Best bars in North America

A Japanese dining bar in Chicago’s West Loop, Kumiko welcomes guests for drinks or dinner. Its spaces include the dining room, bar and a separate whisky bar, with a daytime café also operating at the address. Use the official reservation page to choose the experience you want.

West Loop · Japanese dining bar · site · IG

Jewel of the South reinterprets the New Orleans tavern in the French Quarter, bringing together seasonal cocktails, food and wine. Chris Hannah directs a drinks programme grounded in classic techniques, while the food menu changes regularly. Dinner runs Wednesday–Monday, with Friday and Saturday lunch and afternoon snacks; reserve through its official OpenTable link.

French Quarter · New Orleans tavern & dining · site · IG

Cafe La Trova brings Julio Cabrera's Cuban cantinero approach together with Michelle Bernstein's Cuban-inspired cooking in Miami. Table reservations are available.

Little Havana · Cuban cocktail and dining bar · site · IG

Sip & Guzzle offers two experiences at the same Cornelia Street address: bespoke cocktails downstairs at Sip and familiar classics in the livelier upstairs Guzzle. Each has its own food and drink menu. Reservations open ten days ahead, and both rooms hold tables for walk-ins; after 10:30pm the late-night menu is for walk-in guests only.

Greenwich Village · Two-level cocktail bar · site · IG

Double Chicken Please offers two cocktail concepts at its Allen Street address. Free Range focuses on having fun with food and drink, while The Coop rebuilds the flavours of iconic dishes as cocktails through culinary techniques.

Lower East Side · Food-inspired cocktail bar · site · IG

Superbueno brings Mexican American flavours to the East Village, with drinks such as the Green Mango Martini, Mole Negroni and Mushroom Margarita. The food menu includes guacamole, potato flautas and other dishes to share. It opens earlier on weekends, and reservations are available through Resy.

East Village · Mexican American cocktail bar · site · IG

Katana Kitten is a Japanese American cocktail bar on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village. Highballs sit alongside drinks such as the Hinoki Martini and Meguroni, with non-alcoholic versions available for selected highballs. It opens at 4pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends. Its published booking contact is for private or semi-private events.

Greenwich Village · Japanese American cocktail bar · site · IG

schmuck. brings a relaxed house-party mood to the East Village with ingredient-led cocktails and Middle Eastern–European bar food. Its Living Room takes reservations, while the communal Kitchen Table is kept for walk-ins.

East Village · Ingredient-led cocktails and bar food · site · IG

Martiny’s brings Japanese cocktail technique and attentive hospitality to a restored nineteenth-century Gramercy carriage house. The three-floor setting pairs precise signatures and martinis with refined small plates. Reservations are available through Resy, with limited space for walk-ins.

Gramercy · Japanese cocktail bar in a historic townhouse · site · IG

Bar Pompette is an intimate College Street bar with thoughtful cocktails, warm service and an easy European café spirit. The room is lively but neighbourhood-minded, and the venue accepts walk-ins only. Groups of eight or more are directed to sister venue Allegro.

Little Italy · European-inspired neighbourhood cocktail bar · site · IG

Service Bar makes ambitious cocktails feel informal: a changing drinks list, fried chicken and sandwiches, and an easygoing U Street room built for bartenders and neighbours alike. The cocktail range runs from light, refreshing drinks to richer classics and house creations, while the food is a reason to visit in its own right.

U Street · Cocktail bar with American comfort food · site · IG

Hidden behind Eaton DC’s Progress Library, Allegory pairs imaginative cocktails with Erik Thor Sandberg’s mural retelling Alice in Wonderland through the story of Ruby Bridges. Its current Banned in D.C. menu extends that visual narrative with punk-inspired scenes and culinary techniques.

Downtown / Eaton DC · Narrative cocktail bar · site · IG

Dante is an all-day Greenwich Village café and aperitivo bar known for Negronis, spritzes and the fluffy-orange Garibaldi. Food runs from brunch through dinner, and a 3–5pm Negroni session offers selected drinks for USD 10.

Greenwich Village · Italian aperitivo café and cocktail bar · site · IG

Employees Only is a high-energy West Village bar and supper room serving modern signatures and house classics alongside a late-night dinner menu. Dinner tables can be reserved, while drinks and appetizers are walk-in; the kitchen runs late and the bar stays open until 4 AM.

West Village · Lively late-night cocktails and supper · site · IG

La Factoría is a group of connected Old San Juan bars: start with cocktails in La Facto, then find the wine room, salsa and jazz at Shingaling, DJs in El Final, a ten-seat classics bar and the neighbouring Cubanita. It opens daily from 11am, takes no reservations and admits guests aged 23 or older.

Old San Juan · Multi-room cocktail and music bar · site · IG

Overstory is a 64th-floor cocktail bar at 70 Pine with a wraparound terrace and 360-degree views. The menu includes cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, wine, beer and food. Reservations carry a $100 per-person food-and-beverage minimum; walk-ins depend on availability.

Financial District · Skyline cocktail bar · site · IG