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Slideshow
London dominates ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ list
The American Bar at The Savoy has been named the world’s number one bar at the World’s 50 Best Bars Awards for the first time, with London claiming four of the top 10 spots.
The Kent Cobbler cocktail on The Savoy’s Coast to Coast menu
This year’s rankings were announced at a ceremony in London last night, determined by the votes of 500 judges from 55 countries. Swiping the top spot from last year’s number one bar, The Dead Rabbit in New York, London’s American Bar was among eight London bars to feature in The World’s 50 Best Bars, with four of those making the top 10.
“This is an incredible achievement for the American Bar and a very proud moment in my seven year career as head bartender here,” said Erik Lorincz of the American Bar.
“We are preserving the legacy and worldwide reputation the bar has established in its 128 year history, and it demonstrates that the American Bar continues to be a leader in the industry after so many years.”
Other London bars to have made the list include Dandelyan (No. 2), climbing onc place since last year, the Nightjar (No.43) and its sister venue Oriole (No.17).
There were also strong contenders from East London including Happiness Forgets (No.12) and The Gibson (No.21).
However while London put in a strong show, it was the US that saw the most bars featured, with 13 in the top 50, including seven from New York.
Greece led the way for the rest of Europe with Athens bars The Clumsies (No.6) and Baba Au Rum (No.30), both making the list for a second year.
In Asia, 12 bars made it into the top 50 with the best bars found in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and, for the first time, Taiwan.
For a run down of this year top 10 and what the judge’s thought, click here.
Speak Low, Shanghai
579, Fuxing Middle Rd, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi
“Despite the name, Speak Low’s reputation as the holy grail of Shanghai’s cocktail scene has been shouted from the heavens, with Tokyo-born Shingo Gokan’s concoctions carving a place in the heart of Shanghai’s most fickle sophisticates. The triple-treat speakeasy is reached via a bookshelf hidden in the shop-front of Ocho Bar Tools. Successful entrants then ascend to the second floor, a New York-inspired operation with a convivial atmosphere and classic menu interspersed with charming creations: the Sawadee-Cup blends rum and tapioca for a booze-meets-bubble tea experience.”
Bar Termini, London
7 Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JE
“Inspired by the bar at Rome’s Termini train station, London’s Bar Termini provides sumptuous drinking from dawn til dusk. Set back in a tiny space in Soho, this is a place that seamlessly evolves from coffee shop to cocktail bar as the day wears on. Barista Marco Arrigo is behind the hot drinks, with an adapted espresso machine brewing up some of the best Italian coffee in London, while the legendary Tony Conigliaro is master of cocktails.”
Attaboy, New York
134 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002
“Though Attaboy owners Michael McIlroy and Sam Ross (with Dan Greenbaum) have found fresh renown in the city through the far more casual Brooklyn spot Diamond Reef, their Lower East Side speakeasy still commands a waiting list. The space, of course, was once Milk & Honey, the legendary Sasha Petraske bar that’s often credited with kick-starting the new cocktail era.”
Manhattan, Singapore
Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715
“The success of The Regent Hotel’s Manhattan has already seen the team lift the crown as the number one bar in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 and it’s easy to see why. From the second you enter the supremely grand surroundings, impeccably furnished with leather and heavy drapes, the first thing that strikes you is the sense of destination about the place.”
The Clumsies, Athens
105, 61 Praxitelous 30, Athens
“Far from clumsy, the concept of this warm and fun establishment is cleverly engineered to embrace a young crowd who like to dance, lounge at the long bar or chill out in one of the many rooms surrounding it. Added to the mix is the private ‘Room’, designed to look and feel like a living room where punters can play pool next to the library while being looked after by their own personal bartender for the night.”
The Dead Rabbit, New York
30 Water St, New York, NY 1000
“For more than four years, The Dead Rabbit (from Northern Irish owners Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon) has been the go-to drinking hole in the Financial District and a destination for visitors and New Yorkers alike. The pub-like atmosphere keeps everyone relaxed, while the utter seriousness of the drinks makes for an unforgettable experience.”
Connaught Bar, London
Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
“Still under a decade old, Connaught Bar is already a classic. It is here you find Italian drinksmith Agostino Perrone – one of the most decorated bartenders in the world – orchestrating proceedings. As palatial as the surrounds may be (the David Collins-designed Cubist-inspired décor glimmers like new) and as warm as the welcome always is, you come to this London hotel destination for the cocktails. Perhaps you’ll call over the trolley, which wheels around the floor offering bespoke at-your-table Martinis. Or try another classic: Connaught Bar’s Bloody Mary is considered the industry benchmark.”
The Nomad, New York
NoMad Hotel, 10 West 28th Street, New York City, NY 10001-6403
“The NoMad feels special from the moment you open the doors into the polished, regal spaces, which incorporate the original Elephant Bar – adjacent to the hotel’s restaurant – and The NoMad Bar itself. The latter, a larger galleried room with its own street entrance but with an interior link to its antecedent, opened in 2014 in response to the overwhelming demand created when the hotel opened two years prior. In its short history, it’s become one of the most essential bars in the city – and now the world, having been crowned Best Bar in North America, sponsored by Nikka Whisky.”
Dandelyan, London
Mondrian London, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD
“Headed by two of the most forward-minded bar operators in the business, this stylish window-fronted Southbank bar in the Mondrian Hotel was always going to be good. Of course, Dandelyan is better than good. Indeed, few have found the balance between pioneering drinks, five-star hospitality and sustainable practices as successfully as Ryan Chetiyawardana and Iain Griffiths.”
American Bar, London
The Savoy Hotel, 100 Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
“The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London not only remains one of the most important cocktail destinations open today, it has also – for the first time – been voted The World’s Best Bar, sponsored by Tanqueray. At the forefront of the cocktail world for more than 125 years, the American Bar has been home to legendary bartenders Ada Coleman, Harry Craddock and Peter Dorelli. But this is no cocktail museum of well-worn classics peddled to tourists – the current stewards led by drinks wizard Erik Lorincz and host-with-the-most, Declan McGurk, are only looking forward.”