Vienna Calling

Today’s entry: the Josef Cocktail Bar

© Josef Bar

Near the centre of Vienna, the Josef Cocktail Bar serves up innovative, contemporary creations and fine spirits in a Baroque atmosphere synonymous with the Austrian capital. It's not all powdered wigs and harpsichords, however; this locale's décor also includes many appointments Andrea Hörzer and Philipp M. Ernst inherited from their grandfathers. As you may have already guessed, the forebears of the bar's two owners were also how it go...

Schwäbisch Confidential

Pfitzauf

© Monkey 47

Indescribably light and fluffy, Pfitzauf is a type of soufflé with a Swabian twist. It’s the queen of the region’s desserts! Ingredients Serves four 3 eggs 1 tbsp. icing sugar 80 g butter 125 g flour Pinch of salt 250 ml milk More icing sugar (for garnishing) Preparation Step one First, preheat the oven to 220°C. In the meantime, you can start on the batter. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the icing su...

Hunky Dory

Oh la la

© Hunky Dory

Here's a place that truly lives up to its name: When you’re being served by Armin Azadpour and his team in Frankfurt, it’s hard to think of a single thing that isn't just as it should be. Outstanding cocktail artistry, a lovely atmosphere, the kindest hosts you can imagine – the essentials are all here. On the shelves at Hunky Dory, you’ll find a colourful collection of souvenirs and othe...

Dead Rabbit

From gang wars to outstanding cocktails

© Monkey 47

To hear them tell it, when Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon set out for the land of opportunity – New York, to be exact – they had stardust in their eyes and little more than a rucksack full of dreams. Just six years later, they made their primary aspiration come true in bringing the Dead Rabbit to life. This bar, which has garnered numerous awards and accolades (including as the World's Best Bar ...

Schwäbisch Confidential

The Swabian Classics - Gaisburger Marsch

© Monkey 47

Having learned from Rainer Klutsch that there’s no better place in the world than the kitchen, this was where we decided to meet once again for this issue. We were hoping the impassioned chef would grant us some even deeper insights into the Swabian culinary arts. Sure enough, Rainer set the “kitchen on fire” as we tried our hand at some more specialities from our southwest German homeland. Gaisburger Marsch...

Monkey Bar

Monkeying around in New York

© Monkey 47

The legendary Monkey Bar originally opened its doors on the ground floor of the Hotel Elysée in Midtown after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Since its reopening in 2009, the spirit of long bygone days has continued to permeate the place: Gentlemen once met here to close major deals, the American actress Tallulah Bankhead made the Monkey Bar more or less her living room during her stays in New York, and t...

Arthur Orlans

Haute Monkey couture

© Arthur Orlans

Welcome to the wunderbar Arthur Orlans in Brussels! This is actually less an insider tip than it is a heartfelt plea: Get yourself to Belgium and pay this extraordinary locale a visit! We promise you'll be astonished as well. With plenty of attention to detail, Francesco Ravo and his team have turned an old-fashioned house into a one-of-a-kind cocktail bar. It's both traditional and tailor-made (so to speak), and the ...

Employees Only

Welcome to New York

© Monkey 47

In the heart of the West Village, the speakeasy Employees Only offers just about everything you're looking for as someone who enjoys the finer things in life: first-rate drinks, delicious fare, and a special kind of atmosphere. These were the staples the bar's five creators had in mind back in 2004, and it continues to embody them to this day. The concept has attracted not only a large number of fans ...

Schwäbisch Confidential

The Swabian Classics - Ofenschlupfer

Monkey 47

The kitchen is "the best place in the world" according to 44-year-old Rainer Klutsch, who discovered his passion for cooking as a child. "I picked up a lot just watching my mum or nan all the time when they would cook," he explains. After taking a brief detour through a stint as a law student and an insurance salesman in training, Rainer (then in his late ...

Schwäbisch Confidential

The Swabian Classics - Linsen & Spätzle

© Monkey 47

The kitchen is "the best place in the world" according to 44-year-old Rainer Klutsch, who discovered his passion for cooking as a child. "I picked up a lot just watching my mum or nan all the time when they would cook," he explains. After taking a brief detour through a stint as a law student and an insurance salesman in training, Rainer (then in his late ...

L’Escamoteur

Enchanting nights in Kyoto

© L’Escamoteur

Christophe Rossi, owner of the L’Escamoteur bar in Kyoto (and a good friend of the Monkey), is what you’d call one-of-a-kind. Whether through his appearance, his penchant for magic and sleight-of-hand, or simply his manner of being, he has a knack for casting a spell on just about anyone. This unique blend of traits is exactly what you’ll find at his bar, as well. Christophe describes his pride ...

A Familiar Stranger in Gothenburg

The Spirits Bureau

© Stranger Bar

Strangers in the night have been the subject of songs at least since Frank Sinatra’s famous tribute in 1966. Whether or not the Stranger bar in Gothenburg (Sweden) has played a significant role in this lore is lost to the mists of time, but newcomers to the establishment do often become “lovers at first sight”. Martin Alexandersson and his team have mastered the art of not only treating their guests to exc...

Nautoscopio Arte

La dolce vita in Sicily!

© Monkey 47

If you are looking for a real insider’s tip in Palermo on the beautiful island of Sicily, head to the edge of the port. Here, the Nautoscopio shipping containers open their doors from spring to autumn, providing an ideal spot in which to savour an infamous Italian aperitif and some Sicilian street food, while chilling out to lounge music. The house special – a freshly stirred Negroni served up by the ...

Boutiq'Bar

47 meets 33

© Boutiq'Bar

Zoltan Nagy, a member of the National Mixographic Society, is known not merely for his outstanding negronis, but also for the cocktail artistry he continues to put on display as manager of Budapest's legendary Boutiq’Bar. There, he has stayed true to his credo that a good bar should only offer excellent drinks. We couldn’t agree more. One of his own personal creations, dubbed simply “33”, really caught our interest: It's Mon...

The Other Room

Ring the Doorbell

© The Other Room

If you are planning a sojourn in Singapore any time soon, we strongly recommend that you visit our good friend Dario Knox, a member of the National Mixographic Society. Just ring the doorbell on the solid, dark door in the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel and slip into the legendary bar known as The Other Room. In its dark, mysterious atmosphere, which is reminiscent of the Prohibition era, guests are quickly ...