Raise a glass to our buzzing bar scene, y’all, ’cause when the World’s 50 Best Bars 2018 awards were revealed last night, Singapore was the most represented Asian city in the top ten. Manhattan, which retained its top position as the Best Bar in Asia for two years in a row, rose four places to rank third, while Atlas, which debuted last year at 15th place soared to eighth spot this time round.
Looks like congrats are in order, since we’re also the top country in Asia with the most number of bars (five, in total) on the list — we’re represented by Native, which skyrocketed up 34 spots to 13th place; Operation Dagger, which climbed up a rank to 23rd position; and 28 Hongkong Street, which dropped nine slots to 34th place.
However, we’re one bar short compared to last year, since Tippling Club bowed out of the top 50 to take 58th spot this year (its head bartender Joe Schofield left in June).
Most notably, Dandelyan in London ascended one spot to clinch the title of World’s Best Bar — but this award arrives on the heels of its recent announcement that the four-year-old cocktail joint will close its doors for good. Coming in second is the American Bar in London, while New York’s The NoMad settles in at fourth place, followed by The Connaught Bar in London.
In fifth spot, you’ll find London’s Bar Termini, with The Clumsies in Athens at seventh place, trailed by Dante in New York at ninth, and The Old Man in Hong Kong rounding up the top ten.
Elsewhere on the list (in terms of Asian representation), we’ve got Tokyo’s Bar High Five (#12), Speak Low in Shanghai (#20), Taipei’s Indulge Experimental Bistro (#38), and Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo (#49).
And there you have it — the most buzzworthy watering holes in the world to clink glasses, chosen by some group of unidentified industry pros, drinks journalists, brand ambassadors, and “well-traveled drinkers.”
