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Collection by Luke Hopping

The 10 Best-Designed Bars in America

We've shared our favorite places to dine and unwind stateside, now Dwell has compiled the ten best-designed bars in America.

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Single Shot (Seattle, Washington) Single Shot, designed by Greg Quist, possesses a polished sensibility usually reserved for restaurants. Ample lighting and a marble-topped bar create a cleanly environment at this intimate, 40-seat taproom in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Single Shot (Seattle, Washington) Single Shot, designed by Greg Quist, possesses a polished sensibility usually reserved for restaurants. Ample lighting and a marble-topped bar create a cleanly environment at this intimate, 40-seat taproom in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Madam Geneva (New York, New York) Madam Geneva conjures refined urban romanticism through a dark color palette, exposed brick walls, and salvaged metal screens. Design firm AvroKo sourced the midcentury armchairs from the main conference room of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Madam Geneva (New York, New York) Madam Geneva conjures refined urban romanticism through a dark color palette, exposed brick walls, and salvaged metal screens. Design firm AvroKo sourced the midcentury armchairs from the main conference room of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Nonna (Portland, Oregon) Opting for muted tones and dark-wood furnishings, Portland-based firm Case Study Group designed a casual wine bar with a tavern-like aesthetic. A horseshoe-shaped bar wraps around Nonna's interior. In back, a petite patio offers additional seating during summer.
Nonna (Portland, Oregon) Opting for muted tones and dark-wood furnishings, Portland-based firm Case Study Group designed a casual wine bar with a tavern-like aesthetic. A horseshoe-shaped bar wraps around Nonna's interior. In back, a petite patio offers additional seating during summer.
Kimball House (Decatur, Georgia) With its amber-tinted lighting and Damask wallpaper, Kimball House—designed by Square Feet Studio—recalls the luxurious hotel lounges of yesteryear, yet resists stuffiness thanks to a few personal touches. The owners integrated their childhood toys and home barware into the decor.
Kimball House (Decatur, Georgia) With its amber-tinted lighting and Damask wallpaper, Kimball House—designed by Square Feet Studio—recalls the luxurious hotel lounges of yesteryear, yet resists stuffiness thanks to a few personal touches. The owners integrated their childhood toys and home barware into the decor.
Brooklyn bar Tørst is a wood-lined space with custom, textured wall paneling and communal seating. Beer is served from a Carrara marble-backed tap.
Brooklyn bar Tørst is a wood-lined space with custom, textured wall paneling and communal seating. Beer is served from a Carrara marble-backed tap.
East Side Showroom (Austin, Texas) Designer Mickie Spencer is behind some of Austin’s most fashionable bars and eateries. Featuring such whimsical touches as a nautical porthole and hanging banker pendants, East Side Showroom is her kitchiest, most lovable work yet.
East Side Showroom (Austin, Texas) Designer Mickie Spencer is behind some of Austin’s most fashionable bars and eateries. Featuring such whimsical touches as a nautical porthole and hanging banker pendants, East Side Showroom is her kitchiest, most lovable work yet.
Beer Belly (Los Angeles, California) Inspired by the space’s barn-like feel, MAKE Architecture opted for a reclaimed wood aesthetic at Beer Belly. Random patterns of stained veneer plywood liven the interior surfaces. The seats are upcycled 111 Navy Chairs by Emeco.
Beer Belly (Los Angeles, California) Inspired by the space’s barn-like feel, MAKE Architecture opted for a reclaimed wood aesthetic at Beer Belly. Random patterns of stained veneer plywood liven the interior surfaces. The seats are upcycled 111 Navy Chairs by Emeco.
A10 (Chicago, Illinois) FC Studio distinguished A10's restaurant from its bar through subtle lighting design. While the dining area basks in an abundance of natural and artificial light, the barroom achieves an appropriately nocturnal feel by using softer filaments. European textile art unites the spaces.
A10 (Chicago, Illinois) FC Studio distinguished A10's restaurant from its bar through subtle lighting design. While the dining area basks in an abundance of natural and artificial light, the barroom achieves an appropriately nocturnal feel by using softer filaments. European textile art unites the spaces.
Pinch (Yonkers, New York) Inspired by a retro-futuristic race car from 1955, Pinch, designed by Ducasse Studio, captures midcentury modern at its most optimistic. Swivel stools and glossy banquets nod toward the past, while contemporary flourishes, like a slated-wood ceiling, ground the bar in the present day.
Pinch (Yonkers, New York) Inspired by a retro-futuristic race car from 1955, Pinch, designed by Ducasse Studio, captures midcentury modern at its most optimistic. Swivel stools and glossy banquets nod toward the past, while contemporary flourishes, like a slated-wood ceiling, ground the bar in the present day.