Hotel bars are havens. Whether it’s a business traveler unwinding after a long day or group of locals celebrating a milestone, everyone is welcome—including those who abstain from drinking, as zero-proof cocktails have shifted from a passing trend to menu mainstays.
To honor the watering holes on the top shelf, Forbes Travel Guide presents its 2026 Hotel Star Bars, which spans 18 countries, from Singapore to Scotland. To compile the second annual list, FTG’s incognito inspectors visited every hotel bar, sampling cocktails as well as food menus—always as a paying guest. The winners were determined by data from FTG’s Star Rating inspections, based on several exacting standards. To make the cut, bars had to achieve top scores for their beverage program and presentation, seamless service and an exceptional guest experience.
Shanghai and Tokyo led the 2026 list, each with three winners. And five bars earned repeat recognition: Le Bar at Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li; Le Bar Américain at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo; Le Bar Botaniste at Shangri-La Paris; Library by the Sea at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa; and The St. Regis Bar at The St. Regis Macao.
Industry giants such as Hilton Luxury and Luxury Group Marriott International dominated, with six spots apiece. But boutique hotels are also shaking things up in the cocktail world with six independent properties landing on the 2026 list.
Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Bars 2026
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club
A mystique surrounds this Manhattan institution, famous for the whimsical murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the beloved Madeline children’s books. A magnet for celebrities for decades, the bar has welcomed everyone from Jackie Kennedy (who has a cocktail named after her) to Timothée Chalamet (who does not—yet).
Red-jacketed bartenders stir up hundreds of martinis nightly. Their secret: a drop of vermouth coats an ice-cold glass, and the cocktail arrives alongside a sidecar (a small carafe on ice to keep it chilled).
Sit under the stylish bar’s arched ceilings and tall palms and peruse Miami’s largest selection of champagne. This perennial hot spot also specializes in martinis, including a rosy-hued Surf Club with house-pickled pink pearl onions infused in martini flavors and the Peanut, which uses Ilegal Reposado mezcal, Mancino Kopi, amaro, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur and, yes, nuts. The bar food is approachable yet refined, with everything from crudo to artisan pizzas.
This open-air bar feels distinctly Mexican, from the Talavera tiles and thatched roof to the glassware and cocktails. One of the most popular picks is the Pedregal Reyes. A play on the margarita, it combines reposado tequila, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, orange, lime and grapefruit juices, and housemade ancho-chile syrup. The crispy garnish is the syrup’s chiles—after the infusion, they are dehydrated and caramelized for more than 12 hours.
Here’s the backstory: this Grand Cayman bar does liquid interpretations of books. Please Look After This Drink, for example, takes a page from A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond. It draws inspiration from the beloved marmalade-obsessed bear’s Peruvian roots and his adopted home of the U.K. Guests can also read the tale—and other works—with the digital copies and hardcovers throughout the space.
At Beverly Hills’ only oyster and caviar bar, opt for the inventive nine-course caviar omakase, which includes compressed watermelon with mezcal and N25 caviar; a caviar burger; and vanilla ice cream with sea salt, olive oil and caviar—all paired with Billecart-Salmon champagne. Though for a single drink, try the Maybourne Old Fashioned made with Macallan 15 Year, Nikka Taketsuru whiskey, pandan and Forbidden Bitters.
San Ysidro Ranch
This Santa Barbara speakeasy has animal-print barstools, tufted leather sofas and unforgettable drinks. As standout is the Surprise Me—tell the bartenders your woes and they will concoct a personalized elixir. Those who don’t like surprises should try the absinthe service, which includes a dramatic tableside fountain.
Whether patrons choose to sit in the wood-paneled bar or the sun-filled terrace, the Yuzu Whiskey Sour hits the spot. A fragrant and floral libation made with Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey and yuzu, it’s shaken with egg whites for a velvety texture, and finished with bitters, fresh basil and viola blossoms. Savor it alongside truffle pecorino popcorn or a house-marinated blend of olives, mushrooms and Peruvian pearl peppers.
The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong/ Chris Cypert
A throwback to 1920s Shanghai, this 52nd-floor bar delivers Art Deco design, live jazz and panoramic views of the Bund, known for its historic architecture. But the cocktails lean modern. The Glazed Shanghai combines vodka, clarified tomato and lemon, while the Art Deco Elixir mixes aged tequila, ginger liqueur and apricot jam. Bar bites—including the sweet-salty-spicy guaiweidou or the rich umami of the crab and salted egg yolk guoba—draw from the city’s famed tea houses.
Escape to a Mediterranean garden in the sky at this 45th-floor rooftop bar in the Japanese capital. While gazing at the skyline, enjoy Italian dishes like bomba, fried dough filled with buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and basil, or the spaghetti e pomodoro, a local favorite. On the cocktail menu, Night Jewel nods to the Italian luxury brand’s amethyst gemstones.
This sleek bar’s buzzing rooftop terrace puts guests high above the city’s central business district. The sense of place carries into Flair’s Sip Chengdu, a collection of 10 landmark-inspired cocktails that tap into authentic flavors of the Sichuan-Tibet highlands region, and the menu of Asian tapas. For those who want more sedate options, there is also an indoor seating area and private VIP rooms.
Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
This Shanghai bar adds a dash of French flair, with cocktails that draw on local influences and stories. Take the Tamarindus Sour, an homage to a sour tamarind candy children enjoy in China. Le Bar also elevates the nostalgic, tangy and sweet treat by sous-viding Martell Noblige Cognac and Yunnan tamarind fruit with clove along with incorporating grapefruit and lemon juices.
Stretching across four contemporary, sophisticated spaces, this bar wins over patrons with nightly jazz performances, a new live opera program and unique desserts, such as the truffle ice cream, a Korean rice-based ice cream topped with freshly shaved truffles. Of course, guests also come for cocktails showcasing Korean ingredients such as mugwort, green plum and hongcho vinegar. The Smoky Note layers rich whiskey with smoky nuances from Korean barley.
During the post-WWII reconstruction of Tokyo, U.S. military officers craving a daytime drink faced a dilemma: how to imbibe without raising eyebrows? Resourceful bartenders found a clever solution, masking the alcohol with milk. The original Palace Hotel’s first bartender served a version of the milky gin fizz, and today, Lounge Bar Privé's Palace Gin Fizz uses same recipe: Gordon’s dry gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and a splash of whole milk.
The bar offers an ode to pineapples, which once flourished in Singapore and symbolize hospitality worldwide. But savor other flavors in the Cassis Reverie, a cocktail that balances Macallan 12 Year with black currant and herbaceous shiso. Accompany it with tramezzini, tomato toast sandwiches with crab mayonnaise and Avruga caviar, or wagyu sliders with chilli jam.
Start the night with an aperitif at this exposed-brick bar in Incheon, South Korea. Featuring Aperol, Campari and champagne, Fancy Spirits wakes up the palate with a balance of bittersweet citrus and delicate effervescence. Teetotalers can opt for Han-Rew, made with Hallabong orange and yuja, both Korean citruses. And all drinks come with housemade snacks, including lotus root chips and cherry tomatoes cured in a plum extract.
The Sanya EDITION
A constellation of 2,000-plus hand-strung crystal droplets gives this top-floor bar an ethereal air. The menu tells the story of Hainan Island through clever cocktails, including Show Me the Bunny, a mix of local rice wine, vodka and fresh rose apple juice served in a custom-designed copper rabbit chalice. Keep with the Hainan theme and select local dishes such as shrimp cakes, a black pork neck sandwich or crispy chicken.
The latest iteration of the 59th-floor bar’s rotating cocktail menu recalls the West Bund’s former Longhua Airport, one of East Asia’s vital hubs. The Tourist cocktail riffs on the margarita, with mezcal lending smokiness, Chinese rice wine adding depth and Sichuan pepper leaving a subtle tingling sensation. As a final touch, a juniper sprig clipped to the rim gets lit up, releasing a delicate herbal smoke. Pair the drink with nachos doused in a housemade green Sichuan pepper sauce.
Macau is renowned for its egg tarts, but this glamorous bar makes them in liquid form. The Macao Egg Tart cocktail celebrates the Portuguese delicacy (the city was a former colony) with dark rum, rich advocaat (a custard-like Dutch liqueur) and cream, and a flower-shaped cookie on top. If this drinkable dessert isn’t enough sustenance, indulge in Australian Black Angus beef char siu or 24-karat-gold-dusted fried chicken.
Overlooking a reflective pool and the lush forest of Kyoto’s Takagamine district, this bar with a view delivers scenery and serenity. The natural beauty influences the Hanamonogatari (which means “flower story”), a gin cocktail that changes with the seasons, rotating in the freshest herbs and fruits. Inside, sit in the airy blond-wood-filled space under the exposed-beam ceiling and order premium Japanese whiskies or fine champagnes.
Tucked along Caochang Hutong—an alleyway that once supplied straw for the emperor’s horses during the Ming Dynasty—this cocktail den bridges the past and present. The Quicksilver honors China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and his pursuit of immortality. Melding traditional Chinese herbs with modern mixology, the drink arrives with a mesmerizing dust of shimmering silver powder that appears to float in the air.
The 28th-floor bar frames dazzling views of Tokyo Bay through 23-foot windows. Yet the scenery has competition—the hotel’s extensive Japanese art collection, which inspires the creative cocktail menu. The Oedo Old Fashioned reinterprets a piece depicting Kara, a mythical creature symbolizing unity and strength. Nodding to the Edo period, when people carried Kara charms for good luck, this libation uses Japanese whisky and barley shochu with notes of cocoa butter and brown sugar.
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
Given that the bar overlooks Champagne’s hillsides, much of the menu revolves around bubbly. For something different, try champagne cocktails like the French Cherry, which incorporates cachaca and cherry bitters for a bold, fruit-forward flavor, or the Winter Champagne, which combines Antica Formula, bitter orange and cinnamon syrup for a warming sip. Then enjoy some of the shareable plates such as pâté en croûte or crispy Obsiblue king prawns.
Tucked amid preserved olive trees and pots of lavender and herbs, this garden-like bar overlooks Greece’s Athenian Riviera and radiates elegance. Try an Alelia's Aged Negroni, made with Botanist gin, house-blended vermouth, Campari, aged rum, amaro and savory bitters. And enjoy it with aperitivo-style, seasonal bites that embrace Mediterranean flavors.
The Edinburgh bar’s Connected Icons menu finds muses among the people and places that shaped the hotel’s history. The Proud Scotsman draws inspiration from Sean Connery, who cut the ribbon during The Balmoral’s 1991 reopening. Crafted with Aberfeldy 16, Sweetdram Amaro, Drambuie, walnut bitters and lemon oil, the smooth and complex cocktail reflects the original James Bond’s timeless appeal.
Chic crowds gather in the art deco-influenced bar’s ruby booths over flutes of champagne. And while the list of bubbly is impressive (there’s even the non-alcoholic 2024 Wild Idol from Germany), the bar also serves a deservedly lauded dirty martini—try it with Claridge’s Gin, made with chamomile and forced Yorkshire rhubarb. Either option will help wash down the fried chicken with lime-chipotle yogurt or Scottish lobster roll.
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo
This legendary bar on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit honors Princess Grace and her love of roses with La Roseraie, a mixture of rosebud-infused vodka, rhubarb, cranberry, lemon and champagne. But the summertime sipper is the Bellini. Only available during peach season, the cocktail evolves with the fruit: it’s pale pink and slightly tangy in June, gradually turning a copper hue by late August. Drinks come with barbajuans (addictive Monégasque spinach-ricotta fritters), though save room for celebrity pastry chef Cédric Grolet’s desserts.
This Five-Star hotel was once the palace of Prince Roland Bonaparte, Napoleon’s grandnephew, and the striped-walled bar resembles a Napoleonic tent used during the emperor’s wars. It also pays tribute to Roland’s passion for botany.
Try the refreshing Caesar 52, a floral, citrusy spin on the French 75, made with Tanqueray gin, grapefruit, maraschino and rosé champagne, alongside dishes such as a mini truffle croque-monsieur and caviar chicken nuggets.
The minimalist lounge finds inspiration from the stunning peaks of Italy’s Dolomites just outside its floor-to-ceiling windows, crafting its cocktails with local ingredients such as honey, elderflower and alpine liquors. Yet it’s the wellness resort’s mocktails list that stands out with interesting creations such as the Alpenoir, with cold-brewed barley, honey and tonic water, or Tea Break, a blend of Trentino red grapes, black tea, clove and honey that recalls mulled wine.
Hotel Martinez
The French Riviera bar sets a sultry mood with a crimson and gold palette that washes over everything from the red glass and gold-leaf ceiling to the Rouge Martinez cocktail. A soundtrack of rare vinyl and a breezy terrace overlooking the garden complete the ambiance. Be sure to order small plates like Jean’s Avocado, where guests prepare their own guacamole in a mortar to scoop up with gaufrette potatoes, and crispy langoustine fritters brightened with local Menton lemon.
While a large cylindrical chandelier anchors the Whitehall bar, its Crystal Chandelier cocktail celebrates the Chafik Gasmi-designed fixture composed of one red (representing the heart of the hotel) and 1,000 white Baccarat crystals that hangs from the lobby’s glass dome. Made with Hendrick’s gin, lychee, St-Germain elderflower and Laurent‑Perrier brut, it’s light and effervescent.
When the future King George V visited the west Ireland landmark as the Prince of Wales in 1905, he gave the bar its moniker. Such a royal pedigree calls for a cocktail like the Last High King. Named for Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, the monarch who united three Irish kingdoms, the drink mirrors that feat by utilizing just three ingredients: Slane Triple Casked whiskey, Antica Formula and Aperol.
The more than 1,000 masterpieces decorating the hotel inspired the bar’s signature Art Collection cocktails. The Tiepolo Lounge’s A… Dollar cocktail channels the Pop art energy of Andy Warhol’s “Dollar Sign” series with a limited-edition Absolut vodka honoring the artist and a “$” adorning the foamy top. For the culinary art, Tiepolo brings guests on a tour through Italy with an aperitivo menu that changes every two weeks.
Hidden in a former bank vault, the cozy refuge still has remnants of its past life with safety deposit boxes behind the bar. Among the innovative cocktails, try the complex Golden Key, made with potent Wynand Fockink IPA genever (Dutch gin) as well as fino sherry, chamomile-vanilla cordial, chocolate bitters, a splash of Noam beer and dashes of balsamic vinegar. The bartender stamps a lock onto the ice and drops in a large gold skeleton key like it’s a stirrer.
The exclusive Edinburgh bar is only open to guests of the 29-room hotel. The intimacy makes for great tastings with the whisky ambassador, who can help navigate the more than 250-bottle collection. Those craving a cocktail should try the bold Islay Old Fashioned made with Bowmore 15, salted caramel syrup and chocolate bitters for a smoky-sweet finish.
The Small Batch Librarian Old Fashioned has been a guest favorite since the wood-lined bar’s pre-opening nearly 20 years ago. The cocktail is aged for 90 days in an oak barrel for depth and smoothness, while an infusion with roasted pistachios and almonds adds a Middle Eastern flair. Alongside comfort food such as wagyu sliders and burnt cheesecake, the lounge offers a premium selection of Cuban cigars.
In the bright Dubai bar with Arabesque patterns and Moroccan pendant lights, the Riviera Blush cocktail brings flavors that remind guests they are at a sun-drenched beachfront getaway. This vibrant drink blends bittersweet Aperol with luscious ripe strawberry and creamy banana. And guests who want to learn how to make their own signature cocktails can reserve a masterclass to craft a bespoke creation that will bear their name.
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Peacock Alley at New York’s legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel, which debuted in 1897, was the blueprint for this lounge, which celebrates local Maldivian ingredients and flavors. Its Caribe Colada is a modern riff of the piña colada, a nod to the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico, the birthplace of the tropical drink. The clarified cocktail retains the pineapple and coconut notes while introducing a smoky finish. It pairs well with the bar’s crisp tuna chips and cashews roasted with curry leaves, garlic and chili.
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