Not just holes in the wall where bored business travelers go to while way an evening, hotel bars are destinations all their own—for guests and locals alike. Innovative beverages, food and design have elevated these watering holes to must-visit locales, places to see and be seen.
More and more, hotel bars have entered the mainstream, including garnering attention from non-hotel-related quarters, such as The World’s 50 Bars. The group announced its 2017 World's 50 Best Bars list last night, and five of the top 10 are located in hotels, including the top four on the list. Additional hotel bars are located further down the list.
No. 1 on the list is the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London.
"This is a very proud and special moment for us; it's fantastic to know that all the hard work has paid off," Erik Lorincz, head barman at the American Bar, told The Telegraph.
"I think we stood out because our latest Coast to Coast menu concept—which travels across Britain and through the ages—is daring and unique, but the cocktails are still approachable. We tightly analysed different categories of drinkers based on their palates and preferences and looked in great detail at what they like and don’t like."
London its retains crown as the cocktail capital of the world with eight bars on the list and four in the top 10.
U.S. cocktail culture is booming with 13 bars featured, including seven from New York. The NoMad, New York, ranked at No. 3, is crowned Best Bar in North America.
The ranking is created by the votes of an academy of over 500 members from 55 countries. The list, which claims to represent the ultimate guide to the top bars and drinking destinations around the globe, includes bars from 24 cities in 19 countries.
Here's the complete list:
1. American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, London (Winner of “Best Bar in Europe” and “Best Bar in the World”)
2. Dandelyan At The Mondrian, London
3. The NoMad At The NoMad Hotel, New York (Winner of “Best Bar In North America”)
4. Connaught Bar, Connaught Hotel, London
5. The Dead Rabbit, New York
6. The Clumsies, Athens, Greece
7. Manhattan, Singapore in the Regent Singapore (Winner Of “Best Bar In Asia”)
8. Attaboy, New York
9. Bar Termini, London
10. Speak Low, Shanghai
11. Little Red Door, Paris
12. Happiness Forgets, London
13. Bar High Five, Tokyo
14. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City (Winner of “Best Bar In Latin America”)
15. Atlas, Singapore (Winner of “Highest New Entry”)
New York’s famous Aperitivo bar @Dante_nyc has arrived @Madisonlondon1. There's a reason they're voted 1 of the World’s Best Bars #LCW17 🥃 pic.twitter.com/fO0Bjx3PrZ
— REVL (@REVL_world) October 2, 2017
16. Dante, New York
17. Oriole, London
18. Broken Shaker at the Freehand Hotel, Miami
19. Candelaria, Paris
20. Himkok, Oslo, Norway
21. The Gibson, London
22. Black Pearl, Melbourne, Australia (Winner Of “Best Bar In Australia” And “Legend Of The List”)
23. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Winner Of “Highest Climber”)
24. Operation Dagger, Singapore
25. 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore
26. Trick Dog, San Francisco
27. Sweet Liberty, Miami
28. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan
29. Lost & Found, Nicosia, Cyprus
Baba Au Rum: The Bar That Started Athens’ Bar Scene https://t.co/iMiLoPnR6d
— John Corcoran (@jncorcoran1) May 9, 2017
30. Baba Au Rum, Athens, Greece
31. Tippling Club, Singapore
32. Blacktail, New York (Winner of “Best New Opening”)
33. Jerry Thomas Speakeasy, Rome
34. Le Syndicat, Paris
35. Tales & Spirits, Amsterdam
36. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
37. Employees Only, New York
38. Schumann’s, Munich
39. La Factoria, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
40. Quinary, Hong Kong
41. Aviary, Chicago
42. Mace, New York
42. Nightjar, London
44. Linje Tio, Stockholm
45. The Baxter Inn, Sydney
46. Abv, San Francisco
47. Native, Singapore
48. Tommy’s, San Francisco
49. Lobster Bar And Grill at Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong
50. Imperial Craft in the Imperial Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel (Winner Of “Best Bar In Africa And The Middle East”)