The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 were announced tonight and London takes the top spot, with Connaught Bar being crowned The World’s Best Bar. However, it has also been an amazing year for Dubai with two bars in the list, making it the highest number of bars the country has had on the list in a decade.
Zuma, at No.23 is once again crowned The Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa, sponsored by BelliNo. Dubai’s second bar on the list is new entry, Galaxy Bar at No.45 which completes its ascension to the list after being name Campari One To Watch last year.
The 13th list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, was announced at a live awards ceremony on Tuesday 7th December 2021 in London, UK.The 2021 list features bars from 17 countries, with 18 new entries spread across Australia, India, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Sweden, Spain, China and the UAE
London stays on top but Spain leads Europe
London takes the top two spots with Connaught Bar placing at No.1 and receiving The Best Bar in Europe for the second year in a row, with Tayēr + Elementary at No.2. The city’s third bar in the list is Kwānt at No.31. Spain leads Europe with four bars on the list, with Barcelona’s Paradiso claiming No.3 position, followed by Two Schmucks, which climbed 15 places to No.11. Salmon Guru, Madrid, is at No.24 and is the winner of Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. Sips, Barcelona, is a new entry for Spain at No.37.
Greece claims two spots on the list with Athens bars The Clumsies and Baba au Rum at No.4 and No.14 respectively. Italy has three bars on the list as Milan’s new entry Camparino in Galleria at No.27 joins fellow Milanese bar 1930 (No.20) and Rome’s Drink Kong (No.19
Sweden and Russia also have two bars each on the list, with Stockholm’s Tjoget at No.40 and Lucy’s Flower Shop coming in as a new entry at No.35. St Petersburg’s El Copitas has climbed 19 positions to No.8, and new entry Insider Bar, Moscow, is at No.13, winning the London Essence Best New Opening in the process. France’s Little Red Door in Paris again claims a spot on the list at No.29.
Mexico takes North America by storm
Mexico City’s Licorería Limantour is The Best Bar in North America, sponsored by Naked Malt, at No.6 on the list, and is joined by three other new entries from Mexico City: Hanky Panky at No.12, which is also the Disaronno Highest New Entry for 2021; Handshake Speakeasy at No.25; and Baltra Bar at No.38.
New York boasts three bars on the global ranking with Katana Kitten climbing six spots to No.10, Dante at No.30 and Attaboy at No.34, the latter also clinching the Rémy Martin Legend of The List for its continued success in the ranking. Miami re-joins the line-up this year with Café La Trova, a new entry at No.28.
Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, is The Best Bar in South America, sponsored by Tia Maria, and claims the No.5 spot. Also representing Buenos Aires is Presidente at No.21, which also collects the Nikka Highest Climber after rising 29 places this year, and Tres Monos, a new entry at No.33.
Singapore leads the world and India returns
For the first time since 2010, an Indian bar returns to the ranking with Sidecar, New Delhi coming in at No.47.
Hong Kong’s Coa has climbed to No.7 and is The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Torres Brandy. However, Singapore has the most Asian representatives and more than any city in the world, with six bars on the list. Jigger & Pony is at No.9, Manhattan at No.15 and Atlas at No.16. There are two Singaporean new entries with No Sleep Club at No.26 and MO Bar at No.36, and Tippling Club, Singapore is a re-entry at No.43.
Hong Kong is represented by three bars this year, with Darkside a new entry at No.49 and Quinary re-entering the ranking at No.50, alongside the award-winning Coa. In Mainland China, Shanghai’s Sober Company is at No.39, while Epic and Union Trading Company are both new entries at No.41 and No.48 respectively.
Japan claims two spots with Tokyo bars SG Club at No.18 and Bar Benfiddich at No.32, while South Korea’s Seoul bar Charles H climbs seven places to No.42.
Australia stays strong and the Middle East makes a splash
Sydney has three bars on the list, with Maybe Sammy at No.22 picking up the title for The Best Bar in Australasia, sponsored by Asahi Super Dry. Cantina OK! is at No.23 and there is a new entry in Re at No.46, which also collects the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award after an audit by 50 Best’s sustainability partner, Food Made Good Global. Another new entry for Australia is Above Board, Melbourne, at No.44.
From the UAE, Dubai’s Zuma is once again crowned The Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa, sponsored by BelliNo, and is ranked No.17. Dubai also has a new entry this year with Galaxy Bar at No.45, which completes ascension to the list after being named Campari One To Watch last year.
Special Awards
To kick off the ceremony Thunderbolt, Los Angeles, was named the winner of Campari One To Watch, which is given to a bar outside the main list that the 50 Best team believes has the ability to break into the ranking in future editions.
Cardiff’s Lab 22 is the inaugural winner of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu. Any bar in the world was eligible to enter this award, which is graded by 50 Best’s panel of 28 global Academy Chairs.
French-born Remy Savage is named the Roku Industry Icon. For this award all 600 members of the voting Academy are asked to name the person who has done more for the progress of the bar industry than any other individual. Savage is well regarded among drinks connoisseurs for his extensive cocktails and spirits knowledge. He is world-renowned for his craft, creativity and unique way of approaching the bar experience.
Hanky Panky in Mexico City secures the Disaronno Highest New Entry, as the bar which enters the list in the highest position at No.12. With a team led by Bar Manager Roberto Ponce and comprising leading bartenders in Mexico City, Hanky Panky provides a curated international experience, with influences from all over the world.
Moscow’s Insider Bar wins London Essence Best New Opening at No.13, as the bar which enters the list in the highest position of any that have opened during the voting period. Founded by Galaktion
and Elina Tabidze, the Insider Bar and Lab were inspired by the bars of London, Paris and New York. The bar itself operates within the guest space, as well as the Insider Lab, which is a first for Russia.
Presidente in Buenos Aires claims the Nikka Highest Climber title, having risen 29 spots from No.50 in 2020 to No.21 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 list. Located in a stunning period building in the cosmopolitan streets of the Recoleta neighbourhood, Presidente is the glamour-spot cocktail bar of Buenos Aires – but one that matches its style with substance.
Attaboy, New York, is named Rémy Martin Legend of The List, an award which is given to a bar that has performed most consistently in the list since its inception and can only be won once. Attaboy is an everyman cocktail bar from Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy, which is now run by Haley Traub on the site of New York’s legendary Milk & Honey.
Re, Sydney, secures the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award. Opened in early 2021 by UK expat Matt Whiley, Re provides a sustainable drinking experience where every part of the bar is influenced by reducing waste and creating a closed-loop service.
Other special award winners announced in the run-up to the event on 7th December include Salmon Guru, Madrid, which was named the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award and Lynnette Marrero of Llama Inn, New York, winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.
The Voting Process
For 2021, The World’s 50 Best Bars made a variety of changes to adapt to the impacts the pandemic has had on bars around the world. Due to limited travel opportunities throughout much of 2020 and 2021, the voting guidelines and voting requirements were re-evaluated to reflect this. The list is based on members of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy’s bar experiences across a voting period between March 2020 to September 2021 inclusive. For this year there was no requirement for The World's 50 Best Bars Academy to cast international votes, although if members had been fortunate enough to travel internationally, they were encouraged to allow these experiences to inform their voting choices, and they were asked to vote for 7 bars in order of preference. Voting remained anonymous and secure, and the voting process and results are independently adjudicated by Deloitte.
1-50 List:
Ranking Establishment City Country
1 Connaught Bar London UK
2 Tayēr + Elementary London UK
3 Paradiso Barcelona Spain
4 The Clumsies Athens Greece
5 Florería Atlántico Buenos Aires Argentina
6 Licorería Limantour Mexico City Mexico
7 Coa Hong Kong China
8 El Copita s St Petersburg Russia
9 Jigger & Pony Singapore Singapore
10 Katana Kitten New York USA
11 Two Schmucks Barcelona Spain
12 Hanky Panky Mexico City Mexico
13 Insider Bar Moscow Russia
14 Baba au Rum Athens Greece
15 Manhattan Singapore Singapore
16 Atlas Singapore Singapore
17 Zuma Dubai UAE
18 The SG Club Tokyo Japan
19 Drink Kong Rome Italy
20 1930 Milan Italy
21 Presidente Buenos Aires Argentina
22 Maybe Sammy Sydney Australia
23 Cantina OK! Sydney Australia
24 Salmon Guru Madrid Spain
25 Handshake Speakeasy Mexico City Mexico
26 No Sleep Club Singapore Singapore
27 Camparino in Galleria Milan Italy
28 Café La Trova Miami USA
29 Little Red Door Paris France
30 Dante New York USA
31 Kwānt London UK
32 Bar Benfiddich Tokyo Japan
33 Tres Monos Buenos Aires Argentina
34 Attaboy New York USA
35 Lucy’s Flower Shop Stockholm Sweden
36 MO Bar Singapore Singapore
37 Sips Barcelona Spain
38 Baltra Bar Mexico City Mexico
39 Sober Company Shanghai China
40 Tjoget Stockholm Sweden
41 Epic Shanghai China
42 Charles H Seoul South Korea
43 Tippling Club Singapore Singapore
44 Above Board Melbourne Australia
45 Galaxy Bar Dubai UAE
46 Re Sydney Australia
47 Sidecar New Delhi India
48 Union Trading Company Shanghai China
49 DarkSide Hong Kong China
50 Quinary Hong Kong