The hotel bar is the only bar built every evening for strangers. That is why it is so good, and that is why it is so underrated.
Hotel bars have an image problem: you think of a piano, nuts and business travellers. The reality in the good houses is different. The Ory Bar in the Mandarin Oriental Munich, the Widder Bar in Zurich, the Roomers Bar in Frankfurt are bars that would appear on any best-of list if you took the hotel away.
Why they are so good
Hotels can afford bartenders who would have their own bar elsewhere, and they can afford ice, glassware, rare bottles and staff. The bar does not have to make money on its own, it has to represent the house. That leads to menus with classics that are perfect and signature drinks that carry the house.
No room needed
Almost all hotel bars are open to everyone. The doorman does not ask for your room number but for your table. If you are unsure, walk through the lobby as if you belong, and by doing so you do.
The best time
Between 6 and 8 pm, when the hotel guests are at dinner and the bar belongs to the locals. And after 11 pm, when the restaurants close and the bar becomes a living room. At weekends houses like Roomers and 20up have DJs and a door.
The price
Hotel bars are more expensive: 16 to 24 euros per cocktail is normal. In return the craft is reliable, the service quick and the seating comfortable. One drink in a hotel bar and two in a bar around the corner is the best way to divide an evening.
The hotel bars worth it
Munich: Ory Bar. Zurich: Widder Bar and Kronenhalle Bar. Frankfurt: Roomers Bar. Hamburg: 20up in the Empire Riverside. Düsseldorf: The View in the Innside. Vienna: Das Loft in the SO/. Mallorca: Lío in Puerto Portals.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink in hotel bars without staying there?
Yes, almost all hotel bars are open to everyone.
When are hotel bars at their best?
Between 6 and 8 pm and after 11 pm, when the hotel guests are at dinner or in their rooms.
