
Renowned global 2020 ranking highlighting the world's premier bars recognized for exceptional cocktails and hospitality.
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London, United Kingdom
The Connaught Bar has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2010, twice claiming the top position, and remains the benchmark against which London's hotel bar category is measured. Housed within Mayfair's Connaught hotel, the David Collins-designed space marries Cubist geometry with a service programme of rare technical precision. The bespoke Dry Martini trolley service, led by Agostino Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani, is the bar's most replicated and least reproducible signature.

New York City, United States
Few bars in New York City carry the kind of documented critical record that Dante NYC has accumulated since 2016. Situated on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village, it holds multiple World's 50 Best Bars placements, including a #1 ranking in 2019, and a 4.5 Google rating across more than 2,500 reviews. The combination of neighbourhood longevity and sustained award recognition places it in a very small peer set.

Athens, Greece
The Clumsies has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2015, reaching as high as number three globally in 2020. Located on Praxitelous 30 in central Athens, it operates as a reference point for serious cocktail culture in Southern Europe. A 4.5 Google rating across more than 8,000 reviews confirms its standing extends well beyond the industry circuit.

Singapore, Singapore
Among Singapore's most decorated bars, Atlas has held a World's 50 Best Bars ranking every year since 2017, peaking at #4 globally in 2020. Set inside the Parkview Square lobby on North Bridge Road, it operates at the intersection of grand Art Deco architecture and serious gin and spirits programming, placing it in a distinct tier above the city's cocktail-forward independents.

London, United Kingdom
Alex Kratěna and Monica Berg's revolutionary dual-concept venue transforms London cocktail culture, where Elementary's accessible innovation meets Tayēr's avant-garde workshop in one extraordinary Old Street destination.

London, United Kingdom
Kwant has held a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2019, peaking at number six globally in 2020. Situated on Stratton Street in Mayfair, it operates in London's upper tier of cocktail bars, where technical precision and ingredient sourcing carry more weight than theatrical staging. A 4.8 Google rating across 308 reviews suggests the consistency expected at that level.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Florería Atlantico has ranked inside the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2013, reaching as high as number three globally in 2019. Operating beneath a flower shop on Arroyo, the bar's cocktail program draws on the histories of migrants and Indigenous communities who shaped Argentine culture. It remains the clearest argument that Buenos Aires belongs in the same conversation as London, New York, and Tokyo for serious drinking.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Central's agave authority since 2017, Coa holds consistent placement in the World's 50 Best Bars list and has ranked as Asia's number one bar three consecutive years. Its forty-plus-page spirits list is catalogued by agave species and terroir, while a weekly-rotating cocktail programme draws on seasonal ingredients. The food menu, developed with award-winning Mexican restaurant Chicano, is built to sit alongside the drinks rather than beside them.

Singapore, Singapore
Ranked #3 in Asia and #5 globally on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2025, Jigger & Pony has held a place in Asia's top tier of cocktail bars continuously since 2016. Operating from the lobby of the Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar, the bar is known for its annual 'menuzine' format and a drinks program that roots itself in classic technique while pushing contemporary presentation.

Tokyo, Japan
The SG Club in Shibuya has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2019, peaking at #10 globally and #3 in Asia. Its address in Jinnan puts it at the edge of Shibuya's commercial density, and the bar's long awards record places it firmly in Tokyo's premier tier alongside a small group of internationally recognised programmes. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 from over 1,200 submissions.

Sydney, Australia
Maybe Sammy has placed in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since opening in 2019, peaking at #11 in 2020 and sitting at #16 in the Top 500 Bars in 2025. Modelled on the grand hotel bar tradition of Europe and reshaped for Sydney's more informal register, it operates out of The Rocks with pink-jacketed bartenders, theatrical pours, and a format that prioritises atmosphere as seriously as the cocktails themselves.

New York City, United States
On Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side, Attaboy has built one of the most sustained award records in North American bartending — ranked as high as #4 globally by World's 50 Best Bars and #1 in North America as recently as 2022. The format is spare and the room is small, but the cocktail program operates with a precision that places it in a different category from most bars in the city.

New York City, United States
NoMad Bar transforms a restored 19th-century Manhattan building into New York City's most theatrical cocktail destination, where Chris Moore's innovative mixology program and towering copper bar create an atmosphere of Gilded Age grandeur beneath soaring ceilings and antique mirrors.

Singapore, Singapore
Manhattan Singapore has spent a decade as one of Asia's most-awarded cocktail bars, reaching #1 in Asia's 50 Best Bars twice and climbing as high as #3 globally. Located on Level 2 of 1 Cuscaden Road, it trades in American whiskey-forward programming within a format that prizes depth over novelty. A Google rating of 4.7 across more than 1,000 reviews confirms the bar's consistency beyond its trophy shelf.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Operating from Aberdeen Street in Hong Kong's Soho since 2017, The Old Man is a Hemingway-themed cocktail bar that reached #9 in the World's 50 Best Bars global rankings in 2019 and held Asia's #1 position that same year. The I-shaped counter, literary-inspired menu, and technically precise drinks program have kept it a reference point in the region's bar scene across multiple ranking cycles.

New York City, United States
Katana Kitten on Hudson Street in the West Village has spent six consecutive years inside the World's 50 Best Bars global list, peaking at #10 in 2021 and earning a #3 North America ranking in 2023. The bar operates within a Japanese-American cocktail tradition that has reshaped how New York approaches spirits-forward drinking. A Google rating of 4.5 across more than 1,100 reviews signals consistent execution at high volume.

Mexico City, Mexico
Licoreria Limantour on Avenida Álvaro Obregón has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars ranking every year since 2014, reaching as high as number six globally in 2021. Positioned in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City's most active neighbourhoods for serious drinking, it sits at the top of the city's cocktail scene and holds a 4.4 rating across more than 3,600 Google reviews.

Singapore, Singapore
Native on Amoy Street has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2017, reaching as high as #12 worldwide and #4 in Asia. The bar operates Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm, anchored in a forage-and-ferment philosophy that draws directly from Southeast Asian ingredients and traditions. It sits among Singapore's most recognised bars and is a reference point for the region's bar scene.

Barcelona, Spain
Named the World's Best Bar in 2022 and ranked #2 in the Top 500 Bars in 2025, Paradiso operates behind a refrigerator door in a pastrami shop on Carrer de Rera Palau. Inside, a curved wooden interior and theatrically presented cocktails define the experience. Its current menu, The Mysteries of the Universe, frames each drink around a scientific or cosmic concept developed in the venue's dedicated research lab.

London, United Kingdom
The American Bar at the Savoy has spent more than a decade inside the World's 50 Best Bars rankings, reaching number one in 2017. Anchored on the Strand in central London, it occupies a specific tier in the city's cocktail hierarchy: hotel bars with a verifiable international award record and a clientele that spans regulars, professionals, and informed visitors. It is one of the few bars in any European capital that functions simultaneously as a London institution and a global benchmark.

Lima, Peru
Carnaval has held a place inside the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2019, peaking at number 13 before settling at number 69 in 2024. Set in San Isidro, Lima's financial and dining district, it represents the serious end of Peru's cocktail movement — a programme built around Andean ingredients, technical precision, and the country's deep tradition of pisco. Google reviewers rate it 4.6 across more than 1,600 entries.

Madrid, Spain
Salmon Guru has held a position inside the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2018, currently ranked #11 in the Top 500 Bars (2025). The Madrid flagship on Calle de Echegaray spans three visually distinct rooms — from an underwater main space to manga-covered walls and a Chinatown-inflected back room — and a drinks program built around Guru Lab, the bar's dedicated research and development operation.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
One of Dubai's most decorated bar and dining addresses, Zuma at DIFC has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars multiple times since 2011 and continues to collect Star Wine List awards across multiple categories. The izakaya-style format — Japanese sharing plates, serious sake, and a wine program with genuine depth — sits at the premium end of the DIFC dining circuit and draws a crowd that treats it as a default reference point for the neighbourhood.

Paris, France
Little Red Door has held a position inside the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2013, peaking at number six in 2023 — a record that places it among the most consistently recognised bars in Europe. Located on Rue Charlot in the Marais, it operates within a cocktail tradition that prizes conceptual rigour over crowd-pleasing approachability. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across more than 2,700 scores.

Milan, Italy
Ranked on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2019, 1930 is Milan's members-only cocktail operation, now housed in the basement of Mag La Pusterla in the Colonne di San Lorenzo neighbourhood. Non-members can drink upstairs and request entry if space allows. The à la carte menu blurs the boundary between bartending and kitchen technique, with drinks structured like a restaurant menu from appetisers through to desserts.

Barcelona, Spain
Two Schmucks occupies a tight corner of Carrer de Joaquín Costa in Barcelona's Raval district, where it has traded a deliberately loose, high-energy format into recognition at the World's 50 Best Bars — reaching #11 in 2021. The bar holds a 4.3 Google rating across more than 550 reviews and sits in the 2025 Top 500 Bars list at #419. It represents the anti-formalist end of Barcelona's cocktail spectrum.

St. Petersburg, Russia
El Copitas bar in St. Petersburg has held a position inside the World's 50 Best Bars top ten since 2021, peaking at number eight — a ranking that places it alongside a very short list of addresses outside the traditional cocktail capitals of London, New York, and Tokyo. With a 4.7 Google rating across more than 900 reviews, it operates at the upper tier of Russia's bar scene from a compact address on Kolokol'naya Ulitsa.

Sydney, Australia
Cantina OK! has held a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list four times, peaking at #23 globally in 2021, and now sits at #189 on the Top 500 Bars ranking. Operating from a compact footprint on Council Place in Sydney's CBD, the bar has built its reputation on a focused, technically precise cocktail programme that punches well above the size of the room. A reference point for serious drinking in Sydney.

London, United Kingdom
Lyaness occupies the South Bank at Sea Containers London, holding a consistent presence in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2019 and ranked #40 in the Top 500 Bars for 2025. The bar's ingredient-led approach has placed it among London's most closely watched cocktail programs, drawing visitors who treat the experience as a destination in its own right rather than a pre-dinner stop.

Oslo, Norway
Behind an unmarked door on Storgata, Himkok runs one of the most decorated cocktail programmes in Europe — ranked #6 on Top 500 Bars in 2025 and a consistent presence in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2016. The bar's attached micro-distillery produces its own aquavit, gin and vodka, and its menus function as collaborative art projects with Oslo's creative community.

Athens, Greece
Eleven consecutive appearances on the World's 50 Best Bars list — most recently ranked #17 in 2024 — position Baba au Rum as one of the most consistently recognised bars in Europe. Located at Klitiou 6 in central Athens, the bar's back bar holds more than 400 rums, and its rum-and-cocktail-society format has drawn a devoted local and international following for over 15 years.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Twelve years on from opening its discreet Queen Street entrance, Panda & Sons has grown from Edinburgh curiosity to a bar with genuine international standing, ranking #30 in the World's 50 Best Bars in 2024 and #1 in Top 500 Bars in 2025. The draw is a technically serious cocktail programme built around sub-zero methods, freeze distillation, and techniques developed in-house, delivered inside a vintage barbershop set that keeps things warm rather than precious.

London, United Kingdom
Swift has appeared on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2018 to 2023, peaking at number 33 in 2020 before settling at number 133 on the Top 500 Bars ranking in 2025. Occupying a two-floor site on Old Compton Street in Soho, it draws a crowd that runs from after-work regulars to serious whisky drinkers seeking one of London's more considered back-bar selections.

London, United Kingdom
Three Sheets on Kingsland Road sits in a different tier from the polished cocktail bars of central London — a Dalston neighbourhood bar that appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars four consecutive years, peaking at number 16 in 2019. The Google rating of 4.7 across 403 reviews reflects a loyal local following as much as destination traffic. It earns repeat visits rather than one-off pilgrimages.

Bangkok, Thailand
One of Bangkok's most decorated bars, The Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental sits on the Chao Phraya riverfront in Bang Rak and carries a decade of continuous Asia's 50 Best recognition, including a peak ranking of #7 globally in 2020. With a 4.6 Google rating across more than 1,000 reviews, it holds a reference position in Bangkok's premium cocktail scene.

Stockholm, Sweden
Tjoget has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2016, peaking at #25 in its debut year and holding a position in 2025 at #76. Located on Hornsbruksgatan in Södermalm, it functions as a neighbourhood anchor as much as an award-circuit bar — the kind of place that earns its ranking through consistency rather than spectacle. Google reviews sit at 4.2 across more than a thousand ratings.

Berlin, Germany
Buck & Breck on Brunnenstraße has held a place inside the World's 50 Best Bars since 2013, reaching as high as #16 in 2015. Berlin's small-format cocktail room operates on limited capacity and a serious back bar, placing it among the city's most consistently recognised bar programmes. Its longevity at the top of global rankings distinguishes it from Berlin's broader cocktail scene.

New York City, United States
Employees Only has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2009, peaking at #4 globally in 2015. The West Village address on Hudson Street operates as one of New York's most consistently recognised cocktail programs, drawing on a European apéritif and spirits tradition that sits apart from the speakeasy-revival bars that followed in its wake. In 2025, it holds #18 in North America and #95 globally.

Sydney, Australia
Daily-changing cocktail menus and authentic newspaper heritage define Bulletin Place Sydney, where expert bartenders craft innovative drinks within the atmospheric Press Room and Headline Bar spaces of a historic Bulletin newspaper building.

Tokyo, Japan
Bar Benfiddich occupies the ninth floor of a Nishishinjuku building, where Hiroyasu Kayama works a 17-seat walnut counter stocked with antique bottles, farm-grown botanicals, and homemade spirits including his own distilled absinthe. Ranked in the World's 50 Best Bars continuously since 2016 and placed ninth in Asia's Best Bars 2025, it operates nightly from 18:00 to 02:00.

London, United Kingdom
Artesian at The Langham London held the World's 50 Best Bars number one position four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, a run that placed it at the centre of London's cocktail conversation for a generation. The bar carries a Google rating of 4.6 from 865 reviews and has maintained a presence in the Top 500 Bars list through 2025. It remains one of the most award-documented hotel bars in Europe.

Shanghai, China
One of Shanghai's most-awarded bars, Sober Company on Yandang Road operates across four distinct areas — café, kitchen, cocktail lounge, and a hidden bar — anchoring its program in Chinese ingredients and contemporary technique. Consistent appearances on the World's 50 Best Bars and Asia's 50 Best Bars lists since 2017 position it among the most recognised multi-format drinking destinations in Asia.

Taipei, Taiwan
Grace Tsai's innovative tea-based cocktails and Aki Wang's cultural vision define Indulge Experimental Bistro in Taipei, where Taiwan's multicultural heritage transforms into award-winning mixology. This Asia's 50 Best Bars mainstay reinvents its entire menu every 15 months, creating an ever-evolving luxury cocktail experience that serves as Taiwan's liquid cultural ambassador.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bar Trigona has held a consecutive position on Asia's 50 Best Bars list since 2019, reaching as high as #12 in the region. Located on Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur, the bar has built its reputation on a cocktail programme anchored in Malaysian botanical ingredients, particularly Tualang honey. A serious address for anyone tracing the arc of Southeast Asian cocktail culture.

Rome, Italy
Drink Kong has held a position on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2020, peaking at #19 in 2021 and ranking #33 in 2024. Set across multiple rooms in Rome's Esquilino neighbourhood, the bar trades in retro-futuristic design and technically demanding cocktails, with a menu philosophy that prioritises sensation over description. It is the reference point for serious drinking in Rome.

Taipei, Taiwan
Ranked #19 in Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2021 and #46 globally in 2020, Room by Le Kief operates from Da'an District as one of Taipei's most-recognised cocktail addresses. The bar sits within a neighbourhood better known for residential calm than nightlife, which shapes both its format and its clientele. Consistent ranking across consecutive years places it alongside Taipei's most credible bar programs.

Cartagena, Colombia
A 19th-century mansion in Cartagena's historic centre operating across three floors, each with a distinct cocktail programme tied to Colombian community projects. Ranked #8 on the World's 50 Best Bars in both 2024 and 2025, Alquímico draws up to 1,200 guests on a busy night while keeping provenance and social purpose at the centre of every drink poured.

Tokyo, Japan
Among Tokyo's most decorated cocktail bars, Bar High Five has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2011, peaking at number three globally in 2013. Situated in a basement space on Ginza's Chuo-dori, it represents a specific strain of Japanese bartending — classical technique, guest-led service, and an absence of theatrical gimmickry — that has given Ginza its international standing in bar culture.

Seoul, South Korea
Charles H in Seoul has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching as high as number seven on the Asia ranking in 2022 and number 42 globally in 2021. Located in Jongno District, it represents the longer-running, internationally recognised tier of Seoul's cocktail scene, sitting well above entry-level hotel bars in both ambition and recognition.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Presidente has appeared three times on the World's 50 Best Bars list, peaking at #21 in 2021, which places it in a narrow tier of internationally recognised cocktail programs operating out of Buenos Aires. Located on Avenida Quintana in Recoleta, the bar draws a crowd that expects craft and consistency in equal measure. It is one of the few Argentine bars to sustain that level of global recognition across consecutive years.
Find out on Pearl and keep score across every place in 2020 World's 50 Best Bars.
Overview
The 2020 World's 50 Best Bars marked a complete reset for the rankings, with all 50 venues appearing as new entries. The Connaught Bar in London took the top spot, ahead of Dante NYC and Athens' The Clumsies. London dominated with three bars in the top six, while Singapore and Hong Kong each placed two venues in the top ten.
This edition represented a significant shift in the World's 50 Best Bars methodology, resulting in a completely refreshed list with zero venues retained from the previous year. The geographic spread covered 24 countries across 27 cities, with London emerging as the clear leader in both quantity and placement. Singapore's Atlas and Jigger & Pony secured spots at #4 and #9 respectively, while Hong Kong's Coa claimed #8. Buenos Aires (Florería Atlantico at #7) and Tokyo (The SG Club at #10) rounded out the top ten. The complete turnover from the previous year's wine-focused winners to a bar-centric list suggests a fundamental restructuring of award categories or criteria.
The 2020 World's 50 Best Bars delivered a complete overhaul, with The Connaught Bar claiming the top position after no venues carried over from 2019. London placed three bars in the top six—The Connaught Bar, Tayēr + Elementary, and Kwant—cementing its position as the edition's dominant city. The list spanned 24 countries and 27 cities, with Asia showing particular strength through Singapore's two top-ten placements and strong showings from Hong Kong and Tokyo. The complete turnover from the previous year makes this edition effectively a fresh start for the rankings.
The 2020 edition marked a wholesale change in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings, with all 50 positions going to new entrants. This complete reset from 2019—which featured wine destinations like Zuccardi Valle de Uco and Bodega Garzón in top positions—suggests the awards separated bar and winery categories or underwent significant methodological changes.
London's dominance was the defining story, capturing three of the top six spots. The Connaught Bar's first-place finish put it ahead of New York's Dante NYC and Athens' The Clumsies. Asia demonstrated depth across the rankings, with Singapore (Atlas, Jigger & Pony), Hong Kong (Coa), and Tokyo (The SG Club) all landing in the top ten.
The geographic distribution across 24 countries and 27 cities showed genuine global reach, though major cocktail capitals clearly drove the rankings. Buenos Aires' Florería Atlantico at #7 provided South American representation in the top tier. With no carryover venues from 2019, this edition essentially established new benchmarks rather than tracking year-over-year movement in the traditional sense.