Martini cocktails, martini bars and martini culture
Dublin is not the best place for cocktails, with its rivers of Guinness and Irish wisky, but still it is possible to find some good Martini spots. One is the Mint Bar at the Westin Hotel: once the caveau of a bank, the bar is a rather large and confortable lounge where middle and upperclass …
Back in 1952, the famous bartender Giuseppe Cipriani, creator of the Harry's Bar in Venice, convinced his friend Enrico Mariotti to use the name “Harry’s Bar” also for his new bar in Florence. Since then, the bar is the realm of Leo Valdorini, probably the only bartender who was honoured with the Key of the City …
Before entering the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone, in New Orleans, I was convinced that - at the end of the day - good bars are good bars, but they all are quite similar, the rest are details. Then I sat at the bar, I ordered a Martini (sorry, a very good Martini) and …
Clarksdale, a small and sleepy village along Route 61, is the "ground zero" place of the Delta blues, the place where Muddy Waters played his first chords, and the place where Mr Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. Do you need something more to be convinced to pass by? Yes, a good bar. Well, …
The Peabody Hotel in Memphis is a landmark in US history, at least for two reasons: it is the place where Elvis used to buy its clothes (!!) and it has a fountain where a few famous ducks happily swim all day long. Apart from this, the Peabody offers a lobby bar that is referred …
A poshy restaurant and bar in Santo Domingo, the Mitre is the place to go to experience some dominican high-society fauna. It has a nice terrace, wonderful food and more than decent martinis. The music volume is high and the place gets crowded after dinner, all in all, it deserves a visit if you are …
Gubbio is a wonderful small medieval city in the hearth of Italy, full of traditions and strongly linked to its past. It is one of those places where even the most serious Martini traveller would not look for a Martini bar, accepting to go for some other options (the wine in the region is very …
The Seven Jokers is a small bar in the centre of Athens, that seems to come from Alice in Wonderland: old wooden furnitures, colored lights everywhere, and a tree in the very middle of the scene. Go there at seven for an aperitivo, stay longer for more drinks, and if you wish accompany the crew …
The bar scene in Athens is simply amazing, with plenty - I mean plenty - of bars of any kind, from the classic taverna-style to the most modern environments, all crowded with young and less-young happy crowds you can imagine. Among these many options, the Belafonte is one of the best. Located a bit outside the …
Born as a pastry shop in 1832, the Ex Urbanis is a nice spot a few steps from one of the most beautiful squares on earth, Piazza Unità in Trieste. The Bar still has its original glasses and a spectacular 1800 mosaic on the floor, all combined with modern furniture and lights. Even though the …
The Martini Hour 