By Katie Wilson
The World’s Best Bars for 2021 have been announced and eight – including the two best bars in the world – are in the UK.
For the second row running The Connaught Bar in London’s Mayfair has taken the top spot and is the place to order a Dry Martini. While the understatedTayēr + Elementary in Old Street came in second.
Six other UK bars, which are all in the capital, also feature in the World’s Best Bars Top 100 list, which is judged by 500 industry experts across the globe.
And there is a special mention for a Cardiff bar which won the Best Cocktail Menu Award, meaning it doesn’t just serve the best cocktails in the UK – these are the best in the world.
Read on to see all the UK bars which made the World’s Best Bars list, plus the top 100 bars in the world list in full.
The World’s Best Bars In The UK
The Connaught Bar, Mayfair – World’s Best Bar Number 1
The cocktail bar at the five-star Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair has been voted the World’s Best Bar for the second row running – and it’s all about the Martini Trolley. This is officially the best place to make like James Bond and order yours shaken, not stirred. Think candlelit tables and 1920s vibes. This place is timeless. It even has it’s own house-distilled Connaught Bar gin which is available to order online. The Connaught Bar operates a no reservation policy so arrive early or late to avoid disappointment.
More on The Connaught Bar here
Tayēr + Elementary, Old Street –World’s Best Bar Number 2
As far as cocktail bars go,Tayēr + Elementary in London’s Old Street – voted number 2 by the World’s Best Bars team – is as understated as they come. The no reservation space is industrial and stripped back. There are no gimmicks here. The same can be said for the drinks, which are served without garnish and in identical squat glasses. The bar’s draught system means cocktails are prepared in minutes. Try the One Sip Martini. You can also order their ready-made cocktails to drink at home. Highlights include Bergamot Margarita, Vetiver Negroni and Cedarwood Old Fashioned.
More onTayēr + Elementary here
Kwānt, Mayfair –World’s Best Bar Number 31
Step back into 1940s Casablanca atKwānt in Mayfair, which has been named number 31 in the World’s Best Bar list, even though it’s not open at the moment. The five-star Tiki bar takes it name from the word ‘quaint’ and is known for its vintage cocktails such as Before & After, bartenders in old school white jackets, its own line of elegant glassware and bottled cocktails you can order online. Look out for the big reopening in early 2022.
Lyaness, South Bank –World’s Best Bar Number 55
Lyaness is the latest bar from award-winning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana – AKA Mr Lyan. His first bar, White Lyan, was the world’s first low waste cocktail bar to use no perishables, including fruit and ice. His next establishment, Dandelyan, was voted the World Best Bar in 2018 before closing its doors on a high just three days later. It has since reopened as Lyaness. Find it on the ground floor of the Sea Containers hotel on the South Bank. They even do a cocktail Spirited Afternoon Tea.
Swift, Soho and Shoreditch –World’s Best Bar Number 57
Previously named in the top 3 of the World’s Best bars, Swift now has an establishment on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch as well as the original in Old Compton Street, Soho. They operate a walk-in policy upstairs but tables can be reserved in the Downstairs Bar where there is a longer cocktail menu and you won’t wait long to be served. It’s the perfect place to take a date.
Satan’s Whiskers, Bethnal Green –World’s Best Bar Number 73
A quirky bar in Bethnal Green, Satan’s Whiskers is worth venturing that bit further east for. Describing itself as a ‘proper neighbourhood cocktail bar’, it serves up all the classics as well as a range of bottled cocktails you can buy from their online shop. This place is buzzy on the weekends when it stays open late. We’re also big fans of their music. It’s old school Hip Hop all the way. Look out for the vintage cocktail posters which adorn the walls.
Book a table at Satan’s Whiskers here
A Bar with Shapes for a Name, Haggerston –World’s Best Bar Number 77
Master mixologist Remy Savage used to work at Little Red Door in Paris and then at Artesian at London’s Langham Hotel, where he met business partner Paul Lougrat. In 2021 they opened a bar in east London’s Haggerston which literally has three shapes for a name – a yellow triangle, red square and blue circle – influenced by the minimalist German art movement, Bauhaus. Open everyday for walk-ins only from 8pm-3am, this place is great if you can find it. Keep your eyes peeled for the symbols above the door.
More on a A Bar with Shapes for a Name here
Side Hustle, Covent Garden –World’s Best Bar Number 80
Side Hustle is the bar in the must-visit Nomad hotel. You’ll find it opposite the entrance to the Royal Opera House just behind Covent Garden. One of the most beautiful hotels to open in the UK in 2021, it is set in the former Bow Street Magistrates Court building, whose past defendants include Oscar Wilde and the Kray twins. The cocktails are agave-based and the food here is Mexican. For fine dining book a a table at The Nomad Restaurant which is housed in a plant-filled atrium.
Book a table at Side Hustle here
Lab 22, Cardiff – Best Cocktail Menu Award
Of all the bars in the world to win Best Cocktail Menu, you wouldn’t automatically think of Cardiff – but if you haven’t heard of Lab 22 yet, get it on your radar. Think science-themed tipples which are setting a new standard not just for cocktails in the UK, but around the globe. They have Moonshine Mondays, Cocktail Masterclasses, Spirit Tastings and a three or five course Taster Experience. These are mixed drinks, but not like you’ve had them before. They even support other local businesses with their ‘decison tree’ flowchart suggesting where guests might want to head next.
The World’s Best Bars 2021 Full List
- The Connaught Bar, London
- Tayēr + Elementary, London
- Paradiso, Barcelona
- The Clumsies, Athens
- Florería Atlántico, Argentina
- Licorería Limantour, Mexico
- Coa, Hong Kong
- El Copitas, St Petersburg
- Jigger & Pony, Singapore
- Katana Kitten, New York
- Two Schmucks, Barcelona
- Hanky Panky, Mexico City
- Insider Bar, Moscow
- Baba Au Rum, Athens
- Manhattan, Singapore
- Atlas, Singapore
- Zuma, Dubai
- The SG Club, Tokyo
- Drink Kong, Rome
- 1930, Milan
- Presidente, Buenos Aires
- Maybe Sammy, Sydney
- Cantina OK!, Sydney
- Salmon Guru, Madrid
- Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
- No Sleep Club, Singapore
- Camparino in Galleria, Milan
- Café La Trova, Miami
- Little Red Door, Paris
- Dante, New York
- Kwānt, London
- Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
- Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
- Attaboy, New York
- Lucy’s Flower Shop, Stockholm
- Mo Bar, Singapore
- Sips, Barcelona
- Baltra Bar, Mexico City
- Sober Company, Shanghai
- Tjoget, Stockholm
- Epic, Shanghai
- Charles H, Seoul, South Korea
- Tippling Club, Singapore
- Above Board, Melbourne
- Galaxy Bar, Dubai
- Re, Sydney
- Sidecar, New Delhi
- Union Trading Company, Shanghai
- Darkside, Hong Kong
- Quinary, Hong Kong
- Locale Firenze, Florence
- Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur
- Alquímico, Colombia
- Double Chicken Please, New York
- Lyaness, London
- Byrdi, Melbourne
- Swift, London
- Bulgari Bar Dubai
- Penicillin, Hong Kong
- Employees Only, New York
- Kumiko, Chicago
- Tropic City, Bangkok
- Sago House, Singapore
- The Court, Rome
- Tesouro by Firefly, Goa
- Thunderbolt, LA
- Red frog, Lisbon
- Dead End Paradise, Beirut
- Danico, Paris
- Hero Bar, Nairobi
- 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
- Argo, Hong Kong
- Satan’s Whiskers, London
- Barro Negro, Athens
- Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen, Cape Town
- The Bellwood, Tokyo
- A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London
- A Bar Called Gemma, Stockholm
- Himkok, Oslo
- Side Hustle, London
- Barbary Coast, Singapore
- L’Antiquario, Naples
- Buck & Breck, Berlin
- 1862 Dry Bar, Madrid
- Cera & Bruno Vanzan, Milan
- Art of Duplicity, Cape Town
- Tan Tan, São Paulo
- Carnaval, Lima, Peru
- Sweet Liberty, Miami
- BKK Social Club, Bangkok
- Aha Saloon, Taiwan
- The Cambridge Public House, Paris
- Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Amsterdam
- Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China
- Hoots’, New Delhi
- Fréquence, Paris
- Tales & Spirits, Amsterdam
- Savas Bar, Madrid
- Death & Co, LA
- Leyenda, New York
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