And this year and next, based on the 13th list of the World’s 50 Best Bars, that would at Connaught Bar in London

The 13th list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was announced at a live awards ceremony early last week, Dec. 7, in London. After extensive consultation with industry figures, its Academy chairs, bartenders, bar owners, and its partners, the 50 Best organization received overwhelming feedback that the awards should go ahead and be celebrated in person this year following a virtual announcement in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The awards recognize the hard work from the entire bar sector over the past year and aim to inspire and encourage hospitality venues in the next crucial stage of recovery. The 2021 edition of the annual ranking features bars from 17 countries and sees London’s Connaught Bar take the No.1 spot, picking up The World’s Best Bar and The Best Bar in Europe titles.

Designed by the late David Collins, the Cubist-inspired bar is known for its unique Martini trolley, where bartenders give a personalized drinks experience to guests.

Under the masterful leadership of Agostino Perrone, the venue’s director of mixology, Connaught Bar stays true to its principles of presenting artful, modern drinks with graceful service in an elegant setting. Designed by the late David Collins, the Cubist-inspired bar is known for its unique Martini trolley, where bartenders give a personalized drinks experience to guests.

Perrone has developed a strong and dedicated leadership team, including head mixologist Giorgio Bargiani and bar manager Maura Milia, who embody hospitality and drinks craft, as well as providing inspiration to a talented ensemble of junior bartenders, who aspire to follow in their footsteps.

 “Connaught Bar, we salute you – to be named The World’s Best Bar for two consecutive years is a feat that previously only two bars have achieved in the awards’ 13-year history,” says Mark Sansom, content editor for The World’s 50 Best Bars. “It’s a testament to Ago Perrone and his team’s continued pursuit of excellence, which is encapsulated in the way they have developed and modernized the Martini cocktail. We also want to send all the venues on the 2021 list of The World’s 50 Best Bars huge congratulations. It’s been another incredibly tough year for hospitality and the industry’s resilience and togetherness through these challenges is humbling. We hope that the positive stories around the bars’ success in the awards will help to drive vital business in the weeks and months to come.”

Elisa Gregori, Perrier international business unit director, says: “On behalf of Perrier, and as the leading partner of The World’s 50 Best Bars since 2014, we feel proud of the strong collaboration and solidarity we share with the international bar community. Similar to last year, we are particularly proud to show our appreciation to all the bars that have made the list during these ongoing hard and uncertain times. Even though the pandemic continues to impact the hospitality industry, in the past months the industry has shown incredible resilience and has learned to adapt to local constraints. We look forward to overcoming these turbulent times and we will always remain with you to ensure the international bar community will become stronger than ever.”

London takes the top two spots with Connaught Bar placing at No.1 and receiving The Best Bar in Europe for the second year in a row, with Tayēr + Elementary at No.2. The city’s third bar on the list is Kwānt at No.31. Spain leads Europe with four bars on the list, with Barcelona’s Paradiso claiming No.3 position, followed by Two Schmucks, which climbed 15 places to No.11. Salmon Guru, Madrid, is at No.24 and is the winner of Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. Sips, Barcelona, is a new entry for Spain at No.37. Greece claims two spots on the list with Athens bars The Clumsies and Baba au Rum at No.4 and No.14 respectively. Italy has three bars on the list as Milan’s new entry Camparino in Galleria at No.27 joins fellow Milanese bar 1930 (No.20) and Rome’s Drink Kong (No.19).

Asia made its presence felt. For the first time since 2010, an Indian bar returns to the ranking with Sidecar, New Delhi coming in at No.47. Hong Kong’s Coa, the Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Torres Brandy, has climbed to No.7. Singapore has the most Asian representatives and more than any city in the world, with six bars on the list. Jigger & Pony is at No.9, Manhattan at No.15, and Atlas at No.16. There are two Singaporean new entries with No Sleep Club at No.26 and MO Bar at No.36, and Tippling Club, Singapore is a re-entry at No.43. Hong Kong is represented by three bars this year, with Darkside, a new entry, at No.49, and Quinary reentering the ranking at No.50, alongside the award-winning Coa. In Mainland China, Shanghai’s Sober Company is at No.39, while Epic and Union Trading Company are both new entries at No.41 and No.48 respectively. Japan claims two spots with Tokyo bars SG Club at No.18 and Bar Benfiddich at No.32, while South Korea’s Seoul bar Charles H climbs seven places to No.42.