Six cities, one running list
Notes on what we're actually looking for when a bar makes the cut, and why the list is shorter than it probably should be.
Every guide to this part of the world eventually turns into a "best rooftop bars" listicle recycled from someone's one work trip. That's not what this is. Every bar on the list has been visited more than once, usually by more than one of us, and usually on an ordinary weeknight rather than a launch party.
What gets a bar on the list
Three things, roughly in order: the drinks have to be made with actual care, the room has to feel like it belongs where it is rather than a copy of somewhere else, and it has to be the kind of place you'd go back to on a normal Tuesday, not just to take a photo once.
That last point rules out more places than you'd expect. A lot of new openings are gorgeous for exactly one visit.
Cities we haven't covered yet
Dushanbe and Ashgabat are both on the list — we just haven't spent enough time in either to write anything honest yet. If you live in one and have opinions, the contact page is the fastest way to reach us.
On prices
We list price bands, not exact numbers, because exact numbers go stale within a season. Treat $$$ as "worth planning for" rather than any fixed figure.