1.  Ashton Cigar Bar

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ashton Cigar Bar opened in 2013 directly above Holt’s Cigar Company in the heart of downtown Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood. That’s where Ashton brand founder Robert Levin first decided to come out with his own line of cigars. As the second-generation owner of Holt’s Cigars, Levin was a seasoned and well-respected tobacconist when he partnered with the Fuente family to create the Ashton brand more than 35 years ago. Opening the first and only Ashton Cigar Bar above Holt’s was a fitting move.

What separates Ashton Cigar Bar from other cigar bars is its intimate and opulent ambience. More than 450 whiskeys occupy a menu of over 600 top-shelf spirits from shelves that tower behind a curvaceous Carrara marble bar top. A stunning floor-to-ceiling walk-in humidor houses 200 premium cigars, including several ultra-rare Fuente Fuente Opus X sizes, Ashton VSGs that have been aged for over two decades, and a handful of proprietary blends from La Aroma de Cuba, My Father, Oliva, and more.

The seductive and dimly lit space includes a blend of low-riding leather sofas and classy high-top marble tables. The bar’s high-performance, Casino-grade air filtration system makes the space equally welcoming for dates and spouses who come for the cocktails but might forego smoking cigars. Ashton Cigar Bar is a mandatory destination for cigar lovers visiting the City of Brotherly Love.