The World’s Best Bar Just Won Again, and It’s Not in New York, London or Paris
Bar Leone is the World's Best Bar again, and Shingo Gokan wins the Roku Industry Icon Award. See The 50 Best Bars 2026 full list.
Smoked olives, a mortadella sandwich and a perfectly made drink in a room full of vintage Italian football memorabilia: that’s the formula for the best bar on the planet, two years running. Hong Kong’s Bar Leone was crowned No. 1 on The 50 Best Bars 2026 at a live ceremony in Milan on October 7, ahead of Milan’s own Moebius Milano at No. 2 and Cartagena’s Alquímico at No. 3, in an 18th edition that spans 26 cities, welcomes 14 newcomers, sees Paris overtake London as Europe’s top cocktail city and lands Madrid’s Angelita on the list for the first time. The night’s most celebrated individual honor, the Roku Industry Icon Award, presented by Suntory’s Japanese craft gin Roku, went to bartending legend Shingo Gokan, who has two bars on this year’s list.
There are bars you plan an evening around. Then there are bars you plan an entire trip around.
For anyone who considers a great cocktail bar an essential part of a destination, this is the year to update the itinerary, and there’s no better place to start than with the man the industry just crowned its icon.
Bar Leone Makes It Two
Bar Leone’s appeal starts with a refreshingly simple philosophy: Cocktail Popolari, or “cocktails for the people.” Co-founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, the bar brings the spirit of Rome’s Trastevere to Hong Kong’s Central district, pairing expertly made drinks with the kind of warm, unpretentious hospitality that turns one round into several.
The room feels like a neighborhood institution, all wood finishes, vintage Italian touches and football memorabilia, with smoked olives, a mortadella sandwich and Italian accents throughout the drinks list. It understands that the best nights often come down to how a place makes you feel.
Its rise has been extraordinary. Opened in 2023, Bar Leone debuted at No. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2024 and No. 2 globally that same year, became the first Asian bar to win the world title in 2025 and now retains both The World’s Best Bar and The Best Bar in Asia for 2026.
Photo Credit: Gokan
Shingo Gokan Is the Roku Industry Icon of 2026
If Bar Leone is the bar of the year, Shingo Gokan is the bartender of the era. The Japanese-born bartender and entrepreneur received the Roku Industry Icon Award, presented by Roku, the Japanese craft gin from the House of Suntory, in recognition of a career that has shaped cocktail culture across three continents.
His influence reads like a world tour: Speak Low in Shanghai, The SG Club in Tokyo and Sip & Guzzle in New York, which lands at No. 14 this year. And his newest bar, Gokan in Hong Kong, debuts at No. 41, giving him two places on the 2026 list, in the same city as the World’s Best Bar, no less.
The pairing feels especially fitting. Roku is built on six Japanese botanicals harvested across the four seasons, a celebration of precision, craft and Japanese hospitality, the very qualities that define Gokan’s bars. Raise a Roku and tonic to the man of the hour; it’s the most on-theme toast of the year.
Milan Has Its Moment, While Paris Takes the European Lead
The host city had plenty to toast: Moebius Milano landed at No. 2 and took The Best Bar in Europe, sponsored by Torres Brandy. Italy’s other entry, Locale Firenze, ranks No. 33, a very good reason to build a proper aperitivo hour into any Florence trip.
The bigger European story belongs to Paris, which overtakes London as the continent’s most represented city for the first time, with four bars: The Cambridge Public House (No. 13), Bar Nouveau (No. 15), newcomer De Vie (No. 23) and Danico (No. 26). That puts Paris level with Hong Kong and New York for the global lead.
London is still formidable, with Connaught Bar at No. 8, Satan’s Whiskers at No. 29 and new entry Waltz at No. 32. Athens places three, led by Line at No. 5; The Bar in Front of the Bar jumps 28 places to No. 19, earning the Nikka Highest Climber Award, and Barro Negro enters at No. 40. In Spain, Barcelona’s Sips (No. 16) and Paradiso (No. 17) are joined by Madrid’s Angelita, debuting at No. 50, while Paradiso also takes the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award.
New York Welcomes Two New Contenders
New York’s four entries make a strong case for a long night downtown. Schmuck debuts at No. 11 and wins the Three Cents Best New Opening Award, the highest-ranked bar to have opened during the voting period. Sip & Guzzle follows at No. 14, Martiny’s ranks No. 46 and newcomer Bar Snack enters at No. 49; Martiny’s co-founder and beverage director Takuma Watanabe was also named the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender.
Mexico City remains essential: Handshake Speakeasy (No. 6) takes The Best Bar in North America, Bar Mauro arrives at No. 10 with the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award and Tlecān ranks No. 47, while Guadalajara’s El Gallo Altanero returns at No. 28.
South America Delivers a Top-Three Finish
Cartagena’s Alquímico claims No. 3 and The Best Bar in South America, on top of its previously announced Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. Colombia also places Medellín’s Mamba Negra (No. 22) and Bar Carmen (No. 39).
In Lima, Lady Bee climbs three places to No. 9, joined by Sastrería Martinez at No. 37. São Paulo has Exímia (No. 20) and Tan Tan (No. 35), and Buenos Aires is represented by Tres Monos (No. 21) and newcomer Victor Audio Bar (No. 31).
Hong Kong and Bangkok Lead Asia
Beyond Bar Leone, Hong Kong places Argo at No. 25 and welcomes two newcomers, Montana (No. 36) and Gokan (No. 41). Bangkok has three: Bar Us at No. 4, new arrival Dry Wave Cocktail Studio at No. 27 and BKK Social Club at No. 30. Seoul’s Zest takes No. 7, Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame No. 12, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony and Nutmeg & Clove Nos. 18 and 38, and Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich and Virtù Nos. 44 and 48.
Elsewhere, Dubai’s Mimi Kakushi (No. 42) retains The Best Bar in the Middle East, and Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage (No. 45) again takes The Best Bar in Australasia. Accra makes its first appearance on the extended list, with Front/Back (No. 80) named The Best Bar in Africa.
The Ideas Behind the Other Awards
Athens’ Line won the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award for its fermentation-driven, zero-waste approach; Edinburgh’s Panda & Sons took the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for Transcend; and Saikindō, a Japanese-style listening bar hidden behind a fashion atelier at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, won the SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award. Melbourne’s Three Horses (No. 84) is the Campari One to Watch, and Ecuador’s Isa Mejia received The 50 Best Bars Scholarship, with internships at Line and Tres Monos ahead.
The list is voted by more than 800 drinks experts across 29 regions, each picking eight bars from their best experiences over the previous 18 months. The hard part is deciding where to start.
The 50 Best Bars 2026: The Complete List
No. 1: Bar Leone — Hong Kong
No. 2: Moebius Milano — Milan
No. 3: Alquímico — Cartagena
No. 4: Bar Us — Bangkok
No. 5: Line — Athens
No. 6: Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City
No. 7: Zest — Seoul
No. 8: Connaught Bar — London
No. 9: Lady Bee — Lima
No. 10: Bar Mauro — Mexico City
No. 11: Schmuck — New York
No. 12: Hope & Sesame — Guangzhou
No. 13: The Cambridge Public House — Paris
No. 14: Sip & Guzzle — New York
No. 15: Bar Nouveau — Paris
No. 16: Sips — Barcelona
No. 17: Paradiso — Barcelona
No. 18: Jigger & Pony — Singapore
No. 19: The Bar in Front of the Bar — Athens
No. 20: Exímia — São Paulo
No. 21: Tres Monos — Buenos Aires
No. 22: Mamba Negra — Medellín
No. 23: De Vie — Paris
No. 24: Himkok — Oslo
No. 25: Argo — Hong Kong
No. 26: Danico — Paris
No. 27: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio — Bangkok
No. 28: El Gallo Altanero — Guadalajara
No. 29: Satan’s Whiskers — London
No. 30: BKK Social Club — Bangkok
No. 31: Victor Audio Bar — Buenos Aires
No. 32: Waltz — London
No. 33: Locale Firenze — Florence
No. 34: Mirror Bar — Bratislava
No. 35: Tan Tan — São Paulo
No. 36: Montana — Hong Kong
No. 37: Sastrería Martinez — Lima
No. 38: Nutmeg & Clove — Singapore
No. 39: Bar Carmen — Medellín
No. 40: Barro Negro — Athens
No. 41: Gokan — Hong Kong
No. 42: Mimi Kakushi — Dubai
No. 43: Nouvelle Vague — Tirana
No. 44: Bar Benfiddich — Tokyo
No. 45: Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne
No. 46: Martiny’s — New York
No. 47: Tlecān — Mexico City
No. 48: Virtù — Tokyo
No. 49: Bar Snack — New York
No. 50: Angelita — Madrid
Haute Living Verdict: A two-time champion, an icon crowned and Paris on top of Europe. Toast them all with a Roku and tonic.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World's Best Bar in 2026?
Bar Leone in Hong Kong, named No. 1 on The 50 Best Bars 2026 for the second consecutive year. Co-founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, it opened in 2023 and was the first bar in Asia to win the title, in 2025.
Which city has the most bars on The 50 Best Bars 2026?
Hong Kong, New York and Paris tie with four bars each. It's the first time Paris has overtaken London as Europe's most represented city.
Who won the Roku Industry Icon Award in 2026?
Shingo Gokan, the bartender and entrepreneur behind Speak Low in Shanghai, The SG Club in Tokyo, Sip & Guzzle in New York (No. 14) and Gokan in Hong Kong (No. 41). The award is presented by Roku, the Japanese craft gin from the House of Suntory.
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