Worlds 50 Best Bars Released

Drinks International yearly release what they coin as 'The Worlds 50 Best Bars', a list that is announced near the beginning of October every year. Started in 2009, this is the 5th year that its run and the popularity and media attention on the list seems to be growing. How is the list decided you ask? As the press release states "The list, chosen by the who’s who of the bar industry, represents the ultimate guide to the top bars around the globe." The list includes some impressive names .... Dale DeGroff, Tony Conigliaro, Alex Kratena, Gaz Regan, Salvatore Calabrese and Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller.
From the press release:

"This year’s list promises some surprises, with bars represented from 16 countries, 17 new entries and some surprise moves in the ranking. The top 10 provide a hit list of some of the most exciting venues in the world with last year’s winner, London’s Artesian bar, taking the top spot for the second time, closely followed by Nightjar in London and High Five in Tokyo. Other top 10 bars include the Connaught bar in London, Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog in New York, Happiness Forgets in London, Black Pearl in Melbourne, The Baxter Inn in Sydney, Candelaria in Paris and 28 Hong Kong Street in Singapore.

This year the multi award winning Artesian bar in London has successfully defended its crown to be voted the World’s Number 1 Bar and take the Nikka Best Bar in the UK award for the second time. A favourite within the global drinks industry, the bar effortlessly blends modern innovation with classic reverence and is renowned for its innovative cocktails, surprising presentation and award-winning team, led by cocktail supremo Alex Kratena. A worthy number 1, the bar showcases an impressive menu of ground-breaking experimental cocktails, including the Forever Young, inspired by the portrait of Dorian Gray, and the Super Panda, a concoction served over a single ice ball in a tumbler which is placed on the top of an inflated panda-head-lantern filled with a tangerine aroma."

We don't dare to conceive that we've been to all the bars mentioned here, but one or two certainly stand out from our staff's knowledge and picks, and its a pretty good go-to of must see bars if you're in the area.

Without further ado....the list:

The World’s 50 Best Bars, 2013:


  1. 1. Artesian, London – World’s Number 1 Bar / The Nikka Best Bar in the UK

  2. 2. Nightjar, London

  3. 3. High Five, Tokyo – The Polignac Best Bar in Asia

  4. 4. Connaught Bar, London

  5. 5. The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog –Highest New Entry / The Perrier Best Bar in North America

  6. 6. Happiness Forgets, London

  7. 7. Black Pearl, Melbourne – The Soyombo Best Bar in Australasia

  8. 8. The Baxter Inn, Sydney

  9. 9. Candelaria, Paris – Highest Climber / The Botran Best Bar in Europe

  10. 10. 28 Hong Kong Street, Singapore

  11. 11. Callooh Callay, London

  12. 12. Employees Only, New York

  13. 13. PDT, New York

  14. 14. Dry Martini, Barcelona

  15. 15. Door 74, Amsterdam

  16. 16. Le Lion, Hamburg

  17. 17. Buck & Break, Berlin

  18. 18. The Parlour, Frankfurt

  19. 19. The Jerry Thomas Project, Rome

  20. 20. American Bar at The Savoy, London

  21. 21. Death & Co, New York

  22. 22. Ruby, Copenhagen

  23. 23. Schumann’s, Munich

  24. 24. Everleigh Bar, Melbourne

  25. 25. Eau de Vie, Sydney

  26. 26. Bulletin Place, Sydney

  27. 27. 69 Colebrooke Row, London

  28. 28. Chainaya Bar, Moscow

  29. 29. Mutis, Barcelona

  30. 30. Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco

  31. 31. Clover Club, New York

  32. 32. Bramble, Edinburgh

  33. 33. Le Forum, Paris

  34. 34. Zetter Townhouse, London

  35. 35. Floreria Atlantico, Buenos Aires – The Caoruun Best Bar in Latin America

  36. 36. Lebensstern Bar, Berlin

  37. 37. La Capilla, Tepatitlan

  38. 38. Quinary, Hong Kong

  39. 39. Little Red Door, Paris

  40. 40. Le Coq, Paris

  41. 41. Shady Pines, Sydney

  42. 42. Attaboy, New York

  43. 43. Sherry Butt, Paris

  44. 44. Pouring Ribbons, New York

  45. 45. Tippling Club, Singapore

  46. 46. Drink, Boston

  47. 47. Tommy’s Margarita, San Francisco

  48. 48. Bada Au Rum, Athens

  49. 49. Nottingham Forest, Milan

  50. 50. Delicatessen, Moscow

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