The 9 Best Bar Cabinets of 2022

The 9 Best Bar Cabinets of 2022

By Bobby Lange 2 years ago

Selecting the right bar cabinet for your home is a combination of form, function, and taste. With so many styles and features to choose from, it can quickly get overwhelming. To help you navigate the plethora of options, we’ve selected a few of our favorite styles below, all of which meet a variety of size, storage, and style criteria.

A few things to keep in mind before getting started: While some bar cabinets have a built-in wine fridge, most don’t. So if you’re a big wine collector, you might want to opt for a stand-alone wine fridge. And speaking of refrigeration, it’s important to know what can be stored in a liquor cabinet versus what needs to be refrigerated. Read on for more on that topic, as well as some of our favorite choices for the best bar cabinets.


Best Mid Century:
West Elm Keira Solid Wood Bar Cabinet

West Elm Keira Solid Wood Bar Cabinet

West Elm


Pros: Plenty of storage space, including a wine glass rack and a handy fold-down table-top. 

Cons: No open-air space.

Made of solid, kiln-dried acacia wood, the Keira cabinet is a stately and sophisticated mid-century style bar cabinet. The main cabinet features a built-in wine glass rack that holds up to 6 pieces of stemware and two adjustable shelves to store your party-throwing accessories, like an ice bucket or punch bowl and glasses. Seven cubbies for individual bottles of wine line the bottom, and the adjustable legs make it simple to stabilize the cabinet on uneven floors. 

The top section is covered by a pull-down door that doubles as a serving station — great for cutting a few lemons or shaking up a cocktail. At 12 inches high, this part is perfect for keeping your go-to barware, like shakers, strainers, and stirrers, at the ready.

Price at time of publish: $1,299

  • Dimensions: 32 x 19 x 50 inches
  • Weight: Unknown
  • Material: Wood 


Best for Wine:
Anthropologie Fern Bar Cabinet

Anthropologie Fern Bar Cabinet

Anthropologie


Pros: Ample storage for wine, glasses, and all your barware. 

Cons: It’s large and heavy (but anti-tip hardware is included).

Sometimes a bar cabinet is less of a basic “cabinet” and more like a statement piece of furniture. The Fern Bar Cabinet falls in the latter category, and that’s one of the reasons we love it. Some of the other reasons? Storage for 18 bottles of wine, two Carrara marble-topped drawers (on wooden glides, so they open and close like a dream), a built-in stemware rack, and tempered glass doors to keep everything protected without keeping it out of sight. 

The Ferm is made of ash wood and comes in three finishes, all of which show off the natural texture of the wood. All hardware is brass-finished stainless steel, and removable legs offer a chance to change the look of the cabinet completely. 

Price at time of publish: $2,398

  • Dimensions: 65.5 x 35.25 x 17 inches
  • Weight: 238 pounds
  • Material: Wood


Best Corner:
Willa Arlo Interiors Bar Cabinet

Willa Arlo Interiors Bar Cabinet

Wayfair


Pros: It contains storage for 12 wine glasses and built-in racks for wine bottles. 

Cons: Will only fit in corners, which means less flexibility in terms of placement.

Like the Fern mentioned above, this corner model is a statement piece in its own right — especially, we think, in the concrete finish. The top half of this 5.5-foot tall cabinet has a rack for up twelve wine glasses, which is double the standard capacity. An adjustable shelf makes it easy to customize your setup based on what you’re storing. Extra tall bottles? A large decanter? No problem.

The lower half of this beauty, which comes in four colors, houses four cubbies, two of which contain built-in wine racks so you can more easily navigate your collection. In lieu of standard hardware, the cabinet opens with playful large half-moon handles, giving it a fun modern vibe.

Price at time of publish: $470

  • Dimensions: 68 x 31.5 x 15.7 inches
  • Weight: 114 pounds
  • Material: Manufactured wood


Best Tall:
CB2 Suspend Tall Bar Cabinet

CB2 Suspend Tall Bar Cabinet

CB2


Pros: Could easily double as a bookshelf. 

Cons: There is no built-in glassware storage.

The Suspend Tall Bar Cabinet is a well-executed exercise in simplicity. The six-foot tall structure has just two storage areas: A marble-lined, recessed space that’s ideal for showing off your most lovely barware and glassware and a lower cabinet — with a door — where you can tuck things out of sight. Both areas can easily fit most wine and liquor bottles (they’re 15 and 16 inches tall, respectively). 

Made of veneer-covered wood, the lack of handles and knobs contributes to this cabinet’s sleek silhouette. Available in either charcoal with black Marquina marble or walnut with white Carrara-style marble, one of the reasons we love this cabinet is that it can easily function as a bookshelf if you decide it no longer works as bar storage. 

Price at time of publish: $1,299

  • Dimensions: 23.5 x 15 x 74 inches
  • Weight: Unknown
  • Material: Solid yellow poplar, engineered wood, and walnut veneer


Best with Cabinet Doors:
Crate & Barrel Cantina Bar Cabinet

Crate and Barrel Cantina Bar Cabinet

Crate and Barrel


Pros: Plenty of specialized storage that can be rearranged to meet your needs. 

Cons: It is only available in one color.

If you’re the type who lives by the motto “A place for everything and everything in its place,” then this is the cabinet for you. Open the cabinet doors to reveal six integrated stemware racks, a drawer for your tools and accessories, and four reversible shelves that can provide a standard, flat surface or a battened side for neatly storing up to 16 bottles. 

Sleek, brass hardware provides a clean, elegant look. The top of the cabinet consists of a gallery shelf with a removable slab of white Banswara marble that works for serving or displaying.

Price at time of publish: $1,099

  • Dimensions: 33 x 15.75 x 43.25 inches
  • Weight: N/A
  • Material: Recycled teak, mango wood, and engineered wood frame


Best with Wheels:
West Elm Rattan Bar Cart

Rattan Bar Cart

Courtesy of West Elm


Pros: Lightweight construction (and wheels!) make this very mobile. 

Cons: Great for using outdoors on a case-by-case basis, but best not to leave in the elements.

We adore this wheeled rattan bar cabinet’s retro 1950s to ‘60s vibe. Two tall shelves make it easy to store tall items like pitchers, decanters, and even cases, and the lower level includes eight drink holders to keep bottles and carafes upright. 

Handcrafted by local artisans in Indonesia, this is built to last: It’s made from contract-grade rattan, meaning it’s durable enough to be recommended for commercial use. We love this for serving drinks at a backyard barbeque, but we have to caveat: Leaving it outside in the elements will shorten its life. That said, there’s something super nostalgic and fun about wheeling a cart full of mai-tais or margaritas into a crowd on a nice day. 

Price at time of publish: $899

  • Dimensions: 34 x 18 x 32 inches
  • Weight: 22 pounds
  • Material: Rattan


Best for Outdoors:
Williams Sonoma Dometic MoBar 550S Outdoor Mobile Bar Cart

Williams Sonoma Dometic MoBar 550S Outdoor Mobile Bar Cart

Williams Sonoma


Pros: It has everything necessary to keep the party going, including a dual-zone refrigerator. 

Cons: Very bulky, and may be overkill for those who do not have plenty of outdoor space.

The Dometic MoBar outdoor mobile bar cart is, essentially, a mini kitchen on wheels. A dual-zone refrigerator holds up to 39 wine bottles, a large prep surface that includes a recessed ice bucket that chills up to 22 bottles or 32 cans, a solid oak cutting board that doubles as a lid to the ice basket, two dry storage areas for storing barware and accessories, and built-in speed rack and side cubby for additional storage space (for bottles of food) — just to name a few. 

Made of professional-grade, weatherproof stainless steel, this is the perfect option for folks who like to entertain outdoors. Bonus: The cart uses a detachable power cord, so you can pre-chill the refrigerator for outdoor use if you don’t have access to an outlet.

Price at time of publish: $5,999

  • Dimensions: 49 x 24.5 x 38.5 inches
  • Weight: 250 pounds
  • Material: Stainless steel and tempered glass


Best Compact:
West Elm Bellwood Bar Cart

West Elm Bellwood Bar Cart

West Elm


Pros: Small footprint makes it ideal for even the tightest spaces.

Cons: No specialized storage solutions come with this cart.

The Bellwood bar cart is a stylish and sleek option for those looking to showcase their liquor and barware in a small space. With a footprint of just about 1.5 by 2.5 feet and two rubber-coated wheels, this model is great for moving around or tucking itself away in a corner — not that you’ll want to hide this two-toned beauty. The white steel body and walnut wood handle (and walnut wood accented wheels) are a versatile look that looks at home in various settings. 

While there’s no specialized glassware or bottle storage, tall, open-air shelves make it easy to add your own wine bottle rack or barware caddy.

Price at time of publish: $225

  • Dimensions: 20.8 x 31.4 x 17.2 inches
  • Weight: 15.6 pounds
  • Material: Steel and wood


Best Wall-Mounted:
Anthropologie Percy Wine Rack

Anthropologie Percy Wine Rack

Anthropologie


Pros: Storage for stemware, bottles, and barware without giving up floor space

Cons: Hanging hardware not included

There are two main reasons we love this Percy wine rack. First, it’s great on its own for those with little floor space at their home — or those who simply don’t want or need to dedicate an entire piece of furniture to bar storage. On the flip side, the Percy can also be mounted above a traditional bar cabinet to create more storage space.

This rack includes dedicated space for four bottles of wine and a stemware rail that holds up to four glasses. Additional bottles and barware can be stored on the top shelf, and stemless glassware fits perfectly on the bottom shelf. 

Price at time of publish: $168

  • Dimensions: 14 x 17.25 x 10.75
  • Weight: N/A
  • Material: Manufactured wood

Factors to Consider

Size

What size bar cabinet is best for you depends on a few things. Are you storing just liquor and wine bottles? If so, about how many? Or do you also want to store your glassware and barware? Additionally, where in your home will you be placing the bar cabinet, and do you imagine wanting to move it around in the future? These are all important questions to ask. 

Style

Of course, style is subjective, but there are a few things to consider: open-air or closed cabinets? If you don’t touch your bar often, something with doors might be the way to go — less dusting. Are you looking for something colorful and fun, or neutral and subdued? 

Features

Beyond specialized storage for glassware, bottles, and accessories, consider other things you might want in a bar cabinet: a built-in refrigerator or ice bucket? A prep area with a cutting board? Built-in lighting? These are all things to consider when deciding the best bar cabinet for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the average size/height of a bar cabinet?

    It truly depends! They can be tall and narrow, tall and wide, short and wide — there’s no standard size — but be sure that any shelving provides at least 12 to 15 inches of clearance, enough to accommodate most wine and liquor bottles. Another thing worth noting: If you’re on the fence about a certain size or style, try using a kitchen cart of a similar design to help get a better sense of what’s working — or what’s not working — with that look.

  • What do you keep in a bar cabinet?

    Any alcohol or mixer that doesn’t need to be refrigerated can be stored in a bar cabinet. Entertaining accessories, like ice buckets and tongs, punch bowls, cocktail napkins, and barware, as well as specialized glassware, are also often stored in a bar cabinet — it just depends on your needs and desires.

    For more detail here, we spoke with Bianca Miraglia, founder of Uncouth Vermouth, a line small-batch fortified wine (yes, vermouth is actually a wine, not a liqueur!) made with locally grown and foraged ingredients, to get some tips on the best ways to store alcohol. “Any wine and anything wine-based that is under 25{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} alcohol (such as Vermouth and Sherry) go in the fridge right after opening,” explains Miraglia, who’s also a sommelier. “This doesn’t completely pause the oxidation process, but it slows it down a bit [so it lasts longer].” So while anything in these categories can be stored in your bar cabinet at first, move them to cold storage once opened. How long do they last in the fridge? It depends. “If you prefer to drink these types of beverages fresh, consume them within a few weeks of opening. If you enjoy them as they continue to oxidize, you may drink them for as long as they taste good to you,” says Miraglia. Her other tip: “Try not to treat anything as too precious.”

  • Where should a bar cabinet be placed?

    Most of the time, folks prefer to keep their bar cabinet in the room where they most often entertain, usually the living room or dining room. That said, extended exposure to the sun isn’t recommended for alcohol bottles, so it’s best to rotate the bottles out every month or so if your cabinet sits in a particularly sunny spot.

Our Expertise

Erin Scottberg, an alum of Saveur, Modern Farmer, and Domino magazines, among others, has been covering food, kitchenware, and the people who work in and adjacent to kitchens for nearly a decade. She writer drew on her own experience and background in interior design and styling and also surveyed a variety of design experts. She then selected several options that meet a variety of style and functional needs as well as exceeded expectations for quality of construction, value, and performance.

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