Milan became the centre of the international cocktail world as The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 gathered the global bar community for the reveal of this year’s 1–50 ranking. The ceremony celebrated a scene that continues to broaden its geography, its formats and its personalities, bringing together established institutions, independent bars and a new generation of addresses already shaping the conversation. At the end of the countdown, Bar Leone in Hong Kong retained the No.1 position, confirming the strength of Lorenzo Antinori’s vision of the neighbourhood bar: direct, generous and built around drinks people genuinely want to return to. Bar Leone also keeps the title of Best Bar in Asia.
The host city had its own reason to celebrate, with Moebius Milano climbing to No.2 and becoming The Best Bar in Europe, while Alquímico in Cartagena completed the podium at No.3 and took the title of Best Bar in South America. Bangkok’s Bar Us reached No.4 and Line in Athens completed the Top 5, while Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City was named Best Bar in North America at No.6. The year also brought strong new arrivals: Bar Mauro entered directly at No.10 and received the Highest New Entry Award, Schmuck in New York debuted at No.11 and was named Best New Opening, while The Bar in Front of the Bar in Athens reached No.19 and collected the Highest Climber Award.
What makes the 2026 edition particularly compelling is the variety of bars now sharing the same ranking. Paris places four addresses in the Top 50 with The Cambridge Public House, Bar Nouveau, De Vie and Danico; Hong Kong counts Bar Leone, Argo, Montana and Gokan; Bangkok continues its rise with Bar Us, Dry Wave Cocktail Studio and BKK Social Club. Elsewhere, Mimi Kakushi in Dubai is named Best Bar in the Middle East and Caretaker’s Cottage in Melbourne takes Best Bar in Australasia. Rather than pointing towards one dominant model, the ranking shows a bar culture becoming increasingly local in character and international in reach, with cities building identities strong enough to stand beside one another without needing to look alike.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026
- 1. Bar Leone — Hong Kong
- 2. Moebius Milano — Milan
- 3. Alquímico — Cartagena
- 4. Bar Us — Bangkok
- 5. Line — Athens
- 6. Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City
- 7. Zest — Seoul
- 8. Connaught Bar — London
- 9. Lady Bee — Lima
- 10. Bar Mauro — Mexico City
- 11. Schmuck — New York
- 12. Hope & Sesame — Guangzhou
- 13. The Cambridge Public House — Paris
- 14. Sip & Guzzle — New York
- 15. Bar Nouveau — Paris
- 16. Sips — Barcelona
- 17. Paradiso — Barcelona
- 18. Jigger & Pony — Singapore
- 19. The Bar in Front of the Bar — Athens
- 20. Exímia — São Paulo
- 21. Tres Monos — Buenos Aires
- 22. Mamba Negra — Medellín
- 23. De Vie — Paris
- 24. Himkok — Oslo
- 25. Argo — Hong Kong
- 26. Danico — Paris
- 27. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio — Bangkok
- 28. El Gallo Altanero — Guadalajara
- 29. Satan’s Whiskers — London
- 30. BKK Social Club — Bangkok
- 31. Victor Audio Bar — Buenos Aires
- 32. Waltz — London
- 33. Locale Firenze — Florence
- 34. Mirror Bar — Bratislava
- 35. Tan Tan — São Paulo
- 36. Montana — Hong Kong
- 37. Sastrería Martinez — Lima
- 38. Nutmeg & Clove — Singapore
- 39. Bar Carmen — Medellín
- 40. Barro Negro — Athens
- 41. Gokan — Hong Kong
- 42. Mimi Kakushi — Dubai
- 43. Nouvelle Vague — Tirana
- 44. Bar Benfiddich — Tokyo
- 45. Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne
- 46. Martiny’s — New York
- 47. Tlecān — Mexico City
- 48. Virtù — Tokyo
- 49. Bar Snack — New York
- 50. Angelita — Madrid
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