As The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, is hosted outside London for the first time in Barcelona’s Cúpula de las Arenas, the host city also boasts the new No.1: Paradiso. The Barca bar’s co-owners, Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader, took to the stage at an emotional awards ceremony to thank their team, their family and the global bar community
Move over London and New York, Barcelona is now the hottest cocktail city in the world, led by Paradiso, crowned The World’s Best Bar 2022, sponsored by Perrier, in a highly charged awards ceremony that also took place in the Catalan capital.
The announcement, on Tuesday 4th October, marks the first time in the prestigious annual ranking’s 14-year history that the No.1 is not located in the traditional bar capitals of London or New York. Furthermore, it also the first occasion on which this global gathering of the cocktail industry has been hosted outside its traditional home in the UK, making it a proud day for Barcelona.
“Passion! That’s what got us here,” says Giacomo Giannotti, co-owner of Paradiso, immediately after the ceremony. “We are so proud. It’s the best recognition we could ever have – for us, for our team and for our clients.”
The bar features a majestic Dali-esque curved wooden bar
Accessed by opening a false fridge door in an unassuming pastrami shop in Barcelona’s El Born district, Paradiso offers a masterful take on the speakeasy combining technically brilliant and ever-inventive drinks with vivacious hospitality. Giannotti and Sader lead their dedicated team by example, promoting sustainable practices while also prioritising the guest experience within the bar’s Gaudi-inspired surrounds, creating lifelong memories in the process.
“Each day for seven years we have tried to be the best version of ourselves,” says Margarita Sader, Giannotti’s partner and co-owner of Paradiso. “We started with three people in our team, and now we are 40. We are so proud of them and we just want to be the most creative and innovative bar that we can.”
Paradiso has built its international reputation since being named One To Watch at The World’s 50 Best Bars back in 2017. In this year’s ranking – the result of independent votes from more than 650 cocktail experts across the world – the Barcelona bar leapfrogged Monica Berg and Alex Kratena’s Tayēr + Elementary, with the London bar maintaining its position at No.2. Sips climbed to No.3, with fellow Barcelona bar Two Schmucks coming in at No.7, further cementing the city’s burgeoning reputation for providing outstanding drinking experiences.
The global bar community reunited in Barcelona on 4th October
The 2022 list features bars from 26 cities across the world and included 14 new entries, led by New York’s Double Chicken Please, ranked at No.6 and winner of the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award. Connaught Bar, which had held the top spot for the previous two editions, was voted in at No.8, with its Director of Mixology, Agostino Perrone, deservedly winning the Roku Industry Icon Award.
While the night belonged firmly to Barcelona, and to the Paradiso crew in particular, reflecting the increasing geographic diversity of the finest drinking destinations on the planet, the multi-cultural nature of the bar sector overall was to the fore.
“It’s amazing to be here with – and feel the support of – all our friends from across the world. It’s a strong community pushing the bar industry forward with the support of 50 Best, and we learn from each other,” says Giannotti. Sader adds: “When we travel, we learn so much about different ingredients, techniques, flavours and about other cultures. It’s just so rich.”
It’s a cultural richness that is manifested in Paradiso, as well as in the establishments featured on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022.
Catch up on The World's 50 Best Bars 2022 awards ceremony:
The list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022, sponsored by Perrier, was announced on Tuesday, 4th October at a live awards ceremony in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. To stay up to date with all news and announcements, browse the website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
