Food & Beverage | Here are the world’s top 50 bars – and the best is in London

Fancy a few cocktails at the world’s best bar? Better be quick: It’s preparing to close. Dandelyan, in the Mondrian, London, yesterday [Macau time] was named the world’s finest in the World’s 50 Best Bars awards. The victory came just two days after the bar’s founder Ryan Chetiyawardna, AKA Mr. Lyan, announced on Instagram that he planned to celebrate Dandelyan’s fourth birthday by replacing it with something new. 

“We are so excited to have it at this point, to have this pinnacle, and then to look at what we can do next,” he said last night on accepting the award at an event attended by bartenders, drinks writers and enthusiasts in the Roundhouse, London. “I made an announcement to you on Monday that we’re going to kill Dandelyan, we’re going to close it. And it feels so wonderful to do it at this point and move on.” He didn’t give a date.

Dandelyan first entered the list at No. 50 in 2015, before jumping to No.3 in 2016 and placing second last year. In grabbing the top spot, it toppled the American Bar, at the Savoy hotel in London. Manhattan, Singapore, rose four places to third; The NoMad, New York, slipped one place to fifth.  And the Connaught Bar, London, slipped to fifth from fourth.

London has a total of 10 bars on the 2018 list, including newcomers Scout (28), Three Sheets (29), Swift (46) and Coupette (18). The others are Bar Termini (6), Oriole (17) and Happiness Forgets (35). 

The U.S. has 10 bars on the list, with The NoMad crowned Best Bar in North America for the second consecutive year. The others are Dante, New York (9); Attaboy, New York (15); Dead Rabbit, New York (16); Sweet Liberty, Miami (21); Employees Only, New York (26); Tommy’s, San Francisco (40); Blacktail, New York (41); Trick Dog, San Francisco (44);  and Lost Lake, Chicago (50).

Chetiyawardana has received many accolades in recent years, including World’s Best Bartender 2015. He’s known for innovative cocktails. His current “Modern Life of Plants” menu “explores industrialisation and large scale food systems,” according to the bar’s website. It’s divided into three sections: Mint, Grape and Hops. Dandelyan has received multiple plaudits.

The World’s 50 Best Bars is owned and organized by William Reed Business Media, the group behind the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. The rankings are based on the votes of 505 drinks writers, bartenders and cocktail aficionados in 55 countries. Richard Vines, Bloomberg