It's official – these are the bars ranked 1-50 in this year's edition of The World's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, as announced on Wednesday 8 October in Hong Kong.
No.50 Nutmeg & Clove
Singapore
@nutmegandclove
nutmegclove.com
Nutmeg & Clove draws on the flavours and places woven into Singapore's fabric — the 'mama shop' on the corner of your block, the herbalist with drawers of dried roots, the ice cream cart rattling down the street in decades past. Founder Colin Chia and head bartender Sim Sze Wei capture those moments, pouring them into cocktails that make delicious sense whether you've lived them or not.
No.49 BKK Social Club
Bangkok
@bkksocialclub
fourseasons.com/bangkok/dining
BKK Social Club, inside the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, is a glowing, glamorous destination bar that could easily be a Golden Era movie set. Service from bar-world veteran Philip Bischoff, manager Dheeradon 'Gotji' Dissara and head bartender Chunyanuch 'Ning' Yodsuwan is seamless and intuitive, which in unsurprising given the bar won the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award as part of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022.
No.48 The Bellwood – NEW ENTRY
Tokyo
@the_bellwood
The Bellwood's drinks programme borrows inspiration from the kaiseki tradition, where courses such as sakizuke (a small appetiser designed to awaken the palate), yakimono (grilled dishes typically showcasing seasonal ingredients) and gohan (rice, traditionally served toward the end of the meal) are thoughtfully reimagined as cocktails. The result is a refined and immersive cocktail experience that honours the structure and philosophy of the time-honoured tradition of Kaiseki.
No.47 The Bar in Front of the Bar – NEW ENTRY
Athens
@the.bar.in.front.of.the.bar
thebarinfrontofthebar.gr
The brainchild of Alexandros Tselepis, Konstantinos Theodorakopoulos, and Simeon Papanikolaou, The Bar in Front of the Bar was initially a quirky pop-up that covered up work being done on a more traditional bar behind it, in short, a scaffold made interesting. With cocktails that are well thought-out and follow a philosophy of zero waste and constant reinvention, the focus here is on classical structures and fresh, seasonal ingredients.
No.46 Overstory
New York
@overstory
overstory-nyc.com
Overstory is the 64th-floor cocktail bar of a Financial District skyscraper that climbs into the clouds above New York's unmistakable skyline. Expect slick, spirit-led drinks leaning into agave spirits and whiskey, with unusual, often local ingredient accompaniments served by bar veteran Harrison Ginsberg and his affable team.
No.45 Virtù
Tokyo
@virtutokyo
fourseasons.com/otemachi/dining
High above the city in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, Virtù pairs skyline views with a genuine warmth that keeps the luxury from feeling stiff. With a reputation built on psychic service, it's easy to find exactly the drink you're looking for here, especially with the menu map that pinpoints where ingredients come from, whether that's a small sake brewery or a local orchard.
No.44 Jewel of the South
New Orleans
@jewelnola
jewelnola.com
Pretty much no one knows the city's drinking history better than Jewel's managing partner and resident drinksmith Chris Hannah, one of the great American bartenders and a local legend, having previously been behind the bar at Arnaud's French 75. There are signatures cocktails, but it'd be remiss not to dabble in some Nola favourites, not least Hannah's rendition of the French 75 (cognac, lemon, sparking wine) and the Jewel Sazerac (rye, Madeira, dry wine, aniseed liqueur, bitters).
No.43 1930
Milan
@1930cocktailbar
Ranked in The World's 50 Best Bars list since 2019, Milan's clandestine cocktail haven, 1930, moved to a new location this year in the Colonne di San Lorenzo neighbourhood. The bar remains an exclusive club, with only its 193 members able to book in advance. Other hopeful patrons can have a drink at Mag (it shares ownership with 1930) and ask if there's a spot for them downstairs.
No.42 Maybe Sammy
Sydney
@maybe_sammy_sydney
maybesammy.com
When Maybe Sammy opened in 2019, it was billed as the hotel bar without a hotel around it. Inspired by the grand hotel bars of Europe, and reinterpreted and adapted for Sydney's egalitarian, irreverent culture, Maybe Sammy gives its guests an experience with a smartly packaged combination of theatrics, attentive and fun service. The main attraction is, of course, the excellent drinks, poured here by dusty pink-jacketed bartenders with signature flair.
No.41 Double Chicken Please
New York
@doublechickenpleasenyc
doublechickenplease.com
GN Chan and Faye Chen's bar may have felt like an overnight success (it debuted at No.6 in The World's 50 Best Bars in 2022 and took top spot in the North America's 50 Best Bars list in 2023), but this was a concept that matured in their minds for some years, evolving from a touring pop-up to its bricks-and-mortar Lower East Side location. Since opening, it has become the darling of the New York scene and a trailblazer of its culinary cocktail trend.
No.40 Drink Kong
Rome
@drinkkongbar
drinkkong.com
Drink Kong, a bar founded by renowned Roman mixologist Patrick Pistolesi, is a vibrant fusion of retro-futuristic design and cutting-edge cocktail technology in an uber cool urban space. The multi-room venue, with its distinctive neon lighting and sleek, dark aesthetic, feels like a futuristic arcade from a bygone era. Late-night sippers should also head next door to sister venue Nite Kong for more expert pours.
No.39 Sip & Guzzle – NEW ENTRY
New York
@sipandguzzlenyc
sipandguzzlenyc.com
Bipartite bar Sip & Guzzle is the latest collaboration between New York's finest Steve Schneider and Asian bar magnate Shingo Gokan. On the ground floor is Schneider's Guzzle, which has a lively, tavern-like vibe and is the place to quaff – guzzle even – Japanese beers, highballs and classically driven cocktails. As the name Sip suggests, Gokan's basement bar is more about slower, considered drinking.
No.38 Coa
Hong Kong
@coahongkong
coa.com.hk
Opened in 2017 by former Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award winner Jay Khan, and named after the traditional tool for harvesting agave, Coa has established itself as the region's authority on all things tequila and mezcal. Inspired by Mexico's drinking dens or mezcalerias, Khan decided to bring a piece of that culture back to Hong Kong as a celebration of agave, a spirit he has long championed.
No.37 Salmon Guru
Madrid
@salmonguru
salmonguru.es
Salmon Guru is known for its inventive drinks, high-energy atmosphere, loud music and bold visuals. The main room plunges clients underwater, while the walls of the second room explode with comic book and manga-style illustrations. The last room has a louche Chinatown feel, reflecting Asia's significant influence at Salmon Guru. And the drinks? As exciting, layered and often as colourful as the bar itself.
No.36 Mimi Kakushi
Dubai
@mimikakushi
mimikakushi.ae
Dubai has become a second home to Japanese restaurant-bars, and none own their theme more than Mimi Kakushi, which takes its name from the popular western hairstyle that became a hit in 1920s Osaka. A niche angle, but one that unfurls to a world of cross-cultural heritage, when American fashions first crossed the Pacific, bringing with them jazz and cocktails.
No.35 Röda Huset
Stockholm
@rodahusetsthlm
rodahuset.nu/en
Opened in November 2021 by Swedish hospitality veteran Hampus Thunholm, Röda Huset is Stockholm's hyper-local cocktail bar where Nordic ingredients, seasonal foraging and minimalist precision come together in quietly radical drinks, including the bar's Milk Punch, a milk wash vodka drink made with and ever-changing array of seasonal flora that has achieved icon status in the drinks community.
No.34 Panda & Sons
Edinburgh
@pandaandsons
pandaandsons.com
This cocktail bar fronted by a family of tweed-wearing Pandas is not a new concept, having opened some 12 years ago, but the world continues to fall in love with it, step-by-step down its Queen Street entrance. With its vintage vibe and the wide-armed welcome of its staff, including from its sub-zero-cocktail-pioneering owner Iain McPherson, this is the kind of place where you're as at home with a pint as you are a show-stopping cocktail.
No.33 Sastrería Martinez – NEW ENTRY
Lima
@sastreriamartinezlima
sastreriamartinez.com
Sastrería Martinez is the brainchild Diego Maceda, the bar's debonair owner, whose vision it was to bring Lima its first speakeasy. The drinks may have a classical structure – perhaps even borrowing familiar names – but the flavours draw from outside of the usual bar-world ecosystem, Lima's too, to create something truly magical such as The Huaca Pietra (wine, vermouth, coca leaf, passion fruit, yacon honey, limón sidra, grapefruit bitters).
No.32 Svanen – NEW ENTRY
Oslo
@svanen.oslo
svanenoslo.no
Historians argue that the first cocktails weren't sold in bars but by apothecaries; their bitter curatives blended to remedy all manner of olde-worlde ailments. Housed in a repurposing of a mint-condition 19th-century pharmacy that was known as Swan Pharmacy, Oslo's Svanen (which means, literally, 'swan') speaks directly to mixology's origin story and serves mercifully themeless cocktails that stand on their own two feet.
No.31 Scarfes Bar
London
@scarfesbar
scarfesbar.com
The scene at Scarfes is hotel bar seventh heaven. The entrance alone is one of the most arresting in hospitality as the antique revolving doors transport you from High Holborn into a swish, leather-bound lounge of bookcases, fireplaces and spherical chandeliers – in here, guests feel every bit the British aristocrat. Director of bars Andy Loudon took the reins of the place last year and he and his team have delivered their first menu. One Drawn Out Sip is inspired by Gerald Scarfe's memoirs – entitled Long Drawn Out Trip – with cocktails inspired by Scarfe's work in stage, film and political satire.
No.30 Danico
Paris
@danicoparis
daroco.com/en/danico
Located within the former flagship store of fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the space is a study in chic design, blending bold colours and clean lines with the plush comfort of velvet and gold accents. The Xplorer series, the bar's constantly evolving cocktail programme, is inspired by owner Nico de Soto's extensive travels and takes guests on a journey to a new country with each new menu.
No.29 Hope & Sesame – NEW ENTRY
Guangzhou
@hopeandsesame
hopeandsesame.cn
Hiding behind an unassuming Cantonese cha chaan teng in Guangzhou's historic Dongshankou district, Hope & Sesame is a playground of cocktail innovation. With a beverage programme from award-winning bartender Andrew Ho that seamlessly blends local ingredients and boundary-pushing techniques like ultrasonic infusion and rotary distillation, the bar crafts drinks that are as engaging as they are memorable.
No.28 Nouvelle Vague – NEW ENTRY
Tirana
@nouvellevague_tirana
nouvellevaguetirana.com
Set just off the vibrant Rruga Ismail Qemali, this intimate, effortlessly stylish bar brings a distinctly European flair to Albania's capital, with a personality rooted in craftsmanship, homage to the Albanian tradition and forward-thinking bartending. Head bartender Mariol Djata, the creative force behind the bar's evolving drink philosophy, leads a team that prizes storytelling as much as flavour. Case in point, the Nou Whey, a velvety blend of hazelnut milk, tonka, elderflower and pear raki or the Black Sabah, inspired by the Albanian morning ritual of coffee with raki.
No.27 Baba au Rum
Athens
@baba_au_rum
babaaurum.com
Billing itself as a "rum and cocktail society," the bar, under the guidance of owner Thanos Prunarus, has a clear, unpretentious philosophy: come for the exceptional drinks and stay for the warm company. Baba au Rum's reverence for sugarcane spirits is obvious – it's all in the name – with a back bar boasting more than 400 rums and a menu of inventive sips. Get the vibe with The Beatnik Paloma, its unique take on one of the world's most popular long drinks, made vibrant by a mix of tequila, mezcal, beetroot and black cardamom.
No.26 CoChinChina
Buenos Aires
@cochinchina.bar
cochinchina.meitre.com
Whether you sink into a striped deckchair on the pavement or sit at the eye-catching U-shaped bar underneath the towering Asian street signs, the intent is clear: CoChinChina wants to carry you away to a brand-new destination. A theatrical cocktail bar and restaurant located in Palermo, Buenos Aires, whose name in Spanish translates as 'a faraway place', owner and bartender Inés De Los Santos unites the two diverse worlds of Vietnam and France and gives them an Argentine accent.
No.25 Mirror Bar – NEW ENTRY
Bratislava
@mirrorbarcarlton
mirrorbarcarlton.com
Under the stewardship of bar ambassador Stanislav Harcinik and Peter Marcina, Mirror Bar has found a confluence between timeless classicism and an embracing of innovation and theatrics that borders on science fiction. The winner of the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2025, the cocktails here eschew minimalism, becoming theatrical articles of maximalism with imaginative glassware made in collaboration with local artisans.
No.24 Tan Tan
São Paulo
@tantannb
tantannb.com.br
A half-and-half concept divided between bar and restaurant as well as Brazilian and Asian flavours conceived by chef and owner Thiago Bañares. On one side, the open kitchen showcases the chefs' precise, well-orchestrated movements, while on the other, the bartenders' workstations blend seamlessly into a beautiful wooden counter. Tan Tan's diverse drinks list also features non-alcoholic cocktails identified by their ABV rather than being segregated. Order the Dirty Collins made with white cachaça, tequila, olive and Tahiti lime and savour it to a pumping hip-hop soundtrack.
No.23 Tlecān
Mexico City
@tlecan
tlecan.com
Agave distillates are the lifeblood and beating heart at Tlecān, a discreet and intimate spot hidden away in Mexico City's trendy Roma Norte that is often instantly noticeable for the queue lining up outside. Naturally, mezcal is a protagonist, although founder Eli Martínez Bello – who was named Altos Bartenders' Bartender as part of North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 – is both passionate and relentless in her search to source hard-to-find distillates directly from craft producers all over the country.
No.22 Locale Firenze
Florence
@localefirenze
localefirenze.it
Locale Firenze, housed within the historic Concini Palace, offers a unique blend of centuries-old Tuscan grandeur and cutting-edge mixology. Bar manager Fabio Fanni and his team use modernist techniques, traditional methods and laboratory technology to craft a low-waste menu that is both surprising and sustainable. Their approach is to reimagine classic flavours with a forward-thinking twist, often drawing inspiration from seasonal produce: the Foglia is a gin sour with herbaceous notes of mint, basil and hemp, while butter and sage play a star role in the Green Fizz.
No.21 Satan's Whiskers
London
@satans_whiskers
satanswhiskers.com
In a bar landscape populated by ever-more esoteric themes, Satan's Whiskers is the antidote, standing plainly and proudly as a cocktail bar, nothing less, nothing more. In focusing on the fundamentals of the bar experience, Kevin Armstrong's now 12-year-old east London bar has become a beacon of how bars could – and to some, should – be run, with a cult following who adore it.
No.20 The Cambridge Public House
Paris
@thecambridge_paris
thecambridge.paris
Combining the convivial charm of a traditional English pub with the meticulous precision of a modern cocktail bar, The Cambridge Public House, founded in 2019 by notable Parisian bartender Hyacinthe Lescoët and his partners, has quickly become a standout venue in Paris. The bar's hybrid model offers a welcoming atmosphere where patrons can enjoy everything from craft beers and natural wines to delicious cocktails.
No.19 Caretaker's Cottage
Melbourne
@caretakers.cottage
caretakerscottage.bar
Caretaker's Cottage opened quietly in Melbounce's buzzy business district in 2022; it has since become a must-visit for locals and travellers alike. Come in the afternoon, and you'll see guests with a Guinness in hand; but the smart drinkers order the best boilermaker in the country: a pint of the black stuff and their signature martini, served bracingly cold from the freezer with a gin the bar has custom made – a drink that regularly pops up on lists of Australia's best cocktails.
No.18 Bar Benfiddich
Tokyo
@benfiddich_tokyo
No two visits to Bar Benfiddich are ever the same: since your last, bar maestro Hiroyasu Kayama might have tasted an indigenous drink in some new, remote country, unearthed a new recipe from a dusty book, or planted something on his farm that's just ready to harvest. The room has just 17 seats and the atmosphere is a mix of quiet focus and curiosity, with guests leaning in to watch Kayama work.
No.17 Bar Nouveau
Paris
@bar_nouveau_
Tucked away in Paris's vibrant Marais district, Bar Nouveau was co-founded by twins Sara and Hadrien Moudoulaud, Marc Puzzuoli, and the recipient of the Industry Icon Award in 2021 Rémy Savage. The space is split between two distinct levels: in the ground floor's reimagined Art Nouveau bar, the menu focuses on pre-industrial techniques, while in the darker and more intimate downstairs area, the menu utilises modern technology to create drinks with a different personality.
No.16 Zest
Seoul
@zest.seoul
Zest advocates for local producers and community-driven practices, sourcing vegetables and herbs through contract farming, while harvesting 'city honey' from the bar's own beehives in Seoul. These hyper-local elements are skillfully integrated with carefully selected global spirits and liquors from Korean micro-distilleries and craft breweries, forming the backbone of Zest's notable cocktail programme.
No.15 Bar Us
Bangkok
@bar.us.bkk
us-bar.com
Every cocktail at Bar Us is a lesson in precision – layered, balanced and rooted in Thai flavours. Crafted with fresh ingredients and exacting technique, each drink reimagines familiar dishes as a new sensory experience told through taste, texture and aroma. The menu reads like a tasting menu – the 'Starter' section sets the tone with light, refreshing serves that wake up the palate; the 'Mains' dive into bolder, food-inspired cocktails that are savoury, while the 'Afters' delivers drinks that are nostalgic and indulgent.
No.14 Himkok
Oslo
@himkok.oslo
himkok.no
It may have a number of different spaces, but the heart of Himkok lies in its bar-slash-distillery. This low-lit drinking lounge with dark leather and mirrored furnishings is where bar manager Maros Dzurus and team produce their boundary-pushing cocktail inventions – quite literally, as the attached micro-distillery feeds homemade aquavit, gin and vodka directly to the back bar.
No.13 Lady Bee
Lima
@ladybee.lima
Product-driven mixology and Peruvian identity – from Amazonian fruits to Andean potatoes, pisco and agave distilled at more than 3,000 metres above sea level – is evident in every cocktail and dish at Lady Bee, proudly spotlighting the country's diversity and seasonality, as well as the farmers and communities behind the produce. The service is also on point, earning the bar the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award 2025.
No.12 Superbueno
New York
@superbuenonyc
superbuenonyc.com
Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez is an icon of the New York City hospitality scene and his bar, Superbueno, represents the two decades he's spent in Gotham as well as his Mexican heritage. Technical mastery meets traditional Mexican ingredients here to deliver bright, delicious cocktails, with marquee creations including the Salted Plum & Tamarind Milk (charanda, ayuuk, salted plum, tamarind, lojana tea, milk) and Mole Negroni (mole fat-washed mezcal, amari blend, sweet vermouth, xocolati bitters).
No.11 Alquímico
Cartagena
@alquimicocartagena
alquimico.com
Set in a 19th-century mansion house in the pulsating heart of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Alquímico is a party with purpose. Bar owner and philanthropist Jean Trinh runs many community-led projects, with proceeds from the new three-part menu at Alquímico going towards his causes. With three distinct floors to drink at, wherever you find yourself, make sure you try some of the bar's flavoured meads – their honey base produced by the farm's own bees.
No.10 Tres Monos
Buenos Aires
@3monosbar
tresmonos.meitre.com
Straddling the corner of a leafy street in the cosmopolitan Palermo district of Buenos Aires, Tres Monos is the small indie bar that makes a big impact. Great thought has gone into local sourcing – the bar partners with producers to create its own-label products such as a bourbon-style whiskey with local grains, liqueurs, sake and wines – and the bar's own La Escuelita academy trains those from disadvantaged barrios in hospitality skills.
No.9 Jigger & Pony
Singapore
@jiggerandponysg
jiggerandpony.com
Founders Indra Kantono and Guoyi Gan share a passion for warm, genuine hospitality – a spirit that defines the bar's philosophy. Jigger & Pony's drinks are contemporary yet firmly rooted in the classics, and the bar team is known for its highly conceptual menus (or 'menuzines'), released annually, which have quickly become collectors' items among patrons.
No.8 Line
Athens
@line.athens
lineathens.gr
Created by Dimitris Dafopoulos alongside Athens bartending royalty in Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis, Line is a cocktail bar with a conscience. The focus here is a circular economy – the bar ferments its own fruit wines, beers and sourdough breads on-site with waste from the production finding its way into to a list of classics-inspired cocktails. The drink to order? A Delusional Margarita – a twist on the classic serve that combines reposado tequila with mustard, ketchup, potato water and spices.
No.7 Moebius Milano
Milan
@moebiusmilano
moebiusmilano.it
Part cocktail bar, part bistro, part cultural hub, Moebius offers a succinct blend of food, design, hospitality and ambience. At its heart is the cocktail bar, led by Giovanni Allario, which offers a seasonal menu blending culinary techniques with the craft of bartending. A true rising star on the scene, Moebius took home the Nikka Highest Climber Award 2025, rising an astonishing 31 spots from its 2024 ranking.
No.6 Connaught Bar
London
@theconnaught
the-connaught.co.uk
This Mayfair sanctuary has become the quintessential hotel bar. No small part of its magic is in the David Collins-designed Cubist décor that provides the perfect setting for the poise of Agostino Perrone, Giorgio Bargiani and their affable team. The headline act is the bar's signature Dry Martini, which arrives by trolley and is made bespoke for each thirsty guest.
No.5 Tayēr + Elementary
London
@tayer_elementary
tayer-elementary.com
Now in its sixth year, Tayēr + Elementary feels as fresh as the day it opened while also becoming the blueprint for progressive cocktail bars. From its exposed, industrial aesthetic, ingredient-led minimalism and constantly evolving drinks list, the philosophy refined by co-founders Monica Berg and Alex Kratena has become bartending scripture.
No.4 Paradiso
Barcelona
@paradiso_barcelona
paradiso.cat
At Paradiso, drinks are not merely cocktails but multi-sensory experiences, with each concoction exploring a scientific or cosmic mystery. The ingredients and concepts, often conceived in the dedicated Paradiso Lab with a focus on sustainability, are presented in elaborate vessels that are as much a part of the show as the libations themselves. This fearless innovation ensures that Paradiso continues to be a pilgrimage site for cocktail enthusiasts worldwide.
No.3 Sips
Barcelona
@sips.drinkeryhouse
sips.barcelona
Opened in 2021 and named The World's Best Bar in 2023, Sips continues its reign as a top destination for cocktail innovation. The bar's island design, which deliberately eschews expectations for what a bar should look like, remains as eye-catching as ever and drinks are a spectacle in themselves, showcasing intricate presentation and bold flavours. Take, for example, the Nixtamil: a red fruit reduction that's licked from a small mirror, preparing the palate for a mixture of bourbon and corn and miso distillate.
No.2 Handshake Speakeasy
Mexico City
@handshake_bar
handshake.bar
At Handshake Speakeasy, innovative cocktails and a warm approach to hospitality are served up across two bar experiences, and your first port of call is on the ground floor; open the theatrical curtains and receive a synchronised welcome from the whole team. The Great Gatsby-esque décor and 90s soundtrack create a sensual ambience for drinks lovers to savour cocktails prepared with a culinary approach, such as the piña colada, which is clarified and therefore refreshing rather than sweet and heavy.
No.1 Bar Leone
Hong Kong
@barleonehk
barleonehk.com
Rome-born bartender and founder Lorenzo Antinori comes from serious pedigree, having worked at the finest bars in London, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Passionate about cocktail history, Italy and football, all roads eventually led Lorenzo to open Bar Leone – a bar designed to pay tribute to cocktail popolari, Italian pop-culture and the art of classic bartending.
Bar Leone secured the No.1 spot two years running at Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 and 2025 and continues it's winning streak to be named The World's Best Bar 2025.
The list of The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Hong Kong on Wednesday 8 October.
