Top Bars in United States: 30 editor-picked rooms

30 bars worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All United States guides.

Bar Leather Apron ★ 4.9 · Honolulu

745 Fort Street, Honolulu, HI 96813

Bar Leather Apron in Downtown Honolulu is Justin and Tom Park's intimate cocktail bar on the TOPA Financial Center mezzanine, the 2023 James Beard winner.

Tip: Reservations highly recommended; walk-ins welcomed by availability. Open Wednesday to Saturday 17:00 to midnight.

Sovereign Remedies ★ 4.8 · Asheville

downtown · 29 N Market St, Asheville, NC 28801

Sovereign Remedies on North Market Street is the multilevel apothecary-themed cocktail bar in a historic downtown building. Bar opened 2014, kitchen runs.

Tip: Reserve a table on Resy. The downstairs bar takes walk-ins for the cocktail menu. Closed Tuesdays.

The Marble Ring ★ 4.8 · Birmingham

avondale · 430 41st Street South Suite B, Birmingham, AL 35222

The Marble Ring on 41st Street South Avondale Birmingham is an intimate speakeasy entered through a phone booth, with 80 seats and a classic cocktail menu.

Marble + Rye (Cocktail Bar) ★ 4.8 · Buffalo

112 Genesee St, Buffalo, NY 14203

Marble + Rye on Genesee Street downtown is the Dimmer-Willmott cocktail program, with seasonal mixed drinks and Buffalo's most considered bar work.

Devil Takes a Holiday ★ 4.8 · Burlington

church-street-marketplace · 111 St Paul Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Devil Takes a Holiday on St Paul Street across from City Hall Park, an upscale Burlington cocktail lounge with hand-crafted drinks and a chic vintage room.

Kumiko ★ 4.8 · Chicago

630 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60661

Kumiko in Chicago is Julia Momose's West Loop Japanese cocktail bar on Lake Street, with a kaiseki-leaning food menu and a James Beard Outstanding Bar.

Tip: Book the chef's-counter omakase pairing if you have a long evening; otherwise the bar Toki highball is the showcase order.

Sundry and Vice ★ 4.8 · Cincinnati

over-the-rhine · 18 W 13th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Sundry and Vice on West 13th Street in OTR is Cincinnati's apothecary-themed cocktail bar with bitters and one of the city's strongest spirits programs.

Law Bird ★ 4.8 · Columbus

brewery-district · 740 S High St, Columbus, OH 43206

Law Bird on South High Street in Columbus is Luke and Annie Williams Pierce's intimate cocktail and natural-wine bar in the Brewery District since 2019.

Williams and Graham ★ 4.8 · Denver

3160 Tejon St, Denver, CO 80211

Williams and Graham in Denver is Sean Kenyon's Highland speakeasy behind an unmarked bookcase, a James Beard nominee since 2011 and a Front Range cocktail.

Standby ★ 4.8 · Detroit

downtown · 225 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48226

Standby in The Belt alley off Gratiot serves modern cocktails in downtown Detroit since 2015. Order the house cocktail, often barrel-aged. At 225 Gratiot Ave.

Tip: Entry is from The Belt alley; reservations through OpenTable. World's 50 Best Discovery list.

Herbs and Rye ★ 4.8 · Las Vegas

3713 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89102

Herbs and Rye in Las Vegas is the West Sahara speakeasy since 2009, a classic-cocktail bar and late-night steakhouse with the half-price happy hour.

Tip: Happy hour daily 17:00-20:00 runs all classic cocktails and steaks at half price; the only happy hour late enough for the swing shift.

Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar ★ 4.8 · Louisville

127 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Doc Crow's on West Main in Louisville pours from a 2,700-bourbon library on Whiskey Row, the city's deepest bourbon list paired with smoked brisket and a raw.

Tip: Walk-in for the bar. The Whiskey Wednesday flight runs four pours for $24.

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge ★ 4.8 · Milwaukee

1579 S 9th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge on South 9th Street in Lincoln Village has poured no-menu cocktails since 1938 with dealer's-choice service and signature pink.

Jewel of the South ★ 4.8 · New Orleans

1026 St Louis Street, New Orleans, LA 70112

Jewel of the South in New Orleans is Chris Hannah's St Louis Street cocktail temple in an 1830s Creole cottage, four-time North America's 50 Best South USA.

Tip: The brandy crusta was invented by Joseph Santini in New Orleans circa 1850; this is the canonical version.

Ordinaire ★ 4.8 · Oakland

lake-merritt · 3354 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610

Ordinaire on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt has poured natural wine since Bradford Taylor opened it in 2013. Bistro plates, daily until 21:00.

Hop Sing Laundromat ★ 4.8 · Philadelphia

1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Hop Sing Laundromat in Philadelphia is the unmarked Chinatown speakeasy on Race Street since 2012, with 1,000-plus rare spirits, strict house rules.

Multnomah Whisk(e)y Library ★ 4.8 · Portland

downtown · 1124 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97205

Portland's whiskey library and membership lounge on SW Alder, with 1,500+ bottles on rolling library ladders, leather wingbacks and cart-pulled cocktail.

Tip: Members reserve ahead. Non-members enter via the standby line at 17:00 (or Mon-Wed walk-ins more reliable).

Water Witch ★ 4.8 · Salt Lake City

granary-district · 163 W 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Water Witch on West 900 South, Sean Neves, Scott Gardner and Matt Pfohl's Central 9th cocktail bar, was a 2025 James Beard Outstanding Bar finalist.

Tanto ★ 4.8 · Tampa

seminole-heights · 5707 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Tanto on North Florida Avenue runs a creative Latin-inflected cocktail program with mezcal, agave spirits and a small-plates menu of Latin American bites.

Bern's Bar Below 1208 ★ 4.8 · Tampa

hyde-park · 1208 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606

Bar Below 1208 sits underneath Bern's Steakhouse and runs creative cocktails using the Bern's cellar inventory, with vintage vermouth and rare amari.

The Owls Club ★ 4.8 · Tucson

downtown · 236 S Scott Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701

The Owls Club on South Scott in downtown Tucson is a Food and Wine Top 10 US Bars 2026 cocktail room set inside a former funeral home in the Armory Park area.

Antidote at Chemist Spirits ★ 4.7 · Asheville

south-slope · 151 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Antidote at Chemist Spirits on Coxe Avenue runs three floors of 1920s apothecary-styled cocktail bar above the Chemist gin and rum distillery.

Tip: Top-floor bar takes the views. Tours of the distillery downstairs run weekends; book ahead.

Kimball House ★ 4.7 · Atlanta

decatur · 303 East Howard Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030

Kimball House in Decatur, Atlanta runs the city's most-awarded cocktail and oyster bar inside a converted 19th-century train station. Booking recommended.

Tip: Sunday Happy Hour 17:00-18:30 runs cheaper oysters and cocktails. The bar takes walk-ins late on weekends.

Saturn ★ 4.7 · Birmingham

avondale · 200 41st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222

Saturn on 41st Street South in Avondale Birmingham is the 2015 Brian Teasley-founded music venue and bar in the former Cory and Faulkner Hardware building.

Hot and Hot Fish Club Bar ★ 4.7 · Birmingham

pepper-place · 2901 2nd Avenue South Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35233

Hot and Hot Fish Club Bar at Pepper Place Birmingham runs craft cocktails alongside Chris Hastings's Southern menu, with the chef-counter and bar seats.

Backbar ★ 4.7 · Boston

somerville · 7 Sanborn Ct, Somerville, MA 02143

Backbar in Union Square Somerville has poured artful cocktails behind an unmarked door in Boston since 2011. Order the greek mastiha milk punch.

Tip: Walk-in only, no reservations. Last call 23:15. Order from the staff-pick chalkboard for the best off-menu drink.

Tip: Walk-in seats at the bar are easier than the dining room. The hidden speakeasy upstairs is reservation-only.

Top Bars in United States