The Mayfair venue topped the industry’s most prestigious ranking thanks to the talents of an Italian trinity: director of mixology, Ago Perrone; head mixologist, Giorgio Bargiani; and deputy bar manager, Maura Milia.
The flagship bar of the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair has boasted an impressive record in The World’s 50 Best Bars over the years, with a run of 10 top-10 finishes, including two runner-up placements.
“It’s hard to think of a bar anywhere in the world that has made excellence so effortlessly routine as Connaught Bar,” The World’s 50 Best Bars said in a statement.
“This Mayfair hotel bar’s trick is it isn’t trend-chasing and flash; under the stewardship of Ago Perrone, Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Milia, it evolves from one year to the next, always delivering with poise and studied purpose.
“The gleaming cubist interior frames the bar like a piece of fine art, the service is pitched perfectly – warm and judiciously attentive –and whatever your penchant, the cocktails, like the staff, are impeccably tailored.
“Like a benevolent omen, the trolley gently clinks and glides around the room delivering bespoke Dry Martinis – probably the best in London.”
Last year’s winner, Dante – a New York-based Italian cafe-bar which majors on aperitivos – made the list for the fifth year straight, but relinquished top spot, finishing second.
In its sixth appearance, The Clumsies in Athens, climbed to third; the joint highest rank achieved by any bar outside of New York or London in the 12 years the list has been produced.
For the first time, the top four positions comprised bars from different cities, with Singapore’s luxury gin bar Atlas taking fourth spot.
In fifth and sixth came two London bars launched last year: Monica Berg and Alex Kratena’s Tayēr + Elementary, and Erik Lorincz’s Kwānt.
Completing the top 10 was Florería Atlántico of Buenos Aires, Coa from Hong Kong, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony and The SG Club of Tokyo.
Sydney bar Maybe Sammy just missed out on a top-10 spot, taking home 11th place.
Two other Australian bars made the top 50, both in Sydney: Cantina OK! (28) and Bulletin Place (39).
THE LIST
- Connaught Bar, London, UK
- Dante, New York, USA
- The Clumsies, Athens, Greece
- Atlas, Singapore
- Tayēr + Elementary, London, UK
- Kwānt, London, UK
- Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Coa, Hong Kong, China
- Jigger & Pony, Singapore
- The SG Club, Tokyo, Japan
- Maybe Sammy, Sydney, Australia
- Attaboy, New York, USA
- Nomad Bar, New York, USA
- Manhattan, Singapore
- The Old Man, Hong Kong, China
- Katana Kitten, New York, USA
- Licorería Limantour, Mexico City, Mexico
- Native, Singapore
- Paradisco, Barcelona, Spain
- American Bar, London, UK
- Carnaval, Lima, Peru
- Salmón Gurú, Madrid, Spain
- Zuma Dubai, UAE
- Little Red Door, Paris, France
- 1930 Milan, Italy
- Two Schmucks, Barcelona, Spain
- El Copitas, St Petersburg, Russia
- Cantina OK! Sydney, Australia
- Lyaness, London, UK
- Himkok, Oslo, Norway
- Baba au Rum, Athens, Greece
- Panda & Sons, Edinburgh, UK
- Swift, London, UK
- Three Sheets, London, UK
- The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok, Thailand
- Tjoget, Stockholm, Sweden
- Buck & Breck, Berlin, Germany
- Employees Only, New York, USA
- Bulletin Place, Sydney, Australia
- Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo, Japan
- Artesian, London, UK
- Sober Company, Shanghai, China
- Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan
- Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Drink Kong, Rome, Italy
- Room by Le Kief, Taipei, Taiwan
- Alquimico, Cartagena, Colombia
- High Five, Tokyo, Japan
- Charles H, Seoul Korea
- Presidente, Buenos Aires, Argentina
