These are the 50 best bars in the world for 2023 — another Barcelona bar tops the list

SINGAPORE — Sips in Barcelona, Spain is the best bar in the world, according to this year’s ranking by the 50 Best organization.

The World’s 50 Best Bars were announced at an awards ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday evening — the first time the ceremony was held in Asia. Double Chicken Please in New York came in second, and Handshake Speakeasy from Mexico City is third on the list.

The annual ranking is published by William Reed Business Media, a U.K.-based company that also publishes “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list — and in a first, “The World’s 50 Best Hotels,” published in September.

The 50 Best organization has published an annual ranking of “The World’s 50 Best Bars” since 2009, with London and New York dominating the lists ever since. But Barcelona bars have climbed the rankings in the last two years, reaching the top three spots.

This year’s 15th edition of the list includes bars from 28 cities, with 11 new entries.

This is the second year in a row that a Barcelona bar has claimed the crown as Sips jumped to the top from No. 3 last year.

“When we started Sips, we strongly believed that the bar was a beacon name itself,” Marc Álvarez, co-founder of Sips, told CNBC. He said that the drinks, music and the architecture of the bar itself are like “little drops that fill the glass,” creating an experience that is unique to Sips.

Bars in Europe dominated this year’s list with 22 spots, while North and South America accounted for 14 slots. Asia came up ten times, while Australia and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, lodged two spots each.

The top ten bars were all located in Europe and North and South America only. London and Barcelona continued their streak of success in 2023, claiming two spots each among the top ten.

Himkok in Oslo, Norway was a new name among the top ten, climbing 33 places to No. 10.

In Asia, Singapore secured the most number of spots, with three bars named among the world’s best. Seoul, South Korea’s Zest takes the Highest New Entry Award, joining the list for the first time at No.18 on the list.

The full list includes:

1. Sips, Barcelona – The Best Bar in Europe
2. Double Chicken Please, New York – The Best Bar in North America
3. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
4. Paradiso, Barcelona
5. Connaught Bar, London
6. Little Red Door, Paris
7. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
8. Tayēr + Elementary, London
9. Alquímico, Cartagena, Columbia – The Best Bar in South America
10. Himkok, Oslo – The Highest Climber
11. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
12. Line, Athens, Greece
13. BKK Social Club, Bangkok – The Best Bar in Asia
14. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
15. Maybe Sammy, Sydney – The Best Bar in Australasia
16. Salmon Guru, Madrid
17. Overstory, New York
18. Zest, Seoul – The Highest New Entry
19. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok – New Entry
20. Coa, Hong Kong
21. Drink Kong, Rome
22. Hanky Panky, Mexico City
23. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne, Australia – New Entry
24. Café La Trova, Miami
25. Baba au Rum, Athens
26. CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
27. Katana Kitten, New York
28. Satan’s Whiskers, London
29. Wax On, Berlin – New Entry
30. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
31. Röda Huset, Stockholm – New Entry
32. Sago House, Singapore – New Entry
33. Freni e Frizioni, Rome – New Entry
34. Argo, Hong Kong
35. A Bar With Shapes For A Name, London
36. The SG Club, Tokyo – A Re-Entry from No.18 in 2021
37. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
38. The Cambridge Public House, Paris – New Entry
39. Panda & Sons, Edinburgh, Scotland
40. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – New Entry, The Best Bar in Middle East & Africa
41. Scarfes Bar, London – New Entry
42. 1930, Milan
43. Carnaval, Lima, Peru
44. L’Antiquario, Naples, Italy
45. Baltra Bar, Mexico City
46. Locale Firenze, Florence, Italy
47. The Clumsies, Athens
48. Atlas, Singapore – A Re-Entry from No. 16 in 2021
49. Jewel Of The South, New Orleans – New Entry
50. Galaxy Bar, Dubai

In addition, Renato “Tato“ Giovannoni of Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires was given the “Industry Icon Award,” while “Best Cocktail Menu” went to The American Bar at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Scotland.

Singapore’s Night Hawk is the first recipient of the “Best Bar Design Award” — a new hospitality design award launched on April 25. The “Sustainable Bar Award” was bestowed upon Röda Huset, Stockholm.

The 50 Best Bars The Blend Scholarship was awarded to Apoorva Kohli from New Delhi, earning two expenses-paid internships at this year’s winning bar, Sips in Barcelona and Alquímico in Cartagena, which placed No. 9 on the list.

This year’s list compiled votes from 680 industry experts across the globe, including bartenders and bar owners, plus “drinks writers” and “well-travelled cocktail experts,” according to the 50 Best website.

Each voter casts seven votes, with a maximum of five for bars in their home country. Voters must have visited the bar at least once within the last 18 months, and are not allowed to vote for bars they own or have a financial interest in.

A week before the ceremony, the 50 Best organization released an extended ranking showing the bars that were ranked 51 to 100. It includes 34 cities, 17 of which are in Europe, while North and South America tied with Asia at 15 slots each.

Singapore came in strong with five spots, while Byrdi, Melbourne (No. 61) was the only bar from Australia to make the extended list.

Seven bars that ranked among the world’s best 50 bars in 2022 fell into the 51-100 ranking this year. Employees Only, New York, saw the biggest drop in rankings, down by 52 spots from No. 47 to No. 99.