Bartender Simone Caporale’s top bars around the world

Simone Caporale’s love affair with hospitality began at the age of 15, when he worked at a disco in Lake Como, Italy. Twenty-two years on and the Italian is one of the industry’s most respected bartenders – cofounding Sips Barcelona in 2021, which garnered the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2023. An advocate of classic cocktail culture, Caporale believes that marrying traditional recipes with quality ingredients is the key to a cocktail’s exceptional essence.

This summer, Caporale will unveil Montana , a Cuban-inspired bar in Hong Kong that he’s created alongside Hong Kong bar leader Lorenzo Antinori, of the equally gilded Bar Leone. Montana will transport guests back to 1970s Havana through long-lost recipes from the vintage cocktail guide Club de Cantineros de la Republica de Cuba: Manual Oficial, first published in 1930, which includes standards such as the Daiquiri, Mojito and Hotel Nacional. “We want to revive these recipes with the best quality products and warm, open-hearted hospitality,” Caporale says.

There’ll also be modern twists: the classic piña colada is reimagined with barbecue pineapple juice and toasted coconut and served as a slushie. From the snack menu, pineapple is marinated with spices and rum, slow-roasted on a rotisserie then served with vanilla ice cream and Caribbean sea salt.

To celebrate the imminent grand opening of the new toast of the Hong Kong bar scene, Caporale reveals his most treasured drinking establishments from around the globe.

1. Sips, Barcelona

This is a bar without a bar , with a layout that allows everyone to interact through eye contact – making everyone feel included. The venue offers two distinct experiences: the front Drinkery House serves innovative takes on classic cocktails in a casual setting, while Esencia offers an exclusive 90-minute-tasting menu of 11 cocktails. The standout Chromatik cocktail creates a theatrical spectacle with its carbonated siphon sprayed through colourful fruit ice pearls, while our Bloody Mary uses tropical fruits instead of tomato, perfectly mimicking the classic's flavour.

2. Bar Leone, Hong Kong

Bar Leone creates a concept where you feel as though it’s always existed – when you enter, time stops. Lorenzo Antinori’s Roman-inspired venue masterfully blends Italian culture with quality aperitivo service in an atmosphere that encourages pure hedonistic enjoyment. I love their Yuzu Negroni and Il Cacciatore, but I confess I’d happily take a flight to Hong Kong just for their mortadella sandwich.

3. Schumann’s Bar, Munich

Schumann’s is an iconic institution that’s been making people happy for over 40 years. This cocktail mecca has trained hundreds of bartenders who now work worldwide, maintaining impeccable standards for classic cocktail preparation. I recommend their coffee-enhanced Negroni and what I call “one of the best whisky sours you can ever have”, served in an elegant setting with a beautiful terrace.

4. Harry’s Bar, Paris

This 114-year-old institution still boasts its original wood-panelled walls and bar counter transported from New York and reassembled in Paris in 1911. It harks to a fascinating period of Prohibition-era history when American bartenders, including namesake Harry MacElhone, fled to Europe to continue their craft. I suggest the French 75 and historic Bloody Mary, plus their legendary hot dog – one of the first ever served outside the US and dating to the 1920s.

5. Boadas Cocktails, Barcelona

Opened in 1933 by Cuban bartender Miguel Boadas, this landmark was the first European bar to serve Cuban cocktails and pioneered the dramatic technique of throwing – pouring cocktails from a height between two shakers to incorporate air for a velvety texture. The signature Boadas Daiquiri, with its hand-squeezed lime that makes your lips tingle, creates an elegantly refreshing experience in the heart of La Rambla.

6. Café La Trova, Miami

Located on Miami’s famous 8th Street in the heart of Cuban American culture, this authentic venue employs an entirely Cuban team and transforms into a 1980s-themed dance club at midnight. The Hotel Nacional cocktail, invented in Havana, pairs perfectly with live Cuban music and exceptional food, encouraging an evening of dining, drinking and dancing.

7. The Connaught, London, UK

If I had to recommend one bar to visit before you die, I’d go to The Connaught . This hotel bar revolutionised the traditionally stiff luxury hotel experience with a fresh service approach while maintaining uncompromised elegance. I champion their Connaught Martini and the unforgettable Mulata Daisy, which uniquely blends cacao with fennel seed and rum – a combination you’ll never forget.