World’s 50 Best Bars: London’s Tayēr + Elementary claims second place as Connaught Bar loses top spot

London was named “the cocktail capital of Europe” as five of its bars were named among the 50 best in the world — but the Connaught Bar in Mayfair was knocked off top spot after two years in first place.

Paradiso, a bar tucked away behind a pastrami shop in Barcelona, rose to number one in the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars, with its victory revealed at a ceremony in the Spanish city last night (October 4). It’s the time since the list launched 13 years ago that a bar outside of London or New York has claimed the honour.

It was closely followed in second place by Tayēr + Elementary, the bar on London’s Old Street whose cocktails were described by judges as “the liquid equivalent to fine dining, though with none of the pretence”.

The Connaught Bar, which for two consecutive years had claimed the accolade of the world’s best bar, dropped down to number eight, while Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green was placed at number 23 — its first appearance on the 50 Best list.

Elsewhere in the capital, there was a re-entry for Soho bar Swift at number 30, while Hackney spot A Bar with Shapes for a Name claimed its first ever place on the list at number 37.

New York City has six bars on the list — more than any other city in the world — while Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong were each represented by two bars. Dubai led the way in the Middle East with three entries.

The list was compiled by votes from more than 650 drinks experts, including bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists, drawn from around the world with a 50/50 gender split. The full list is below:

1. Paradiso, Barcelona

2. Tayēr + Elementary, London

3. Sips, Barcelona

4. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City

5. Little Red Door, Paris

6. Double Chicken Please, New York

7. Two Schmucks, Barcelona

8. Connaught Bar, London

9. Katana Kitten, New York

10. Alquímico, Cartagena

11. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City

12. Jigger & Pony, Singapore

13. Hanky Panky, Mexico City

14. BKK Social Club, Bangkok

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. Café 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

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

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