Lorenzo Antinori’s Bar Leone has been named the World’s Best Bar in front of a home Hong Kong crowd at the ceremony of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 sponsored by Perrier.
The UK continued to perform well in the annual list – now in its 17th edition – contributing five bars to the list. Tayer + Elementary – Monica Berg and Alex Kratena’s London bar that is perennially in the top five of the list – finished fifth, while Ago Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani’s Connaught Bar (winner 2020 and 2021) took sixth.
Kevin Armstrong’s Satan's Whiskers in east London rose to 21st in the list, while Rosewood London’s Scarfe’s Bar was in 31st. Iain McPherson’s Panda & Sons from Edinburgh made the list once again – this year finishing 34th.
Now in its 17th year, The World’s 50 Best Bars list is voted for by a panel of 800 global bar experts, made up of bartenders, drinks writers and cocktail experts.
Bar Leone – which debuted as runner up in the 2024 list having only launched in 2023 – is a neighbourhood cocktail bar that celebrates ‘cocktail popolari’, offering simple Italian-accented classic cocktails and bar food – including the locally legendary mortadella sandwich – in a space inspired by Roman hospitality.
It’s the first time an Asian bar has topped the annual guide to the world’s best bars – with Hong Kong following in the footsteps of London (which has provided the winner 10 times), New York (3), Barcelona (2) and Mexico City.
The upper echelons of this year’s list are star studded, with five of the top six bars being former winners.
Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy (winner in 2024) took runner up this year, taking the title of Best Bar in North America, sponsored by Amaro Lucano. Eric Van Beek’s venue is hidden behind a secret door in a dimly lit room stocked with vintage spirits, the bar’s interior evoking a bygone era.
In third and the Best Bar in Europe sponsored by Monkey Shoulder is Barcelona’s Sips. Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez’s Barcelona bar rose to the summit of the list in 2023 and is known for its theatrical service that pivots around an island bar.
Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader’s Paradiso – the winner in 2022 - and another Barcelona bar known for its flamboyant serves has taken fourth this year.
The Best Bar in the Middle East 2025, sponsored by Les Vergers Boiron went to Mimi Kakushi, Dubai, which finished in 36th.
The Best Bar in Africa 2025, sponsored by Langjiu, went to a bar in the 51-100 list, Hero in Nairobi.
The 2025 list retained a historically high proportion of bars from the previous list, with only eight departures from 2024. Six venues funnel into the 51-100 list, with two further bars dropping out the top 100 entirely.
Of the World’s 50 Best Bars Special Awards, Bar Mauro in Mexico City was named the Campari One To Watch and The Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award is Baba au Rum, Athens.
The Three Cents Best New Opening Award went to Sip & Guzzle, New York and the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award is Mirror Bar, Bratislava.
Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award was awarded to Backdoor Bodega, Penang and the Best Bar Design Award was won by Tigra + Disco Pantera, Sydney.
The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award was taken home by The Cambridge Public House, Paris, and the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award was named as Lady Bee in Lima.
Of the individual awards the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award went to Jigger & Pony’s Uno Jang. The Roku Industry Icon Award was won by Sips’ Simone Caporale.
1 | Bar Leone | Hong Kong |
2 | Handshake Speakeasy | Mexico City |
3 | Sips | Barcelona |
4 | Paradiso | Barcelona |
5 | Tayēr + Elementary | London |
6 | Connaught Bar | London |
7 | Moebius Milano | Milan |
8 | Line | Athens |
9 | Jigger & Pony | Singapore |
10 | Tres Monos | Buenos Aires |
11 | Alquímico | Cartagena |
12 | Superbueno | New York |
13 | Lady Bee | Lima |
14 | Himkok | Oslo |
15 | Bar Us | Bangkok |
16 | Zest | Seoul |
17 | Bar Nouveau | Paris |
18 | Bar Benfiddich | Tokyo |
19 | Caretaker's Cottage | Melbourne |
20 | The Cambridge Public House | Paris |
21 | Satan's Whiskers | London |
22 | Locale Firenze | Florence |
23 | Tlecān | Mexico City |
24 | Tan Tan | São Paulo |
25 | Mirror Bar | Bratislava |
26 | CoChinChina | Buenos Aires |
27 | Baba au Rum | Athens |
28 | Nouvelle Vague | Tirana |
29 | Hope & Sesame | Guangzhou |
30 | Danico | Paris |
31 | Scarfes Bar | London |
32 | Svanen | Oslo |
33 | Sastrería Martinez | Lima |
34 | Panda & Sons | Edinburgh |
35 | Röda Huset | Stockholm |
36 | Mimi Kakushi | Dubai |
37 | Salmon Guru | Madrid |
38 | Coa | Hong Kong |
39 | Sip & Guzzle | New York |
40 | Drink Kong | Rome |
41 | Double Chicken Please | New York |
42 | Maybe Sammy | Sydney |
43 | 1930 | Milan |
44 | Jewel of the South | New Orleans |
45 | Virtù | Tokyo |
46 | Overstory | New York |
47 | The Bar in Front of the Bar | Athens |
48 | The Bellwood | Tokyo |
49 | BKK Social Club | Bangkok |
50 | Nutmeg & Clove | Singapore |