COCKTAIL WORLD

Dick Bradsell regards the American Bar with reverence. The Art Deco room is serene and beautiful, and Peter Dorelli runs the place with consummate professionalism. You'll often see him at the door, greeting customers old and new, as he believes the experience should be unalloyed delight from the moment you walk in. ask for "Club " martini-or anything else, for that matter. Everything they do, they turn to liquid gold.

Ian Wisniewski describes the Crillon bar popularly known as Le Piano Bar, as "legendary" - and so it is. Designed by the sculptor Cesar and decorated by Sonia Rykiel, this intimate room is popular for business lunches or, later in the day, for cocktails. the pianist, discrete as soothing, provides the aural background for one of the bar's own creations ( try the Duc de Crillon. orange, Armagnac, Champagne and grenadine) or well rendered classic.

The Oriental is Bangkok greatest Hotel - and one of the greatest in the world, according to survey after survey. Dick Bradsell calls the Bamboo Bar " a classic place". The old Bartender, a very skilled guy, has served drinks to every famous person who's ever been there. He made me an amazing Onion Martini that really tasted like onions. ( Dear Richard: that's a Gibson - with respect, hackin' Knut). In a city where traffic is insufferable, the Bamboo is an oasis.

Address; 48 Oriental Road
Chao Praya River (close China Town)
BANGKOK THAILAND
Phone; +66-2-236 0400

Raffles has been merchandised almost to death since extensive refurbishment in the early 1990s; there are more tourists in evidence than writers nowadays. But no selection of great bars can omit this one. The scent of colonial history lingers on. And then, of course, there is the great Raffles invention, the Singapore Sling. Much changed and imitated over the years, it is the only thing to
drink in the place that created it.

Dozens of luxury hotels have opened in New York of late, but the Waldorf, as natives always call it, remains something special. There are several places to snag a drink, including the Wall Street-themed Bull and Bear. The Peacock is somewhat more cocktail-orientated, and a very attractive place to sit watching the passing scene - but if you can't find a seat, you won't need to leave the hotel with your thirst unquenched.

Harry's is 90 years old, and still an obligatory stop-off for American tourists with Martinis in the blood. Except that most of them come here to pay homage to another classic cocktail: the Bloody Mary. Many bartenders have claimed credit for the drink, but it is usually attributed to Fernand Petiot, who worked here in the 1920s. And the current version is still a killer. Popular with business types and a cooler crowd.
Don't drink and drive!

Salvatore Calabrese, the head barman here, made the move from Dukes in 1994. And he has turned The Library into one of London's most successful hotel bars. Books lend the place a sense of intimacy - even though the multi-roomed bar is actually quite large. Classics era impeccably performed; new and seasonal drinks feature regularly. And everything is just so, right down to the home-made crisps.

Across from the Fine Arts Museum and the Albear Plaza. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. midnight. This is both a Bar and a Restaurant. The Bar is classified as one of the seven most famous bars in the world! It was founded in 1817, making it 184 years old! It is known as the "Cradle of the Daiquiri", and none less than Hemingway used to hang out here and drink a few! The restaurant is top notch, specialising in fish and seafood. When you visit, be sure to let Raquel know you saw it in Salsa Power!

Don't go to Duke's: I want to keep this treasure for myself. It's just two small rooms, full of corners, and reminiscent of a private club. Head barman Gilberto Pretti and Giorgio Guerra, his number two, are masters of the art of personal service. An art that's apparent in the way they serve Martinis. Duke's is also a prime source of ancient single-malts, Cognacs and Armagnacs.

The name says it all: this is the bar that was supposedly "liberated" in 1944 by Ernest Hemingway as the Allied troops entered Paris. Ian Wisniewski refers to it as "a Platonic concept of the cocktail bar. It's grand but not intimidating. The service is wonderful, and the setting turns a drink here into an occasion." A Martini would pay homage to Hemingway; any drink will be extremely well made.

Address; Bar Restaurant Floridita
Obispo 557
Corner of Monserrate
HABANA VIEJA
Phone; not working

There's been huge critical acclaim for the Martinis ( and everything else) at this newest Miami hotel, whose wonderful beachfront setting features a terrace for outdoor dining. Knut Hoffmeister describes the bar as " laid back and intimate, with couches, 25 Martinis, cigars and a cigarette girl". At night they turn on colourful outdoor lightning, and the menu centres on seafood with French touches.

Zebra Lounge is a bar whose life began in the 1920s, also known as Prohibition. It was a speakeasy then, though now, of course, it's entirely legitimate. The bar is tiny and moodily lit, and it's famous for two things: one is the quality of the cocktails, with the Martinis especially having won high praise; the other is the piano, used for playing popular songs - often with audience participation.

Address; Long Island Resort
124/2 Moo 4 Lamai Beach
Koh Samui 84310
TAILAND
Phone; (66 77 424 202)

Dick Bradsell has to declare an interest here as he helped create the cocktail list, but that was years ago and he's been back since just as a paying guest. The resort has everything an island paradise should have: bungalows, hammocks, coconut groves, view of the bay. Dick calls it "just the most chilled-out place, with the best and friendliest staff. One of the waiters is the daughter of the local police chief."

Knut Hoffmeister recommends the Green Door,whose slogan is "the power of positive drinking". Hoffmeister says that "this bar works on quality cocktails", though it also has "a high flirt factor", like most places in a city where "cocktail bars are popping up like mushrooms in the rain". The décor is modern and quirky, and you can get a preview of it on their web-site