SINGAPORE – Only two Singapore bars have made it to The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022 list, but the consolation is that Jigger & Pony at Amara Singapore – which has dropped out of the top 10 to No. 12 (No. 9 in 2021) – now claims the title of The Best Bar in Asia.
The other Singapore bar on the list is Manhattan at Regent Singapore, which slipped to No. 33 (No. 15 in 2021).
This is the first time since 2017 that Singapore does not have a representative in the top 10 of the annual list – announced at a live award ceremony on Oct 4 in Barcelona, Spain – even though it had a strong showing of eight bars in the 51-100 list announced last week.
Tippling Club (No. 43 in 2021) in Tanjong Pagar and Barbary Coast (No. 81 in 2021) in North Canal Road, have dropped off the list.
The host city dominated the top 10 with Paradiso taking top honours at No. 1 (No. 3 in 2021), and marking the first time the crown has gone to a bar outside New York or London. The former No. 1 – Connaught Bar in London – slid to No. 8.
Paradiso is joined by fellow Barcelona bar Sips, which catapulted 34 spots to third place and received the Highest Climber Award. The Spanish city’s Two Schmucks bar is at No. 7, up from No. 11 in 2021.
Rounding off the top five are Tayer + Elementary in London, which retained its No. 2 spot; Licoreria Limantour in Mexico City at No. 4 (No. 6 in 2021), and Paris’ Little Red Door in fifth place (No. 29 in 2021) – which also received the Sustainable Bar Award.
There are no bars from Asia in the top 10. Like Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong each have two bars on the list.
On the list is Hong Kong’s Coa – which took The Best Bar in Asia accolade in 2021 but dropped to No. 17 (No. 7 in 2021) - alongside new entry Argo at No. 28.
Bangkok’s new entries are BKK Social Club – crowned Best New Opening at No. 14 – as well as Tropic City at No. 24.
Other Asian bars on the list include Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich at No. 48 (No. 32 in 2021), and New Delhi’s Sidecar which rose 21 spots to No. 26.
The 2022 list features bars from 26 cities with 14 new entries spread across various destinations including Florence, Lisbon and Naples.
Other awards went to New York’s Double Chicken Please, named the Highest New Entry for its debut at No. 6; and Stockholm’s Roda Huset (ranked No. 78) named One To Watch. This is an accolade given to a bar outside the top 50 ranking.
The list is owned and organised by British media company William Reed Business Media. It is created by a voting panel comprising 650 drinks experts including renowned bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists.
Mr Mark Sansom, content director of The World’s 50 Best Bars, says: “Since being named One To Watch in 2017 a year after opening, Paradiso has been a firm fixture of the 50 Best list. It is an honour to name it as The World’s Best Bar and the win is credit to Paradiso’s outlandishly inventive cocktail programme, sustainable ethos, work in the global bar community and brilliant sense of fun.
“The consumer appetite for quality cocktail bars just keeps growing and to be able to introduce 14 new entries to help sate this and encourage travel plans couldn’t make us happier.”
