10 most expensive and exclusive bars around the globe

Sometimes all you need to get through the troubles of the day is a well-made Negroni and a bartender who cares. Here are some of the most expensive bars around the world.

A place to unwind, a place to gather socially, a place to experience exquisite drinks in combination with great hospitality—that’s why one hangs around at bars. The more expensive, the higher our expectations are set. After all, we’re not just paying for the alcohol, we’re paying for the ambience, and the air of exclusivity. A treat to yourself: let’s add some of the most expensive bars in the world to your bucket list.

Most expensive and exclusive bars around the globe

Skyview Lounge, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai, is regarded by many as one of the seven-star hotels of the world. Perched on the 27th floor is the Skyview Lounge, providing guests with a world-class experience through afternoon tea sessions and creative mixology with a view from the private island the hotel is built upon. If you’re in the mood for a Negroni for around HKD 328 a glass, this is where you go.

You can find more information at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.

Metropolitan Club New York

This exclusive club was opened by JP Morgan himself, with a strict formal dress code and no-cellphone policy enforced. A cocktail here isn’t outrageously priced, but a membership cost $5,000 (approx. HKD 39,366) annually. Officially opened in 1984, it’s an establishment with a lot of history and tradition.

You can find more information at Metropolitan Club New York.

Subsix

Reaching Subsix is a Dora’s adventure all by itself: you take a speedboat to a private island, then descend a dramatic three-tier staircase. Drink and dine surrounded by the sea life as if the water is your theatre. Cocktails are about HKD 219 each, but they have an array of very expensive spirits that are fitting for a dinner 20 feet under the sea. Perhaps a Hennessy cognac on the rocks for aboutHKD 3062 ?

You can find more information at Subsix.

The Bar at The Ritz Carlton Tokyo

The Bar features some of the most indulgent cocktails money can buy, which encapsulates the Ginza drinking scene, and yet ups the ante in terms of opulence. The ‘Libre Trinidad’ in their highball menu is made from rum from the Ritz Carlton’s private label, and topped with cola made in house. That will cost you almost HKD 437.

Perhaps you really, really want to treat your significant other. The famous ‘Diamonds Are Forever Martini’ is prepared tableside along with the Marilyn Monroe song of the same name, made from vodka, lime juice, and a simple one carat diamond. Approximately HKD 157,464 and it’s yours.

You can find more information at The Ritz Carlton Tokyo.

Bad Luck Bar

Bad Luck Bar has been a favourite of Detroit for as long a it’s opened. While cocktails start at $22 (approx. HKD 170), you can also look for the signatures with more luxurious ingredients. The ‘Nyx’, named after the Greek Goddess of the Night, not the makeup brand, is made from Hennessy XO Cognac, Yamazaki 12 Year Japanese Whisky, green apple, shiitake mushroom, truffle, garnished with a lemon peel, and served with a custom piece of chocolate.

You can find more information at Bad Luck Bar.

The Peak Bar, Park Hyatt Tokyo

If you’re feeling lost in translation, The Peak offers an exquisite view of the Tokyo skyline along with a fairytale-like setting with Japanese lanterns and a bamboo garden. With custom-created cocktails, make sure you voice your preferences clearly, as it can run you as high as $40 per glass.

You can find more information at The Peak Bar.

Brandy Library

Brandy Library is a small, intimate place frequented by the elites of NYC. With more than a thousand different spirits, whatever obscure rum you want, this place would most likely have it in stock and ready to be made into a cocktail. There’s even a cocktail in their menu that uses Yamazaki 12 YO as the base — and it costs $36.

You can find more information at Brandy Library.

Coburg Bar, The Connaught Mayfair

The Connaught is all about timeless elegance, which is probably why the bar spends time perfecting how to properly concoct classic cocktails. Of course, that also comes with a price tag on the hefty side as a cute, little glass of Pisco Punch can cost you as much as £25.

You can find more information at Coburg Bar.

Argo, Four Seasons Hong Kong

With their own housemade spirits and tea blends, drinking at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong can be a bit on the pricey side. A glass of their signature martini will cost over HKD 197, and their Negroni around HKD 186. Couple those with some of their honestly impressive bar bites, and it can leave you a bit taken aback when the bill arrives.

You can find more information at Argo.

This story first appeared here.

[Hero Image Credit: Vinicius Amnx Amano/Unsplash; Featured Image Credit: Social Cut/Unsplash]