Some bars are better than others. They might have a better diversity of drink, or design, or tenders. These two need to be known.

Timeless Sophistication in the Cambodian Capital

Elephant Bar at the historic Raffles Hotel Le Royal scooped up “Top Bar of the Year” honors in Cambodia’s most prestigious bar awards earlier this year. The luxury watering hole in Phnom Penh is renowned for having one of Southeast Asia’s most diverse and thoughtfully curated gin collections, with more than 150 labels. Its World Gin Tour, launched in January, showcases highlights from this collection. The bar also stages popular monthly “Bar Takeovers” spotlighting famous mixologists from around Asia, and in May it hosted the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or, the worldwide organization dedicated to the noble art of Champagne sabrage. Elephant Bar exudes timeless charm and sophistication with its rich wood accents, colorful ceiling frescoes and historic photographs on the walls, while wicker chairs and leather sofas bask behind high French windows and arched colonnades in true colonial style.

The Place to See and Be Seen in Hanoi

angelina, the bespoke cocktail bar, whisky lounge and rustic New World restaurant at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, offers a sleek and sophisticated ambiance with a touch of Scottish highlands and hints of gold, green and blue. The dramatic two-story wall of bottles behind the bar is accessed – on the higher shelves anyway – by a sliding ladder. The world-class whisky collection at angelina is unparalleled and its selection of first-rate cigars is widely praised (including by Cigar Aficionado magazine, which described the experience of smoking at angelina as “mandatory” and praised its cigar roster as “terrific”). The bar’s special “Personality-Inspired” cocktail menu aims to match drinkers with their personality type, noting: “Nothing says the real you more than your favorite tipple.”