The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 List Revealed

WORDS Michaela Stehr

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list features bars from 28 cities with 11 new entries spread across Bangkok, Berlin, Dubai, London, Melbourne, New Orleans, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Singapore and Stockholm.

The World’s 50 Best Bars were unveiled, and Sips in Barcelona was named The World’s Best Bar for the second consecutive year. The top five also featured Double Chicken Please in New York (No. 2), Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City (No. 3), Paradiso in Barcelona (No. 4), and the Connaught Bar in London (No. 5).

Sips, situated in the L’Antiga Esquerra de l’Eixample district of Barcelona, is a fusion of sophisticated design and cutting-edge mixology expertise, co-founded by industry leaders Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez. Caporale, known for his role in leading London’s Artesian to four titles of “The World’s Best Bar,” and Álvarez, with nearly a decade of experience at the pioneering elBarri restaurant group by Ferran and Albert Adrià, bring a disruptive approach to creative mixology. Sips offers innovative haute couture cocktails at accessible prices.

The bar’s ambience features a contemporary design with muted pastel tones and gold accents, replacing the conventional bar with a futuristic workstation. This unique design promotes a seamless interaction between guests and bartenders, creating a multisensory, immersive drinking experience.

Special award mentions

The inaugural Bareksten Best Bar Design Award goes to Night Hawk in Singapore, founded by the renowned bartender Peter Chua in May 2022. Night Hawk’s enigmatic interior design offers an intimate, immersive experience that blends retro and futuristic elements.

The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award is awarded to The American Bar at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Scotland, for its Book of Berries menu. This menu draws inspiration from the 20th-century ‘observer books’ and features 18 cocktails, each dedicated to a single botanical berry sourced from the local hills of Perthshire.

Renato ‘Tato’ Giovannoni is named the Roku Industry Icon for his contributions as a bartender, entrepreneur, and visionary. His multi-award-winning Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires has been a fixture on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, earning the title of The Best Bar in South America eight times.

Seoul’s Zest is honoured with the Disaronno Highest New Entry award, debuting at No.18 on the list. Founders Demie Kim, Sean Woo, Jisu Park, and Noah Kwon adopt a zero-waste approach that celebrates local flavours and house-made innovations, promoting sustainability.

Line in Athens receives the London Essence Best New Opening award for entering the list in the highest position among bars that opened during the voting period. From the team behind Athens staple The Clumsies, Line draws inspiration from fermentation, seasonal produce, sustainability, and synergy with Greek producers in an industrial space adorned with natural materials.

Oslo’s Himkok earns the Nikka Highest Climber Award, ascending 33 places to No.10 on the 1-50 list. Opened in 2015 by Erk Potur, Himkok is known for its innovative exploration of Nordic flavours, produce, and products, led by bar manager Maroš Dzurus.

The Clumsies is awarded the honour of Rémy Martin Legend of the List for its consistent performance on the list since its inception. Founders Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis have created a neighbourhood bar that showcases world-class cocktails alongside warm Greek hospitality.

Röda Huset in Stockholm is the recipient of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, independently adjudicated by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Inspired by co-owner Hampus Thunholm’s time at Fäviken, a remote Swedish restaurant renowned for its use of local ingredients, Röda Huset celebrates Sweden’s outstanding produce.

Take a look at the full 1 -50 list below:

The list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Singapore on 17 October 2023.

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