The 12 Best Cocktail Trays, Consoles and Cabinets

Install all the finest elements of your favourite local cocktail bar in your home, and serve chilled.

By Belinda Aucott 09/07/2024

Staying in can be just as chic as going out, when you make a well-stocked bar the nucleus of your entertaining zone. With mood lighting, and a closing time that’s open-ended, it’s simple to create an atmosphere that goes beyond the everyday. Lean-in to building your home  bar by focusing on the pillars of food, beverage and socialisation. Prep like a doomsdayer to discover that with just a dash of planning, it’s simple to create a focal point for hours of frivolity. Select a bar design that’s a standalone feature, or one that makes  a clean adjunct your kitchen and dining layout. Design solutions range from statement side tables, utilitarian trays and minimal consoles, through to purpose-built, internally-lit purpose cabinets, created to conceal glassware and spirits from view. Here we supply a list 12 of the best cocktail trays, consoles and cabinets to buy, to ensure a night spent in, is just as sweet, as stepping out. Saluté!

Fendi Casa

The Fendi Aperitivo mobile bar is made from lacquered wood, with a Pequin-effect inlay. Conceived as a stand alone item, it comes replete with a mobile arm, glass shelves and compartments for both glassware and spirits. $62,495; fendicasa.com

Patrick Norguet for Glas Italia

This elegant series of minimal glass consoles comes in different types and sizes and includes coloured drawers, with a pressure opening system. Starting from around $4,177 from Mobilia.com.au

Minotti, Marcio Kogan ‘Boteco’ Console 2020

The Boteco console uses clean lines to reveal the Brazilian designer’s architectural prowess. The low-line console is characterised by an impressive 8 cm thickness surface, with a built-in tray perfect for drinks display. $35,250 dedece.com

Maxalto ‘Teasaurus’ 

‘Teasaurus’ comes from a highly refined series of storage units created by lauded Italian designer Antonio Citterio. The curved shape underlines the quality of the made-to-order craftsmanship. $44,705; space.com.au

Armani Casa

Expressly designed for holding glassware and spirts, this opulent liquor cabinet is discreetly housed in a timeless interior art object. Trés chic. Price on Application LuxMaison.com

Baxter ‘Float’ Cabinet by Pietro Russo

A glass cabinet with satin brass accents, this statement piece by Pietro Russo is a modern cabinet of curiosities by Italian design brand Baxter. $46,500; Space.com.au

Armani Casa Riesling Bar Cabinet 

The Riesling cabinet is marked by a large storage unit, perched on a thin, linear structure. The base is made from lightly brushed satin brass and the back of the doors equipped with short shelves to store glassware. Price on Application. Luxmaison.com

Giorgetti cabinet

Baxter merges modern refinement with centuries old tradition in this exquisite handmade cabinet. Its crafted in Canaletto walnut with a glamorous gold leaf interior and internal lighting. $35,830; artemest.com

Cassina Serving Cart

Ideal for modern living, this utilitarian rolling cocktail cart can be ordered from Cassina in solid Canaletto walnut or ash. The raised perimeter on all shelves keeps objects from slipping off. $6,838; Cassina.com

Kelly Wearstler Fractured Side Table

Add drama and utility to the corner of a small dining room with this strikingly modern side table perfect for drinks display. Beautifully textured, the ‘fractured table’ mixes the raw element of smashed glass, with a refined edge in polished antique brass. $8,750; kellywearstler.com

Didier Rozaffy Bookcase


This circa 1960 Mahogany and tinted glasses bookcase has 8 sliding panels to house drinks and back-bar favourites. Around $3000, plus shipping; Justine Paris

Salocchi Centro Cabinet

This 1960 rosewood and steel ‘Centro’ bookcase by Italian designer Claudio Salocchi makes a bold statement in any room. It can work an open-sided cocktail cabinet in an office or is perfect for divining a room in open plan dining room or small apartment. Available P.O.A plus shipping; Justine Paris

Frequently Asked Questions

What should every home bar have in stock to create great pre-dinner cocktails? 

To stock for all occasions take a meticulous approach to your bar fridge and cocktail cabinet. Get detail-focused on your glassware, dry store, bar equipment, accessories and items for garnish. Seasonal fruits and high quality mixers are essential, as is a good ice machine and large shaker, crystal pitcher and strainer.

How do I stock my back bar for pre-dinner cocktails?

Rum, vodka and gin are all good cocktail staples, as is an aged, or spiced rum. When it comes to spirits, your bar must contain one good quality vodka and two gins. One London Dry Gin and an artisanal gin. A high quality sipping vodka and a work-horse vodka for blended drinks. For tequila stock both a silver (blanco) tequila and a Anejo, or Reposado tequila to sip. A good quality brandy is great for blending with seasonal fruits and vodka. Also stock a rye whisky and a blended whisky for winter cocktails, as well as an Irish whiskey and one or two single malts. To make both a Negroni and Martini you’ll need excellent vermouth. Stock one dry and one sweet, and always remember to include fruity, fortified styles like Campari and Aperol for summer spritz. For making margaritas include a good quality triple sec or Cointreau, plus agave syrup as a nice alternative to triple sec when making Tommy’s Margaritas.

What three drinks should everybody know how to make?

A classic Margarita, a dry Martini and a Negroni. 

How do I make a dry Martini at home?

Chill a martini glass. Prepare a pitcher of ice. Add two 30 ml shots of good quality dry gin or vodka to the ice and set aside to rest for 2-3 minutes. Take your chilled martini glass and rinse it lightly, with a good dry white vermouth such as Dolin Dry. Return to the cocktail pitcher stir, using a long bar-spoon or teaspoon until perfectly mixed and a tiny bit diluted. While still very cold strain all ingredients into a vermouth rinsed, martini glass and garnish with a tiny twist of lemon peel or two olives. If your martini is ordered dry, but dirty add a tiny splash of green olive brine to the martini pitcher before straining. 

How do I make a classic Negroni at home?

Build this classic drink by adding 50ml of gin (of your choice) to a cocktail shaker. Then add 25 ml of Campari and 25 ml of sweet vermouth, like Antica Formula Rosso. Pour into a beautifully chilled short tumbler and add a slice of orange.

How do I make a well-balanced Margarita at home?

Chill a fine crystal margarita glass until ultra-frosty. Salt the rim by rubbing the edge of glass with fresh lime and placing the glass face down on a plate covered with good quality (non-iodised) crystal salt. To a cocktail shaker add ice plus 30 mls each of equal parts silver tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Close the lid and shake all ingredients vigorously over ice until freezing cold. Strain into salt-rimmed crystal glass and serve very chilled. 

What essentials should I stock for post-dinner cocktails?

For post-dinner include an amaro like Montenegro, or a digestif like Fernet-Branca for something citrus or herbal to finish off the night. Both can be served on the rocks. To cater to a  sweeter palate include an Amaretto, this includes almond and nut-flavoured liqueurs perfect for Affogati or Amaretto Sours. If you have friends with a sweet tooth, then be sure to include a coffee liqueur like Kahlúa for dessert-leaning cocktails, as well as something indulgent like a Mr Black or Tia Maria for Espresso Martinis. Other essential ingredients that enable you to pull together a cocktail at short notice include seasonal fruit, cherries or peaches in summer, and lots of citrus; lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges and blood oranges in winter. 

What herbs and extras should I have in store? 

Fresh mint or fresh basil, as well as Angostura bitters, agave and a simple sugar syrup all help enormously when getting creative in the cocktail bar.

What key cocktail equipment do I need?

In terms of set up it helps to have a hand held juicer, cocktail pitcher and spoon, shaker, strainer, blender, stick blender and ice machine. To finish cocktails keep cartons of tomato, cranberry and orange juice to hand. Dry store coconut milk or regular UHT cream in cartons, plus plenty of small individual glass bottles of soda water and tonic like Fever Tree. Tooth picks, cocktail napkins, sugar and salt are also essential. For martinis keep in stock whole jars of Gordal green olives, maraschino cherries and fresh eggs (or powdered egg white) which will all help for making dirty martini ties and a solid good whisky sour respectively. 

What do I offer those who don’t like cocktails?

If in doubt, a great bottle of vintage champagne or aged whisky will surprise fussy or un-decisive guests. Champagne works as a terrific palate cleanser after a meal and  is also a quick way to get the night underway with minimal fuss.

What’s a foolproof tip with cocktails?

The best dinner parties always occur when everyone starts the night on the same drink. This simple rule of thumb ensures everyone glides upwards under the same head of steam. In general, if people imbibe together at a similar flavour and  rate it makes for a smoother transition into meal time and beyond. 

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How Off-the-Rack Suits Got Sophisticated Enough to Win Over Bespoke Guys

Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better, and it offers even the most particular dressers a fast, easy platform for experimenting with their look.

By Aleks Cvetkovic 18/02/2025

The world moves fast—and for once, tailoring is moving a little bit faster.

Guys around the globe are rediscovering their love of suits, but many have determined that they can’t stomach the monthslong wait for bespoke. The good news? Ready-to-wear tailoring has never been better.

That’s in part because bespoke makers are beefing up their off-the-rack offerings. Anderson & Sheppard’s shop-in-store at N.Y.C.’s Bergdorf Goodman—the first outpost beyond its London flagship— opened in December with, among other things, a sharp wool-and-cashmere jacket in a delightful shade of teal. Huntsman’s recent fall-winter collection, billed as its most comprehensive assortment yet, offered everything from tuxedos to shooting breeches. Even Leonard Logsdail, Hollywood’s highly esteemed bespoke purveyor, is experimenting with hem-and-go models.

But non-custom tailors are upping the ante, too. Some of the best ready-to-wear suits on the market come from such brands, whose wholly distinctive points of view provide a welcome departure from the rigidity of many bespoke tailors’ house styles. The preponderance and diversity of such high-quality, easy-to-access threads has recast off-the-rack suits as the ultimate way to experiment with your look, not just a way for some to get dressed on the cheap. What’s more, it reflects the new reality that even people who suit up regularly might want to show up looking different on Thursday night than they did on Tuesday morning.

“Life nowadays is much more fluid,” says Chris Modoo, a London-based stylist who once worked as a tailor on Savile Row. “Things happen, invitations appear. You might get an invite for a black-tie party in the South of France for next Saturday.” Ready-to-wear is the obvious solution when you’re in a last-minute menswear quandary, but “it also means you can try new things.”

One maker worth a test-drive is Husbands Paris, founded by Nicolas Gabard, who sees his role as an “archivist of the past.” His look, inspired by stylish men such as Yves Saint Laurent, David Hemmings, and Gary Cooper, is unabashedly striking—think long, fully canvased jackets, broad lapels, structured shoulders, and wide-leg, high-waisted trousers. These wares are made in small workshops in Italy and Portugal, where craftspeople infuse them with high-end details such as hand-sewn buttonholes and silk bar tacks, a form of stitching that reinforces seams and pockets.

Thom Sweeney L.A. store Brett Wood

They’re the kind of touches any menswear enthusiast can appreciate—even if they’re the trees to Gabard’s style forest. Clothes like this are designed as a form of wearable self-assurance, enhancing what Gabard calls a “classically masculine” silhouette: broad shoulders, slim waist, narrow hips.

“Of course, tailoring has to fit well, but it also has to bring something else,” he says. “More and more [Husbands] customers want to be confident, powerful, and sexy in their outfit.”

When you want to look more suave than soigné, turn to the indie Milanese brand Massimo Alba, which is known for its chic casualwear but made its name with easygoing tailoring. “A great suit is not just about the way it fits but about the way it makes you feel,” says the eponymous label’s founder of his relaxed approach. “For me, the essence lies in balance, between structure and softness, elegance and ease. In my opinion, a suit should adapt to the wearer, not the other way around.”

Alba’s creations are cut from plush materials such as corduroy and flannel, featuring natural shoulders and only the lightest of canvasing in the chest, which results in a less-formal look. Which is not to say they aren’t workhorses: Daniel Craig wore one of Alba’s Sloop suits to dodge bullets in 2021’s James Bond film No Time to Die. “I always focus on fabrics that move with the body, details that whisper rather than shout, and cuts that allow for freedom,” Alba adds.

And freedom is precisely what this newfound inventory of great ready-to-wear tailoring provides. Modoo advises some clients to look to bespoke tailors for investment-level garments, such as morning suits, tuxedos, or the dark, serious stuff you might need for a funeral or odd courtroom appearance. “You know you’re going to wear these for 10 or 15 years,” he says. Let the new class of distinctive ready-to-wear step in when you want to try something that just wouldn’t make sense as a bespoke order. “Your pink-velvet blazer for the Christmas party? How well does that need to fit?”

London bespoke tailor Caroline Andrew is one of many who admits ready-to-wear has its place. Courtesy of Caroline Andrew

Fortunately, with so many options available, the fit is easier to dial in. You can expect most high-end operations to make a long list of changes, from ensuring that the seat of the trousers drapes appropriately to cutting working buttonholes on the jacket. For a peerless experience, you can always reach for garments from one of the many talented bespoke tailors offering ready-to-wear. At Thom Sweeney, such clothes are “all influenced by our bespoke cut,” says Thom Whiddett, who cofounded the brand with Luke Sweeney in 2007. “You try on [our ready-to-wear] jacket, and you immediately get a sense of the proportions and shapes that we put into a bespoke garment.”

That alluring sense of near-instant gratification is the point. For some, nothing will ever replace the distinguished feeling of slipping into a bench-made suit—and plenty are willing to wait for it.

“You have to mentally buy into the process and enjoy it,” says Caroline Andrew, a London bespoke specialist. “The journey is just as important as the finished product.” But ready-to-wear sets the time-strapped tailoring enthusiast down a different path: discovering new facets of your personal style at a record pace.

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Tom Brady Wears a Jacob & Co. Watch Decked in Yellow Sapphires to the Super Bowl

The $740,000 Caviar Tourbillon was an opulent choice for the former NFL star.

By 17/02/2025

Tom Brady was on the field tonight at the 59th annual Super Bowl game, and while the retired NFL hero—a seven-time Super Bowl winner (the most of any footballer in history)—wasn’t playing, he came dressed to impress with a $116,400 Jacob & Co. watch on his wrist.

Brady, who is a notable watch collector, recently sold off several of his timepieces at a Sotheby’s auction called “The GOAT Collection: Watches and Treasures from Tom Brady” this past December. Those timepieces ran the gamut from a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 to a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with his name spelled out in diamonds across the salmon-colored tapisserie dial. His Rolex Daytona sold for over $1.5 million, and, in total, his auction raked in around $7 million. So, he’s well-equipped for a new watch purchase.

Whether or not he owns the six-figure sapphire stunner or it was a paid spot, the watch certainly stood out against his conservative but immaculately fit gray suit. “Tom Brady is the epitome of excellence, both on and off the field,” said Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co, in a press release sent out by the company shortly after Brady’s appearance. “We’re thrilled to see him wearing two of our most prestigious timepieces on the biggest stage in sports. The Billionaire Mini Ashoka and Caviar Tourbillon embody the precision, luxury, and innovation that define Jacob & Co. We’re honored to have him represent the artistry and craftsmanship behind every piece we create.”

Like much of Brady’s wrist candy, his 44 by 15.8 mm Caviar Tourbillon is not easy to come by. It is limited to just 18 pieces. It features hours, minutes, and a one-minute flying tourbillon in the JCAA43 movement with 216 components and 72 hours of power reserve. The movement itself is set with 338 brilliant-cut diamonds, while a total of 337 yellow sapphires adorn the case and dial. The clasp is decorated with another 18 baguette-cut yellow sapphires, and the crown comes with 14 baguette-cut yellow sapphires and one rose-cut yellow sapphire. As far as gem setting goes, this is one extraordinary piece, but it certainly seemed like a surprising choice for Brady, who was otherwise dressed like he just stepped out of a boardroom or a Ralph Lauren catalog.

Benjamin Arabov, son of Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabov, is now the CEO of the company. The 32-year-old recently took to Instagram to post that he was looking for a rebranding agency with experience in visual identity and packaging. As far as marketing goes, however, with Tom Brady, he’s golden.

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This Vintage Rolex Day-Date Has an Ultra-Rare and Coveted ‘Bark’ Design

The ultra-cool piece from Wind Vintage also comes in pristine condition with a desirable patina.

By Paige Reddinger 17/02/2025

Over the last four years there has been a resurgence in interest for 18-karat yellow gold watches. Much of that is due to fatigue over the long-running craze for steel tool watches, but it is also in part due to the rising value of gold (which shows no sign of slowing), rendering these once undesirable pieces increasingly worth collecting. Add to that the fact that, in some niche and stylish circles, unusual bracelet treatments, gem-setting, and interesting dials are becoming increasingly appealing and you have a new wave of watch collecting emerging. Steel sports watches are still the bread and butter for most dealers, but as pockets of interest in more unusual timekeepers, often from younger and fashion-forward collectors, continue to rise we’re seeing some really fun pieces pop up on the market. Case in point: This 1980s Rolex Day-Date in 18-karat yellow gold with a sapphire and diamond dial from Wind Vintage currently available exclusively on The Vault.

It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $23,000 to $28,000. The asking price today? $45,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewellery and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this watch can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.

“Bark” engraving on the bezel and bracelet of the Wind Vintage 1980s Rolex Day-Date
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

And while the bracelet is certainly a notable feature that will stand out in a sea of Submariners and Daytonas, the dial is also worth bragging about. Its diamond minutes track and sapphire hour markers are executed in what is known as a “string dial” because it looks like a string of pearls. “They’ve become very popular,” says Wind. “They were very expensive back in the 80s, just because of the cost of the stones, and there are just not many that exist on the planet.” Likewise, Wind says the canary yellow matte dial is not something he comes across often, having only seen a couple of others.

An up-close look at the patina and “bark” engraving on this 1980s Day-Date from Wind Vintage.
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

Part of what makes this watch so hard to find on the market is that pieces like this often didn’t survive past their ’80s heyday. “A lot of times these watches were so undesirable that dealers would replace the bezel inserts and put on fluted inserts, or smooth bezels or fluted bezels and melt down the bracelets or polish the center link so they looked like a standard Day-Date. Those dealers should have learned that what goes around, always comes around. Now with these interesting Rolex watches on the rise, they’ll become even harder to find.

A Wind Vintage 1980s Day-Date with “bark” engraving and a gem-set “string dial”
Courtesy of Wind Vintage

If you’re interested in the piece and want to speak to Wind about it IRL, he will be at Robb Report’s House of Robb event in San Francsico today during the NBA All-Star weekend.

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Soccer Star Kylian Mbappé Is Now an Investor in Watch Marketplace Wristcheck

Just like Jay-Z.
Published on February 7, 2025

By Abby Montanez 11/02/2025

Kylian Mbappé just went from brand ambassador to investor.

The celebrated French footballer, who currently plays for Real Madrid, has taken a stake in luxury watch trading platform Wristcheck, Hypebeast reported lat week.

Off the filed, the 26-year-old soccer star is a known timepiece collector and has served as an ambassador for Swiss marque Hublot since 2018. With this new partnership, the forward joins a growing group of influential backers, including Jay-Z. The rapper and business mogul took an equity stake in the Hong Kong-based company last summer as part of a recent funding round of $7.9 million.

“I’m thrilled to join Wristcheck as an investor through Coalition Capital,” Mbappé said in a press statement. “As a Hublot ambassador and someone passionate about watches and innovation, I see Wristcheck as a platform that truly understands the next generation of collectors. They’re reshaping the watch industry with a forward-thinking approach that blends technology, transparency, and creativity.” Mbappé did not immediately respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment on his new business endeavor.

Kylian Mbappé is an investor in online watch shop Wristcheck.
Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Launched in 2020 by renowned horophile and Instagram personality Austen Chu, Wristcheck offers a platform for collectors to buy and sell pre-owned watches that have been authenticated by Swiss-trained watchmakers. Since it was founded, the company has raised more than $21.6 million in funding from investors including the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA, and K3 Ventures.

Mbappé, meanwhile, has achieved remarkable success in his soccer career. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, becoming the youngest player to score in a final since Pelé. At PSG, he has secured multiple Ligue 1 titles and domestic cups. Individually, Mbappé has earned the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and regularly features in top European scoring charts. And in 2020, he was ranked the world’s highest-paid player, surpassing rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Sotheby’s Will Put on the Largest Auction of Breguet Watches in Decades This Fall

To celebrate the revered watchmaking house’s 250th anniversary, the sale includes rare collectibles belonging to living Breguet family members.

By Paige Reddinger 11/02/2025

Interest in Breguet has experienced a quiet resurgence among savvy collectors who appreciate the brand’s deep-rooted watchmaking heritage. This growing enthusiasm will soon take center stage with an upcoming auction that shines a significant spotlight on the storied Maison.

Founded in Paris 250 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most influential watchmakers in history, best known for inventing the tourbillon and the automatic winding system—along with many other groundbreaking innovations. His legacy continues to inspire modern masters such as F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. You can see Breguet’s influence pointedly in pieces like F.P. Journe’s famous Chronomètre à Résonance timepiece, voted one of Robb Report‘s 50 Greatest Watches of All Time.

Now, Sotheby’s has announced “the largest sale of Breguet timepieces in three decades.” Though the auction won’t take place until November, the auction house is already working to build anticipation. In the meantime, it might be wise to brush up on the most coveted Breguet references.

Breguet 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV Breguet

What may pique collectors’ interest is the sale is being curated in conjunction with Breguet and Emmanuel Breguet, the vice president and head of patrimony, who happens to be a descendant of the original Monsieur Breguet. So far, the only timekeeper publicly associated (at least visually) with the auction is the 1827 Perpétuelle à Tact watch made for King George IV. Still, it hints at the historic level of pocket watches, wristwatches, and clocks that will be on offer. Abraham-Louis Breguet was a frequent supplier of high-end and state-of-the-art timepieces for royalty, including Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King George III.

Other highlights include an open-faced montre à tact (a watch that replicates the internal hour hand on the cover of the pocket watch via an arrow so that time could be read via touch) with a calendar and moonphase indications that was the inspiration for the Ref. 3330. A pendulette with alarm, perpetual calendar and repeater, and a two-color gold open-faced tourbillon watch is said to be a part of the sale, although no images were provided as of press time. More info on what will be in the sale will come this spring.

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