The annual task of deciding which city makes the best drinks has once again been handed over to an esteemed panel of the world’s most serious bar obsessives, with The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 revealing its latest ranking of the establishments shaping drinking culture around the globe.
Taking out the top spot this year is Bar Leone in Hong Kong, with the intimate neighbourhood bar claiming the title of the world’s best bar, jumping from fourth place in 2025.
Now, you may have already guessed by the name, but the HK haunt is centred around Italian pop culture, where footballers are deified and the sandwiches arriv filled to the brim. But the drinks, naturally, are where this Central bar truly shines: Italian classics like negronis, martinis, and old fashioneds are joined by what Bar Leone co-founder Lorenzo Antinori calls cocktail popolari, or cocktails for the people. Walk-ins only. Che bene.
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Bangkok’s Bar Us arrives in second, leading a charge from a host of Thailand bars up the rankings, giving Hong Kong’s perma-placers some food for thought – though that may be one for 2027.
The 2026 ranking also reinforces just how geographically broad the modern bar scene has become, with the world’s best drinking experiences stretching well beyond the traditional cocktail capitals of London and New York. From Bangkok and Hong Kong to Mexico City, Singapore, Athens and Sydney, the list is increasingly a map of cities where hospitality has become part of the cultural fabric rather than simply somewhere to go for a drink.
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Caretaker’s Cottage Takes Australia’s Crown
Closer to home, the enduring dispute over Australia’s food and drink scene has turned a new page, as Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage, now a modern institution in the Victorian capital, has been crowned the best bar in Australia for yet another year, clearing the rest of the competition in Australasia and placing 45th overall.
Since opening in 2022, I’ve made a point of visiting Caretaker’s Cottage whenever I arrive in Melbourne for work or pleasure; it’s conveniently located smack bang in the middle of the CBD and within walking distance of Melbourne’s central hotels. It’s also one of the best spots to visit within the vicinity for a cold pint of Guinness and a smile when you walk in, as the name suggests, this heritage cottage tucked beneath the city’s ever-growing skyline.
The staff always make a point to remember your name, sounding out with stories from their day, even bringing you into their conversations with a friendly normalcy – as someone who has spent considerable time both in front of and behind a bar, it certainly creates an atmosphere of genuine hospitality and familiarity.
It’s why, whether you’re making the annual pilgrimage away from Sydney’s archaic (albeit evolving) drinking rules for a pint, or selecting from one of Caretaker’s incredibly housemade cocktails (the frozen martini is an absolute winner), Melbourne has such a strong claim to being Australia’s cocktail capital.
In fact, pulling up a seat at the bar at Caretaker’s on a Thursday or Friday, around the time that the vinyl is being changed for the first time that night, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d discovered some improbable gem beneath the reaching towers of the CBD. It’s a world-leading venue; the best in Australia. But it’s still just a little pub in Melbourne. That’s the best compliment I could possibly give.
The World’s Best Bars 2026
- Bar Leone – Hong Kong
- Moebius Milano – Milan
- Alquímico – Cartagena
- Bar Us – Bangkok
- Line – Athens
- Handshake Speakeasy – Mexico City
- Zest – Seoul
- Connaught Bar – London
- Lady Bee – Lima
- Bar Mauro – Mexico City
- Schmuck – New York
- Hope & Sesame – Guangzhou
- The Cambridge Public House – Paris
- Sip & Guzzle – New York
- Bar Nouveau – Paris
- Sips – Barcelona
- Paradiso – Barcelona
- Jigger & Pony – Singapore
- The Bar in Front of the Bar – Athens
- Exímia – São Paulo
- Tres Monos – Buenos Aires
- Mamba Negra – Medellín
- De Vie – Paris
- Himkok – Oslo
- Argo – Hong Kong
- Danico – Paris
- Dry Wave Cocktail Studio – Bangkok
- El Gallo Altanero – Guadalajara
- Satan’s Whiskers – London
- BKK Social Club – Bangkok
- Victor Audio Bar – Buenos Aires
- Waltz – London
- Locale Firenze – Florence
- Mirror Bar – Bratislava
- Tan Tan – São Paulo
- Montana – Hong Kong
- Sastrería Martinez – Lima
- Nutmeg & Clove – Singapore
- Bar Carmen – Medellín
- Barro Negro – Athens
- Gokan – Hong Kong
- Mimi Kakushi – Dubai
- Nouvelle Vague – Tirana
- Bar Benfiddich – Tokyo
- Caretaker’s Cottage – Melbourne
- Martiny’s – New York
- Tlecān – Mexico City
- Virtù – Tokyo
- Bar Snack – New York
- Angelita – Madrid