Atlas is Asia’s top cocktail bar at World’s 50 Best Bars 2019

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2019 list was announced recently in London, at The Roundhouse in Camden. This is the 11th edition of the awards and its largest yet; the list curates the world’s top bars, and has long grown to become a trusted resource for cocktail lovers worldwide. Over 500 industry experts contributed to the compilation and ranking process.

Aperitif haven, Dante, was officially crowned the world’s best bar, taking the crown from the now-defunct Dandelyan. The second runner up to New York’s finest cocktail establishment is the Connaught Bar in London, while Buenos Aires’ thriving speakeasy, Florería Atlántico, closes the top three.

Singapore scored six places, an increase from the five placements our city received last year. The highest-ranking local bar, Atlas, placed at number 8, and also won the title of Asia’s Best Bar. The gin and champagne-focused bar recently overhauled its menu under new head bartender, Jesse Vida, as a continuation of its Art Deco-inspired cocktail narrative.

Manhattan lost its place as the third best bar in the world but still remains on the list at number 11. The announcement is followed by a win for Native, Singapore’s sustainable cocktail jewel, which bagged number 12.

Operation Dagger continues its pervasive presence, coming in at number 30 this year, a seven place fall from 2018. Chasing the Chinatown-based basement bar is another local favourite, Jigger & Pony, a household name that has experienced a meteoric year in the international bar awards circuit, and has finally cracked the World’s 50 Best Bars list after being a mainstay on the Asian equivalent.

The Old Man Singapore follows in the successful footsteps of its Hong Kong original by making its debut on the global awards stage at number 38, a remarkable start given its opening earlier this year.

28 HongKong Street, which came in at number 34 last year, is no longer on the World’s 50 Best Bars lineup for 2019.

Singapore continues to cement itself as a global force in the cocktail industry, as internationally renowned accolades continue to be awarded to our native bars. In 2021, our city will also play host to the World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony, apart from being the grounds for the next two editions of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, further turning the spotlight in our direction.

Read on for the full World’s 50 Best Bars 2019 list:

1. Dante, New York
2. Connaught Bar, London
3. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
4. The NoMad Bar, New York
5. American Bar, London
6. The Clumsies, Athens
7. Atta Boy, New York
8. Atlas, Singapore
9. The Old Man, Hong Kong
10. Licoreria Limantour, Mexico City
11. Manhattan, Singapore
12. Native, Singapore
13. Carnaval, Lima
14. Katana Kitten, New York City
15. Guilhotina, São Paulo
16. Three Sheets, London
17. Himkok, Oslo
18. Bar High Five, Tokyo
19. Salmon Guru, Madrid
20. Paradiso, Barcelona
21. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei
22. The Dead Rabbit, New York City
23. Coupette, London
24. The SG Club, Tokyo
25. Dr. Stravinsky, Barcelona
26. Employees Only, New York City
27. El Copitas, St. Petersburg
28. Scout, London
29. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
30. Operation Dagger, Singapore
31. Baba Au Rum, Athens
32. La Factoría, Old San Juan
33. Presidente, Buenos Aires
34. Schumann’s, Munich
35. Speak Low, Shanghai
36. Little Red Door, Paris
37. Tjoget, Sweden
38. The Old Man, Singapore
39. Lyaness, London
40. Happiness Forgets, London
41. Swift, London
42. Trick Dog, San Francisco
43. Maybe Sammy, Sydney
44. 1930, Milan
45. Sober Company, Shanghai
46. Electric Bing Sutt, Beirut
47. Kwānt, London
48. Artesian, London
49. Coa, Hong Kong
50. Jerry Thomas Speakeasy, Rome

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia, and was originally written by Beatrice Bowers.