:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Where-Worlds-Best-Bartenders-Drink-FT-DGTL1025-Capri-Club-2-fe200671b9b24d0d8fec783c3a842687.jpg?ssl=1 "The World’s Best Bars, According to Bartenders")
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Every year, bar teams from around the globe congregate to celebrate the World’s 50 Best Bars. This year, bartenders from as far away as Argentina and Kenya traveled to Hong Kong for the awards ceremony and to experience the city’s vibrant nightlife and cocktail scene.
The winning bar, Bar Leone, is local to Hong Kong, but bars from every major continent, representing dozens of cultures, were also recognized. The list spanned from tiny mezcal bars like Mexico City’s Tlecān to swanky and elaborate bars like Florence, Italy’s Locale.
The final list of the top 50 bars serves as a guide for travelers interested in seeking out the most creative and groundbreaking bar programs in the world. But most neighboring bars in the winners’ cities don’t receive global accolades. The best way to find these hidden gems is to ask some of the winning bar teams a simple question: “Where do you like to drink on your day off?”
What makes a great bar?
Superlatives like “best bar” tend to be quite subjective; what one guest finds off-putting might be exactly what makes the next guest fall in love with a bar.
Without question, the “best bars” should offer well-crafted, thoughtful drinks and delicious bar bites. However, when speaking with top bartenders, there are a few more intangible qualities that stand out across all their responses.
The bar’s atmosphere is usually a patron’s first impression of a space, and is extremely important to providing an excellent guest experience. “In a bar, I’m always looking for overall good vibe and coherence,” says Charly Aguinsky, co-owner of Tres Monos in Buenos Aires. “Something that is not too bright, not to say it should be dark, good music, and friendly staff make a good place in my opinion.”
Great hospitality is equally important. Making guests feel comfortable and part of the space is what brings them back. “Other than the prerequisites of having great drinks, food, service, and vibes, a great bar makes you feel like you belong,” says Tom Liu of Los Angeles bar Thunderbolt. “Concepts of bars can vary, but one that clearly states itself and welcomes you with open arms is a winner in my book.”
Bourke’s (Hong Kong)
Courtesy of Bourke’s
Hong Kong’s Bar Leone, an Italian bar concept spearheaded by Lorenzo Antinori, was awarded the title of “World’s Best Bar” for 2025. The bar is noteworthy for its “Cocktail Popolari” concept, which manifests as a cozy, welcoming atmosphere with excellently crafted cocktails meant to be enjoyed by everyone.
That egalitarian, no-frills mentality extends to where Antinori chooses to drink on his rare nights off. “I love to hang out at Bourke’s, an Australian wine bar located on Peel Street in Hong Kong,” says Antinori. “Always great vibes, the team is super hospitable, and it’s [a] great value for your money. It is exactly what a neighborhood bar should be.”
Sabina Sabe (Oaxaca City, Mexico)
Courtesy of Oscar Manuel Ortega Ruiz
Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy has been hovering around the top of “best of” lists for the past few years due to the team’s innovative cocktail program and beautiful, welcoming interior. Rodrigo Urraca, co-founder of Handshake, loves to visit Sabina Sabe, a mezcal and cocktail bar in Oaxaca City’s charming Centro Historico.
“The owner is always there taking care of the service,” says Urraca. “The music is super cool and at a good volume. Sabina Sabe has a lot of details, such as the floor, which was handcrafted by a Mexican artist, that help to create a special atmosphere. They have a great selection of Mexican spirits from small producers, which makes every drop you drink so unique to them.”
La Vinya del Senyor (Barcelona)
Courtesy of La Vinya del Senyor
“Sometimes the best bars aren’t the most famous ones; they’re the ones that make you feel something real,” says Giacomo Gianotti co-founder of the innovative destination Paradiso in Barcelona. “La Vinya del Senyor reminds me why I fell in love with hospitality; it’s about people, emotion, and sharing meaningful moments.”
La Vinya del Senyor sits in front of the Santa Maria del Mar church in Barcelona. “I love its simplicity and the atmosphere,” says Gianotti. “You can sit outside with a glass of wine, watch people pass by, take in the view of the church, and completely disconnect. It’s not about elaborate cocktails; it’s about the feeling of being present and relaxed.”
ViceVersa (Miami)
Courtesy of R.C. Visuals
Julio Cabrera, the award-winning founder of Miami’s Café La Trova, has made a name for himself by preserving Cuba’s unique “cantinero” bar culture and mixing up Cuban classics like the Daiquiri Clasico.
“On my day off, I like to visit ViceVersa, located in downtown Miami,” says Cabrera. “They serve great aperitivo cocktails and food, but [they’re] mostly [known for] their friendly service. When I go, I feel like family.” Beyond aperitivo drinks and bites, ViceVersa also serves other traditional Italian cocktails along with their own menu of custom creations.
Anchoíta Cava (Buenos Aires)
Cheekily named after its trio of founders, Sebastian Atienza, Charly Aguinsky, and Gus Vocke, Tres Monos (Three Monkeys) has created a bartending community in Buenos Aires that reflects the underground DIY punk ethos of the founders.
“Whenever I’m free and I go out in Buenos Aires, which doesn’t happen too often, to be honest, I like to go to a wine bar called Anchoíta Cava, in Chacarita,” says Aguinsky. “ Their wine and cheese list is phenomenal, with over 50 or 60 options, from Argentina and Europe. Service and decor are outstanding as well.”
Capri Club (Los Angeles)
Courtesy of Capri Club
The unassuming Thunderbolt in Los Angeles’ historic Filipinotown has long been recognized as one of the city’s most forward-thinking cocktail programs. Led by head bartender Tom Liu, Thunderbolt is home to a formidable bar staff featuring veterans of Los Angeles’ most historic bars like The Varnish.
Liu’s favorite haunt is Capri Club, a buzzy aperitivo and Negroni bar in LA’s Eagle Rock neighborhood. “As a casual little neighborhood Italian apertivo cocktail bar, Capri Club nails a lot of the things that make a great bar,” says Liu. “Go where the people go and see a lesser-known part of LA. The neighborhood clearly supports Capri Club as it is always packed. Come cozy up to the bar or find a booth with some friends and hang out with the locals and industry alike.”
Boadas (Barcelona)
Barcelona bar Sips is known for its innovative and immersive cocktail program that’s directly inspired by Spain’s modern haute cuisine, a fact underscored by co-founder Marc Álvarez’s decade of running beverage programs for the legendary Adrià brothers. His partner and fellow co-founder, Simone Caporale, honed his craft at London’s famed Artesian bar. With modern technique and elaborate presentations at the forefront of Sips’ cocktail program, it’s no surprise Caporale opts for a more classic experience in his free time.
“Boadas has been open since 1933, and anything that’s still standing after more than 90 years must have been built on a dream,” says Caporale. “There’s something timeless about it, like the bar has some sort of spirit, a good ghost that gently grabs you by the heart the moment you walk in. Beyond the feeling, Boadas still serves the authentic Frozen Daiquiri from La Floridita in Cuba, where the original owner came from. You won’t find a cocktail with that kind of flavor and heritage anywhere else in the world.”
Gift Shop (Toronto)
Courtesy of Rick O’Brien
When selecting the perfect bar to hang out in, Mateo Cruz Tapias, co-lead bartender of Toronto hot spot Bar Pompette, looks for “good music overall, a great bartender with personality and solid basic knowledge of bartending. And they must have a good beer.”
For all of those reasons, he recommends Gift Shop, a hip and cozy cocktail bar located behind a barber shop on Ossington Avenue in Toronto. “It’s a good place for a date, to hang out with friends, or just to enjoy alone,” says Cruz Tapia.
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