The 100 Best Bars in the World, Ranked

The world’s best bars have officially been announced in Singapore, with Barcelona’s Sips laying claim to the crown in 2023. This year was the first time the acclaimed awards have been held in Asia and what better place to host the Oscars of the hospitality and drinks industry than one of the epicentres of mixology?

Singapore has long held the reputation of Asia’s cocktail capital, boasting a vibrant and innovative cocktail scene, with between five and six bars making it into the Top 50 list year after year. This year Man of Many was lucky enough to attend The World’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony, held at Singapore’s Pasir Panjang Power Station, which, as the name suggests, was a decommissioned power station that’s been transformed into a stunning entertainment space. 

The World’s Best Bars at a Glance

#	Bar	City	Known for
1	Bar Leone	Hong Kong	Roman-style aperitivo classics
2	Handshake Speakeasy	Mexico City	Theatrical hidden speakeasy
3	Sips	Barcelona	Technique-led cocktails
4	Paradiso	Barcelona	Speakeasy behind a pastrami shop
5	Tayēr + Elementary	London	Two-room, ingredient-led

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The World’s Top 5 Best Bars for 2025

The 2025 edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars was revealed at a ceremony at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on 8 October 2025, the first time the awards have been held in the city. It was a fitting backdrop for a historic result. Here are the five best bars in the world for 2025.

1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong

• Address: 15 Bridges Street, Central, Hong Kong
• Average price per cocktail: USD$17
• Open: Evenings, no reservations

The world’s best bar for 2025 is Bar Leone, the Hong Kong cocktail room that became the first venue in Asia to claim the number one spot when the awards were announced in Hong Kong on 8 October 2025. Founded in June 2023 by Rome-born bartender Lorenzo Antinori, a veteran of the American Bar at The Savoy in London, it is an homage to the neighbourhood taverns of Rome.

The concept is “cocktail popolari”, cocktails for the people. There are no theatrics and no reservations, just wood-panelled walls, framed photographs, AS Roma shirts and a short list of perfectly made classics. The Negroni Classico, built on a house gin of juniper, bergamot, coffee and cacao, sits alongside a Bicicletta Spritz and an Americano poured on tap.

Antinori built the bar around one idea: that great cocktails do not need spectacle, only craft and a room that feels like home. The drinks list lives on a monthly-updated Google Doc titled “Cocktail Popolari for Everybody”, and the near-viral mortadella sandwiches keep the focus on accessibility over exclusivity.

2. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City

• Address: C. Amberes 65, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Mexico City, Mexico
• Average price per cocktail: USD$14
• Open: Evening Mon – Sun

Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy climbs to number two in 2025, and it remains as theatrical as ever. True to its name, the bar is notoriously difficult to find, but once you make your way through the hefty doors and into the elegant open-plan sitting area, you’ll be treated to a magnificent show.

The cocktail menu leans on rare spirits and signatures like the Matcha Yuzu highball, the age of the bottles perfectly matching the mid-century aesthetic. If you love marble, brass and a secret entrance, Handshake Speakeasy is the bar for you.

3. Sips, Barcelona

• Address: C/ de Muntaner, 108, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
• Average price per cocktail: USD$14
• Open: Evening Tue – Sat

Barcelona’s Sips sits at number three in 2025, two years on from topping the list as the world’s best bar. Founders Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez built a cult following with a menu and concept that play off the unique setting.

The Heliodora makes use of a vintage Mexican hand-turned machine to deliver grapefruit “shaved ice” as a base, before a gargantuan pipette drops sherry into the glass, finished with rum and lime. On the food side, a Michelin-grade pastry chef drops creations at the Sips door every Monday morning.

Sips debuted in 2021 in 37th place before jumping into the top three, and a world-class team of bartenders keeps it among the very best bars in the world.

4. Paradiso, Barcelona

• Address: Carrer de Rera Palau, 4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
• Average price per cocktail: USD$10
• Open: Evening Mon – Sun

Barcelona’s Paradiso holds firm at number four. Hidden behind an antique refrigerator in the back of an unassuming pastrami shop in the trendy El Born district, the quaint speakeasy is a masterful blend of technique, precision and creativity that arrives with an unwavering sense of fun. Walk through the entrance and a majestic front bar opens to a playful space lit by dramatic glass fittings under a Gaudi-inspired curved-wood ceiling.

The menu doesn’t disappoint either, with meticulously crafted cocktails served in outlandish vessels, such as the Supercool Martini, which uses supercooled gin to build an iceberg in the glass before it is finished tableside. Owners Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader also take a sustainable approach, crafting coasters and bar tools from single-use waste.

5. Tayēr + Elementary, London

• Address: 152 Old Street, London EC1V 9BW, UK
• Average price per cocktail: USD$18
• Open: Evenings

London’s Tayēr + Elementary rounds out the top five, a single Shoreditch address that works as two bars in one. Co-founded in 2019 by Monica Berg and Alex Kratena, both alumni of some of the world’s most decorated hotel bars, it has held a top-five position for several years running.

Out front, Elementary is a light, industrial space pouring draught cocktails on tap alongside a weekly-changing seasonal menu. Through a concrete partition, Tayēr is darker and more intimate, where a hexagonal bar station anchors a produce-led, daily-changing list. The One Sip Martini, served with a blue cheese olive and downed in a single mouthful, is the bar’s calling card.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 – Full List

1	Bar Leone	Hong Kong
2	Handshake Speakeasy	Mexico City
3	Sips	Barcelona
4	Paradiso	Barcelona
5	Tayēr + Elementary	London
6	Connaught Bar	London
7	Moebius Milano	Milan
8	Line	Athens
9	Jigger & Pony	Singapore
10	Tres Monos	Buenos Aires
11	Alquímico	Cartagena
12	Superbueno	New York
13	Lady Bee	Lima
14	Himkok	Oslo
15	Bar Us	Bangkok
16	Zest	Seoul
17	Bar Nouveau	Paris
18	Bar Benfiddich	Tokyo
19	Caretaker’s Cottage	Melbourne
20	The Cambridge Public House	Paris
21	Satan’s Whiskers	London
22	Locale Firenze	Florence
23	Tlecān	Mexico City
24	Tan Tan	São Paulo
25	Mirror Bar	Bratislava
26	CoChinChina	Buenos Aires
27	Baba au Rum	Athens
28	Nouvelle Vague	Tirana
29	Hope & Sesame	Guangzhou
30	Danico	Paris
31	Scarfes Bar	London
32	Svanen	Oslo
33	Sastrería Martinez	Lima
34	Panda & Sons	Edinburgh
35	Röda Huset	Stockholm
36	Mimi Kakushi	Dubai
37	Salmon Guru	Madrid
38	Coa	Hong Kong
39	Sip & Guzzle	New York
40	Drink Kong	Rome
41	Double Chicken Please	New York
42	Maybe Sammy	Sydney
43	1930	Milan
44	Jewel of the South	New Orleans
45	Virtù	Tokyo
46	Overstory	New York
47	The Bar in Front of the Bar	Athens
48	The Bellwood	Tokyo
49	BKK Social Club	Bangkok
50	Nutmeg & Clove	Singapore

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What is The World’s 50 Best Bar Awards?

Now in its 15th annual edition, 2023’s event marks an important milestone for the awards as it continues to recognise the achievements of the past year and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the global bar community. Traditionally held in Europe, this is the first time the prestigious awards have been held outside of the continent.

Speaking to Oliver Chong, Executive Director of Singapore Tourism Board Oceania, during the event, he revealed that he absolutely knew that the opportunity to host the 50 Best Bars in Singapore was a no-brainer, labelling it a “landmark moment” for the country. Not only has it brought in cocktail enthusiasts and experts from all around the world in one place, but it’s also placed a well-deserved spotlight on Singapore’s burgeoning bar scene and stamped them as the leaders of bar culture in the region. 

It was a sentiment shared by William Drew, director of content at 50 Best, who confirmed that the event’s goal was to shine a light on an even greater cross-section of the most exceptional destinations for cocktail lovers.

“Now, in its seventh year, we are delighted to recognise the remarkable hospitality experiences offered by these establishments across 34 incredible cities,” Drew told us. “As we once again take to the road, leaving Europe for the first time in our history to celebrate the greatest cocktail bars in the world in the iconic city of Singapore, we extend our warmest congratulations to each and every one of the superb teams whose bars have been named on the list.” 

Australia’s Best Bars for 2025

Australia had a strong showing in 2025, with three bars across the extended list of 100. Leading the way is Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage, which climbed to number 19 and was again named the Best Bar in Australasia.

Tucked behind a church on Little Lonsdale Street, the 100-year-old bluestone cottage seats just 25 people and keeps things deliberately simple, building its reputation on an ice-cold freezer martini and a perfectly poured Guinness, often ordered together as a boilermaker. Opened in 2022 by Rob Libecans, Ryan Noreiks and Matt Stirling, it is proof that the smallest room can earn the biggest reputation.

Sydney’s Maybe Sammy, the Rocks homage to 1950s Las Vegas glamour, held its place at number 42, while Melbourne’s Byrdi landed on the extended list at number 91, giving Australia three entries in the 2025 ranking.

Bar Leone Makes History

Bar Leone’s win is the headline of the 2025 awards. The Hong Kong bar became the first venue in Asia to be named the world’s best, a milestone for a region that has quickly become one of the most exciting in global drinking.

What makes it notable is how it won. Where many of the world’s top bars lean on elaborate menus and theatrics, Bar Leone took the opposite path, a Roman-style popular bar built on simple, well-made classics, fair prices and genuine warmth. Lorenzo Antinori’s bet, that hospitality and craft matter more than spectacle, has reshaped the conversation about what a great bar can be.

51-100: The best of the rest

Ranking	Establishment	City
51	Angelita	Madrid
52	Licorería Limantour	Mexico City
53	Bar Cham	Seoul
54	Bar Mauro	Mexico City
55	Bar Pompette	Toronto
56	Argo	Hong Kong
57	Wax On	Berlin
58	Freni e Frizioni	Rome
59	Schmuck	New York
60	LPM Dubai	Dubai
61	Exímia	São Paulo
62	Barro Negro	Athens
63	L’Antiquario	Naples
64	True Laurel	San Francisco
65	The SG Club	Tokyo
66	Bird	Copenhagen
67	Smoke & Bitters	Hiriketiya
68	La Sala de Laura	Bogotá
69	Hero Bar	Nairobi
70	Gokan	Hong Kong
71	El Gallo Altanero	Guadalajara
72	Attaboy	New York
73	A Bar with Shapes For a Name	London
74	Vender	Taichung
75	Martiny’s	New York
76	Tjoget	Stockholm
77	Arca	Tulum
78	Baltra Bar	Mexico City
79	Kwãnt Mayfair	London
80	Three Sheets Soho	London
81	Mamba Negra	Medellín
82	Café La Trova	Miami
83	Dr. Stravinsky	Barcelona
84	Native	Singapore
85	Boadas	Barcelona
86	The Savory Project	Hong Kong
87	Victor Audio Bar	Buenos Aires
88	Dry Wave Cocktail Studio	Bangkok
89	Foco	Barcelona
90	Florería Atlántico	Buenos Aires
91	Byrdi	Melbourne
92	Opium	Bangkok
93	Mírate	Los Angeles
94	Bar Trench	Tokyo
95	Employees Only	New York
96	Lair	New Delhi
97	Kumiko	Chicago
98	Jerry Thomas Speakeasy	Rome
99	Gucci Giardino	Florence
100	Bar Carmen	Medellín

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How the 50 Best Bars are Judged

An annual rundown of the globe’s top bars, the World’s 50 Best Awards are collated through the combined experiences of 650 drinks experts with 50/50 gender parity, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists from around the world. The globally recognised ranking takes into account a number of factors, however, much like the 50 Best Restaurants list, there is no pre-determined checklist of criteria.

According to the official rating guidelines, the academy of voters is spread across 28 global geographic regions, each of which is headed by an Academy Chair who selects their region’s voters. Each voter casts seven votes based on their best bar experiences of the previous 18 months, although if they have been unable to travel, they are welcome to provide five votes from their home country or SAR.

The Voting Rules

In the interest of complete impartiality, the World’s 50 Best Bars list and awards are organised and compiled by Deloitte, with none of the employees of the organiser, or of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, allowed to partake in the voting academy. The academy is made up of drinks writers and critics, mixologists, restauranteurs and foodies, with each given 7 votes to hand out. The votes are completely confidential and remain anonymous throughout the process.

Disclaimer: The author of this article, John Guanzon was invited to attend the World’s 50 Best Bars in Singapore as a guest of the Singapore Tourism Board for the purposes of this review.

World’s 50 Best Bars FAQs