The Full List Of World's 50 Best Bars 2026 Out Now; Hong Kong's Bar Leone Defends The Crown As World's Best Bar 2026

Once again, it's that time of the year when the world's greatest bars vie for the crown of who gets to be called the World's Best Bar, and so on 7th October 2026, live from Milan, it has been announced that the winner is none other than Hong Kong's Cocktail Popolari - Bar Leone!

If that sounds like deja vu, you're not (totally) wrong, with Bar Leone defending its title, having took home the top set in the 2025 edition of the World's 50 Best Bars as well. This is all whilst the bar, helmed by the unrelenting Lorenzo Antinori, has made a push into everything from its own collaborative merch line with apparel brand Kappa, all the way to a new outpost in Shanghai and more recently a second outlet at the Rosewood Hong Kong.

Several bars and bartenders also of course took home the special prizes, namely Japan's Shingo Gokan for the Industry Icon Award and Takuma Watanabe for the Bartenders' Bartender Award, Ecuadorian Plural Drinks' Isa Mejia who scored the 50 Best Bars Scholarship 2026, with Edinburgh's Panda & Sons (#72) taking home Best Cocktail Menu Award, Abu Dhabi's Saikindo given the Best Bar Design Award, Cartagenero all star Alquimico bestowed the Art of Hospitality Award, Melbourne's Three Horses (#84) cited as the One To Watch Award and finally Front/Back (#80) taking home the Best Bar in Africa 2026.

In the 2026 list, we see 4 newcomers - Paris' De Vie (#23), London's Waltz (#32), Hong Kong's Montana (#36) and New York's Bar Snack (#49) - which is thus far the smallest batch on record of new entrants. That said, 13 bars have mounted their Top 50 debut in 2026, having previously placed themselves on the extended list, these were: Bar Mauro (#10 from #54), Schmuck (#11 from #59), Eximia (#20 from #61), Mamba Negra (#22 from #81), Argo (#25 from #56), Victor Audio Bar (#31 from #87), Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (#27 from #88), Barro Negro (#40 from #62), Gokan (#41 from #70), El Gallo Altanero (#28 from #71), Martiny's (#46 from #75), Bar Carmen (#39 from #100) and Angelita (#50 from #51).

Statistically, the World's 50 Best Bars 2026 also gives us a four-way tie between Hong Kong, Mexico, United States and France, with each country sporting 4 bars in the Top 50. Going by continent, Europe ranks number one with 16 bars in the Top 50, followed by Asia with 13 bars and then South America with 12 bars. Each year, there is also of course the question of which bar remains the record holder for having ranked themselves consistently in the Top 50 for the most number of years, and that is of course London's very posh Connaught Bar, having first entered the list in 2010, and has been listed in every edition since, counting a total of 17 consecutive Top 50 appearances!

And so with all that said, let's take a look at the world's greatest bars in 2026!

Let's go!

The Full World's 50 Best Bars 2026 List

1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong - Best Bar in Asia 2026
2. Moebius Milano, Milan - Best Bar in Europe 2026
3. Alquimico, Cartagena - Best Bar in South America 2026
4. Bar Us, Bangkok
5. Line, Athens - Sustainable Bar Award 2026
6. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City - Best Bar in North America 2026
7. Zest, Seoul
8. Connaught Bar, London
9. Lady Bee, Lima
10. Bar Mauro, Mexico City - Highest New Entry Award 2026
11. Schmuck, New York - New Opening Award 2026
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 - Legend of the List Award 2026
18. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
19. The Bar in Front of the Bar, Athens - Highest Climber Award 2026
20. Eximia, Sao Paulo
21. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
22. Mamba Negra, Medellin
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, Sao Paulo
36. Montana, Hong Kong
37. Sastreria Martinez, Lima
38. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
39. Bar Carmen, Medellin
40. Barro Negro, Athens
41. Gokan, Hong Kong
42. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai - Best Bar in Middle East 2026
43. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
44. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
45. Caretaker's Cottage, Melbourne - Best Bar in Australasia 2026
46. Martiny's, New York
47. Tlecan, Mexico City
48. Virtu, Tokyo
49. Bar Snack, New York
50. Angelita, Madrid

A big, hearty congratulations to all the winners! Cheers!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team