The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2026, According to a New Ranking
Guess who’s back on top.
Bar Leone, a cocktail spot in Hong Kong, has once again been crowned the best bar in the world, according to 50 Best Bars’s newest ranking. The Italian-themed locale in the city’s Central District was perched in the No. 1 slot on last year’s ranking, too, making this latest win a twopeat. The 18th edition of the list was unveiled in Milan earlier this week, with some 800 pros submitting their votes.
It makes sense why Bar Leone has remained at the top. Cofounded by Lorenzo Antinori, the bar is focused on creating cocktail popolari, or “cocktails for the people”, with the goal of crafting accessible, timeless tipples instead of following trends—all wrapped in one warm, welcoming locale that is inspired by watering holes in Rome’s Trastevere district. All that attention to detail made the spot the first Asian bar to ever top the World’s Best Bar list in 2025.
A cocktail at Bar Leone.
William Reed
Following behind Bar Leone this year is a bar right in Italy’s northern hub: Moebius Milano, in Milan. Cartagena’s Alquímico and Bangkok’s Bar Us slid in at the third and fourth spots, respectively, and Athens’s Line rounded out the top 5.
Paris surpassed London as Europe’s top cocktail destination for the first time in the 2026 ranking—and it also tied for the city with the most bars on the list, sharing the accolade with New York and Hong Kong. City of Lights locales on the list include the Cambridge Public House (No. 13) and Bar Nouveau (No. 15). Of course, London favorites like Connaught Bar and Satan’s Whiskers still made a strong appearance on the list, at No. 8 and No. 29, respectively.
In New York, meanwhile, Schmuck claimed the highest perch on the ranking in its first appearance, at No. 11. Sip and Guzzle is not far behind in the 14th slot, followed by Martiny’s at 46 and Bar Snack at 49. Handshake Speakeasy, the best bar in North America, is sitting pretty at No. 6.
Read on to see if your favorite watering hole made the list.
The World’s 50 Best Bars List for 2026
50. Angelita, Madrid
49. Bar Snack, New York
48. Virtù, Tokyo
47. Tlecān, Mexico City
46. Martiny’s, New York
45. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
44. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
43. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
42. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
41. Gokan, Hong Kong
40. Barro Negro, Athens
39. Bar Carmen, Medellín
38. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
37. Sastrería Martinez, Lima
36. Montana, Hong Kong
35. Tan Tan, São Paulo
34. Mirror Bar, Bratislava
33. Locale Firenze, Florence
32. Waltz, London
31. Victor Audio Bar, Buenos Aires
30. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
29. Satan’s Whiskers, London
28. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
27. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
26. Danico, Paris
25. Argo, Hong Kong
24. Himkok, Oslo
23. De Vie, Paris
22. Mamba Negra, Medellín
21. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
20. Exímia, São Paulo
19. The Bar in Front of the Bar,, Athens
18. Jigger & Pony Singapore
17. Paradiso, Barcelona
16. Sips, Barcelona
15. Bar Nouveau, Paris
14. Sip & Guzzle, New York
13. The Cambridge Public House, Paris
12. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
11. Schmuck, New York
10. Bar Mauro, Mexico City
9. Lady Bee, Lima
8. Connaught Bar, London
7. Zest, Seoul
6. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
5. Line, Athens
4. Bar Us, Bangkok
3. Alquímico, Cartagena
2. Moebius Milano, Milan
1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
