World's sexiest bars

By James Heidenry

updated 10:06 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2008

A truly sexy bar is hard to come by, and even harder to define. For starters, it helps if your fellow imbibers are good-looking, super-stylish, or at the very least scantily clad. The romance of an exotic locale can help, too—and the fact that you're far enough from home to be regarded as exotic yourself can ramp up your scoring probability tenfold. Oh, and music helps, be it a seductive accompaniment to the sweet nothings you're whispering or tinnitus-inducing brilliant sounds that keep you bumping and grinding with a local beauty all night long (useful when you don't speak the language). We've tracked down a few of the sexiest bars around the world—from a chandelier-strewn Bolshevik-era bar in Moscow to a sandy-floored beach shack in Mozambique—where you can practice the art of seduction. Go to dance, drink, play, and if you're lucky, have an affair to remember.

For a complete slideshow of World’s Sexiest Bars, click here.

1. The place: Le Ti St. Barth, St. Barths

The people: Megayacht owners, their guests, and Brazilian models who would actually date Ron Perlman

Sex appeal: Nikki Beach, down by the water, may be more famous, but the billionaires-club crowd always starts the party at this hidden hilltop venue. The local tourist information identifies Le Ti as a barbecue restaurant, which it is, but this ain't Kansas and those are Christian Louboutins dancing on the tables (the red soles are a dead giveaway). The dark wooden furniture and tiki torch lighting give the place a swanky boudoir feeling, which is why the on-site itsy-bitsy boutique selling rabbit-fur bathrobes is curiously not out of place. It's around 10 p.m., when everyone is finishing off their Nymph Thighs dessert (lemon cake with custard ice cream), that the spell of European beats and bottles of bubbly transforms the place into party central. Best nights are Friday and Saturday—just pray your hotel's concierge has the juice to get you a reservation.

Pickup line: "I'm supposed to stop by Jay Z and Beyoncé's yacht for a quick glass of Champagne—wanna join me?"

The hook-up:
Le Ti St. Barth
Tel: 590 590 27 97 71

2. The place: Denis Simachëv, Moscow

The people: Vixens who could be cast as extras in Quantum of Solace

Sex appeal: In case you missed it on CNN: Moscow has the largest grouping of beautiful women in the world. Not Brazil, not New York—Moscow. And on any given night, a good sampling of these femmes fatales clad in skintight Kova & T jeans and spiked heels can be found at Simachëv, partying with their comrades in paperboy caps and Zegna suits. Beyond the heart-stopping Muscovites, though, Simachëv is a sultry spot in its own right. The mazelike space is a study in suggestive decor, one that meshes a Bolshevik-era wooden bar with erotic anime wall art and low-hanging chandeliers. The drinks—listed on menus designed as old-fashioned record covers—are expensive, and the music is remixed '80s disco, but what the hell, you're surrounded by the most seductive crowd in eastern Europe.

Pickup line: "I get a discount at the Prada boutique."

The hook-up:
Denis Simachëv
Tel: 7 495 629 57 02

3. The place: Bellini Bar, Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France

The people: The wealthiest and most beautiful monsieurs and mademoiselles in all the land

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Sex appeal: If there's one place in the world where you're likely to spot a tipsy Sienna Miller thumb-wrestling with Bono, or a sparkling Paris Hilton and a sweaty Brandon Davis in party mode (okay, we realize that's always the case), it's at this glitzy sanctum for the megarich. By day, the bar is a luxurious lounge overlooking the Mediterranean, where you can nosh on spiced nuts while scanning the horizon for Stavros Niarchos's yacht. At night, especially around May, when the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix draw an international crowd, Bellini becomes the hottest spot in the south of France, if not the world. "Normally, we close at 2 am," says head bartender Christopher Lencioni. "But when all the movie stars are here, there are no rules and we're absolutely packed until 6 am." Not that the party ends there, as a Russian millionaire is always on hand to open up his or her $3,500-dollar-a-night hotel villa.

Pickup line: "Mind if I talk to you for a moment? I'm hiding from Harvey Weinstein."

The hook-up:
Bellini Bar
Tel: 33 4 93 61 39 01

4. The place: Nublu, New York City

The people: Intrepid music lovers and young masters of Latin dance

Sex appeal: You'll probably have trouble finding the unmarked, graffiti-marred door to this Brazilian bar on Avenue C in Manhattan's East Village, and once you do, you might not want to go in. But take a chance and pay the $10 cover, and you'll find yourself mesmerized by the attractive couples lost in samba on the rat-size dance floor. When the bar first opened, many predicted that it would be only a matter of time before the dreaded bridge and tunnel crowd overran the place. But five years on, there's nary a cheeseball in sight. And that's important, because guys in striped shirts with toothpicks dangling from their mouths don't know how to lead a fiery woman who can shut down a dance floor. The DJs skillfully control the ebb and flow of the Latin beats, and very often—Wednesdays in particular—they hand the stage over to forró musicians and other live acts expert at making you sweat.

Pickup line: "Let me buy you a drink—it's important to stay hydrated."

The hook-up:
Nublu
Tel: 646 546 5206

5. The place: Buzz Beach Bar, Ölüdeniz, Turkey

The people: The bikini and Billabong tribes from every country in the EU

Sex appeal: Sometimes a travel virgin needs to circle the globe a few times to fully appreciate what makes a bar sexy. Sure, the raves in Goa and the clubs in Amsterdam are fun, but they can be the nightlife equivalent of a one-night stand. Not so at Buzz, where owner Cem Gürkan knows just how to set the mood. Big, comfy booths overlooking the Aegean Sea and the outlying Babadag Mountains provide the perfect spot for sandy beach bums to drink fruity cocktails and watch the sunset and the hang gliders compete for attention. The DJ gets everyone familiar with hypnotic dance music from European darlings likes Jamie T and Lykke Li at nightfall, at which point the maxi-dress set begins showing up, and getting down. The party doesn't stop until the break of dawn, giving you plenty of time to drink in the gorgeous setting and the lovely local you're sharing it with.

Pickup line: "So, Istanbul, not Constantinople? Let's grab a booth and discuss it."

The hook-up:
Buzz Beach Bar
Tel: 90 252 617 0526

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