Ok people, a subject close to the heart of every Inebriated Epicurean! A list of my favorite bars. This is a subject many an Inebriated Epicurean can spend numerous hours debating. The idea to include this list on my blog came to me when Scot and I were in the new fabulous bar in Sydney – Eau de Vie – conveniently located in our hotel! Yeh! We may have frequented the venue a couple of times during our visit. Of course, this list is a work in progress and I welcome your contributions. This list is in no particular order as that would be simply way too hard!
- Eau de Vie, Sydney- voted the “Best New Bar in Australia” – an awesome bar where the bartenders are craftsmen and the atmosphere is like that of a speakeasy.
- BIX, San Francisco – I went here my first night in SF and the ambiance is pure 1930′s San Francisco.
- The Campbell Apartment, Grand Central NYC – old style cocktail bar at Grand Central Station.
- U Maleho Glena, Prague – a cool jazz bar in a basement – we tried to spend $20 each every night we were there and could not do it! Clearly great value.
- Tosca, San Francisco – My friend, Mark, introduced me to this North Beach institution, located next door to Larry Flint’s Hustler Club. I had my first Negroni here…..memories!
- La Bar du Plaza Athenee, Paris – Martinis here back in 2000 reconciling with my husband (then boyfriend). I recall not only the martinis but how he waxed lyrical about the beautiful redheads he saw ‘everywhere’ on his recent trip to Prague. Strange that that I recall this!
- Salon de Ning, Hong Kong – We were ‘stranded’ in Hong Kong one weekend when my husband was not able to enter Australia – apparently he was on some pesky ‘watch list’ – so until that snafu was resolved we consoled ourselves with cocktails here. We are nothing if not resourceful!
- Le Jardins De La Koutoubia, Marrakech – My sister, Karina, and I went into seclusion at this hotel after traveling through Morocco and needing a little vacation. The ambiance in the bar and restaurant was what you would expect from a luxury hotel in Morocco, but it was surprisingly affordable. My sister actually wasn’t speaking to me when we arrived due to an unfortunate ride on a bus across the desert which involved goats. Our hotel was pretty basic so I found this one and moved us, hoping to inspire some conversation from my sibling traveling companion. She finally thawed after an afternoon by the pool with cold cocktails. I believe her words were along the lines of “you fell off the pedestal when you put us on that bus but you are clawing your way back, can you get me another cocktail, please?”
Cheers!
