The World's 50 Best Bars is an annual list that celebrates the best of the international drinks scene, providing a yearly ranking of bars, voted for by more than 650 drinks experts from across the globe. History The list was first announced in 2009, with annual award ceremonies held in London since the inaugural event in 2012. In 2022, the ceremony moved for the first time from London to Barcelona. Incorporating grand hotel bars, secretive speakeasies, quirky salons and dive bars, The World's 50 Best Bars list aims to celebrate the diversity and universality of the drinks culture and to reflect new bar scenes developing all over the world. The World's 50 Best Bars is owned and organised by William Reed Ltd, the group behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants. William Reed is solely responsible for organising the awards, collating the votes, and producing the lists. None of the employees of the organiser or any of the sponsors associated with the awards, including the main sponsor, has any influence over the results.
In 2016, The World's 50 Best Bars brand was extended with the launch of Asia's 50 Best Bars, the first regional Bars award for the brand. A second regional list, North America's 50 Best Bars, was launched in 2022. A third regional list, Europe's 50 Best Bars, was launched in 2026.
The voting process The list is compiled by votes from The World's 50 Best Bars Academy, which consists of more than 650 drinks experts with 50/50 gender parity, including renowned bartenders, consultants, drinks writers, and cocktail specialists from around the world. The Academy of voters is spread across 28 global geographic regions, each headed by an Academy Chair who selects their region's voters, with the distribution of voters designed to reflect the relative development and sophistication of the drinks sector, and the concentration of quality bars, in each region. Voters are required to remain anonymous and voting is confidential, secure and independently adjudicated by Deloitte.
The World's Best Bars
World's Best BarsYear1st2nd3rd2009 Milk & Honey London Milk & Honey NYC Buddha Bar2010 Milk & Honey London PDT (Please Don't Tell) Harry's Bar2011 PDT (Please Don't Tell) The Connaught Bar Artesian2012 Artesian PDT (Please Don't Tell) Nightjar2013 Artesian Nightjar High Five2014 Artesian The Dead Rabbit Nightjar2015 Artesian The Dead Rabbit Nightjar2016 The Dead Rabbit The American Bar Dandelyan2017 The American Bar Dandelyan The NoMad2018 Dandelyan The American Bar Manhattan2019 Dante NYC The Connaught Bar Florería Atlántico2020 The Connaught Bar Dante NYC The Clumsies2021 The Connaught Bar Tayēr + Elementary Paradiso2022 Paradiso Tayēr + Elementary Sips2023 Sips Double Chicken Please Handshake Speakeasy2024 Handshake Speakeasy Bar Leone Sips2025 Bar Leone Handshake Speakeasy Sips
Asia's 50 Best Bars Asia's Best BarsYear1st2nd3rd2016 28 HongKong Street Speak Low High Five2017 Manhattan Speak Low High Five2018 Manhattan Indulge Experimental Bistro Speak Low2019 The Old Man Manhattan Indulge Experimental Bistro2020 Jigger & Pony The Old Man Coa2021 Coa Jigger & Pony The SG Club2022 Coa Jigger & Pony Argo2023 Coa Jigger & Pony BKK Social Club2024 Bar Leone Zest Jigger & Pony2025 Syd's Flat Zest Jigger & Pony
North America's 50 Best Bars North America's Best BarsYear1st2nd3rd2022 Attaboy Handshake Speakeasy Licorería Limantour2023 Double Chicken Please Handshake Speakeasy Katana Kitten2024 Handshake Speakeasy Superbueno Tlecān2025 Handshake Speakeasy Superbueno Tlecān2026 Sip & Guzzle Bar Mauro Bar Snack
Europe's 50 Best Bars North America's Best BarsYear1st2nd3rd2026 Line The Bar in Front of the Bar Sips
See also
List of food and drink awards The World's 50 Best Restaurants List of bars
References
External links