When considering the nominees for Bar of the Year in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, it can be tempting to get a little romantic.
Those who are feeling intellectual might refer to these nine nominees as a the ideal “third place” where people go to escape the pressures of work and home. Others might reference sitcom classic Cheers as these are all establishments where everybody knows your name — or at least will treat you as if they do.
However they’re described, our Bar of the Year nominees offer a combination of atmosphere, drinks, and service that allows them to stand apart from their peers. Each has their strengths, and they all fill slightly different niches. Visit them and decide where to be a regular.
Who will win? Find out March 27 at our Tastemaker Awards ceremony. Dine on bites from this year’s nominees, sip cocktails from our sponsors, and witness as we reveal the winners. Buy your tickets before they sell out.
Bar No. 3 at La Colombe d'Or
Hotel bars always have an air of mystery. They’re a place where travelers from far away places encounter each other — or a local passing through — for what will likely only be a night. The staff at Bar No. 3 understand their role in facilitating those interactions. The posh, dimly lit space encourages conversation, as do the well-crafted drinks. Since the hotel frequently hosts artists and other creatives, one never knows who they’ll encounter.
Betelgeuse Betelgeuse
Chris Cusack knows that pizza makes any party a little more fun. That’s pretty much all anyone needs to know about Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, Cusack’s space-themed cocktail bar and pizzeria. With locations on Washington Ave. and in Montrose, Betelgeuse welcomes diners with its “ironclad” pies that are paired with a range of creative cocktails. Each location hosts a weekly karaoke night that draws a devoted crowd of surprisingly talented regulars.
Clarkwood
This stylish, dimly lit lounge provides the ideal setting for a memorable evening. Whether on a date or gathering with friends, everyone in the room understands they’re somewhere special. Clarkwood’s theatrical, eye-catching cocktails are as photo-worthy as its room’s signature light fixture. When its patio opens later this year, the bar will finally be able to accommodate almost all of the people who want to drink there.
Double Trouble
Still basking the glow of a remodel by Gin Design Group, this Midtown staple remains a compelling destination for both coffee and cocktails. More than the drinks, the bar prides itself on the hospitality shown to regulars and newcomers alike. Since it opens at 11 am daily, it can serve as a haven for remote workers in need of an espresso or less motivated people looking to escape with a Frozen Suffering Bastard.
EZ's Liquor Lounge
Sure, this retro-styled bar in the Heights from Agricole Hospitality (Coltivare, Eight Row Flint, HiWay Cantina) might remind people of the days when indoor smoking was legal, but don’t call it a dive bar. First of all, dive bars earn their status over time. Second, no dive bar on earth serves such thoughtfully executed drinks — or such an expertly prepared steak night. No wonder that Esquire named it one of America’s best bars.
Grand Prize
Hospitality workers will inevitably run into someone else they know at this Montrose icon. Grand Prize’s appeal to industry workers is obvious — strong drinks, fair prices, and satisfying food that takes the edge off a long shift serving the public. Thankfully, being on the wrong end of a clopening isn’t a requirement for experiencing the bar’s many admirable qualities.
Johnny's Gold Brick
For almost 10 years, this Heights bar has served as both a casual neighborhood hangout and one of the city’s finest cocktail bars. Come for a beer — owner Benjy Mason thinks he sells the cheapest Lone Star in the Heights — or one of the $9.99 cocktails painted on the wall. Stay for the monthly menu of specialty cocktails created by the devoted staff. Expect the same friendly service for regulars and newcomers.
Permission Whiskey
This bar in the Heights doesn’t do anything small. From its signature smoked Old Fashioned and reference-quality espresso martini to the hundreds of bottles on its back bar, everything at Permission is a little bigger and a little bolder. That attitude fuels one of the city’s most over-the-top Derby Day parties that includes both free-flowing mint juleps and a live horse. The bar’s most devoted regulars earn access to James, its members-only, speakeasy-style bar.
Refuge
Anvil’s companion bar takes all the lessons founder Bobby Heugel learned from operating The Pastry War and Tongue-cut Sparrow and filters them through the lens of his extensive travels to the world’s best bars. The result is an establishment that’s a little louder, a little more intimate, and a whole lot darker than its sibling or predecessors. Elegant glassware and intricate recipes ensure that the cocktails match the room’s sense of occasion, making it an ideal destination for date night or any other celebratory occasion.
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The 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards event runs 6-10 pm Wednesday, March 27 at Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards St.).
The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by Stella Artois, Rías Baixas Albariño, Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water, 8th Wonder Cannabis, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.
