Bar Design Essentials: How to Design Bars That Work for Everyone

by Tobin Ellis

250 pages, Hardcover

Published March 11, 2026

Reviews

[Tobin Ellis]

I gave myself 5 stars for writing this book. Don’t hate me. Hear me out. I gave myself 3 stars for spending 17 years researching bar design in person all over the world while simultaneously spending 25 years bartending behind some of them and 20 years designing hundreds more. I gave myself the 4th star for spending two years full-time refining, improving, and editing the first-of-its-kind book on how to actually design high-functioning, beautiful bars. So what’s the 5th star for? Who gives themselves 4/5 stars? I may be crazy but I’m not nuts.

[Brian Moore]

As a designer, I found the book to have tons of valuable insights and metrics for designing bars. Not just conceptual ideas for layouts and improving operations, but also technical specifications and dimensions that should be followed. Essential reading for any architects that work with bars.