The Singapore bar registers its best-ever position, while Hong Kong’s The Old Man debuts in the top ten. By Dan Bignold.
Dandelyan, the London bar that announced its closure this week, was last night crowned the World’s Best Bar 2018. Dandelyan climbed one place from 2017, pushing last year’s winner, London’s American Bar at The Savoy, into second position.
However for Asia, the big news at the ceremony in London, was a first-ever top-three ranking for Singapore’s Manhattan, which continued its brilliant march towards the top in recent years, surging four places to third.
Manhattan was joined in the top ten by two other Asian bars: Singapore’s Atlas, which rose seven spots to eighth, and Hong Kong’s The Old Man, which made an incredible debut on the list at 10th. The bar only opened in August 2017.
With a total of 10 bars in the ranking, other highlights for Asia included: Bar High Five, Tokyo (12th); Native, Singapore (up a massive 34 places to 13th – the night’s highest climber); Speak Low, Shanghai (20th); Operation Dagger, Singapore (23rd); 28 HongKong Street, Singapore (34th); Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei (38th); and Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo (49th).
In one of the ceremony’s individual titles, ex-Tippling Club bartender Joe Schofield won the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender award. Congratulations to everyone!
Here’s the full rundown of the World’s 50 Best Bars 2018, with the Asian entries in bold:
1 Dandelyan, London
2 The American Bar at The Savoy, London
3 Manhattan at the Regent Singapore, Singapore (best bar in Asia)
4 The Nomad, New York
5 Connaught Bar, London
6 Bar Termini, London
7 The Clumsies, Athens
8 Atlas, Singapore
9 Dante, New York
10 The Old Man, Hong Kong (highest new entry)
11 Licoreria Limantour, Mexico City
12 Bar High Five, Tokyo
13 Native, Singapore (highest climber)
14 Floreria Atlantico, Buenos Aires
15 Attaboy, New York
16 The Dead Rabbit, New York
17 Oriole, London
18 Coupette, London (highest new opening)
19 Himkok, Oslo
20 Speak Low, Shanghai
21 Sweet Liberty, Miami Beach
22 Baba Au Rum, Athens
23 Operation Dagger, Singapore
24 Le Syndicat, Paris
25 Lost & Found, Nicosia
26 Employees Only, New York
27 Central Station, Beirut
28 Scout, London
29 Three Sheets, London
30 The Black Pearl, Melbourne
31 Tales & Spirits, Amsterdam
32 Linje Tio, Stockholm
33 Little Red Door, Paris
34 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
35 Happiness Forgets, London
36 La Factoria, Old San Juan
37 Paradiso, Barcelona
38 Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei
39 El Copitas, St Petersburg
40 Tommy’s, San Francisco
41 BlackTail, New York
42 Candelaria, Paris
43 Schumann’s, Munich
44 Trick Dog, San Francisco
45 Fifty Mils, Mexico City
46 Swift, London
47 Salmon Guru, Madrid
48 Buck & Breck, Berlin
49 Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
50 Lost Lake, Chicago