ve left the bar.

Cure (New Orleans)

A seat at Cure provides some of the best drinks in New Orleans, a city already bursting with great bars. While Cure, which opened in 2009, hasn’t been the new kid in town for a while, some of the best drink-slingers in the country have cycled through its doors. The team has gone on to launch other bars, like Cane & Table in the French Quarter, but Cure remains a spot to enjoy both idiosyncratic and iconic cocktails.

Bar Flores (Los Angeles)

Considered by some to be the best day-drinking spot in the U.S., this second-story bar offers open-window, patio views of the Echo Park neighborhood and Sunset Boulevard. Run by beverage director Karla Flores-Mercado, who helms a mostly female bar team, Bar Flores offers refreshing, colorful drinks and a deep mezcal list. Flores-Mercado comes from a restaurant industry family, and the ties run deep. Look for a photo of her grandmother, as well as pictures of staffers' grandmas all over the walls at this welcoming spot. It’s noted as queer-friendly, with themed party nights and pitchers of mezcal Margaritas.

Kumiko (Chicago)

Acclaimed bartender Julia Momosé opened this elegant ode to her Japanese heritage in Chicago’s West Loop in 2018. Kumiko quickly became a hit with its omakase-style cocktail tasting menu. Japanese whiskies, shochu, and sake take center stage, with drinks that quietly nod to changes in micro-seasons, a very Japanese concept. Low- and no-alcohol drinks get equal care, as Momosé was an early advocate of spirit-free drinks. The bar hasn’t lost its luster, lauded for its calm, intimate space; warm yet precise hospitality; and creative food and drinks. Momosé also produced an award-winning book, The Way of the Cocktail, which outlines her Japanese-influenced philosophies and drink-making techniques.

Esters Fair Prospect (Wailuku, Hawaii)

Owners Jessica Everett and Suzanne Navarro opened this rum specialist in 2023, a bright space where leafy plants frame a backbar that features sugarcane spirits from more than 30 countries — the name “ester” is a reference to a flavor compound that gives some rums a signature funk. Even a simple Daiquiri is customized with Hawaiian ingredients, like local citrus and Maui cane syrup (the bar recently launched its own line of sweeteners, Sugar Cane Dane). Just months after it opened, wildfires decimated parts of Maui and while Esters was spared, the duo helped raise more than $15,000 with a Donate the Daiquiri campaign. The funds supported displaced food and beverage workers, a sign of their devotion to the tight-knit local community.

Sip & Guzzle (New York City)

Visitors will find two bars in one within this West Village spot. Head downstairs for Sip, a thoughtful Japanese-style bar helmed by Shingo Gokan, who has opened bars across Japan and China, and also ran the famed Angel’s Share for a decade. Upstairs, the rowdier Guzzle features a menu designed by Steve Schneider, formerly of Employees Only Singapore. There, look for mashups like the Sherry Colada Highball or the Apple Manhattan (a sort of revamped Appletini, with applejack combined with a Manhattan made with bacon-infused rye whiskey). Izakaya-style comfort food, like the crispy Electric Chicken, is available on both levels, snipped tableside with a pair of kitchen shears into bite-sized morsels.

Midnight Cowboy (Austin)

Make a reservation. Find the hidden door. Ring the bell. This former brothel-turned-speakeasy, Midnight Cowboy is a craft cocktail pioneer that opened in 2012 and still draws us in. The narrow, low-lit room has an intimate feel, with rows of black tufted-leather booths and exposed brick, a chill counterpoint to the raucous nightlife of so-called “Dirty Sixth.” The menu runs to riffs on classic cocktails and changes frequently. The recent “Cowboys vs Aliens” iteration included riffs like a Crop Circle Colada, brightened with carrot juice and tamarind, and The Void, a deep, dark Espresso Martini.

Mirate (Los Angeles)

Located in the Los Feliz neighborhood, this multilevel Mexican restaurant and bar puts agave spirits front and center, including many smaller, private-label bottlings you won’t find anywhere else. Under the guidance of beverage director Max Reis, Mirate offers a well-curated selection of Mexico-sourced wine, beer, and spirits, plus fermented drinks like pulque and tepache. California produce like loquats, passion fruit, and guava help give drinks a tropical lilt. That can translate to cocktails like the El Guero (named after Mariscos El Guero in Ensenada), made with avocado-washed tequila, coconut, and nopales granita, garnished with cucumber-kelp “caviar.” The house-canned paloma, Tu Compa, also receives plaudits, incorporating pulque and housemade Squirt, a lemon-lime soft drink.

Trick Dog (San Francisco)

Old dog, new tricks: After more than a decade, this Mission District bar still feels fresh. At heart, it’s a neighborhood bar with a clubhouse vibe, yet it is also a destination spot that true drinks enthusiasts seek out. Much of the magic stems from industry veteran Josh Harris, owner and founder of Bon Vivants Hospitality, and his team. But it’s also about the creative, ever-changing food and drink menus. How about “Dogs, The Musical,” which pokes fun at the musical Cats with a Playbill-like menu and drinks like the rum-soaked Rum Pum Pupper, or the nautical-themed Salty Dog menu before that? A new iteration dropped in January, which always draws curious fans back to the duplex bar. Best of all, Trick Dog blends mixology and philanthropy, donating to local charities and funding annual college scholarships for under-resourced students in the Bay area.

Happy Accidents (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

This spacious, brightly hued bar opened in 2021, one of the first in the area to open after pandemic restrictions were lifted. Co-owned by Blaze Montana and Kate Gerwin, the latter a finalist in the Drink Masters competition on Netflix, Happy Accidents offers memorable drinks that evoke nostalgia. There’s a Froot Loop-infused clarified cocktail, or the playful Happy Little Accidents made with rum, guava, and passion fruit foam, topped with an edible print of legendary TV painting instructor Bob Ross. Yet, the bar also has a more serious side. A bartender-owned operation, it has made a point to create an equitable business model that also offers health insurance, profit sharing, and above-average wages.

Law Bird (Columbus, Ohio)

The pink neon sign reads “Not Governed by Reason.” That’s an apt description for this quirky bar, which opened in 2019 in the Brewery District just outside downtown Columbus. The bar reinvents itself regularly, as it switches up not just the drink menu, but also the food and décor. Iterations have included Galactic Disco and Japanese City Pop, while Hot Dog Night is a Wednesday fixture. Annie Williams Pierce, who co-owns Law Bird with Luke Pierce, was the first woman to win the Most Bombay Sapphire Imaginative Bartender Competition. She’s the brilliant mind behind such whimsical drinks as Stroop There It Is, an Old Fashioned variation made with Biscoff-infused bourbon.

To uncover the best food and drink experiences for travelers, Food & Wine polled over 400 chefs, travel experts, food and travel writers, and wine pros from across the globe for their top culinary travel experiences. We then turned the results over to our Global Advisory Board, who ranked the top nominees in each category. For the full list of all 165 winners, visit foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.

Read the original article on Food & Wine