Editorial
Every year, our editorial team visits more than 72 cities across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. We taste cocktails in speakeasies, sip rare whiskeys in library-themed lounges, and stand at bar counters from Manhattan to Melbourne. We accept no sponsorship for our rankings. We visit each venue on our own dime, sit at the bar or in a corner booth, and evaluate the craft, the hospitality, the atmosphere, and the intent behind every drinks programme.
This year, 2025 represents a turning point in global bar culture. The post-pandemic cost-cutting era ended. Ambitious independent operators came back swinging. The mega-venue trend crested and began to fade. Instead, we discovered a new wave of small, deliberate bars with singular visions: intimate counter bars with 9 seats, speakeasies with reservation-only policies, and neighbourhood establishments with zero-ABV programmes that actually taste good. These are bars for people who know exactly what they want. For the global dream-list perspective, see our companion guide to the 20 bucket-list bars worth planning a trip around — including several from this year's ranking.
If one pattern emerges across this year's list, it is this: authenticity scales. The bars at the top of our ranking know exactly who they are. They own their identity completely. A speakeasy does not apologize for being hard to find. A sake cocktail bar in Tokyo does not attempt to serve Manhattans. A rooftop bar on the Thames does not pretend to be an intimate neighbourhood joint.
The other notable shift is the maturation of low- and zero-alcohol programming. Five years ago, zero-ABV menus existed mostly as gestures of inclusivity. Today, in Barcelona, Berlin, New York, and Singapore, bartenders are pouring zero-ABV drinks that stand on their own merit. These are not non-alcoholic approximations of cocktails. They are sophisticated beverages with their own technique, layering, and philosophy.
Each bar on this list represents a choice. The choice to know what you are. The choice to own that identity. The choice to serve guests who understand what you do rather than chase guests who do not yet understand.
The bars at the top of our rankings in 2025 do not compete on size or social media presence. They compete on craft. They compete on consistency. They compete on hospitality that remembers your name and your drink.
If you are planning a trip to New York, London, Tokyo, or any of the other cities on this list, at least one of these bars should be on your itinerary. You will not regret it. We promise.
Many of these bars are small and popular. Some require reservations. Some do not take them at all. Before you travel, research the specific venue. Check their website or Instagram. Call if you can. The bartenders appreciate advance notice.
Price ranges vary. Some bars are accessible. Others are genuinely expensive. Factor this into your planning. A drink at Gilt Room in New York will cost more than a drink at Canal Street Social, but both are worth the price they ask.
Finally, remember: the best bar experience comes when you arrive with openness, curiosity, and genuine interest in the craft. Show up. Order. Ask questions. Listen to what the bartender recommends. These people have spent years learning their craft. Trust them.
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James Harlow is Senior Editor at barsforKings and has spent 14 years reviewing bars across North America and Western Europe. His work appears in GQ, Condé Nast Traveller, and Eater. He has visited more than 2,000 bars in 45 countries. James drinks Negronis and is wrong about nothing. Find him on X or Instagram.