lonely planet

As you enter the three-story colonial house in the historic Old Quarter, you are greeted by massive jars of rice wine with a myriad of exotic ingredients (delicious and strange) infusing the liquor. The roof terrace is the ideal spot to swap stories with fellow travellers while sitting on cushions at low bamboo tables and dining on the cuisine of the mountain regions. Where else can you eat tasty insects, sitting under lanterns on a roof terrace, beside an ancient temple, surrounded by local works of art?

Wonderful atmosphere, great wines, and beautiful art! A wonderful selection of wines available by the glass or bottle. Enjoy your wine sitting at the long polished oak bar, or in the cosier, romantic back dining room. The dining room has plenty of eye candy… it features the Willi’s Bottle Art collection. Since the early 1980’s a different artist has been commissioned each year to produce an image of Willi’s Wine Bar. The result is an eclectic, beautiful collection of art which is a wonderful treat for your eyes!

Bartenders with emotion, strong drinks, killer beer selection (9+ on tap), excellent wine list, food until 9pm, like a re-adjusted, semi-dysfunctional family.

Our favourite little bar in our favourite place on Earth! The undercover outdoor bar has breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. The owners, Godfrey and Diane have never met a stranger. Great spirits, food and atmosphere, it’s a bar that makes you never want to go home! When I retire, I’m moving in!

Sheer chilled out ambience with deep red and purple veils draped throughout. They serve fantastic food if you’re hungry, with a menu from world renowned chef Bobby Chinn himself. But even if you choose not to eat, they have a very relaxing bar area, and also a secluded shisha area, made up with super comfy sofas. It appears to be a mixture of French and Vietnamese design, fantastic. For me 5 stars, I’d like to see someone disagree!

A contender for most beautiful bar in Shanghai and certainly one of the most popular, Face is located on the ground floor of a 1936 mansion and has Southeast Asian antiques and a Chinese opium-bed set against persimmon-coloured walls. Outside is a glorious manicured lawn, around which it’s easy to idle away a summer afternoon or evening. Just don’t try walking on the grass. There’s a happy hour between 17:00 to 20:00 when drinks are half price.

This bar is crazy… The only Irish bar packed every night of the week… Hence, I hear, has the highest profit in Ireland. Its crowd comprise of all sorts… the DJ plays everything from trance to Folklore. Very friendly crowd, never any fights… which is surprising considering the drunken state of everyone. Fun, Fun, Fun. Every Dubliner from both sides of the city go there… That says a lot!

If the tourist trash of the ‘red light district’ and coffee shops becomes too much, take a wander on down to the Bourbon Street Blues Club, where the corners are dark, the bass is pulse-altering, and the dance floor is wherever the beat finds you. This is Amsterdam.

Great jet-set atmosphere and good music, with some of the best DJs coming from around the world. Nice guests and staff. Most impressive is the look of the interior which has been done by a well-known designer. Make sure your wallet is full of $$$!

This is a very cosy and chilled hang out where you can have fantastic salads and good drinks. It’s a place for students, starters and a hangout for celebs who just want to relax. A fantastic place to be.