London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

The best bars in the world for 2021 have been revealed

The best bars in the world for 2021 have been revealed

We're sorry, USA. Europe has completely trounced you at the cocktail game.

For much of its history, the annual World's 50 Best Bars list has been a battle at the top between New York and London.

But for the 2021 edition, announced Tuesday night at an awards ceremony in the UK capital, London holds the top two spots while New York has just two bars in the whole of the top 30.

It's also a notably more international affair than usual, with 17 countries represented in the top 50, and with 18 new entries spread across Australia, India, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Sweden, Spain, China and the UAE.

After a Zoom-based event in 2020, this year's ceremony was in person once again at London's Roundhouse. However, the UK's new entry rules in response to the Omicron variant meant the overseas visitors faced some last-minute PCR test and self-isolation requirements before attending.

London takes top two spots


The Connaught Bar: Mayfair specialists in being ritzy.


London's Connaught Bar took the crown for the second year in a row, only the third bar to have done so in the awards' 13-year history.

The five-star Connaught Hotel has been a Mayfair institution since it opened as the Prince of Saxe-Coburg Hotel in 1815, and the Cubist-inspired 1920s-style bar, which opened in 2008, was designed by the late David Collins.

The Connaught's leadership team of director of mixology Agostino Perrone, head mixologist Giorgio Bargiani and bar manager Maura Milia have perfected their winning formula of consistently high-quality drinks and service in an elegant setting. The bar's specialty is its Martini trolley, where bartenders give a personalized drinks experience to guests.

Alex Kratena's Tayēr + Elementary, on London's Old Street, climbed to No. 2 after being last year's Highest New Entry.

Also in Mayfair, basement bar Kwant -- helmed by mixologist Erik Lorincz, who brought the American Bar at the Savoy to victory at the top of the Best Bars list in 2017 -- was at No. 31, having dropped down from No. 6 last year.

A bite out of the Big Apple


At No. 10 on the list, Katana Kitten, a Japanese-style bar in New York's West Village, was the highest-ranking bar in the US.

Subway-tiled Dante in Greenwich Village, which held the top spot in 2019, slipped down to No. 30 on this year's list. Miami's Cafe La Trova is at No. 28 while Attaboy, on New York's Lower East Side was at No. 32.

Mexico City's Licorería Limantour, at No. 6, was named Best Bar in North America, and the city was also represented by Hanky Panky at No. 12, Handshake Speakeasy at No. 25 and Baltra Bar at No. 38.

Buenos Aires also took a bite out of the Big Apple's cocktail dominance, with Florería Atlántico climbing to No. 5 and holding onto the Best Bar in South America award, and Presidente taking the Highest Climber award by rising 29 places to No. 21. Tres Monos, at No. 33, was another new entry.

Spain leads Europe


Giacomo Giannotti's Paradiso is a Mediterranean-style speakeasy, entered through the freezer door of a pastrami bar.


Spain led the way in Europe with four bars on the list, including Barcelona's Paradiso and Two Schmucks at No. 3 and No. 11 respectively. Salmon Guru in Madrid was at No. 24 and won the Michter's Art of Hospitality award.

Russia also outperformed the US, with St. Petersburg's El Copitas at No. 8 and Moscow's Insider Bar at No. 13.

Hong Kong's Coa climbed to No. 7 and was named Best Bar in Asia, but Singapore was the city with the most entries overall: a whopping six in total, led by Jigger & Pony at No. 9. It even has a bar called Manhattan -- at No. 15 -- as a further swipe at New York's lost crown.

The World's 50 Best Bar Academy is made up of bar industry experts from around the world. The voting period took place between March 2020 and September 2021.

The world's best bars for 2021

1. Connaught Bar (London)
3. Paradiso (Barcelona)
4. The Clumsies (Athens)
5. Florería Atlántico (Buenos Aires) *Best Bar in South America*
6. Licorería Limantour (Mexico City) *Best Bar in North America*
7. Coa (Hong Kong) *Best Bar in Asia*
8. El Copitas (St. Petersburg)
9. Jigger & Pony (Singapore)
10. Katana Kitten (New York City)
11. Two Schmucks (Barcelona)
12. Hanky Panky (Mexico City) *Highest New Entry*
13. Insider Bar (Moscow)
14. Baba au Rum (Athens)
15. Manhattan (Singapore)
16. Atlas (Singapore)
17. Zuma (Dubai) *Best Bar in Middle East and Africa*
18. The SG Club (Tokyo)
19. Drink Kong (Rome)
20. 1930 (Milan)
21. Presidente (Buenos Aires)
22. Maybe Sammy (Sydney)
23. Cantina OK! (Sydney)
24. Salmon Guru (Madrid)
25. Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City)
26. No Sleep Club (Singapore)
28. Cafe La Trova (Miami)
29. Little Red Door (Paris)
30. Dante (New York City)
For the full list, visit the 50 World's Best site.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×