The Best Bars for Graduation Celebrations

The Penrose on 82nd Street is the graduation bar pick for Columbia, NYU, and Barnard groups who want a venue that parents feel comfortable in and graduates do not roll their eyes at. The back room accommodates 30 seated or 50 standing, the food programme is better than most bars of this type, and the price point works for a group covering their own tabs. Reservations taken well in advance; May slots fill in February.

Order: The Penrose Punch — bourbon, peach, lemon, prosecco, served by the pitcher for groups

The Campbell inside Grand Central Terminal is the answer when the graduation party needs to impress parents and family who have travelled to New York for the occasion. A restored 1920s private office turned cocktail bar, it carries an atmosphere that does not require much explanation — the space makes the case for itself. Groups of 15 to 25 can take the mezzanine area. The cocktail programme leans classic, which suits the demographic range of a graduation party.

Order: The Campbell Cocktail — bourbon, house honey syrup, bitters, orange, large format ice

Ward III in Tribeca is a consistently excellent neighbourhood cocktail bar that handles graduation groups for New School, FIT, and Pace graduates better than most. The space is comfortable without being formal, the cocktail programme is serious without being intimidating, and the bar team is accustomed to explaining drinks to people who do not normally order cocktails — an underrated skill for graduation parties with varied guests.

Order: Paper Plane — equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, lemon — a modern classic

Inside the Renaissance Hotel at St. Pancras, The Booking Office 1869 is the most architecturally impressive bar in London for a graduation celebration. The Victorian railway booking hall — high vaulted ceilings, original tiling, a bar that runs the full length of the room — makes a graduation meal feel appropriately momentous. Private events for groups of 30 to 200. The proximity to King's Cross makes it an obvious pick for UCL and King's College graduates whose ceremonies take place nearby.

Order: 1869 Botanical Gin — house-infused gin, cucumber water, elderflower, tonic

The rooftop bar at the Hoxton, Southwark has a 360-degree London skyline view and a seafood and cocktail programme that feels genuinely celebratory. Seabird handles graduation groups for the South Bank and Southwark university campuses, and the buyout options for the bar section start at a minimum spend that a group of 20 can reach without much effort. The oyster and cocktail pairing option makes a memorable graduation moment for groups where family and friends are mixing.

Order: The Seabird Spritz — Aperol, Lillet Blanc, prosecco, saline drops, grapefruit

The Sun Tavern is the East London graduation pick — a genuine pub that takes its Irish whiskey programme seriously and does not overcomplicate the experience. For groups from the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, or Goldsmiths who want a celebration rather than an event, this is the recommendation. No minimum spend on the terrace booking, good food, and a team that will remember what everyone is drinking without being prompted.

Order: Redbreast 12 Year — neat, or with a single large cube and a splash of cold water

Chicago's most consistently excellent cocktail bar is an obvious graduation pick for University of Chicago and Northwestern graduates who want to mark the occasion properly. The Violet Hour's semi-private booths accommodate groups of eight, and the events coordinator can block multiple booths for larger parties. The drinks programme is as serious as anything in New York or London, and the elegant, low-key atmosphere works for the parents-and-graduates mix without requiring any particular effort from either group.

Order: The Naked and Famous — equal parts mezcal, yellow chartreuse, Aperol, lemon

For UC Berkeley and Stanford graduates celebrating in San Francisco, ABV in the Mission District balances craft cocktails and natural wine in a way that covers the full range of a graduation group's preferences. The space has a private section that seats 20 and the food programme — elevated bar snacks, not a full kitchen — keeps things from getting too formal. The team handles the graduate-parent demographic with enough naturalness that neither group feels like they are compromising.

Order: ABV's rotating seasonal cocktail — the menu changes monthly and the bartender always has a recommendation