The drinks world has a new number one. Bar Leone in Hong Kong has taken the top spot in The 50 Best Bars 2026, revealed at a ceremony in Milan, collecting both Best Bar in the World and Best Bar in Asia. It tops a ranking that reads like a global cocktail itinerary, from Madrid's Angelita at number 50 to Moebius Milano at number two — a homegrown win for the host city and the best bar in Europe.
Mexico City quietly had the strongest showing in the top ten, the only city to land two bars there: Bar Mauro (number ten, and the highest new entry of the year) and Handshake Speakeasy at number six, named best bar in North America. Paris and New York, though, are the cities with the most entries overall — four each — keeping them solid picks for anyone planning a trip around drinks. Paris's picks include Bar Nouveau (15) and The Cambridge Public House (13), while New York fields Sip & Guzzle (14) and Schmuck (11), which took the Best New Opening award.
London scored three bars on the list, all worth a detour: the legendary Connaught Bar at number eight, Satan's Whiskers at 29 and Waltz at 32. Beyond the top 50, London adds Three Sheets in Soho, Scarfes Bar, and Edinburgh's Panda & Sons, which won the Best Cocktail Menu award. Giorgio Bargiani of the Connaught Bar was also named Europe's best bartender.
The rest of the continental honours went to Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia (best in South America, plus the Art of Hospitality award), Caretaker's Cottage in Melbourne (Australasia), Mimi Kakushi in Dubai (Middle East) and Front/Back in Accra, Ghana (Africa) — a reminder that world-class cocktails are no longer confined to a handful of familiar cities. Athens deserves a special mention, with five bars across the two lists, including Line at number five and the year's biggest climber, The Bar in Front of the Bar.
For trip planners, the full 51-100 list is arguably more useful, since it highlights bars that are easier to get into: Double Chicken Please in New York, Jewel of the South in New Orleans, Baba au Rum in Athens, Bar Trench and The SG Club in Tokyo, and a strong showing from Bangkok (G.O.D, Opium, Vesper among them). Sri Lanka even makes the cut with Smoke & Bitters on the beach at Hiriketiya.
The rankings are compiled by an academy of hundreds of anonymous drinks industry experts, run by the same organisation behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants, so the list doubles as a credible shortlist for anyone whose holiday plans start with a good drink. Whether that means booking a stool at Bar Leone, doing a Mexico City double-header, or simply adding Satan's Whiskers to a weekend in London, there's now a very good excuse to plan your next city break around the cocktail menu.
