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3 London Bars Named In World’s Top 50 List For 2026

By Ellie Smith

19 minutes ago

The 2026 winners have been announced

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3 London Bars Named In World’s Top 50 List For 2026

Fancy a cocktail in the world’s best bar? You’ll have to hop on a flight: the winner of this year’s World’s Best Bars list is located in Hong Kong. However, three London bars secured spots in the top 50 for 2026, announced in a ceremony in Milan last night.

World’s 50 Best Bars 2026: Who Won?

Every year, an anonymous panel of over 800 drinks experts – including bartenders, drinks writers and cocktail specialists – get together to determine the world’s 50 finest bars. The 2026 list includes bars from 26 cities around the world including London, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, New York and Paris. 

Topping the list for the second year in a row is Bar Leone in Hong Kong, a cocktail bar in the buzzing Sheung Wan district. Founded by Rome-born Lorenzo Antinori in 2017 as a nod to his grandmother’s 1970s Cafe Leon, it’s built around a ‘cocktail popolari’ (cocktails for the people) philosophy with an unpretentious, friendly feel. As the bar doesn’t take reservations, you can expect to queue – but once inside you’ll be rewarded with standout Italian-inspired cocktails including a signature Filthy Martini made with smoked olive brine.

Which London Bars Feature?

Bartenders mixing drinks at The Connaught

Connaught Bar (No. 8)

London’s highest scoring bar comes as no surprise: the world-famous Connaught Bar regularly features in the 50 Best list. Located inside five-star hotel The Connaught in Mayfair, the venue has secured a spot 17 times – and in both 2020 and 2021 it was named the best bar in the world. The drink to order here? A martini, ceremoniously served from a travelling trolley. If that doesn’t float your boat, delve into the Of The Moment menu, where expert bartenders Agostino Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani mix up fresh twists on classics – the Afterglow, for instance, is a smoky, citrussy drink made with Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whiskey, sweet vermouth-infused long pepper and yuzu and cherry sherbert. maybourne.com

Satan’s Whiskers

Satan’s Whiskers (No. 29)

Coming in at number 29 this year is Satan’s Whiskers, which has also featured on the 50 Best Bars list multiple times in the past (named 21 in the 2025 edition). Far from your average glitzy London bar, this beloved spot in Bethnal Green is filled with taxidermy and retro posters, and famed for its hip hop soundtrack. The regularly changing menu features fun twists on classic cocktails, with house specials including the Satan’s Garibaldi (a mix of campari, orange, lime and passionfruit) and Satan’s Manhattan (whisky, vermouth and bitters). satanswhiskers.com

Cocktail at Waltz bar in London

Waltz (No. 32)

A brand-new entry for 2026 is Waltz, a Japanese-inspired bar which opened in Shoreditch in March 2025. It’s the brainchild of Tokyo-born bartender Gento Torigata, who travelled around the world working in bars before landing in the UK – spending two years as bar manager at the esteemed Kwant in Mayfair. His solo venture takes inspiration from jazz and nature, with drinks including a matcha Old Fashioned and a Bitter Gimley made with Nikka Coffee gin – plus a special list only available to those seated at the 12-seat bar. waltzbar.uk

50 Best Bars 2026: The Full List

  1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
  2. Moebius Milano, Milan
  3. Alquímico, Cartagena
  4. Bar Us, Bangkok
  5. Line, Athens
  6. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
  7. Zest, Seoul
  8. Connaught Bar, London
  9. Lady Bee, Lima
  10. Bar Mauro, Mexico City
  11. Schmuck, New York
  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
  18. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
  19. The Bar in Front of the Bar, Athens
  20. Exímia, São Paulo
  21. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
  22. Mamba Negra, Medellín
  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, São Paulo
  36. Montana, Hong Kong
  37. Sastrería Martinez, Lima
  38. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
  39. Bar Carmen, Medellín
  40. Barro Negro, Athens
  41. Gokan, Hong Kong
  42. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
  43. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
  44. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
  45. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
  46. Martiny’s, New York
  47. Tlecān, Mexico City
  48. Virtù, Tokyo
  49. Bar Snack, New York
  50. Angelita, Madrid

Find out more at the50.com