The Quest to Visit the 100 Best Bars in the World

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone who likes the idea of lists and quests.

10 years ago my life was completely transformed when I published my bucket list on my main website Location Rebel. You can learn more about me and the backstory on our About page, but the short version is, that doing this led to me leaving my job, moving to Thailand, and spending the next decade building a business, while also checking off items on my personal bucket list.

This expanded a few years later when I set off on a quest to play both the top 100 golf courses in the US and the world. On the most recent Golf magazine list I’ve played 49 of the top in America and 45 of the top in the world.

Well, in late 2014 I was in New York City and it was around 11pm on a rainy Sunday night. I’d come across a CNN post that published the latest iteration of the Top 50 Bars in the World.

Upon reading it I first learned of The Dead Rabbit, which at the time was #2 in the world.

I turned to my friend Dan, and said ‘Hey Dan, want to go on an adventure downtown?”

And it was at that moment around midnight that I started a quest to visit the best bars in the world that has taken me to more places than I ever could have imagined.

As it sits right now I’ve been to 46/100 on the 2019 list of the world’s best bars, which I’ve published below.

This is very much a quest I never expect to finish, as bars close, lists change, and well, I’m not made of money.

The list I go off of is from the 50 Best list – which primarily focuses on cocktail bars.

Best Bars in the World 2019:

Top 50: 26/100
Top 100: 46/100

Best Best Bars in the World 2018:

Top 50: 29/50
Top 100: 54/100

Best Bars in the World 2017:

Top 50: 32/50
Top 100: 58/100

Best Bars in the World 2016:

Top 50: 31/50
Top 100: 49/100

Alternatively, here is the list of my 50 favorite bars in the world.

World’s Best Bars: 2019 List Progress (46/100)

✓ 1. Dante – New York, USA
✓ 2. Connaught Bar – London, UK
3. Florería Atlántico – Buenos Aires, Argentina
✓ 4. The NoMad – New York, USA
✓ 5. American Bar – London, UK
6. The Clumsies – Athens, Greece
✓ 7. Attaboy – New York, USA
✓ 8. Atlas – Singapore
9. The Old Man – Hong Kong
10. Licorería Limantour – Mexico City, Mexico
✓ 11. Manhattan – Singapore
✓ 12. Native – Singapore
13. Carnaval – Lima, Peru
✓ 14. Katana Kitten New York, USA
15. Guilhotina São Paulo, Brazil
✓ 16. Three Sheets – London, UK
17. Himkok – Oslo, Norway
✓ 18. High Five – Tokyo, Japan
19. Salmón Gurú – Madrid, Spain
20. Paradiso – Barcelona, Spain
21. Indulge Experimental Bistro – Taipei, Taiwan
✓ 22. The Dead Rabbit – New York, NY
✓ 23. Coupette – London, UK
✓ 24. The SG Club – Tokyo, Japan
25. Dr. Stravinsky – Barcelona, Spai
✓ 26. Employees Only – New York, USA
27. El Copitas – St. Petersburg, Russia
✓ 28. Scout – London, UK
✓ 29. Jigger & Pony – Singapore
✓ 30. Operation Dagger – Singapore
31. Baba Au Rum – Athens, Greece
32. La Factoría – San Juan, Puerto Rico
33. Presidente – Buenos Aires, Argentina
✓ 34. Schumann’s – Munich, Germany
✓ 35. Speak Low – Shanghai, China
✓ 36. Little Red Door – Paris, France
37. Linje Tio – Stockholm, Sweden
38. The Old Man – Singapore
✓ 39. Lyaness – London, UK
✓ 40. Happiness Forgets – London, UK
✓ 41. Swift – London, UK
42. Trick Dog – San Francisco, USA
43. Maybe Sammy – Sydney, Australia
44. 1930 – Milan, Italy
✓ 45. Sober Company – Shanghai, China
46. Electric Bing Sutt – Beirut, Lebanon
47. Kwānt – London, UK
✓ 48. Artesian – London, UK
49. Coa – Hong Kong
50. Jerry Thomas Speakeasy – Rome, Italy
51. SubAstor, São Paulo – Brazil
52. Tayēr + Elementary – London, UK
53. Lost & Found – Nicosia, Cyprus
✓ 54. The Bamboo Bar at Mandarin Oriental – Bangkok, Thailand
55. Scarfes Bar – London, UK
✓ 56. Bar Benfiddich – Tokyo, Japan
57. Two Schmucks – Barcelona, Spain
✓ 58. Candelaria – Paris, France
✓ 59. Tales & Spirits – Amsterdam, Netherlands
60. Tommy’s – San Francisco, USA
✓ 61. 28 HongKong Street – Singapore
62. Zuma – Dubaim UAE
63. Buck and Breck – Berlin, Germany
✓ 64. Oriole – London, UK
65. Hanky Panky – Mexico City, Mexico
66. Bulletin Place – Sydney, Australia
67. Sweet Liberty – Miami, USA
✓ 68. Danico – Paris, France
69. Siete Negronis – Santiago, Chile
70. Baccano – Rome, Italy
✓ 71. Quinary – Hong Kong
✓ 72. BlackTail – New York, USA
73. Central Station – Beirut, Lebanon
74. Dry Martini – Barcelona, Spain
✓ 75. Lobster Bar – Hong Kong
✓ 76. Long Island Bar – New York, USA
77. Panda & Sons – Edinburgh, Scotland
✓ 78. Satan’s Whiskers – London, UK
79. The Baxter Inn – Sydney, Australia
80. Black Pearl – Melbourne, Australia
81. ABV – San Francisco, USA
82. Drink Kong – Rome, Italy
83. Charles H – Seoul, South Korea
✓ 84. Le Syndicat – Paris, France
✓ 85. Bar Trench – Tokyo, Japan
✓ 86. Nottingham Forest – Milan, Italy
87. Donovan Bar – London, UK
88. Sin+Tax – Johannesburg, South Africa
✓ 89. Bar Orchard Ginza – Tokyo, Japan
90. Nutmeg & Clove – Singapore
91. Lost Lake – Chicago, USA
92. Tropic City – Bangkok, Thailand
✓ 93. The Pontiac – Hong Kong
✓ 94. Amor y Amargo – New York, USA
95. PS40 – Sydney, Australia
96. Frank Bar – São Paulo, Brazil
✓ 97. The Gibson – London, UK
98. Mabel – Paris, France
99. Aviary – Chicago, USA
✓ 100. Clover Club – New York, USA