The World’s 50 Best Bars Have Just Been Announced
It’s official, the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars for the year is out, following a pretty glamorous-looking awards ceremony held last night in Madrid, where the best of the industry gathered to celebrate. This year’s rankings span 28 destinations across the world, and we were glad to see some of our favourite London bars on the list.
At No.37 is Rosewood London’s very posh, very sophisticated Scarfes Bar, East London’s Satan’s Whiskers is at No.29; Connaught Bar makes it to No. 13 and at an incredible No.4 spot is the iconic Tayer + Elementary. After this year’s best restaurants and best hotels, these are the bars which topped the charts at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024:
1. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
A prohibition-era-inspired drinking den, Handshake is a speakeasy hidden behind a doorway – you won’t even know it’s there unless you’re looking for it. Also awarded Best Bar in North America, this year is a big win for this unassuming spot that’s known for its friendly vibe and incredible cocktails put together by bar director Eric Van Beek.
A prohibition-era-inspired drinking den, Handshake is a speakeasy that’s hidden behind a doorway.
The bar has an inventive menu that includes interesting concoctions like the matcha martini made with mezcal, matcha tea, cocchi americano, coconut and creme de menthe.
website: www.handshake.bar
2. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
Just one year after opening its doors, this Italian aperitivo spot won the No.1 position in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 Awards. And now, it’s cemented its place at the top with a #2 ranking in the World’s Best Bars list. With vintage spirits prints and framed football jerseys on the walls, it’s got an old-school charm about it and serves up classic cocktails to innovative mixes. On the menu, we found a stunning Caffe Paradiso (Amaro Lucano, cold brew, honey, Dom Benedictine, salted cream and green cardamom) and Luna Rossa (ratafia rossi, coffee vermouth, NS gin, lemon and raspberries).
Everything at Leone is guided by its core philosophy: ‘cocktail popolari,’ which translates to ‘cocktails for the people’. Simplicity is key here, with the drinks here inspired by spirits found in bars across the world. Fun fact: the bar claims to sell the cheapest espresso in the city.
website: www.barleonehk.com
3. Sips, Barcelona
We’re hardly surprised that this one reached the top three on the list after earning the title of The World’s Best Bar last year. This year, the bar launched a 14-seat space called Escencia that’s centred around a tasting menu that includes curated “sips”.
The self-titled “drinkery house” serves high-quality cocktails that are creative and cool, served in a super casual, relaxed atmosphere that allows you to really enjoy your drinks. An interesting order we spotted is the Sips Cilline – a whisky-based “smoked antidote against stress” accompanied by notes of stewed apple, vanilla cream, and pears in syrup, followed by sea salt, herbal smoke, crisp seaweed, and cooling menthol.
website: www.sips.barcelona
4. Tayer + Elementary, London
Famously walk-in only, Tayer + Elementary has two bars with different concepts – there’s Elementary at the front, which serves simple, punchy cocktails and drinks, and the more technical, rather sciency Tayer is in the back, combining modern techniques and old-fashioned practices and serves produce-driven cocktails.
Famously walk-in only, Tayer + Elementary has two bars with different concepts.
Established in 2019, Tayer + Elementary also sells ready-to-drink, bottled cocktails that bring together their classics blended with unique natural ingredients.
website: www.tayer-elementary.com
5. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
Named after the double-coned measuring device used by bartenders to pour out spirits, Jigger & Pony has been a landmark fixture in the Asian cocktail scene for more than a decade. The cocktails served here are more like art, with some incredible creations like the Champagne Ramos gin fizz, which has four layers and five textures in one drink and literally takes a village to make.
Jigger & Pony has been a landmark fixture in the Asian cocktail scene for more than a decade.
The bar also serves its own take on Singapore’s national cocktail, the Singa Sling, a tropical and tangy creation that uses Cointreau, cherry brandy and Monkey 47 gin. It is carbonated and topped with clarified pineapple foam.
website: www.jiggerandpony.com
The rest of the list
6. Line, Athens
7. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
8. Alquímico, Cartagena
9. Zest, Seoul
10. Paradiso, Barcelona
11. Himkok, Oslo
12. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
13. Connaught Bar, London
14. Double Chicken Please, New York
15. Overstory, New York
16. Lady Bee, Lima
17. Baba au Rum, Athens
18. Coa, Hong Kong
19. The Cambridge Public House, Paris
20. Tlecān, Mexico City
21. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
22. CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
23. Salmon Guru, Madrid
24. Martiny’s, New York
25. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
26. Maybe Sammy, Sydney
27. Superbueno, New York
28. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
29. Satan’s Whiskers, London
30. Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
31. Tan Tan, São Paulo
32. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
33. Drink Kong, Rome
34. Jewel of the South, New Orleans
35. Byrdi, Melbourne
36. Locale Firenze, Florence
37. Scarfes Bar. London
38. Moebius Milano, Milan
39. Bar Nouveau, Paris
40. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
41. Bar Us, Bangkok
42. Virtù, Tokyo
43. Atlas, Singapore
44. La Sala de Laura, Bogotá
45. Röda Huset, Stockholm
46. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
47. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
48. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
49. Danico, Paris
50. 1930, Milan
