Since 2009, The World’s 50 Best Bars has chronicled authoritative rankings of the world's best drinking spots. The 14th edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars for 2022 has just been announced this week in Barcelona – the first time this ceremony was held outside of London. 

The prestigious list covers the world's top 50 drinking destinations voted from 1st to 50th by an academy of 650 bartenders, bar owners and cocktail experts from across the world. 

This year's list features bars from 26 cities and 13 new entries. There are a couple of surprises as well...

Europe & US

Breaking from tradition, this year's top bar comes from neither London nor New York City – Barcelona's Paradiso claims top spot.

Paradiso is a Mediterranean-style speakeasy entered through a fridge door via a regular Spanish pastrami shop. Visitors then find themselves in a majestic Dali-esque curved wooden bar that serves highly innovative cocktails such as the show-stopping Supercool Martini, which uses a ‘supercooled’ gin mix to build an iceberg in the glass, and Fleming, a cocktail inspired by the discovery of penicillin, which explores fermentation with a mushroom spore rim. There's also the highly memorable On Fire, a punch cocktail with bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, tahini, sweet potato and smoked milk. Served in a clear, round dish, the cocktail uses a freakin laser to create a flame which smokes the fortified wine. 

So, which city is best represented this year? In the 2021 rankings, Singapore topped the list as the city with the most entries overall with a whopping 6 bars named in the rankings. This year, New York City snatches the crown from Singapore with a swanky Pan Asian-fusion bar called Double Chicken Please in the lead at Top 6.

Situated in a Lower East Side neighbourhood, the restaurant serves up elite tastes in a casual environment with outstanding Taiwanese fried chicken fillet sandwiches (ji-pa or 雞排), and Asian-inspired cocktails such as the Mango Sticky Rice (mango rum, sticky rice pu’erh tea wakame, cold brew coconut) and Japanese Cold Noodle (white rum, pineapple, cucumber, coconut, lime, sesame oil).

Singapore and Bangkok

Slightly surprisingly, this year's list sees just 8 bars from Asia – with 1 in Tokyo, 1 in New Delhi, 2 in Hong Kong, 2 in Bangkok, and a mere 2 bars from Singapore which had swept up 6 spots in the 2021 rankings.

Continuing to rein in Asia is Singapore's Jigger & Pony, which once again claimed the title "Best Bar in Asia" at Top 12. 

A bar that finds a comfortable balance between being refinement and cosiness, Jigger & Pony serves excellent cocktails to a young crowd in a stylish bar with sociable central features that induce friendly chatter amongst strangers, and low comfortable seating at intimate booths for smaller parties. 

The bar consists of many classic cocktails done really well, and updated old school concoctions. You also won't have this much fun choosing a cocktail elsewhere. To pick a drink, you'll peruse a large menu-zine which comes in the style of a quaint vintage lifestyle magazine – which just shows how much thought is put into finding new ways of doing old things.

Manhattan at Regent Singapore is the second Singapore bar to make the list at Top 33. 

With plenty of sparkle 8 years on after its opening in 2014, Manhattan continues with its claims to fame that include a stellar menu of cocktails in a setting evocative of old New York, and exceptional service quality.

Drinks are inspired by iconic Manhattanites such as Andy Warhol, Whoopi Goldberg and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there is something to suit every palate, including non-alcoholic ones. Recent favourites are Warhol’s Silver Factory and the Notorious RBG. 

A very brief flight from Changi International Airport to Bangkok and you're ready to hit up the excellent BKK Social Club that comes second in Asia at Top 14.  

Watching the bartenders' attend to their concoctions with poetic motion, while head bartender Philip Bischoffin stands in the centre of the long counter might remind you Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper. 

The stunning venue is set in the Four Seasons Chao Phraya; the bar combining the vibrancy of Bangkok with the golden age of Buenos Aires, serving up delicious South American-inspired cocktails. Within the span of 2 years, BKK Social Club became a must-visit venue for Bangkok, and undeniably one of the best in Asia. 

Coming up second in Bangkok, rum lovers would definitely not forget Tropic City which also makes a strong debut at Top 24.

A neon-lit oasis within Bangkok’s up-and-coming Charoenkrung neighbourhood, this vibrant spot reinterprets ‘tropical’ in its widest sense, with inspiration coming from Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and even the South Pacific, with a strong focus on rum.

Colourful Portuguese azulejo tiles and flower motifs line the bar space, chill dance music set the mood, courtesy of the Swedish co-founder's experience as a DJ. The young crowd enjoy this spot for its casual, truly tropical cocktail bar vibe. 

Welcome to the Jungle is the bar’s most popular rum concoction. Sharing cocktails are also the rage - a group of friends can share ‘flasks’ meant for three to six people. Take in the drinks and be ready to dance the night away.

Other great bars from Asia making it to the list include Coa, which took the title of Best Bar in Asia in 2021 (Top 17), and Argo (Top 28) in Hong Kong, Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo (Top 48) and Sidecar from New Delhi (Top 26).

Here's the full Top 1-50 list below:

1. Paradiso (Barcelona) (Best Bar in Europe)

2. Tayēr + Elementary (London)

3. Sips (Barcelona) (Highest Climber)

4. Licorería Limantour (Mexico City) (Best Bar in North America and Legend of the List)

5. Little Red Door (Paris) (Sustainable Bar Award)

6. Double Chicken Please (New York) (Highest New Entry)

7. Two Schmucks (Barcelona)

8. The Connaught Bar (London)

9. Katana Kitten (New York)

10. Alquímico (Cartegena) (Best Bar in South America)

11. Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City)

12. Jigger & Pony (Singapore) (Best Bar in Asia)

13. Hanky-Panky (Mexico City) (Art of Hospitality)

14. BKK Social Club (Bangkok) (Best New Opening)

15. Salmon Guru (Madrid)

16. Drink Kong (Rome)

17. Coa (Hong Kong)

18. Florería Atlántico (Buenos Aires)

19. The Clumsies (Athens)

20. Baba au Rum (Athens)

21. Cafe La Trova (Miami)

22. Attaboy (New York)

23. Satan’s Whiskers (London)

24. Tropic City (Bangkok)

25. Kumiko (Chicago)

26. Sidecar (New Delhi)

27. Tres Monos (Buenos Aires)

28. Argo (Hong Kong)

29. Maybe Sammy (Sydney) (Best Bar in Australasia)

30. Swift (London)

31. Line (Athens)

32. Baltra Bar (Mexico City)

33. Manhattan (Singapore)

34. Overstory (New York)

35. 1930 (Milan)

36. Dante (New York)

37. A Bar With Shapes For A Name (London)

38. Zuma (Dubai) (Best Bar in Middle East and Africa)

39. Locale Firenze (Florence)

40. Red Frog (Lisbon)

41. Cantina OK! (Sydney)

42. CoChinChina (Buenos Aires)

43. Himkok (Oslo)

44. Carnaval (Lima)

45. Galaxy Bar (Dubai)

46. L’Antiquario (Naples)

47. Employees Only (New York)

48. Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo)

49. Lucy’s Flower Shop (Stockholm)

50. Bulgari Bar (Dubai)

A big congratulations to all these winners!

@CharsiuCharlie