If you’re looking for your next cocktail destination, according to the latest instalment of the The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023, the place you should be headed is Sips in Barcelona. The prestigious annual ranking was announced at a ceremony in Singapore by the '50 Best' organisation which is owned and organised by William Reed Business Media.
The Top 3 this year include Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City at number three, Double Chicken Please in New York in the second spot and Sips, Barcelona in the lead. The leading 50 are dominated by bars in Europe and the USA, but this year also features 10 Asian bars across Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo, and this year was the first time the ceremony was hosted in an Asian country, with earlier editions favouring London and Barcelona.
Top 10 Bars In The World
1. Sips, Barcelona
2. Double Chicken Please, New York
3. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
4. Paradiso, Barcelona
5. Connaught Bar, London
6. Little Red Door, Paris
7. Licoreria Limantour, Mexico City
8. Tayer + Elementary, London
9. Alquimico, Cartagena
10. Himkok, Oslo
The judging process is extensive with "680 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists," according to the official website. Each voting member is given 7 votes to cast for bars across 28 geographical regions to ensure a wide range of options and fair representation for all countries.
Although no Indian bars cracked the Top 50 this year, Sidecar in New Delhi did find a place in the Top 100 at the 67th spot. This accolade comes close behind their placement at number 18 as the Best Bar in Asia as per Asia’s Top 50 Bar List that was released in July this year, and winning the Best Bar In India back in January.
Though there was no Indian representation in the Top 50 this year, four Indian bars placed in the Top 50 list for Asia, so with luck 2024 might be the year that our local favourites find a way onto this prestigious international platform.