The Best Cave Bars Worldwide

Carved directly into the volcanic tuff of the Cappadocian hillside, the cave bar at Yunak Evleri operates in a space that was first inhabited 2,000 years ago. The current bar was installed with commendable restraint: stone floor, minimal lighting from recessed fixtures, and a wine programme focused entirely on Turkish producers — Kavaklidere, Kavaklıdere, Sevilen, and several smaller Cappadocian vineyards that are worth knowing about. The local Emir grape, which grows only in this volcanic soil, produces white wines that have no real equivalent anywhere else on earth.

Order: Emir white wine from a local Cappadocian producer — ideally Turasan or Kocabag

Accessible through a gap in the city walls of Dubrovnik and down a set of steps cut directly into the limestone cliff, Buza Bar is one of the most photographed bars in Europe for good reason. The bar is built into the cliff face above the Adriatic, with platforms cut from the rock providing seating at three levels. The drinks are simple: cold beer, local wine, fruit juices, and a small selection of spirits. The view of the Adriatic from a rock platform 15 metres above the water at 4pm on a summer afternoon needs no improvement from a cocktail programme.

Order: Cold Ozujsko beer or a glass of local Posip white wine from the Peljesac peninsula

Predjama Castle was built inside a cave mouth in the 12th century. The bar that operates from the lower cave level uses the natural space underneath the castle as its room, with stalactites above the bar and a constant cave temperature of 10 degrees Celsius regardless of the season outside. The menu focuses on Slovenian wines and craft spirits: Slovenian Cvicar, a low-alcohol local wine, and a selection of herb-infused spirits made from alpine botanicals. The cheese plate comes from a nearby village and pairs better with the cave chill than it has any right to.

Order: Slovenian Rebula or the house herb spirit, served at cave temperature with a small plate of local cheese

The bar and restaurant at Grotta Palazzese has operated inside a natural sea cave on the Adriatic coast of Puglia since the 18th century. The cave mouth opens directly onto the sea, and the sound of the Adriatic is the bar's permanent soundtrack. The drink programme is serious Pugliese wine and spirits: Primitivo, Negroamaro, and grappa from local producers. The terrace at the cave entrance, accessible through the bar, has views that justify both the trip from Bari and the prices on the wine list.

Order: Primitivo di Manduria by the glass, or a Pugliese grappa served with the local pastry of the day

Set into a sandstone cave at the edge of a Wadi Rum camp, the bar at Al Ghar operates with an entirely alcohol-free menu — in line with local cultural context — that is among the best non-alcoholic programmes we have encountered anywhere. The house blend of Jordanian herbs, rose water, and fresh citrus produces a drink called the Wadi Mist that is worth travelling for regardless of your relationship with alcohol. The cave maintains a temperature 12 degrees cooler than the desert outside, making it simultaneously the most practical and most romantic bar on this list.

Order: Wadi Mist — Jordanian herbs, rose water, lime, ginger, soda — served over hand-cut ice

Carved into the volcanic caldera wall at Oia, Manos Rock Bar is the most visited cave bar in Greece and understands that this creates an obligation rather than an excuse. The bar programme is focused on Santorini wines — Assyrtiko, Nykteri, Vinsanto — alongside a cocktail list that uses local ingredients: capers, sun-dried tomato, and volcanic mineral water. The cave extends 14 metres into the cliff, with seating at the deepest point looking back through the entrance to the caldera beyond. The sunset timing here is managed with the precision of a theatre production.

Order: Assyrtiko by the glass — the local white grape that grows in volcanic ash and tastes like it

Inside a volcanic rock tunnel beneath the Jose Cuervo distillery in Tequila, La Gruta del Tequila is the most logical cave bar concept on this list. The tunnel was carved from the same volcanic basalt that provides the mineral content in the local blue agave. The tasting menu covers the full range of the distillery's aged expressions, from blanco to the 70-year-old Reserva de la Familia. The cave maintains a constant 18 degrees Celsius, which is the optimal temperature for nosing aged tequila, and the staff know this.

Order: The aged tequila flight — blanco, reposado, anejo, extra anejo — with a chaser of mineral water from the volcanic aquifer

Not to be confused with the limestone temple complex above it, The Bat Cave Bar operates from a separate cavern on the eastern side of Batu Caves hill, accessible via a path that most tourists miss entirely. The bar specialises in Malaysian craft spirits and tropical cocktails built around local fruit: rambutan, starfruit, and mangosteen. The cave ceiling rises 40 metres above the bar at its highest point, and the air temperature inside is a consistent 24 degrees regardless of the humidity outside. The best evening hours are 8pm to 11pm when the caves outside are quieter.

Order: Rambutan Collins — local craft gin, rambutan, lime, tonic water, fresh basil

Adjacent to the famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, The Limestone Lounge occupies a smaller cave system that is not part of the tourist circuit and is considerably harder to find. The bar opens at 5pm daily and closes when the last guest leaves, which tends to be later than expected. The New Zealand wine list is excellent, the craft beer selection is better than comparable bars in Auckland, and the cocktail programme uses native botanicals — kawakawa, horopito, manuka — with results that are more convincing than the usual novel-ingredient approach. The cave ceiling has its own small glowworm colony, which the bar has the sense to leave exactly as it is.

Order: Kawakawa Gin and Tonic — NZ craft gin with kawakawa botanical, served with a slice of dried feijoa

Built around a small cenote — a natural limestone sinkhole — in the Riviera Maya jungle, Cueva del Pirata is the most physically dramatic bar on this list. The bar occupies the dry cave portion adjacent to the cenote, with some seating cantilevered directly over the underground pool. The cocktail programme focuses on mezcal, rum, and fresh tropical fruit. The cenote water is a specific shade of turquoise that makes no sense unless you see it. Swimming in the cenote is permitted before 4pm; after that, the bar closes the pool access to preserve the atmosphere in the evening hours.

Order: Cenote Margarita — blanco tequila, fresh cenote lime, agave syrup, smoked salt, served in a clay cup