Hong Kong’s acclaimed Bar Leone tops the international list for the second year in row.
Cocktail connoisseurs, take note: The World’s 50 Best Bars have been unveiled for 2026, with Hong Kong’s Bar Leone claiming the top spot once again at an official reveal in Milan this week.
The Italian-themed hotspot became the first bar in Asia ranked no. 1 in the world following last year’s ceremony, and it’s proven difficult for another to claim the throne, even for the Michelin-starred runner-up, Italy’s Moebius Milano. “The crown of The World’s Best Bar might sit heavily, but not for Bar Leone,” said hospitality trade organization The 50, previously known as 50 Best.
“This bar, themed around Italian pop culture—think football, aperitivo and huge sandwiches—is soft of touch and light of heart,” the prestigious bar-ranking organization added. Classic Italian cocktails, from the negroni to the martini, are staples of the Bar Leone menu, which debuted in 2023 under the watchful eye of owner Lorenzo Antinori and Hong Kong partner Justin Shun Wah.
Cartagena cocktail haven Alquímico claimed the third spot in the prestigious annual ranking, followed by Bangkok’s Bar Us and Athens, Greece hotspot Line rounding out the top five. Perhaps just as curious is the fact that the award-winning Bar Leone isn’t the only bar to carry that same name:VinePair notes that a two-story New York City Italian-themed cocktail bar goes by the same moniker, a source of considerable controversy. As the publication says, “the similarities are hard to ignore and go well beyond the name,” VinePair noted. “The two share matching color palettes, comparable website designs, and near-identical logos of a sideways-facing lion holding a tray of martinis.”
Another prominent global cocktail den, Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy, clocked in at number six after climbing as high as the runner-up spot in recent years, while New York City’s Bar Snack, which calls itself “a new iteration of the classic neighborhood bar,” snuck in at number 49 (Madrid bar Angelita closed out the top 50). Mysterious Tokyo drinking den Bar BenFiddich notably clocks in at number 44, while East Village bar Schmuck clocked in at number 11, making it the highest-ranking North American cocktail bar on the list.
NYC fan favorite Sip & Guzzle, previously named the best bar in North America earlier this year, landed at number 14 in the coveted industry ranking, while Martiny’s was ranked number 46 on the hotly contested list. Schmuck, called an “achingly cool bar with inventive savory cocktails” also won the organization’s Three Cents Best New Opening Award, while famed Edinburgh speakeasy Panda & Sons won the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award. To plot your next spirits-focused journey, drink in the full list of the world’s 50 best bars below.
The World’s 50 Best Bars In 2026
50. Angelita, Madrid
49. Bar Snack, New York
48. Virtù, Tokyo
47. Tlecān, Mexico City
46. Martiny’s, New York
45. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
44. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
43. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
42. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
41. Gokan, Hong Kong
40. Barro Negro, Athens
39. Bar Carmen, Medellín
38. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
37. Sastrería Martinez, Lima
36. Montana, Hong Kong
35. Tan Tan, São Paulo
34. Mirror Bar, Bratislava
33. Locale Firenze, Florence
32. Waltz, London
31. Victor Audio Bar, Buenos Aires
30. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
29. Satan’s Whiskers, London
28. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
27. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
26. Danico, Paris
25. Argo, Hong Kong
24. Himkok, Oslo
23. De Vie, Paris
22. Mamba Negra, Medellín
21. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
20. Exímia, São Paulo
19. The Bar in Front of the Bar,, Athens
18. Jigger & Pony Singapore
17. Paradiso, Barcelona
16. Sips, Barcelona
15. Bar Nouveau, Paris
14. Sip & Guzzle, New York
13. The Cambridge Public House, Paris
12. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
11. Schmuck, New York
10. Bar Mauro, Mexico City
9. Lady Bee, Lima
8. Connaught Bar, London
7. Zest, Seoul
6. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
5. Line, Athens
4. Bar Us, Bangkok
3. Alquímico, Cartagena
2. Moebius Milano, Milan
1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
