Baba Nest, Sri Panwa
Phuket
A blue tiled podium, strewn with low tables and sumptuous scatter cushions, surrounded by the ultimate infinity pool, Baba Nest, the rooftop bar at the Sri Panwa on the southeast tip of Phuket is all about the views – in this case, 360° panoramas over nearby Ko Lon and the islands dotting the Andaman Sea. Part of the drive to reclaim Phuket from mass tourism, the 52-villa property is one of the island’s finest, a Tropical Contemporary confection Geoffrey Bawa would surely admire. For the four hours it opens each day – this bar is a five-to-nine affair – it’s worth noting that Baba Nest is also all about the reservations. Without one, even hotel guests can expect to be turned politely, but firmly away.
88/5 Sakdidej Rd, Tambon Wichit, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, T 66. 76 371 000, www.babaphuket.com
Baba Nest, Sri Panwa
Phuket
A blue tiled podium, strewn with low tables and sumptuous scatter cushions, surrounded by the ultimate infinity pool, Baba Nest, the rooftop bar at the Sri Panwa on the southeast tip of Phuket is all about the views – in this case, 360° panoramas over nearby Ko Lon and the islands dotting the Andaman Sea. Part of the drive to reclaim Phuket from mass tourism, the 52-villa property is one of the island’s finest, a Tropical Contemporary confection Geoffrey Bawa would surely admire. For the four hours it opens each day – this bar is a five-to-nine affair – it’s worth noting that Baba Nest is also all about the reservations. Without one, even hotel guests can expect to be turned politely, but firmly away.
88/5 Sakdidej Rd, Tambon Wichit, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, T 66. 76 371 000, www.babaphuket.com
Upstairs, Ace Hotel
Los Angeles
Up on the 13th floor of the Spanish gothic tower built in 1927 to house United Artists (the studio’s flagship cinema downstairs is still intact), Upstairs is a sleek Moroccan Bunker-meets-Griffith Park affair – think wicker furniture, tree-trunk tables, scatter cushions and geometric lamps. Catering to LA’s Downtown crowd, it’s known for top-class cocktails with suitably ironic names, so if a Ramalama Bang Bang sounds too risqué, a Commitment Issues is guaranteed to go down smoothly. Relaxed by day, Upstairs picks up after dark, with DJs, live music, film screenings and pool parties nearly every night. The draw? Sweeping views over Los Angeles, a backdrop that resembles Chartres Cathedral and a menu of finger food designed for poolside grazing, including a de riguer (but delicious) avocado toast.
929 S. Broadway, T 1.213 623 3233, www.acehotel.com
Upstairs, Ace Hotel
Los Angeles
Up on the 13th floor of the Spanish gothic tower built in 1927 to house United Artists (the studio’s flagship cinema downstairs is still intact), Upstairs is a sleek Moroccan Bunker-meets-Griffith Park affair – think wicker furniture, tree-trunk tables, scatter cushions and geometric lamps. Catering to LA’s Downtown crowd, it’s known for top-class cocktails with suitably ironic names, so if a Ramalama Bang Bang sounds too risqué, a Commitment Issues is guaranteed to go down smoothly. Relaxed by day, Upstairs picks up after dark, with DJs, live music, film screenings and pool parties nearly every night. The draw? Sweeping views over Los Angeles, a backdrop that resembles Chartres Cathedral and a menu of finger food designed for poolside grazing, including a de riguer (but delicious) avocado toast.
929 S. Broadway, T 1.213 623 3233, www.acehotel.com
Sky Bar, Grand Hotel Central
Barcelona
So here’s the deal. Ignore the gin menu (even though Spain is in the grip of its own gin revolution and the menu features both Mare and Xoriguer, two of its best brands) and go for a signature drink devised by superstar shaker, Manel Vehí. Scion of nearby Cadaqués’ legendary Bar Boia, Vehí’s cocktails tend towards classic albeit with some kind of contemporary twist, a case in point being the Guanabana Martini, which uses tequila in place of gin and rewards drinkers with a jalapeño afterburn that almost brings a tear to the eye. Settle into a sofa, stand at the bar or trail fingers in the pool, wherever you choose to settle, you be rewarded with spectacular sea and city views.
Via Laietana, 30, T 34. 932 95 77 90, www.grandhotelcentral.com
Sky Bar, Grand Hotel Central
Barcelona
So here’s the deal. Ignore the gin menu (even though Spain is in the grip of its own gin revolution and the menu features both Mare and Xoriguer, two of its best brands) and go for a signature drink devised by superstar shaker, Manel Vehí. Scion of nearby Cadaqués’ legendary Bar Boia, Vehí’s cocktails tend towards classic albeit with some kind of contemporary twist, a case in point being the Guanabana Martini, which uses tequila in place of gin and rewards drinkers with a jalapeño afterburn that almost brings a tear to the eye. Settle into a sofa, stand at the bar or trail fingers in the pool, wherever you choose to settle, you be rewarded with spectacular sea and city views.
Via Laietana, 30, T 34. 932 95 77 90, www.grandhotelcentral.com
Wine Bar & Terrace, Memmo Alfama
Lisbon
These days, Lisbon is so hot, it hurts. Pulling in admirers from all over the world, drawn to this long-underrated city by its faded colonial charm, riverfront beauty and abundance of cutting-edge design, it’s naturally come up with some equally enchanting places for them to stay. Enter Memmo, which has two properties in town, including one in the historic Alfama. A medley of white marble and dark decking, and with uninterrupted views across the jumbled roofscape to the Pantheon and out over the Tagus, the rooftop Wine Bar is all about lounging – though there’s also a pool, if you fancy a dip – and focuses on pairing traditional Portuguese nibbles, like breaded green beans and selections of smoked hams, with some of the country’s finest wines.
Tv. Merceeiras 27, T 351. 21 049 5660, www.memmohotels.com
Wine Bar & Terrace, Memmo Alfama
Lisbon
These days, Lisbon is so hot, it hurts. Pulling in admirers from all over the world, drawn to this long-underrated city by its faded colonial charm, riverfront beauty and abundance of cutting-edge design, it’s naturally come up with some equally enchanting places for them to stay. Enter Memmo, which has two properties in town, including one in the historic Alfama. A medley of white marble and dark decking, and with uninterrupted views across the jumbled roofscape to the Pantheon and out over the Tagus, the rooftop Wine Bar is all about lounging – though there’s also a pool, if you fancy a dip – and focuses on pairing traditional Portuguese nibbles, like breaded green beans and selections of smoked hams, with some of the country’s finest wines.
Tv. Merceeiras 27, T 351. 21 049 5660, www.memmohotels.com
Le Rooftop, The Peninsula
Paris
Take an intimate arrangement of chic sectional sofas and sun-shaded tables, screened by shrubs painstakingly clipped to within an inch of their lives, add views across the rooftops to the Eiffel Tower, which glitters into the night, and you’ll agree that it may be possible to find a more perfect Parisian setting than Le Rooftop, but you’ll be hard pressed to find it. Occupying the same space as the L’Oiseau Blanc, the Peninsula’s French restaurant, which is headed by Meilleur Ouvrier-awardee, Christopher Raoux, the bar attracts a well-dressed, well-heeled crowd, especially during Fashion Week. An art nouveau belle époque beauty below – the city-block-sized building was originally built to be a hotel – the cosy rooftop presents a more contemporary face, though the service remains reassuringly classical.
19 Avenue Kléber, T 33. 1 5812 2888, www.peninsula.com
Le Rooftop, The Peninsula
Paris
Take an intimate arrangement of chic sectional sofas and sun-shaded tables, screened by shrubs painstakingly clipped to within an inch of their lives, add views across the rooftops to the Eiffel Tower, which glitters into the night, and you’ll agree that it may be possible to find a more perfect Parisian setting than Le Rooftop, but you’ll be hard pressed to find it. Occupying the same space as the L’Oiseau Blanc, the Peninsula’s French restaurant, which is headed by Meilleur Ouvrier-awardee, Christopher Raoux, the bar attracts a well-dressed, well-heeled crowd, especially during Fashion Week. An art nouveau belle époque beauty below – the city-block-sized building was originally built to be a hotel – the cosy rooftop presents a more contemporary face, though the service remains reassuringly classical.
19 Avenue Kléber, T 33. 1 5812 2888, www.peninsula.com
