Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1546381
FLORERIA ATLANTICO Where Buenos Aires and Washington, D.C. In a nutshell A bunch of pirates How it works Fancy a martini with your marigolds? The first location of this cocktail bar was concealed down a discreet staircase from a fully stocked florist—hence the name—in the Retiro neighborhood, and it replicated the idea with its second outpost in the US Capitol. You'll need to ask the florist-slash-host to let you through the antique refrigerator door at the rear, which leads to a basement drinking den. Vibe Owner Tato Giovannoni intends for both rooms to feel like seafaring taverns, evoking a sense of heady port culture—he's a graphic designer, amongst many other hats he wears, and personally oversaw the paintings of fantastical sea creatures adorning the basements in both cities. Drink to sip The ever-evolving menu is intended to evoke the rich immigrant history of Argentina, drawing from the cultures and flavors of those who settled here; arguably the place to start is with a Negroni Balestrini, a smoky take on the classic, which incorporates yerba mate–infused gin and is served at both locations. 1930 Where Milan In a nutshell La dolce vita secreta How it works In this bar's original location, it took a membership card, with a name printed in invisible UV–revealing ink, for access via what purported to be an Italian-style bodega. It decamped to a new site last year, in the basement of Mag La Pusterla, with a fresh approach to gatekeeping: only 193 members with priority reservation rights before anyone else can slip inside. Vibe Two vaulted rooms filled with marble and rattan, like a colonial-era drinking den somewhere hard to find on a map. The vintage jukebox, which replaced the original location's piano, is filled with equally old-school vinyl for you to choose. Drink to sip Parmigiano Colada, anyone? Try the signature umami-spiked riff on the piña colada with 24-month–aged cheese foam or the Tortellini in Brodo, a whisky-powered dose of chicken soup, fittingly served in a tureen. FROM TOP Inside Milan's 1930; the bar's signature Parmigiano Colada; a Negroni Balestrini at Florería Atlántico; at the bar at Callooh Callay, in London CALLOOH CALLAY Where London In a nutshell Alice through the drinking glass How it works The madcap bar's mission is hinted at via its name, taken from Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem Jabberwocky— though it's more a Narnia-style experience to pass from the open-to-all front bar via the full-sized wardrobe to reach not one but two secret spaces hidden inside. Make sure to push past the velvet curtain to head upstairs to the JubJub bar, the ultimate hideout. Vibe You might think you've overindulged the moment you step inside, thanks to the gloriously trippy thrift-store–on-acid décor, which includes seats made from bathtubs and walls plastered with cassette tapes. Drink to sip Owner Richard Wynne and his team are dedicated to a rotating cast of drinks, refreshing the menu regularly, but a staple remains the House Daiquiri, made with its own proprietary rum blend and a dash of kalamansi—a type of citrus from the Philippines—alongside the lime. HIGHBALL LTD Where New York City In a nutshell Hercule Poirot's office party How it works The only way to reach the train wagon–like bar tucked into the 11th floor of a nondescript 36-story office building on Third Avenue in midtown is via the freight elevator. Vibe The 65 seat, 7,000-square-foot spot is intended to evoke those luxury railcars, with a faux-deco aesthetic that leans heavily on velvet, brushed brass, and dark woods, plus a floor-to-ceiling bronze fireplace. Drink to sip Obviously, one of the namesake drinks, a personal passion of owner Jeff Bell. Try the Kabosu Tonic, for example, which swaps out traditional lemon for the softer, rounder Japanese citrus. C O U R T E S Y O F 1 9 3 0 M I L A N ; P H OTO BY A S H L E Y H E A R N ( F LO R E R I A AT L A N T I C O) ; L AT E E F P H OTO G R A P H Y (C A L LO O H C A L L AY ) 143 143