As The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, returned to an in-person awards ceremony on 7th December 2021 at London’s Roundhouse, the city’s own Connaught Bar took the No.1 spot for the second consecutive year. The team, led by Director of Mixology Agostino Perrone, reflects on a crazy two years and what the latest recognition means
“The sky is very dark out there. One star can shine. But if all the stars in this room tonight shine together, we can make a beautiful sky for all the people who are lost out there.” Connaught Bar’s Agostino Perrone’s first words on discovering that his venue had – for the second year in a row – been voted as The World’s Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier, are directed to his peers, the global stars of the bartending industry reunited in London for the announcement of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021. And after two difficult years, his message is clear: the hospitality industry thrives on unity and community.
Since he started working at Connaught Bar in 2008, Perrone used these two cornerstones to turn the venue inside Mayfair's Connaught Hotel into an institution of London’s cocktail scene. From introducing a welcome cocktail, to injecting creativity into the hotel bar scene, and creating a souvenir recipe card for each guest to take home, the innovations that Connaught Bar pioneered are too many to count. The bar first hovered dangerously close to the No.1 position in The World’s 50 Best Bars back in 2011, when it was voted No.2 – and it is a testament to its incredible consistency and ability to innovate that 10 years later, it receives the ultimate accolade for the second year in a row.
The global cocktail industry was reunited for the first time in two years at The World's 50 Best Bars 2021
Like a well-oiled machine, the Connaught Bar has been unwaveringly serving up excellence and, according to Perrone, it is all thanks to his team. Among his most trusted colleagues he counts Giorgio Bargiani, Head Mixologist; Maura Milia, Bar Manager; and most recently Riccardo Lugano, Mixologist – an all-Italian team that is making its compatriots back home dream. Each of them adds something unique to the secret sauce that ensures the continued brilliance of the Connaught Bar.
“Our guests come to us because they expect us to be special, and the team makes it special on a daily basis with their passion,” reflects Milia. “We work every day on the Connaught Bar’s values and philosophy, so guests come because they trust us and they feel comfortable. The team is the real star and the real protagonist, they go out on the stage every day and make it happen.”
“We always keep in mind the reason we do what we do,” adds Bargiani. “We always keep in mind who are the recipients of what we do: our guests. We don’t do this for ourselves. Whatever we create must be enjoyed by others. That’s one of our core values when we create our menus.”
The Connaught Bar still features details from the hotel's original 1816 design
The bar’s current menu, named Impressions and taking inspiration from the encounters that shape people’s experiences, is the latest in a long series of successes that have had cocktail lovers flocking to the hotel bar for more than a decade. Before it came Formae, inspired by the Connaught’s interior that was designed by the late David Collins, and even earlier on The Essence, whose drinks paid homage to the different elements that make up the venue, from the marble bar to the grandfather clock in the lobby.
“Coming up with a brand-new concept every year is not easy,” says Bargiani. “What we try to achieve every time is a new vision of ourselves, a celebration of what we did before and an interpretation that maintains our style, without disrupting things completely. We continue to be excited about what we do, and our guests can recognise our style year after year. We are creating stories that feel new but are always relatable for our guests.”
Connaught Bar has become famous around the world for its Martini trolley, from which its bartenders can create a version of the drink highly personalised to each guest’s own taste and theatrically mixed in front of their eyes. It is simplicity elevated to the highest form, and when asked if there’s any plan to “spice it up”, Bargiani is adamant. “We’ve been doing it for 30 years and counting. It is something that spices people up every day. We’ll continue doing it for many years to come.”
The Connaught Bar's celebrated Martini
For the bar’s leader Perrone, the last two years of hardships and uncertainty have shown something important. “Hospitality matters,” he says emphatically. “When people say ‘let’s go to a bar or a restaurant’, it’s not just for good drinks and food, but to become a better person, to enrich themselves, to get an opportunity and share that opportunity with other people.”
Perrone can’t – of course – divulge the secret of what it takes not only to create The World’s Best Bar, but also to maintain it for several years. But there is one tip he can give anyone who is striving to get to the top of their chosen profession. “It’s a day-to-day commitment, a day-to-day awareness of where you are, and continually trying to improve on that in a very genuine way.”
Catch up on The World's 50 Best Bars 2021 awards ceremony:
The list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 was announced on Tuesday, 7th December at a live awards ceremony in London. To stay up to date with all news and announcements, browse the website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
