Book excerpt: From the people who have been delivering trustworthy guidebooks to every destination in the world for 40 years, Lonely Planet's 50 Bars To Blow Your Mind handpicks the world's most extraordinary drinking holes, from caverns and island party havens to a bar nestled in an ancient tree trunk. This pocket-sized gift book showcases 50 of the world's best bars and is the perfect gift for anyone interested in the best places in the world for a drink. Whether they boast a jaw-dropping location, world-class artisan cocktails or effortless cool, these bars are among the best places on the planet to enjoy a drink or two. How have we whittled down this list? Some bars have earned their spot by playing up their obvious assets, whether it's an interesting urban location or a stunning natural setting. Others are champions of the basics, be they cocktails or single liquors, while still others do something dramatically unusual or fun; some are so quirky it's impossible not to marvel over a custom-made cocktail. But perhaps the secret sauce in all this is genuine desire to delight each person who walks through the door. It's a love of hospitality and an enthusiasm for the precious drop. Whether you're a fan of barefoot, surfside imbibing or you prefer sophisticated cocktails in stylish surrounds, it's time to plan your list. Cheers, salut, bottoms up. See you at the bar. Wow factor // Beautiful bars Al Sarab // Dubai The Island Bar // Sydney Northern Lights // Reykjavik Ozone // Hong Kong Sky Bar // Bangkok Water & Wind Bar // Binh Duong White Rabbit // Moscow Mixology // Cocktail bars Academia da Cachaca // Rio De Janeiro Attaboy // New York City Gen Yamamoto // Tokyo Lidkoeb // Copenhagen Monkey Bar // Berlin Smuggler's Cove // San Francisco Sum Yi Tai // Singapore Tales & Spirits // Amsterdam Yuan Oyster & Cocktail Bar // Shanghai A'brewin' // Craft beer bars Delirium Cafe // Brussels Magnolia Brewing Company // San Francisco Petritegi Tolare Sagardotegia // San Sebastian T-Anker // Prague Torst // New York City Shh! // Hidden bars Area 51 Top Secret Party Facility // Boracay Aux Deux Amis // Paris Cafe Madrigal // Havana El Quim de la Boqueria // Barcelona Gallow Green // New York City The Harrison Speakeasy // Buenos Aires The Jerry Thomas Project // Rome Rhythm // Music & party bars 360Istanbul // Istanbul Bluefrog // Mumbai Linda's Tavern // Seattle Opera Club // Warsaw Tooting Tram & Social // London Whimsy // Quirky bars Baobab Tree Bar // Limpopo Bounce Ping Pong // London Le Comptoir General // Paris Icebar // Jukkasjarvi Joben Bistro // Cluj-Napoca Museum HR Giger Bar // Gruyeres The Storm Crow Tavern // Vancouver About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.