The Martini Hot List: 20 Bars Reimagining The World’s Chicest Drink

Arguably, The Connaught serves the world’s most famous contemporary martini. Prepared tableside from the bar’s celebrated drinks cart, the process is every bit as memorable as the drink itself. Guests choose from a selection of bespoke bitters before the cocktail is mixed using the house’s own gin and custom vermouth blend, then poured from a dramatic height into a frozen crystal glass. Elegant and luxurious, many consider it the benchmark against which all others are measured.

Hidden behind an unmarked door behind Bar Montez at the Rosewood Munich, 100B approaches martinis with the seriousness of a private banking institution. Inspired by the building’s former life as the State Bank of Bavaria, the menu is presented as a portfolio of ‘liquid assets’, ranging from a textbook 50/50 martini to caviar-topped signatures and contemporary espresso-inspired interpretations. Opening in October 2026, it promises to be one of Europe’s most intriguing new cocktail destinations, for those who love a tucked away gem.

The New York institution’s recent, permanent arrival at Claridge’s has brought a slice of downtown Manhattan to Mayfair. Alongside the beloved Dante Martini, guests can order a decadent Caviar Martini or take advantage of the daily Martini Hour, when silver trays laden with perfectly chilled serves emerge between 3pm and 5pm. Its old-school hospitality meets deliciously modern glamour.

At the freshly opened White Elephant Aspen, there is a brand-new lounge with martinis on the mind. Part of restaurant LoLa 41°, 41 Below is a bar that serves a raft of frosted cocktails – to blend with the surrounding mountain scenery – including a series of special martinis. From cucumber-basil infusions to bourbon-based twists, après-ski has never been more appealing.

Every Friday evening, legendary bartender Colin Field transforms Maison Proust into one of Paris’s most exciting martini destinations. Served in Jacques Garcia’s richly atmospheric Belle Époque salons, his collection includes the Ritzini, which combines a ginger essence with Champagne, the crystal-clear Clean Dirty Martini, a scientific feat involving olive eau-de-vie and vodka slowly macerated at -18°C for a week, plus the restrained elegance of the Mujen Martini. Each drink reflects Field’s philosophy of simplicity with particularity, proving that great martinis are often defined by what is left out rather than added in.

One of London’s most happening new openings puts the martini at the center of its universe. Founded by hospitality veteran James Stevenson, Brutes combines the warmth of a neighborhood bar with the polish of Mayfair. Guests can tailor their martini according to spirit, style and garnish, while elevated snacks such as blue-cheese olives and caviar bumps add a little extra flair.

Set inside an 1830s Creole cottage in the French Quarter, Jewel of the South has everything you could want from New Orleans’ rich gastronomic history, while also bringing to the table some world-class cocktail craftsmanship. Chris Hannah’s Tuxedo Trails Martini combines gin, sherry, maraschino and orange bitters in a sophisticated nod to classic cocktail culture. It is a contemporary classic, much like the city itself.

Descending into Sip, The SG Club you experience the underground grit of a Manhattan speakeasy, but with all the intrigue that only Japan can offer. The standout Sodden Martini puts gin with honey, mead, osmanthus and Yellow Chartreuse, creating a floral interpretation of the classic. It is inventive without feeling gimmicky, which is a hallmark of Shingo Gokan’s globally admired approach to cocktail making.

One of the most interesting martinis on our list is not actually listed anywhere on the menus of its bar. The Chapel Vesper, available only to guests who know to ask for it, pays tribute to Stradom House’s former life as a monastery. Made with Polish wildflower spirit and Belvedere vodka, then smoked with Palo Santo wood, it is supposed to mirror, sensorially, the incense once used in the chapel. Be sure to order it in Hedwig’s, which is the property’s intimate, members-only bar.

As if drinking on the terraces of one of the Amalfi Coast’s most cherished institutions wasn’t glamorous enough, Palazzo Avino’s Lobster & Martini Bar serves more than 80 variations of everyone’s favorite cocktail, from pristine classics to fruit- and herb-infused versions inspired by the season. A beautiful aperitivo experience.

Founded in 1899 and occupying one of the glitziest corners of Champs-Élysées, Fouquet’s is a storied haunt of actors, artists and aristocrats (famous guests have included Marlene Dietrich, Joséphine Baker, Édith Piaf and Gene Kelly). The hotel’s newly opened rooftop bar Le Joy promises to keep the charm alive and, of course, centers a strong martini offering.

The signature Joy Martini combines gin and vermouth with an evolving seasonal oleo-saccharum (syrup), added tableside at the final moment. Depending on the season, notes may range from bright citrus to delicate florals, tailored to the mood. Enjoy it on the leafy terrace overlooking the city.

Located inside Brown’s Hotel, London’s oldest luxury hotel, The Donovan Bar approaches the martini with lots of conviction. Think: flawless execution, impeccable ingredients, precise dilution and meticulous attention to detail. It’s an ode to the drink’s history, served as only a London institution could.

Bar Hemingway is cocktail folklore. The tiny Ritz institution is named after Ernest Hemingway, who famously claimed to have liberated it from wartime occupation by waltzing in and ordering 51 dry martinis. Today, the bar’s martinis are an expression of purity and balance, while the celebrated Clean Dirty Martini continues to demonstrate how innovation and tradition can coexist beautifully.

At Musa, guests can join head bartender Dani Martínez for a martini masterclass exploring every aspect of the drink, from temperature and dilution to garnish and glassware. His version is widely regarded as the island’s finest: crisp, balanced and served in surroundings that have a delightful tinge of ’70s glamour.

Salvatore Calabrese’s martinis begin long before they reach the glass. Using a technique he developed in the 1980s, spirits are stored at sub-zero temperatures before being poured directly into frozen glassware. The result is an exceptionally cold, velvety martini with remarkable texture and purity. It’s a reminder that innovation need not always be loud; sometimes it is simply a matter of perfecting the fundamentals.

Named after the savory martini variation itself, Gibson has spent a decade refining the art of the cocktail. Its signature serve combines Roku Gin with house-made sake vermouth and arrives at an icy -15°C, accompanied by pickled garnishes and a smoked quail egg. The experience feels distinctly Singaporean: technically brilliant but also playful and luxurious.

One of Southeast Asia’s most exciting and immersive cocktail destinations offers a tropical reimagining of the martini through its Tequila Vesper. Combining tequila, gin, fortified wine, coconut water and smoked olives, the drink has a ton of depth but is still refreshing and bright. Like the bar itself, it feels modern and cosmopolitan.

The martini gets an agave makeover at NoMad London’s Latin American-inspired cocktail bar. Part of the new Mad About Agave menu, guests can choose between classic, dirty and spicy variations built around tequila and mezcal rather than gin or vodka. The result is smokey and elegant.

Set inside a restored 19th-century carriage house in Gramercy, Martiny’s has lots of New York character but with a Japanese twist. Founder Takuma Watanabe has built one of the most acclaimed cocktail destinations in the city, winning Spirited Awards and landing it on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. The signature Grand Martiny’s cocktail is a complex martini, involving gin, sherry, cognac, port and grape notes – a must-try.

Hidetsugu Ueno’s Ginza institution is one of the great temples of Japanese bartending, with Ueno’s ice-carving skills drawing a crowd that ranges from ordinary guests to other leading mixologists. The martini is treated with huge reverence, stirred to exact temperature and dilution before being served with real flourish. High Five continues to set the standard.