FOUR HUNDRED’S MAY BEST BARS HIT LIST
Contributor - Ximena Lascurain | Lifestyle Consultant • 4/22/25
NEW YORK CITY
Double Chicken Please I 115 Allen Street
True to name, Double Chicken Please politely offers a double dose of innovative concepts that earned it the No.1 spot in North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023. Entering the New York City space, guests are immersed in Free Range, a modernist take on the Lower East Side’s traditional soda taps. In the historic, exposed-brick room, the taps now serve kegged seasonal cocktails and beers.
Neighborhood: East Village
Favorite Drink: Osmanthus Bronx - Teeling Irish Whiskey coffee butter corn, Walnut Wild Mushroom microwaved Coppa
Overstory I 70 Pine St 64th Floor
Elevated 64 stories above New York City’s bustling Financial District, Overstory boasts one of the city’s most beautiful rooms to sip in. An Art Deco lounge oozes retro-glam chic and wraparound terraces guarantee that sips are accompanied by an unparalleled view of the NY skyline.
Neighborhood: Financial District
Favorite Drink: Salty Dog – Gin, Grapefruit, Yuzu Kosho, Shio Koji, Soda
Martiny's I 121 E 17th Street, Gramercy Park
Martiny’s elegant space, staff and cocktails represent the peak of Old New York luxury accented by New Tokyo elegance. While the Gramercy hotspot is named after Phillippe Martiny, the original occupant of this historic carriage house, the homonymic cocktail is well represented.
Neighborhood: Gramercy Park
Favorite Drink: Grand Martiny - Bombay Sapphire gin, La Cigarrera Manzanilla sherry, Churchill’s port 2016, St-Germain, Hine Rare and grapes
MEXICO CITY
Handshake Speakeasy I C. Amberes 65, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc
It’s a two-part story at this hip Mexico City establishment tucked away in Colonia Juárez neighborhood, which was anointed North America’s Best Bar in 2024. Inspired by the Prohibition era, pass the plush velvet curtains to the first port of call on the ground floor where the intimate space for 32 sports a black and gold aesthetic and Gatsby vibes. As for the basement bar, a space that opened in 2023, pure Mexican spirit and energy awaits.
Neighborhood: Colonia Juarez
Favorite Drink: Butter Mushroom Old Fashioned - Bourbon, Brown Butter, Mushroom, Maple, and Walnut
Tlecān I Av. Álvaro Obregón 228-Local 2, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc
Agave distillates are the lifeblood and beating heart at Tlecān, a discreet spot hidden away in Mexico City’s trendy Roma Norte. Step over the threshold and come face to face with an impressive carved stone tribute to the country’s pre-Hispanic roots before devouring the drinks list.
Neighborhood: Roma Norte
Favorite Drink: Pulque Colada – Natural Pulque, Pineapple Milk Punch, Coconut Water, Mezcal Espadín with Coconut Oil.
Licorería Limantour I Av. Álvaro Obregón 106, Roma Norte., Cuauhtémoc
A pioneer of Mexico City’s bar scene, this modern classic located on a busy Roma Norte Avenue is still packing punches like a Mexican lucha libre wrestler after 14 years. Licorería Limantour’s lengthy bar is a conducive spot for both banter and people watching, making it hard to just drop in for a quick one. For the latest drinks list, a capsule collection entitled Conexiones Citadinas (Urban Connections), head bartender José Luis León scoured the flavor thesaurus and culture of his home city for inspiration. Green chorizo, fruit paste and cheese and chocolate-based atole champurrado form part of a six-cocktail sensorial experience that is innovative while also nostalgic.
Neighborhood: Roma Norte
Favorite Drink: Mr. Pink - Rosemary and gin twist on a Paloma
LONDON
Tayēr + Elementary I 152 Old Street
Even five years into its life, Tayēr + Elementary feels as fresh as the day it opened. That’s probably because its power-couple owners Monica Berg and Alex Kratena have always been one step ahead of the world they work in.
Neighborhood: Golden Lane Estate
Favorite Drink: One Sip Martini - It's a mini-martini, pre-batched and frozen, served with a blue cheese-stuffed olive and a blue cheese olive.
Connaught Bar I Connaught, Carlos Place
Connaught Bar is not a venue; it’s an icon of the bar industry. When it opened in 2008, it was the game-changer that cast away the classic trope that five-star hotel bars were stuffy museums to drinking’s past and ushered in a new way of thinking – a bridge between classicism and modernism.
Neighborhood: Mayfair
Favorite Drink: Silver Jubilee Rob Roy - Macallan Silver Jubilee 1977, Martini Rosso Vermouth 1970s, Angostura Bitter 1970s
Scarfes Bar I Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn
The beautifully designed Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London will have you falling for it from the entrance. The revolving door delivers you from the bustle of High Holborn into one of the most glorious nightspots on the planet. On your left side will be the long hardwood bar, tended by half a dozen bartenders – each bedecked in the signature Scarfes white jackets and tartan trousers – and, in the surrounds, clusters of colorful plush seats, each intimate, but with their own ringside view of the live musicians.
Neighborhood: Central London
Favorite Drink: The Naked Italian - Macallan 12, Cantaloupe Melon, Fortified Mandarin and Verjuice
Contributor — Ximena Lascurain | Lifestyle Consultant
From Mexico City, Ximena Lascurain brings to the Four Hundred Team a Latin flair. Growing up and attending Culinary School there, she has always been interested in the culture and gastronomy of her country. When she moved to NYC she attended the International Culinary Center where she certified as a Sommelier under the Court of Master Sommeliers. Prior to Four Hundred she worked in the kitchens of several Michelin star restaurants throughout Mexico, Spain and NY. What she enjoys the most when it comes to travel, is doing a lot of research. Specially when it comes to the "hidden gems" for local food and specialty coffee.