
2021 World's 50 Best Bars: The Complete List
Renowned global ranking for 2021 highlighting outstanding bars celebrated for creativity, quality cocktails, and vibrant atmospheres.
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The Connaught Bar
London, United Kingdom
The Connaught Bar has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2010, reaching number one twice. Its David Collins-designed interior and technically precise cocktail programme — anchored by a signature tableside Dry Martini — set the standard by which other hotel bars in London and beyond are measured. Open Tuesday through Sunday in the heart of Mayfair.

Tayēr + Elementary
London, United Kingdom
Ranked #4 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2024 and a consistent presence in the global top ten since 2020, Tayēr + Elementary operates as two distinct drinking experiences under one roof on Old Street. The Elementary front bar runs draught cocktails and weekly-changing menus; Tayēr behind it shifts to a daily produce-driven format built around hyper-seasonal ingredients. Six years in, it remains the bar others are measured against.

Paradiso
Barcelona, Spain
Paradiso entered Barcelona's cocktail scene through a refrigerator door in a pastrami shop and never stopped surprising. Named the World's Best Bar in 2022 and ranked in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2018, it operates in a carved-wood interior designed to disorient, then delight. The drinks programme, currently themed around 'The Mysteries of the Universe', treats each cocktail as a scientific proposition.

The Clumsies
Athens, Greece
The Clumsies has placed in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2015, reaching as high as third globally in 2020. Operating from a Praxitelous Street townhouse in central Athens, it applies Greek ingredients and fermentation techniques to high-volume bar service without sacrificing precision. With a Google rating of 4.5 across more than 8,000 reviews, it functions as the clearest reference point for serious cocktail drinking in the Greek capital.

Florería Atlantico
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Florería Atlantico has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2013, peaking at #3 in 2019. Set beneath a flower shop on Calle Arroyo, it draws on Argentina's migrant histories and Indigenous traditions to build one of South America's most rigorously conceptual cocktail programs. The 4.2 Google rating across nearly 7,500 reviews suggests the ambition lands consistently.

Licoreria Limantour
Mexico City, Mexico
On Álvaro Obregón in Roma Norte, Licoreria Limantour has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2014, reaching as high as #6 in 2021. The bar operates as a neighbourhood fixture first and an internationally ranked programme second — a combination that has made it the reference point for serious cocktail culture in Mexico City. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across more than 3,600 ratings.

Coa
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Ranked #17 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and a three-time holder of the #1 Asia title, Coa occupies a lower-ground space on Shin Hing Street in Central with a forty-page agave spirits list and a cocktail programme that rotates a new drink every week. The food menu, developed with award-winning Mexican restaurant Chicano, grounds the experience in the culinary culture that produced the spirits on the shelf.

El Copitas
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.

Jigger & Pony
Singapore, Singapore
Ranked #3 in Asia and #5 globally by World's 50 Best Bars in 2025, Jigger & Pony has tracked Singapore's rise as a serious cocktail city since 2012. Operating from the Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar, the bar publishes annual 'menuzines' — editorial-format drink menus that have become collector items — anchored in classic technique and contemporary execution.

Katana Kitten
New York City, United States
Katana Kitten on Hudson Street has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global rankings every year since 2019, reaching #10 in 2021 and maintaining a North America top-15 position through 2024. The West Village bar occupies a specific niche in New York's cocktail scene: Japanese-American technique applied with enough precision to attract a loyal repeat clientele alongside the global bar crowd. Reservations are advised, particularly on weekends.

Two Schmucks
Barcelona, Spain
Two Schmucks has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2020, reaching number 11 in 2021 before settling into the Top 500 in 2025. Operating from Carrer de Joaquín Costa in Barcelona's Raval district, it draws a 4.3 Google rating across 552 reviews. The bar sits in a neighbourhood that has become one of the more interesting cocktail corridors in southern Europe.

Hanky Panky
Mexico City, Mexico
Hanky Panky is Mexico City's first speakeasy and one of its most decorated cocktail bars, holding a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2021. Located in the Juárez neighbourhood, it draws its drink philosophy from international travel while keeping Mexican ingredients and hospitality at the centre of every glass. Tuesday through Saturday, from early evening deep into the night.

Insider Bar
Moscow, Russia
Ranked 13th on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2021, Insider Bar on Ulitsa Sretenka has positioned Moscow firmly within the global cocktail conversation. With a 4.4 Google rating across 78 reviews, it operates in the upper tier of the city's serious drinking culture, drawing both local regulars and internationally minded visitors to one of the capital's more considered bar programs.

Baba au Rum
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.

Manhattan
Singapore, Singapore
Manhattan at Conrad Singapore Orchard holds one of the most decorated track records in Asian cocktail history, ranking as high as #1 in Asia's 50 Best Bars and #3 globally. Named the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 Best Service winner, the bar frames Golden Age American cocktail culture through a Singaporean lens. It sits at the upper tier of Orchard Road hotel bars, with a Google rating of 4.7 across more than 1,000 reviews.

Atlas
Singapore, Singapore
Housed inside Parkview Square's art deco tower on North Bridge Road, Atlas has ranked continuously in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2017 — peaking at number four globally in 2020. The bar's gin collection and art deco setting have made it a reference point for Singapore's cocktail scene, recognised by Tatler Asia for Best Design in 2024 and listed among the Top 500 Bars globally in 2025.

Zuma
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Zuma at DIFC has held a place inside the World's 50 Best Bars global ranking across multiple years, peaking at #17 in 2021, with consecutive Star Wine List recognitions through 2026. The bar program sits above the restaurant floor in Gate Village and operates at the serious end of Dubai's cocktail and spirits market. Regulars come for Japanese-inspired drinking as much as dining.

The SG Club
Tokyo, Japan
Ranked #65 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 and a fixture on the Asia's Best Bars list since 2019, The SG Club in Shibuya operates across two distinct floors with a program rooted in Japanese ingredient logic and international technique. Located in Jinnan, a quieter pocket above the Shibuya crossing noise, it draws a consistent crowd of serious drinkers and has held a place in the global top 25 as recently as 2021.

Drink Kong
Rome, Italy
Drink Kong has held a position on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2020, placing it in the top tier of Rome's bar scene and among Italy's most globally recognized cocktail programs. Set across multiple rooms in Celio, the bar runs nightly from 18:30 with a menu format that guides guests by sensation rather than category. A serious destination for those who treat cocktails as a discipline.

1930
Milan, Italy
Milan's most deliberately inaccessible cocktail bar has held a position on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2019, reaching as high as #20. Now operating from a vaulted basement beneath Mag La Pusterla in the Colonne di San Lorenzo neighbourhood, 1930 runs on a members-first booking system and a menu that deliberately blurs the boundary between mixology and the Italian table.

Presidente
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ranked as high as #19 among the World's 50 Best Bars, Presidente has spent several years as Buenos Aires' most internationally recognised cocktail address. Located on Avenida Quintana in Recoleta, it holds a Google rating of 4.4 across nearly 5,000 reviews — the kind of sustained public confidence that complements its global competition results.

Maybe Sammy
Sydney, Australia
Maybe Sammy has ranked on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since opening in 2019, peaking at No. 11 in 2020. Positioned in The Rocks as a grand European hotel bar without the hotel, it pairs theatrical cocktail service with Sydney's irreverent hospitality instincts. Pink-jacketed bartenders, immersive presentation, and consistent global recognition make it the reference point for serious cocktail drinking in Australia.

Cantina OK!
Sydney, Australia
Cantina OK! ranked #23 on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2021 and holds a 4.8 Google rating across 915 reviews, placing it among Sydney's most recognised drinking destinations. Tucked into Council Place in the CBD, it operates at a scale and specificity that separates it from the city's larger bar venues. For cocktail-focused visitors, it belongs in the same conversation as Maybe Sammy and Eau de Vie.

Salmon Guru
Madrid, Spain
Ranked #23 in the World's 50 Best Bars (2024) and built around the motto 'Only dead fish go with the flow,' Salmon Guru on Calle de Echegaray brings together high-energy atmosphere, manga-splashed walls, and a drinks program developed in its own R&D lab. The Madrid flagship anchors a global brand now spanning Dubai and Milan, but this is where the philosophy runs deepest.

Handshake Speakeasy
Mexico City, Mexico
Handshake Speakeasy claimed the World's 50 Best Bars number one position in 2024 and has held the top spot in North America's 50 Best Bars for two consecutive years. Split across two floors inside a Colonia Juárez hotel, it pairs culinary-driven cocktails with a service model where every team member rotates through every role. The Fig Martini has been on the menu since opening; the clarified piña colada rewrites what the drink is capable of.

No Sleep Club
Singapore, Singapore
No Sleep Club on Keong Saik Road has tracked one of Singapore's sharpest award trajectories in recent bar history, moving from Asia's 50 Best #15 in 2022 to a global ranking of #26 in the same year before settling at #60 in 2024. The bar sits in the Tanjong Pagar conservation district, where the city's cocktail scene has matured well beyond novelty formats into technically precise, atmosphere-led programs.

Camparino in Galleria
Milan, Italy
Positioned at the base of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II since 1867, Camparino in Galleria occupies a category of its own in Milan's aperitivo culture. Ranked 27th on the World's 50 Best Bars in 2021 and holding a place in the top 100 through 2024, it earns that recognition not through novelty but through institutional authority. This is where Campari-based drinking tradition lives in its original setting.

Café La Trova
Miami, United States
On Calle Ocho in Miami's Little Havana, Café La Trova has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global ranking every year since 2021, reaching as high as #24 globally and #6 in North America. The bar channels classic Cuban cocktail culture through a program that has shifted and matured across four consecutive years of international recognition. Bookings are recommended; the address is 971 SW 8th St.

Little Red Door
Paris, France
Little Red Door has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2013, reaching as high as sixth globally. Tucked into Rue Charlot in the Haut-Marais, it functions as a serious cocktail address that has shaped how Paris thinks about bar culture — drawing a neighbourhood crowd as readily as international visitors. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across more than 2,700 responses.

Dante NYC
New York City, United States
A MacDougal Street fixture since 1915, Dante NYC has ranked among the world's most recognised bars for nearly a decade, holding the number-one spot on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2019. The bar's Italian aperitivo tradition, sustained critical recognition, and Greenwich Village address place it in a peer set well above the typical neighbourhood anchor. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across more than 2,500 votes.

Kwant
London, United Kingdom
Kwant occupies a Mayfair address dressed in hand-painted Polynesian tapa art and retro furnishings, built around a serious collection of vintage spirits and seasonal cocktails. It has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2019, peaking at number six globally in 2020. For London's vintage spirits tier, it remains one of the most credentialed addresses in the city.

Bar Benfiddich
Tokyo, Japan
Bar Benfiddich occupies the ninth floor of a Nishishinjuku building, operating nightly from 18:00 as one of Asia's most consistently recognised cocktail bars — ranked #9 in Asia's Best Bars 2025 and #25 globally in 2024. Its 17-seat walnut counter frames a program built around farm-grown botanicals, antique tools, and a working distillery in Chichibu, producing drinks that shift with each harvest.

Tres Monos
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tres Monos sits at #7 on the World's 50 Best Bars list (2024), yet its Palermo address, graffiti-covered walls, and neon-lit interior read closer to a neighbourhood dive than a global cocktail destination. The bar's depth comes from serious local sourcing — including own-label spirits produced with Argentine grains and herbs — and a social training programme that puts community at the centre of its operation.

Attaboy NYC
New York City, United States
On Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side, Attaboy has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2013, reaching as high as #4 globally in 2014. The format is no-menu, guest-led: bartenders build drinks around what you tell them you like. It is one of the most consistently recognised bars in North America over the past decade.

Lucy's Flower Shop
Stockholm, Sweden
Lucy's Flower Shop on Birger Jarlsgatan occupies a specific tier in Stockholm's cocktail scene: a bar with World's 50 Best Bars recognition (ranked 35th in 2021) that has sustained its credibility into 2025 with a Top 500 Bars placement at #265. With a Google rating of 4.6 across more than 500 reviews, it draws a crowd that returns for the ritual of the drink rather than novelty alone.

MO Bar
Singapore, Singapore
MO Bar sits on the third floor of Mandarin Oriental Singapore, overlooking Marina Bay, and has held a place in Asia's 50 Best Bars continuously since 2020. Ranked #21 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and #36 globally in 2021, it occupies the upper tier of Singapore's award-recognised cocktail scene. The bar draws a crowd that comes for technically grounded drinks in a setting with serious waterfront presence.

Sips
Barcelona, Spain
Named the World's Best Bar in 2023 and ranked third globally in 2024, Sips operates from Eixample with a format that treats cocktails as structured, multi-sensory propositions. The bar behind Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez pushes beyond theatrics into genuine technical invention, including an inner sanctum called Esencia that seats just 14 for a curated tasting menu of experimental drinks.

Baltra Bar
Mexico City, Mexico
Ranked #20 in North America and #78 globally by World's 50 Best Bars in 2025, Baltra Bar in Condesa has built a consistent presence at the top of Mexico City's cocktail scene over five consecutive years of recognition. Positioned on a quiet residential street in one of the city's most walkable neighbourhoods, it draws a crowd that takes its drinking seriously without the theatrics that define some of its peers.

Sober Company
Shanghai, China
Sober Company on Yandang Road has ranked among Asia's top bars every year since 2017, peaking at #5 in Asia and #39 globally in 2021. Located in Huangpu, it represents the serious, technically driven tier of Shanghai's cocktail scene — a bar that has sustained international recognition long enough to anchor conversations about where Chinese bartending stands on the global stage.

Tjoget
Stockholm, Sweden
Tjoget has held a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, making it one of the most consistently recognised bars in Scandinavia. Located on Hornsbruksgatan in Södermalm, it operates as a genuine neighbourhood bar first, with a drinks programme serious enough to draw an international crowd. With a Google rating of 4.2 across more than 1,000 reviews, the regulars and the pilgrims seem to agree.

Epic
Shanghai, China
A fixture on the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 list and ranked #74 on Asia's Best Bars, Epic on Gaoyou Road in Xuhui blends classic cocktail structures with more adventurous flavour pairings in a retro-inflected room. Open nightly until 2am, it occupies a different tier from Shanghai's newer minimalist bars, carrying momentum built from a #41 global ranking in 2021.

Charles H
Seoul, South Korea
Charles H has ranked on Asia's Best Bars every year since 2016, reaching as high as #7 in the region in 2022. Situated within the Four Seasons Seoul in Jongno District, the bar pairs an American-inflected 1930s aesthetic with a technically precise cocktail programme. A Google rating of 4.6 across 545 reviews points to consistent delivery at the upper end of Seoul's bar scene.

Tippling Club
Singapore, Singapore
Tippling Club has held a place on the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2011, making it one of the most consistently recognised cocktail bars in Asia. Located on Tanjong Pagar Road in Singapore's former warehouse district, the bar operates at the intersection of technical precision and theatrical presentation. A 4.6 Google rating across nearly 740 reviews reflects sustained performance over more than a decade of competition.

Above Board
Melbourne, Australia
Above Board sits behind Beermash on Collingwood's Smith Street, operating as one of Melbourne's most-awarded small bars: ranked #44 globally by World's 50 Best Bars in 2021 and returning to the list at #100 in 2024. The format is deliberate and tight — a counter-focused program built around bartender craft rather than spectacle, with a 4.8 Google rating across nearly 500 reviews confirming consistent execution.

Galaxy Bar
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Galaxy Bar sits inside DIFC's Gate Village and holds a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list, reaching number 45 in 2021 and number 50 in 2023, before landing at number 182 on the Top 500 Bars ranking in 2025. Recognised by Tatler Asia's Best Bars Middle East 2025 for Best Innovation, the bar draws on Greek heritage and celestial design to build a cocktail program around narrative and craft.

Re
Sydney, Australia
Matt Whiley's revolutionary Re transforms waste into wonder through zero-waste cocktails like the signature Bone Dust Martini, served in a striking brutalist space crafted from recycled materials. This World's Best Bar proves sustainability and luxury create the perfect blend.

Sidecar
New Delhi, India
Sidecar in New Delhi's Greater Kailash II has earned a position among Asia's most consistently recognised bars, appearing on Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2020 and reaching #14 on the Asia list in 2022. Described by Tatler Asia as a bartender's bar, it draws on classic cocktail technique and literary reference points, holding a Google rating of 4.7 across nearly 2,900 reviews.

Union Trading Company
Shanghai, China
Named to Tatler's Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 and a consistent presence on Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016, Union Trading Company occupies a quiet stretch of Fen Yang Lu in Xuhui. The bar's track record across multiple editions of the World's 50 Best rankings places it among the most recognised cocktail addresses in mainland China. Plan ahead: demand consistently outpaces walk-in availability.

Darkside
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Positioned inside Rosewood Hong Kong on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, Darkside has ranked consistently inside both the World's 50 Best Bars global list and Asia's Best Bars top tier since 2021. The bar operates at a technical level that places it among Hong Kong's most decorated drinking rooms, drawing a crowd that treats the visit as an occasion rather than a stop.

Quinary
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
On Hollywood Road in Central, Quinary has anchored Hong Kong's serious cocktail scene since 2012. Named to the World's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2013 through 2021, and ranked among Asia's Best Bars consistently through 2025, it sits in a peer tier defined by technical precision and longevity rather than novelty. A Google rating of 4.6 across more than 900 reviews signals a floor of reliability that few bars at this level maintain.
Overview
The 2021 World's 50 Best Bars recognized 50 venues across 18 countries and 23 cities. The Connaught Bar in London took the top spot, with London claiming two of the top three positions. This edition marked a complete refresh of the list format, with all 50 venues representing new entries compared to the previous edition's structure.
The 2021 rankings spread across 18 countries, with representation from 23 cities globally. London led with two bars in the top three (The Connaught Bar at #1 and Tayēr + Elementary at #2). The top 10 alone covered eight different cities across three continents, from Barcelona's Paradiso at #3 to New York's Katana Kitten at #10. European cities dominated the upper rankings, though Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires each secured spots in the top ten. The list represented a structural departure from previous editions, with the entire roster of 50 venues appearing as new entrants compared to the 2020 format.
The 2021 World's 50 Best Bars placed The Connaught Bar at #1, marking London's dominance with two of the top three spots. The list covered 50 venues across 18 countries, from Athens to St. Petersburg to Hong Kong. This edition represented a complete format shift—every venue on the 2021 list appeared as a new entry compared to 2020's rankings, which had featured restaurants like Noma and Geranium at the top. The geographic spread reached 23 cities, with the top 10 alone spanning eight different locations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Quick Facts
- Edition Year
- 2021
- Total Venues
- 50 bars
- Countries
- 18
- Cities
- 23
- Top Venue
- The Connaught Bar (London)
- New Entrants
- 50 (complete list refresh)
- London Bars in Top 3
- 2
About This Edition
The 2021 edition marked a notable shift in the World's 50 Best methodology, with all 50 positions filled by new entrants compared to the previous year. The Connaught Bar's first-place finish led a particularly strong showing for London, which also placed Tayēr + Elementary at #2. The top 10 demonstrated geographic diversity: Paradiso represented Barcelona at #3, The Clumsies brought Athens to #4, and Florería Atlantico gave Buenos Aires the #5 spot. Latin America appeared twice in the upper rankings, with Mexico City's Licoreria Limantour at #6. Hong Kong's Coa landed at #7, while Russia entered the conversation with El Copitas in St. Petersburg at #8. Singapore's Jigger & Pony took #9, and New York's Katana Kitten rounded out the top ten at #10. The complete list of 50 venues represented 18 countries total, distributed across 23 cities. This geographic spread ranged from established cocktail capitals to emerging bar scenes, though European cities maintained a strong presence in the upper rankings. The format change from the previous edition—which had featured restaurants rather than bars in its top positions—reflected a restructuring of the ranking system itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which bar ranked #1 in the 2021 World's 50 Best Bars?
How many countries were represented in the 2021 list?
How did the 2021 list differ from 2020?
Which cities had multiple bars in the 2021 top 10?
How many of these have you visited?
Find out on Pearl and keep score across every place in 2021 World's 50 Best Bars.

