The Artesian Bar (pictured) at London’s Langham hotel heads the list of the world’s 50 Best Bars for the second year running, with another London bar, Nightjar, in second place.
They were joined by High Five in Tokyo in third and London’s Connaught Bar in fourth while The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog in New York City came fifth – the best bar in North America despite opening only 10 months ago.
The annual World’s 50 Best Bars list, compiled by Drinks International with a global “academy” of judges, offered plenty of surprises last night (October 10), including new entries and a 11-point fall for last year’s number-two bar, PDT in New York City, to 13th place.
The UK was represented in the top 50 by several other London bars including Happiness Forgets in Hoxton in sixth place, Callooh Callay in Shoreditch at 11, the American Bar at the Savoy at 20, 69 Colebrooke Row in Islington at 27 and Zetter Townhouse in Clerkenwell at 34.
Edinburgh bar Bramble was in 32nd place, making it the best bar in Scotland.
The list featured many New York City bars again, including Employees Only at 12, Death & Co at 21, Clover Club at 31, newcomer Attaboy at 42 and another new entry Pouring Ribbons at 44. Other US bars in the top 50 are Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco at 30, Drink in Boston at 46 and Tommy’s in San Francisco at 47.
Sydney also stood out in the list, with The Baxter Inn in eighth place, Eau de Vie at 25, Bulletin Place at 26 and Shady Pines at 41 but Melbourne had the best bar in Australasia: Black Pearl in seventh place. Melbourne is also home to one of the new entries, The Everleigh.
Paris was better represented this year, with Candelaria rising 36 places to number nine, making it the best bar in Europe excluding the UK. Other Parisian bars included four new entries Le Forum at 33, Little Red Door at 39, Le Coq at 40 and Sherry Butt at 43.
Italy saw a new entry at 19 for The Jerry Thomas Project in Rome, while Nottingham Forest in Milan just missed out on being relegated from the top 50, slipping to number 49.
Le Lion in Hamburg retained its place as the best bar in Germany, rising seven places to number 16. Other German bars in the top 50 are Buck & Breck in Berlin at 17, The Parlour in Frankfurt at 18, Schumann’s in Munich at 23 and Lebensstern in Berlin at 36.
The best bar in Spain was Dirty Martini in Barcelona, rising five places to 14, while Mutis in Barcelona was at 29. The top 50 welcomed back Dutch bar Door 74 in Amsterdam, jumping in at 15. Ruby in Copenhagen remained in the list, rising 25 points to 22nd place, while Greece crept into the top 50 with new entry Baba au Rum in Athens.
Moscow’s bar scene was represented by Chainaya, Tea & Cocktails in the 28 spot, followed by Delicatessen entering the top 50 at number 50.
The best bar in Latin American and the Caribbean is Floreria Atlantico in Buenos Aires, in 35th place, while Mexico was represented by the unique La Capilla tequila bar in Tequila.
While High Five in Tokyo won the trophy for best bar in Asia, the continent was also represented by 28 Hongkong Street in Singapore at 10, Quinary in Hong Kong at 38 and Tippling Club in Singapore at 45.
An award went to Zuma in Dubai which, while in 63rd place, was the best bar in Africa and the Middle East.
The top 50 bars were announced last night at a ceremony at One Mayfair in London, hosted by Lucy Britner from World’s 50 Best Bars and cocktail historian David Wondrich. Sponsors included Ron Botran, Caorunn gin, Nikka whisky, Asahi beer and Mongolian vodka Soyombo.
1 Artesian Bar, London
2 Nightjar, London
3 High Five, Tokyo (best bar in Asia)
4 Connaught Bar, London
5 Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, New York City (best bar in North America)
6 Happiness Forgets, London
7 Black Pearl, Melbourne (best bar in Australasia)
8 The Baxter Inn, Sydney
9 Candelaria, Paris (best bar in Europe excl UK)
10 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore
11 Callooh Callay, London
12 Employees Only, New York City
13 PDT, New York City
14 Dry Martini, Barcelona
15 Door 74, Amsterdam
16 Le Lion, Hamburg
17 Buck & Breck, Berlin
18 The Parlour, Berlin
19 The Jerry Thomas Project, Rome
20 American Bar, The Savoy, London
21 Death & Co, New York City
22 Ruby, Copenhagen
23 Schumann’s, Munich
24 The Everleigh, Melbourne
25 Eau de Vie, Sydney
26 Bulletin Place, Sydney
27 69 Colebrooke Row, London
28 Chainaya, Tea & Cocktails, Moscow
29 Mutis, Barcelona
30 Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco
31 Clover Club, New York City
32 Bramble, Edinburgh
33 Le Forum, Paris
34 Zetter Townhouse, London
35 Floreria Atlantico, Buenos Aires (best bar in Latin America and the Caribbean)
36 Lebensstern, Berlin
37 La Capilla, Tequila, Mexico
38 Quinary, Hong Kong
39 Little Red Door, Paris
40 Bar Le Coq, Paris
41 Shady Pines, Sydney
42 Attaboy, New York City
43 Sherry Butt, Paris
44 Pouring Ribbons, New York City
45 Tippling Club, Singapore
46 Drink, Boston
47 Tommy’s, San Francisco
48 Baba Au Rum, Athens
49 Nottingham Forest, Milan
50 Delicatessen, Moscow
