The Connaught Bar has been named the 'Best Bar in the World'. Again.
The 13th annual 50 Best Bar Awards have been announced, and it's good news for London: we bagged first and second place.
For the second year in a row, Mayfair's The Connaught Bar is crowned Best Bar in the World. Hot on its heels is Old Street's Tayēr + Elementary, in second place.
The Connaught also nabbed the 'Best Bar in Europe' title, which was already implicit in being Best Bar in the World, given that Europe is firmly 'in the world'. But there we go.
No other London bars feature in the '50 Best', save for Soho's Kwānt at number 31. Hendon's Wetherpoons is sadly overlooked for the 13th year in a row.
What is the 50 Best Bar Awards?
The annual award ceremony is highly regarded and commands the respect of the hospitality industry. The rankings were not chosen by some Strictly-style public phone-in, but by a panel of 500 industry experts.
London traditionally fares well in the rankings. Gaining both the top spots is almost unprecedented, though our city also managed it in 2013 when Artesian and The Nightjar ruled the world (while Hoxton's Happiness Forgets eased into 4th). None of these feature in the 2021 list, showing how quickly the cocktail scene moves on.
What are the winning bars like?
The Connaught is tucked away within a five-star hotel in Mayfair, which gives you a clue as to how much a round might set you back. It's noted for its personalised martinis and Guinness (as in Sir Alec Guinness who practically lived here while in London). According to its website, "the bar evokes English and Irish Cubist art of the 1920s, with a touch of timeless elegance". Just a touch, mind.
Tayēr + Elementary is a very different affair — industrial chic and draught cocktails in a recently refurbed office block that you wouldn't look twice at. It's a place where the drinks do the talking. According to the 50 Best Bars website: "This is a venue through which the small details of the future of bartending have been foreseen – and forensically executed."
Both bars operate a walk-ins only policy. You can't book a table.
Top 10 bars in the world
This is, of course, a particularly challenging time for the hospitality industry. We can all be proud of our chart-topping mixologists, who've once again put London on top of the world.
1. Connaught Bar, London, UK
2. Tayēr + Elementary, London, UK
3. Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
4. The Clumsies, Athens, Greece
5. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, Argentina
6. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City, Mexico
7. Coa, Hong Kong, China
8. El Copitas, St Petersburg, Russia
9. Jigger & Pony, Singapore, Singapore
10. Katana Kitten, New York, USA
