World's Best Vodka Bars

Lucy Britner, World’s 50 Best Bars academy member, unearths some of the world's best vodka bars

The word on the street is that vodka bars as a standalone concept are not as popular as they once were. After all, vodka is not the favourite spirit of today’s bartender - its historical association with cocktails is just over 100 years old, making it much younger in cocktail years than, say, gin. 

According to David Wondrich, the first vodka cocktail on record in the US comes from New Hampshire, when in 1905 a bartender mixed up a few vodka tipples for some visiting Russian dignitaries – sadly there is no recipe. 

But it remains one of the most popular spirits in the world and there are still a few bars around that worship at the altar of vodka. There are also plenty of bars doing great things with vodka, even if they are not devout worshippers. 

Many of the vodka bars we know and either love or loathe today seem to follow one of  two themes – they are either gimmicky ice-bar venues with their own puffa jackets and icy glasses or they pay homage to all things Russian, with red stuff and Soviet decor and cocktail names. 

The spirit itself is believed to hail from eastern Europe though there is often debate about where exactly it first cropped up. The Gin & Vodka Association says the first record of vodka production was in Russia in the 9th century, but the Poles claim they were in pole position, having supposedly produced the great white spirit in the 8th century. 

Later observation suggests this might’ve been brandy. Until someone discovers the mechanics of time travel, I guess we’ll never know. Though I hope time travel will be used for something more productive than this little question – using it to locate the Terminator would be a good start. 



Baltic Bar/Restaurant

74 Blackfriars Road, London

balticrestaurant.co.uk

London’s Baltic bar serves more than 60 varieties of vodka – straight from the deep freeze in frozen glasses. The bar makes its own flavoured vodkas using, it says, fresh fruit and spices. The ingredients are left to mature in large glass flagons, which add to the look of the place. Vodkas are served by the glass, in small carafes (10cl) containing 4 shots and large carafes of 25cl and 50cl. 

There are no fewer than 13 super–premium Martinis to choose from, including Belvedere Intense 50%, Snow Queen and Stoli Elite. They come in at £10. Then there are premium martinis for £9 – including Absolut and Ketel One. The classics come dirty, dry or with a twist. 

The vodkas on the list are split into categories including ‘traditional’ and ‘new’. Honey, herb and bison grass fall under the traditional umbrella, while cucumber, wormwood and pear are counted among the newbies. 

The restaurant is full of eastern European delights and, if you’re wondering what the hell that means, it describes them thus: “From the soups, pickled fish and dumplings of Poland and Russia, to the hearty and spiced stews of Hungary through to the aromatic grills and light braises of Georgia…”  Yum. 

V Bar

Royal Kowloon Hotel, Hong Kong

regalhotel.com

V Bar & Lounge describes itself as a “cozy rendezvous to relax and chill”. It serves a wide variety of vodkas as well as cocktails and snacks – with live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. Vodka is divided up by country of origin and you can choose from Swedish, French, Russian, Polish, British, Danish as well as vodka from the US, Finland, Ukraine, China, Australia, Germany and New Zealand. There are all manner of flavours to choose from, too, and some of those trendy American dessert flavours are on the list – whipped cream, anyone? Besides signature and fruity cocktails, there are shooters and classic cocktails. V Bar has all bases covered. 

Davai

Largo La Foppa 5, Milan

This is Russian Standard’s fashionable vodka bar in Italy’s fashionable city – Milano. The interior design is reminiscent of a Russian Standard bottle and apparently Davai in Russian means “let’s go”. The bar prides itself on inviting guest bartenders from all over the world and, according to its Facebook page, the Artesian’s Alex Kratena is among them. 

Brand ambassador Diego Travaglio says: “I believe it is one of the first mono-brand vodka bars in the world and it is the first Russian Standard vodka bar, which means we only use Russian Standard vodka for the drinks (no gin, no tequila, no rum etc, and no other brands of vodka). The uniqueness of our drinks is that, along with the ordinary cocktails we make special and unusual cocktails such as alcoholic toothpaste, carbonated cocktail with C02 and solid cocktails made by our professional mixology barman Arturo Pappalardo.” So there you go. 

The Purple Bar at the Sanderson

50 Berners Street, London

morganshotelgroup.com

As you might’ve guessed from the name, this place (above) is purple. Purple curtains, purple chairs, purple billiard table… more purple than the Cadbury’s packaging factory. 

It’s not ‘just’ a vodka bar but it offers its fair share – scores of them, actually, all lined up and waiting to be made into a Martini, for which this bar is known. The Wordless Martini sounds like a good one to start with: 42 Below Manuka Honey vodka, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino, lemon, fresh pineapple juice, grapefruit bitters (£13). 

This bar hit the headlines in 2010 with what was then claimed to be London’s most expensive cocktail. It didn’t involve vodka but it did come with a diamond ring. The actual cocktail was made from Dom Perignon Oenotheque 1995 blended with fresh plums and red hibiscus nectar. And the price? £3,400. Gulp. 


Silo

221 & 225 W 7th Street, Los Angeles

silosliderbar.com

Well there had to be at least one ice bar-type affair on this list and this LA joint seems cooler than ice cold. It’s -2 inside the Silo (below) ‘Freezer’ and intrepid drinkers can enjoy the venue’s own infusions as well as a host of vodka flights. At one end of the flight spectrum are Russian, Polish and French. Then as you progress in your expertise, you can take on the ultra-premium flight, which features Beluga Gold, Stoli Elite and Kaufmann. Last year the venue introduced a slider bar, attached to the vodka bar via a shared patio. When you’ve finished sipping your spirits, gorge yourself on the vast array of mini-burgers – or sliders. There is also an interesting selection of martinis and if you’ve ever wondered what flavour Schnawberry is, then you need to visit this place. The Schnawberry Martini contains vodka, Martin Miller’s gin, mixed berries, lime and agave. 

City Space

Swissotel Krasny Holmy, Kasmodamiansky Embankment, Moscow

cityspacebar.com

Though it’s not an out-and-out vodka bar, this luxurious Moscow hangout gives a serious nod to its national spirit on the menu. The bar was on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2011 and it is a favourite of bartenders when it comes to guest shifts. While you drink in the view – the bar is located on the top floor (140m) of Swissotel Krasnye Holmy and offers panoramic views of Moscow – why not drink in one of the 31 vodka cocktails available at the bar? The Salty Russian sounds interesting: vodka, honey, salt, grapefruit & lime. Or, if you’ve hit it hard in Moscow over the past few days, kid yourself with Almost Healthy: vodka, blackberry syrup, passion fruit, fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, fructose & orange juice. 

Russian Vodka Room

265 West 52nd street, New York

russianvodkaroom.com

This place claims to be dedicated to the “noble cause of drinking excellent vodka”, among other things. And with a name like Russian Vodka Room, it had better deliver. 

The bar has been around since 1997 and offers its own infusions as well as a huge range of branded vodkas. On the infusions menu, flavours such as red grapefruit, pineapple and strawberry sit alongside more traditional Russian favourites such as horseradish. Garlic, pepper & dill also make up one flavour. If you want an ultra-premium infusion, give blueberry and Tahitian vanilla a whirl. There is a happy hour every day from 4-7pm and even the entertainment is vodka-themed. The Vodka Duet performs every Monday – a jazzy piano and bass combo. 

Naglo Vodkabar

Gustav Adolfs Torg 20, Norrmalm, Stockholm 

naglo.com

If vodka really is your thing and you gasp when you hear people say it doesn’t taste of anything then perhaps you should invite these people to Stockholm for a vodka taste test at Naglo. But don’t take too many people because this is a tiny, tiny bar. You can negotiate with the staff as to what you want to achieve from testing vodkas – is it standard vs premium? Russian vs Polish? There are more than 70 vodkas at the bar so there’s more than enough to cater for what you need. And more than enough expertise to help you convince your cynical friends. 

Pravda

281 Lafayette Street, New York

pravdany.com

Pravda (below) means ‘truth’ and the name is probably more commonly associated with the political newspaper. It is also the name of a vodka and, of course, this bar in New York. The joint describes itself as a subterranean Russian speakeasy and “an underground caviar bar that prides itself in serving the best cocktails and Martinis alongside Russian inspired food”. More than 70 vodkas, including 10 house-infused flavoured vodkas, are on the menu.

Cocktails at Pravda make tongue-in-cheek references to all things Russian and, if you’re feeling like a citrus lift, try a Leninade – citrus vodka, lemon juice and fresh mint. Or, if you’re feeling more theatrical, go for a Gogol – horseradish vodka and pickled quails egg. It strikes us the latter might be an acquired taste.

Pravda

44 Wellington Street East, Toronto

pravdavodkabar.com

Expressing truth is so popular among vodka bars that there’s a Pravda in Toronto as well – though unrelated. The menu at this place splits the vodkas into Old and New World. There are only three countries that the venue counts as Old World – Russia, Poland and Ukraine – and the New World features most other places to have exported vodka. Like its New York friend, its cocktail menu features a playful pop at all things Soviet. Take the KG Banana Martini – vodka, banana liqueur and Irish cream. Or how about a Brezhnev Latte Martini – Pravda vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream, chilled espresso. It’s named after Leonid Brezhnev who was the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and reigned from 1964-1982 – the second longest reign to Stalin.