Revealed: the best bars in the world right now

The 2021 edition of the World’s 50 Best Bars is here, and the results are more international than ever. Reflecting the changing landscape of cocktail-making, 17 different countries made the top 50, with Asia equalling Europe for most bars on the list (16) – easily beating out the American competition. 

In at number one was London’s Connaught Bar, inside the five-star Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. It took the top spot for the second year running, which isn't really that surprising. Since 2016 the venue hasn’t left the top five, and this year it was joined in the top two by Tayēr + Elementary, another London joint.

Third was Barcelona’s Paradiso, which is cheekily hidden through a fridge door at the back of a pastrami shop, and fourth place went to The Clumsies in Athens, which prides itself on providing drinks according to three emotions – happiness, excitement and tenderness. In fifth place was legendary speakeasy Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires, the list’s best bar in South America.

The annual World’s Best Bars ranking was first published in 2009. It’s voted for by the list’s academy: a group of 600 drinks experts from around the world that includes bartenders, journalists and cocktail aficionados. Each expert ranks the seven best bars they’ve been to in the past year, and the results are compiled in an overall ranking. 

Here is the top 25 in full:

1. Connaught Bar, London
2. Tayēr + Elementary, London
3. Paradiso, Barcelona
4. The Clumsies, Athens
5. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
6. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
7. Coa, Hong Kong
8. El Copitas, St. Petersburg
9. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
10. Katana Kitten, New York
11. Two Schmucks, Barcelona
12. Hanky Panky, Mexico City
13. Insider Bar, Moscow
14. Baba Au Rum, Athens
15. Manhattan, Singapore
16. Atlas, Singapore
17. Zuma, Dubai
18. The SG Club, Tokyo
19. Drink Kong, Rome
20. 1930, Milan
21. Presidente, Buenos Aires
22. Maybe Sammy, Sydney
23. Cantina OK!, Sydney
24. Salmon Guru, Madrid
25. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City 

You can find the complete list on the World’s 50 Best Bars website.

Now check out our very own pick of the coolest bars in the world.