FIND yourself in a new town, need a drink and don?t know where to go for it?

We usually leave the country armed with guidebooks filled with restaurant and shopping recommendations. But finding a good bar that embodies the local vibe is a little trickier. SIM polled Filipinos or former Philippine residents now living abroad on which bars to hop into or hang out in, and why. Keep this shortlist handy for your next trip.

BANGKOK

Q Bar Chill (above Q Bar), 34 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 11. www.qbarbangkok.com
The Scene: Loungey with cool areas outdoors so you can smoke without sweating
Drink du jour: Belvedere anything
Best seat in the house: Right underneath the aircon!
Don?t miss: Ultra chic bathrooms ? glossy black and glowing red!?Robbie Dinglasan, freelance TVC/film director; self-proclaimed wandering OFW

BARCELONA

Bar Mut, C/ Pau Claris 192
The Scene: Little neighborhood bar in fashionable Eixample district. Excellent tapas to go with a glass of cava. There?s a ?tenemos? list, montaditos (crusty bread) and mariscos. Limited capacity so reservations a must.
Drink du jour: Excellent wine selection but must try the cava
Best seat in the house: If three or less, sit by the bar
Don?t miss: To-die-for cochinillo and foie gras
?Rosan Cruz, publicist

LONDON

The Blue Bar at the Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge. www.The-Berkeley.co.uk
The Scene: Low-key, intimate and elegant; great place for a first date
Drink du jour: Amber Manhattan, plus over 50 whiskies by the glass
Best seat in the house: The table at the right-hand corner as you come through the door
Don?t miss: The great nibblies served with every drink ? plump olives, caramelized nuts, breadsticks and tapenade.
Jenny Manuel Coburn, executive training and development director

The Cow Pub, 89 Westbourne Park Road W2 5QH. www.thecowlondon.co.uk
The Scene: Irish Pub located off Portobello Road. Rub elbows with Paul and Stella, Keanu and Gwyneth over Guinness and oysters
Drink du jour: Guinness
Best seat in the house: Fireplace can get too hot so head for the bar or a seat by the window
Don?t miss: Seafood soup and quince pie
?Gina Garcia, accessories designer, 20-year London resident

MOSCOW

City Space Bar, Swissotel, Kosmodiamanskaya Nab. 52, bld. 6
The Scene: Top (34th) floor of the hotel, famous for incredible views and lethal cocktails.
Drink du jour: Vodka with crushed raspberry and mint
Don?t miss: Winter mid-afternoon or after 9 in the summer

Simachev, Stalichnikov Street. www.denissimachev.com
The Scene: Owned by local fashion designer Denis Simachev. In the middle of luxury shopping area. Rendezvous spot of the rich and beautiful. Loud and crowded.

Soho Rooms, Building 8, 12, Savvinskaya Naberezhenaya. www.sohorooms.com
The Scene: On the river bank, filled with leggy beauties. Great terrace on the top floor. Better book a table (US$2,000).
?Paul-Henri Duillet, general manager, Parfums Christian Dior Russia

MARBELLA

Purobeach, Puro Hotel, Palma de Mallorca. www.purobeach.com
The Scene: Beach club and bar, with live DJ
Drink du jour: Ice-cold cava
Best seat in the house: One of the low sofas overlooking the beach and the Mediterranean.
Don?t miss: Summer?s full moon party
?Roselyn Sugay-Helbling, gourmet traveler, Cordon Bleu and journalism graduate,

MONTE CARLO

Sea Lounge Monaco, Monte Carlo Beach Hotel. http://en.montecarloresort.com
The Scene: Majestic, dreamy, at the edge of the sea.Trendy music, fusion food.
Drink du jour: Mojito to chill or warm up for salsa moves (or partner); Bonheur or Plaisir. If that mix still hasn?t done the trick, go for Vodka Red Bull.
Best seat in the house: Any, as long as you face the horizon
Don?t miss: The step
?Maru Garcia Payr a.k.a. Mum, Monaco resident since 1993

NEW YORK

1 Oak, 453 W. 17th Street. www.1oaknyc.com
The Scene: Chic and intimate; hobnob with models and New York?s fashion cognoscenti. Named after the materials used in making this $3,000,000 club by the owners of Butter. The checkerboard floor is one of the club?s highlights. Best days to go are Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Drink du jour: 1 Oak Margarita (Patron Silver/Blueberry Syrup/ Lime Juice and Mint) and Asian Mojito (Ty Ku, Mint, Cucumber, Lime)
?PJ Pascual, fashion stylist. Check out his blog: http://gipettodiaries.blogspot.com

The bar at Freemans, End of Freeman Alley (nr Rivington St). www.freemansrestaurant.com
The Scene: Downtown eclectic meets English hunting lodge. Off the beaten track?a great place to recharge from the concrete jungles of Manhattan.

Drink du jour: Grey Goose and tonic with a twist of lime, or choose from their extensive and well-edited wine list.
Best seat: Any of the cozy bar tables by the corner, with a view of the open kitchen, quirky restaurant and charming entrance.
Don?t miss: The taxidermy collection on the walls.
?Noel dela Rama, personal chef/caterer, native New Yorker since 1996

PARIS

Flûte l?Étoile, 19 rue de l?Étoile, 75017. www.flutebar.com
The Scene: Cozy, plush décor; private and intimate; very high quality bar menu
Drink du jour: Le Magic Flute ? taste three different well-selected glasses of French champagne
Best seat in the house: Grab a small table on the mezzanine lounge
Don?t miss: Live jazz on Wednesdays, 8-11 p.m. Watch out for scheduled Champagne School or tasting sessions.
?Angelique Villaraza, Francophile, permanent traveler and soon-to-be-homebody/Mom

Curio Parlor, 16 rue des Bernardins, 75006
The Scene: Dark little den with a huge bouncer outside. Initially intimidating but surprisingly warm atmosphere.
Drink du jour: Moscow Mule
Best seat in the house: For intimate conversations, get a cozy nook hidden behind heavy curtains. Otherwise, head for the twp bars downstairs featuring an L.A. DJ spinning beats and an enthusiastic bar staff mixing great cocktails in lovely glasses.
Stephen Caroll, global market director, Remy Martin

ROME

Caffe della Pace, Via della Pace, 3. www.caffedellapace.it
The Scene: Great place to feel the local vibe and meet people. The crowd is a mix of artists, politicians (so they say), musicians, and the like. A favorite hang-out of the locals; very close to the Piazza Navona.
Best seat in the house: Fuori (outdoors) to best enjoy the place. You can sit for hours and read a book, pass the time and people-watch.

Salotto 42, Piazza di Pietra, 42 (around the corner from the Pantheon). www.salotto42.it
The Scene: Modern bar in a great location; comfortable sofas where people sit and chat the night away. Favorite watering hole of young Italian professionals.
Best seat in the house: Actually, more than half the crowd prefers to stand outside the bar where smoking is allowed. The rest sit indoors for hours even during aperitivo time (7 to 10 p.m.) to relax and de-stress with a magazine.
Don?t miss: The aperitivo food. Always good so after you?ve had your fill, there?s no need for dinner.
?Guia Santos, Rome resident since 2005

SAN FRANCISCO

Brazenhead, 3166 Buchanan Street (@ Greenwich). www.brazenheadsf.com
The Scene: Old School Bar. Definitely a locals? place. They serve food late by San Francisco standards. I ate at the bar once, next to Dennis Miller (comedian eating by himself), and was happy to see him treated as a regular Joe. When the Yankees come to town, it is not surprising to see Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez here. Bring cash; credit cards not accepted.
Drink du jour: Martini
Best seat in the house: The bar is small; anywhere there.
Don?t miss: The bar, because it?s really hard to find. Just off Union Street, but does not share the personality of the neighborhood. It?s on the corner behind the bushes, no sign.
?Martin Argosino, real estate broker, San Francisco native

SYDNEY

Opera Bar, Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House. www.operabar.com.au
The Scene: Relaxed atmosphere, live band and an amazing harbor view. Must see for any Sydney first-timer. Best for a cocktail before the theatre or start your Friday night drinks with friends before hitting the town.
Drink du jour: Vodka Lemon with a twist of lime
Best seat in the house: Concrete benches lining the harbor
Don?t miss: View of the sunset from the bar!
?Aya Maceda, architect, Sydney resident since 2002

SHANGHAI

Constellation 2, 33 Yongjia Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu, French Concession.
The Scene: Intimate, smoky local bar with unparalleled Japanese mixologists ? the place that locals want to keep secret, where even bartenders go on their days off
Drink du jour: Best gin and tonics in the world, but the bartenders make just about any cocktail phenomenally well
Best seat in the house: Not too many seats in this tiny bar, so go very early or very late
Don?t miss: Watching the bartenders? ritual of mixing drinks. At this place, it?s clear that every single drink is worth a performance
?BJ Macatulad, owner and manager, Shui Urban Spa, Shanghai
Issimo, 2/F Jia Shanghai, 931 West Nanjing Lu, Entrance on Taixing Lu, People?s Square. www.jiashanghai.com
The Scene: Sophisticated but relaxed
Drink du jour: Grey Goose Martini
Best seat in the house: Ensconced with a few close friends on one of their plush leather couches.
Don?t miss: The Italian food! Simple, beautiful, delicious!
?Bob McCubbing, diplomat

TOKYO

Fukumitsuya, 5-5-8, 88 Ginza, Chuo-ku. www.fukumitsuya.co.jp
The Scene: Lost in translation and need a cool one pronto? Get to Ginza before 7 p.m. and jump into this tiny gem of a bar (seats 8 tightly). Fukumitsuya has been brewing sake since 1625 using only the finest rice. This specialty sake bar offers feather light wooden sake cups, an extensive chopsticks selection, and a variety of handmade glasses. Here, even the cheapest drink they offer (the free sample of sake at the entrance) is perfectly chilled and sublimely intoxicating. One sip and you?ll be tempted to bring home a bottle or two ? I recommend you cave in. I did and only regret not buying a case instead.
Drink du jour: The Arashibiri, a crisp, new-season brew fresh from the vat, Y300 (Php150) per shot
Best seat: Any seat by the bar
Leica R. Carpo, triathlete/SIM publisher, recent Tokyo visitor.

Malu A. Gamboa, former tapas bar owner and occasional bartender, is GM of the Azuthai, Cirkulo and Milky Way Restaurants.