You probably didn’t know this, but every year a very dedicated group of experts study and rank the finest bars, pubs and cocktail venues across the globe. Here’s the outcome of the 2019 list of the World’s 50 Best Bars.
An initiative of William Reed Business Media, the annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars is now in its 11th edition, celebrating the finest establishments from Crawley to Canada and Spain to Singapore. What results from this qualification by an international team of over 500 industry experts in the drinks and bar sectors is the ultimate guide to the most exciting spots around the world that serve the very best cocktails, beers, wines and spirits with the most panache.
This year’s edition was hosted by the Roundhouse in London, with the much-anticipated list of 50 headed by the 2019 World’s Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier. Other high-profile sponsors include the likes of Tanqueray, Campari, Illy Coffee from Italy, Asahi Beer from Japan and Rémy Martin. It’s the event for the sector but also hotly awaited by those of us who love a lively, atmospheric bar with wonderful décor, good service and superlative barista skills.
Cheers To The Best Of The Best
And the winner of this year’s World’s Best Bar is… Dante, in New York. Now officially the best in the world, it took first prize for its superb blending of modern and tradition, where today’s tastes and needs are woven into an offering also rich in New York heritage and atmosphere. The venue has all the history and charm you would wish for in a NY setting, but it has grown with the times and now represents not only a rich tradition but also the people and city of today. No wonder it’s a firm favourite with locals, but get there quick before the (other) tourists do!
Second place for the Connaught Bar in London also means it’s the best British and European bar, which makes it too a special destination on anyone’s itinerary, for like New York, London is a city synonymous with the unique culture of bars, perhaps more so than any other capital city. It doesn’t come finer and more ambient than this, so treat yourself to elegant classic at this beautiful establishment in Mayfair – it’s a classic London gem.
Latin America wades in in third place, to the surprise of many I’m sure. Bronze went to Floreria Atlantico in Buenos Aires, and those who know the Argentinian capital won’t be caught off guard, as this is a richly vibrant city with a great reputation for creating venues full of unexpected charm and quality. New York and London take fourth and fifth place before we find the first continental European bar in sixth place. Athens, like Buenos Aires, has a bit of reputation for its bohemian chic eateries and drinking venues, but even so The Clumsies does incredibly well to beat off the competition of thousands of other bars between Cádiz and Helsinki.
The finest Asian bar comes in at eighth, and anyone who has been so lucky to visit the Atlas in Singapore will confirm that it truly belongs in the top-ten of the most stunning bar venues anywhere in this solar system, for it is out of this world beautiful and refined. Mexico City provides another surprise with the Licoreria Limantour – just the place a good Hollywood flick would be shot – while Lima’s Carnaval keeps the flag flying for Latin America in 13th place, as does Guilhotina in Sâo Paulo at 15th. Himkok in Oslo tops the Scandinavian offering at 17th, and our own Salmon Guru in Madrid makes it into the top-20 in 19th place, with Barcelona’s Paradiso in 20th. Be sure to visit these two stylishly elegant bars where the décor, ambience and imaginative, quirky drinks breathe both 21st century lifestyle chic and classic refinement.
Dr. Stravinsky, also in Barcelona, ensures Spain is well-represented among the finest bars in the world, many of which also feature designer eateries. It’s a veritable world of liquid wonder that also flows through the streets of Taipei, Sydney, Toronto, Paris, Milan, Munich and St Petersburg, and with this list in hand you will always have a special experience waiting for you in dozens of cities around the world. It’s where memories will be made and your visits to places like Beirut will be cast in a glossy sheen by time spent with locals at its best bar, Electric Bing Sutt. Imagine the people you’ll meet at the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome, or the Little Red Door in Paris – and the flavour sensations that will come your way courtesy of the master baristas that make every one of the 50 best bars in the world so special.
Awards
But the awards additionally look at factors other than overall offering, focusing also on specific stand-out characteristics. Take for example the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, which this year fell to Native in Singapore. Here owner Vijay Mudaliar sparked a revolution in the bar industry when he began to apply the km-0 principle and focus first and foremost on local Singapore products and produce. The concept even applies to local building materials, textiles, glass, cutlery, machinery, furniture and music, and this commitment to ‘keeping it local’ has also created a very authentic atmosphere now rewarded on an international level.
The Campari One to Watch award for 2019 went to Drink Kong which, while it didn’t make the top-50 list, has caught the eye of the experts and is seen as a quirky, sci-fi venue whose unique offering deserved special recognition. The Altos Bartenders’ Bartender 2019 award produced another surprise, as it went to a female barista. Monica Berg of top-50 bar Himkok in Oslo symbolises the rise of the female barista in an increasingly gender-free industry where she is known for her unequalled knowledge, skill and training abilities.
Best New Opening was funky Katana Kitten in New York, the Highest New Entry onto the list was Carnaval in Lima, which easily made the top-50, and the Highest Climber of all was none other than the Salmon Guru in Madrid. For a legendary experience that truly connects with the long, proud tradition of bartending, go to the American Bar at The Savoy Hotel in The Strand, London, and marvel at just how many famous people have stood exactly where you’re gazing at the elegant décor. Now, our advice is to get yourself the full list at the website below and keep it with you whenever you travel around the world, for with this companion close at hand you’ll never experience a dull or lonely moment no matter where you are!
WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WORLDS50BESTBARS.COM