2018 World's 50 Best Bars: Complete Rankings and Results

A formal Strand hotel bar with major bar-world recognition, American Bar is worth targeting for a polished cocktail occasion rather than a value-led food stop. Treat the food as support, not the reason to book; if dinner matters, pair drinks here with a dedicated restaurant plan.

A serious Singapore cocktail booking for guests who want a polished, award-recognised hotel-bar experience rather than a casual drink. Go for the cocktails and service, not as a substitute for a full restaurant dinner; smaller parties and planned nights are the better fit.

A serious Mayfair cocktail booking for polished dates, visiting bar obsessives, late-evening hotel-bar energy. The Connaught Bar is worth the effort when recognition and setting matter; skip it for casual groups or value-led rounds.

Bar Termini is a strong Soho pick when the plan is focused Italian-style cocktails in a compact room, not a loose group night. Go for aperitivo energy, coffee-bar precision, a short, high-intent stop; choose somewhere roomier if the evening needs space, flexibility, or a long sit-down format.

The Clumsies is a strong Athens pick for a cocktail-first night, especially for guests who care about internationally recognized bars. Treat food as a supporting part of the evening rather than the reason to go, compare alternatives if wine, easier access, or a looser room matters more.

Book ATLAS when the occasion calls for a polished Singapore bar rather than a full restaurant meal. It is strongest as a celebration, date, or client-drinks stop in Bugis, especially if the group values setting and easy central logistics over a chef-led dining format.

Dante NYC is worth prioritizing if you want a recognized Greenwich Village cocktail address with serious bar-awards credibility. Treat it as a planned early-evening stop rather than a casual late-night fallback, especially if conversation or seating certainty matters.

Book The Old Man when the bar is the point of the night, not just a stop after dinner. Its awards history makes it a serious Central cocktail pick, but it is better for couples or small groups than loose larger parties. If you want wine, James Suckling Wine Central is the cleaner alternative; for another cocktail-led night, compare Coa and Bar Leone.

Licoreria Limantour is the Mexico City cocktail institution to plan around if the goal is a high-recognition Roma Norte night with real energy. Go for award-backed drinks, Mexican-rooted signatures, a lively room; choose a smaller peer like Baltra or Brujas if conversation matters more than the scene.

Book Bar High Five if the priority is a serious Ginza cocktail stop with global recognition, not a food-led night or casual group drinks. It works best as a focused pre- or post-dinner plan, with food handled elsewhere and a backup bar kept in mind.

Native is worth booking for a focused cocktail occasion in Singapore, especially for two people or a small celebration group. Its Amoy Street address makes it easy to pair with dinner nearby, but larger parties should plan early and avoid treating it like a casual walk-in group bar. Recognition from World's 50 Best Bars and Asia's Best Bars supports the case for prioritising it.

Florería Atlantico is the Buenos Aires bar to pick when the night needs atmosphere and a clear sense of occasion, especially for two people who want energy over privacy. Demand is serious, so treat it as a planned anchor rather than an easy walk-in. For quieter conversation or larger groups, keep a calmer backup in mind.

Attaboy NYC is worth the access hassle for a two-person cocktail date built around bartender-led drinks and serious New York cocktail history. It is less useful for groups, dinner, or a tightly scheduled night, but the long World’s 50 Best Bars record and Pearl Recommended Bar status make it one of the city’s more defensible high-effort bar picks.

Book The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog when cocktails are the point of the night and the group is small enough to handle a high-demand bar. The awards history is strong, including World's 50 Best Bars #1 in 2016 and a Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin in 2026, but easier alternatives make more sense for loose group plans.

Book Oriole for a cocktail-led Covent Garden night, especially as a date or small-group plan. Its bar-world recognition gives it more weight than a casual tourist-area stop, but food should be treated as secondary. If snacks and group flexibility matter more, compare it with Mr Fogg's Games Parlour instead.

A French-leaning cocktail bar on Bethnal Green Road where counter seating and a Cognac-Calvados-Armagnac focus deliver neighbourhood intimacy without the warehouse noise. Service runs conversational on weeknights, though the small room fills fast after 9 PM on weekends. Book for date nights or solo drinking; skip for groups larger than four.

Himkok is the Oslo bar to prioritize when cocktails are the main event and the booking effort is part of the plan. Its Top 500 Bars Best Bars #6 ranking in 2025 and World's 50 Best Bars #10 placement in 2023 make it a high-confidence pick for serious drinks, but it is less useful for a casual, last-minute night out.

Speak Low is the Shanghai cocktail pick to prioritize when reputation matters: a small-occasion, drinks-led bar with World's 50 Best, Top 500 Bars, Tatler recognition. Choose it for a date or visitor night; pick a lounge-style alternative if the group is large or the plan needs easier logistics.

Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company is a strong Miami Beach pick when the night is about cocktails and energy, not quiet conversation. Its recognition, including Food & Wine Top 10 US Bars #9 (2026) and World's 50 Best Bars #21 (2018), makes it easier to justify for dates, visiting friends, cocktail-focused first-timers than for a casual extra round.

Baba au Rum is Athens' dedicated rum bar on Klitiou, open until 3 AM most nights with a tight cocktail program and enough counter space for walk-ins. The format suits post-dinner drinking when you need something more focused than a wine bar but less formal than a tasting-menu venue. Come for the rum flights, stay because the bartending holds up through the late shift.

Le Syndicat is a smart Paris pick when the plan is cocktails rather than a full restaurant booking. It works for dates, small celebrations, late-night drinks in the Faubourg Saint-Denis area, with easier booking than more formal destination venues.

Book Lost & Found when the night calls for a serious cocktail bar rather than a wine-led hangout or dinner-first venue. Its clearest trust signal is the World's 50 Best Bars #25 ranking from 2018, which puts it above a casual drop-in choice for date nights or celebrations in Nicosia.

Employees Only NYC is worth the booking effort if you want an award-backed West Village cocktail bar where the food can carry a full evening. The drinks have the deeper reputation, but the listed steak tartare, cavatelli, burrata, ribeye make it more useful than a one-round stop.

Central Station is a compact, walk-in-only bar on Armenia Street that opens at 4 PM daily and holds a steady local crowd through midnight (1 AM on weekends). The room is loud, the drinks list leans toward gin and vodka cocktails, the vibe is casual groups splitting bills rather than lingering dates. Worth a drop-in if you need something reliably open, but <a href="https://joinpearl.co/restaurants/baron">BARON</a> offers more space for the same energy.

Three Sheets is a strong pick for a small, drinks-focused date or celebration in Dalston, especially if the group values cocktail credibility over food, space, or a casual pub feel. Its Top 500 Bars and World's 50 Best Bars recognition makes the booking effort easier to justify, but larger groups should compare more flexible London options.

Black Pearl is the Fitzroy pick for a cocktail-led night, not a food-first booking. Its World's 50 Best Bars history and 2025 Top 500 Bars placement make it stronger than a casual late-night fallback, but diners who want serious food should compare Napier Quarter, Bar Olo, or Bar Liberty first.

Tales & Spirits is the Amsterdam pick for a cocktail-led night with some occasion value, especially for first-timers who want a central bar rather than a casual beer stop. Its World's 50 Best Bars #35 recognition from 2017 gives it a credible signal, but the better decision is format-based: choose it for cocktails, not for a loose large-group crawl.

Tjoget is worth booking when you want a relaxed Stockholm night that can cover dinner and drinks without a formal tasting-menu commitment. The Mediterranean direction, easy booking signal, OAD Casual in Europe recognition make it a strong first-timer choice, especially for groups choosing between a restaurant reservation and a bar-led evening.

Little Red Door is the Paris cocktail booking to prioritise when the drinks list is the main reason for going. Its World's 50 Best Bars, Top 500 Bars, Pinnacle Guide recognition make it a stronger fit for dates and serious cocktail drinkers than for large spontaneous groups or food-led plans.

28 HongKong Street is worth booking for a focused two-person cocktail night in Singapore, especially if bar pedigree matters more than skyline views or a full dinner format. It is less suitable for spontaneous groups, bargain-led happy hour plans, or guests who want food to drive the evening.

Happiness Forgets is a strong London date-night pick if the goal is serious cocktails in a compact Hoxton room rather than dinner or a big group plan. Recent bar recognition supports the credibility, but the practical reason to go is simpler: it suits two people who want conversation, a focused drinks stop, an East London setting without hotel-bar formality.

La Factoría is the San Juan bar to choose when the night needs energy, recognition, a crowd-forward room rather than a quiet drink. It is better for couples or groups who want atmosphere and momentum than for anyone planning a calm conversation or food-led stop.

Paradiso is worth choosing when the night is about cocktails rather than a full meal. It works best for solo visitors, pairs, small groups who want a drinks-led Barcelona stop in Ciutat Vella; choose Cal Pep or Oaxaca Cuina Mexicana instead if dinner is the priority.

A strong pick for a planned cocktail night in Taipei, especially for first-timers who want a bar with serious international recognition rather than a casual drop-in. It works best for couples or small groups making Da'an the centre of the evening; choose a simpler peer if flexibility matters more than the cocktail program.

El Copitas is worth prioritising if the night is about cocktails and the group is small enough to handle a hard-to-secure bar plan. Its World's 50 Best Bars #8 recognition gives it a stronger case than casual St. Petersburg café-bars, but groups of four or more should have a backup if seating certainty matters.

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant is a practical Richmond District pick for casual Mexican dining when ease matters more than polish. Go for a relaxed dinner or weekend meal, not for a formal special occasion; if you want a more defined seafood, Thai, Italian, dim sum, or Russian direction, compare it against PPQ Dungeness Island, Khan Toke Thai House, Fiorella, Dragon Beaux, Red Tavern.

Candelaria is worth prioritizing for a small-party cocktail night in Paris, especially if the goal is a recognized bar rather than a spacious lounge. Its awards history supports the hype, but the compact setup means it is better for dates or pairs than groups.

Schuman's Bar is the Munich pick for a serious, classic cocktail evening when the room matters as much as the drink. Its World's 50 Best Bars #23 recognition from 2013 gives it real credibility, but the practical move is to treat it as a planned date or celebration stop, not an easy fallback.

Chef Josh Harris runs a focused hot dog operation in San Francisco's Mission District, open from 4 pm daily. Easy to walk into, well-credentialed for its price tier, a smart counterpoint to the city's tasting-menu circuit.

Fifty Mils is a strong Mexico City pick when the night needs a recognised cocktail address with late-hour usefulness and a polished Reforma setting. It is better for dates, celebrations, business drinks than for a casual price-led stop, it works better as the anchor of the evening than as an improvised add-on.

Swift is the Soho cocktail bar to prioritise when drinks are the main plan, not a filler stop between dinner and a show. Book for a compact date or small-group night with serious cocktail intent; cross-shop if the plan needs outdoor seating, a food-first format, or an easier last-minute table.

Salmon Guru is central Madrid's most credible cocktail destination, with an OAD Casual Europe ranking and. Diego Cabrera's bar doubles as a dinner venue at $$ pricing, with a wine list of 165 selections that outpaces most bars in its class. Book for a special-occasion drinks evening or as a strong opener before a tasting-menu dinner elsewhere in the city.

Book Buck & Breck when the night calls for a serious, tightly focused cocktail stop in Berlin rather than a loose group bar. It is strongest for two people or a planned solo drink, less useful for flexible arrivals or loud social drinking. Global bar recognition gives it a clear trust signal.

Book Bar Benfiddich if the night is about a serious, bartender-led cocktail experience rather than dinner or a loose group hang. The recognition is strong, the format is intimate, the value makes sense when drinks are the main event, not a pre-meal add-on.