Learning how to become a bartender is a question that gets vague answers on most of the internet and almost none from people who have actually done it. We have spent time speaking with working bartenders across New York, London, and Chicago about how they got started, what they wish they had known, and which establishments genuinely invest in developing talent from scratch. Here is what they told us.
Where Bartenders Actually Learn Their Craft
The path into bartending is not linear, and no serious hiring manager at a top bar cares about your certificate from a three-day cocktail school as much as the school would like you to believe. What matters is floor time, mentorship, and the willingness to be wrong in front of people. These are the bars and programmes where the training is actually worth something.
01
Attaboy — New York
Lower East Side
$$$
No-menu / Spec
Attaboy has produced more working bartenders than almost any programme in New York. The no-menu, bespoke cocktail format forces new hires to develop genuine taste vocabulary rather than memorise recipes. You start on barback shifts and earn your way behind the stick through demonstrated palate and service instinct. It is rigorous and there are no shortcuts.
Entry path: Apply as barback; expect 3–6 months before bartending duties begin
02
The Dead Rabbit — New York
Financial District
$$$
Irish / Classic
The Dead Rabbit runs one of the most structured internal training programmes in American hospitality. New staff receive a printed manual covering spirits history, classic technique, and service standards. The bar has been named World's Best Bar twice, and that reputation is built on a floor team trained to a single exacting standard.
Entry path: Cocktail server first — the bar rarely hires direct-to-bartender without internal history
03
Dante — New York
West Village
$$$
Aperitivo / All-day
Dante's multi-format operation — lunch through late cocktails — means junior staff work across every daypart and gain range quickly. Several of New York's most respected independent bar owners came through Dante's floor in their twenties. The bar is known for developing talent that goes on to open their own places.
Entry path: Day service positions are the most accessible entry point for first-timers
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The London Training Ground
London operates differently from New York. The pub tradition means there are more entry-level floor positions available, and the path from pub work to cocktail bar is well-worn. These are the London establishments with genuine track records for developing bartending talent.
04
The Connaught Bar — London
Mayfair
$$$$
Classic / Formal
The Connaught has held its World's 50 Best position for over a decade, and its team is one of the most formally trained in London. Junior staff receive structured education in spirits, wine, and classic technique. Bartenders who come through here carry that precision for the rest of their careers.
Entry path: Bar assistant roles posted on hotel career pages — expect a formal multi-stage application
05
Lyaness — London
South Bank
$$$
Creative / Ingredient-led
Ryan Chetiyawardana's Lyaness operates on a philosophy of ingredient-led creativity rather than formula. Junior bartenders here learn how flavour is built from first principles, not from recipe cards. The bar's approach to menu development is documented and taught to every member of the team, making it one of the most intellectually rigorous training environments in London.
Entry path: Seasonal staff calls on social media — follow their channels for openings
06
Nightjar — London
Shoreditch
$$$
Theatrical / Jazz
Nightjar's theatrical service style demands a different kind of bartender than most. Staff develop showmanship alongside technique, learning to manage an intimate atmosphere, work to live music, and deliver elaborate serves without breaking the room's mood. Its alumni run cocktail programmes in cities across Europe and Southeast Asia.
Entry path: Bar floor positions, with a strong emphasis on personality fit at interview
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The Skills Nobody Tells You About
Most guides about how to become a bartender focus on learning cocktail recipes and bottle knowledge. That matters, but it is not what separates the people who last in this industry from those who burn out in two years. The best bartenders develop a different set of skills — speed, memory management, emotional regulation under pressure, and the ability to read a room instantly.
07
Black Rock — London
Shoreditch
$$$
Whisky-led
Black Rock's whisky-centred programme trains staff in cask chemistry, flavour development, and guided tasting — skills that transfer across all spirits categories. The bar's founders built it partly as a platform to develop whisky literacy in the next generation of bartenders. Staff regularly present to industry groups and develop genuine subject expertise.
Entry path: Junior bartender positions with demonstrable whisky interest required
08
Death & Co — New York / Denver / Washington DC
Multiple Locations
$$$
Classic / Innovative
Death and Co publishes its training materials publicly in book form, which tells you something about the confidence they have in their programme. Internal education covers spirits theory, menu contribution, and career progression in genuine detail. Staff who stay two or more years often leave with the skills and credibility to open their own places.
Entry path: Apply through their website — multiple positions available across all three cities
09
Employees Only — New York
West Village
$$$
Speakeasy / Late-night
Employees Only teaches service speed and volume management at a level most cocktail bars cannot replicate. The bar does extraordinary numbers on a Friday night while maintaining drink quality — and that operational discipline is something the best junior bartenders carry with them. Speed without sloppiness is harder to teach than most programmes acknowledge.
Entry path: Barback positions are the standard entry — expect weekend and late-night shifts from day one
10
Sager + Wilde — London
Hackney
$$
Natural Wine / Neighbourhood
Sager and Wilde is where bartenders go when they want to develop wine knowledge without leaving the bar industry entirely. The team here spans both disciplines, and staff develop an understanding of natural wine, cider, and fermented drinks that is difficult to acquire anywhere else in London without formal sommelier training.
Entry path: Floor positions — wine enthusiasm valued above cocktail technique at the initial stages
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Our Verdict
The fastest path to a bartending career is not a course — it is getting a floor job at a bar you respect and making yourself impossible to ignore. Start as a barback if you have to. Work brunch if that is what gets you in the room. The bars above have produced some of the best working bartenders in the world, and they all have one thing in common: they hired people with genuine curiosity and patience, then built skill on top of that.
Certificate programmes have their place — for someone with no hospitality background at all, a one-week intensive will teach you the basics of technique and give you something to show at interview. But no serious head bartender at the bars on this list will shortlist someone solely on the basis of a course completion. Spend your money on good spirits to practice with at home, and spend your time getting floor hours at the best bar that will take you.
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