Serious drinking, worldwide.

Why it's here: No room has dominated the modern era like Agostino Perrone's — the World's 50 Best Bars ranked it No.1 in both 2020 and 2021, and the standard hasn't slipped since. What's good: The Connaught Martini, mixed tableside from the trolley with your choice of bitters; it runs about £30 and is worth every penny once. Who should go: Anyone who wants to see service as theatre done with total discipline — book ahead and dress up.

Why it's here: Eric van Beek's lab-precise room took the No.1 spot on the World's 50 Best Bars 2024 list and put Mexico City at the centre of the cocktail map. What's good: Clarified, milk-washed builds that look minimal and land huge — the corn-and-cacao numbers are the signature moves. Who should go: Drinkers who care about technique; reserve, arrive on time, and put the phone away.

Why it's here: World's No.1 in 2022 and still the hardest door in El Born — behind the pastrami fridge, holding 4.3 stars across more than 7,300 Google reviews despite the crowds. What's good: The showpiece serves (smoke bubbles, edible cocktails) are the draw, but the underlying balance is what keeps professionals coming back. Who should go: First-timers in Barcelona who want spectacle that actually drinks well; queue early on weekends.

Why it's here: The most-awarded bar of its generation — Tales of the Cocktail's World's Best Bar, twice No.1 on the World's 50 Best — and at 4.7 stars over 8,400+ Google reviews, the public agrees with the judges. What's good: Downstairs Taproom for the Guinness and the energy; upstairs Parlor for the menu — start with the Irish Coffee, still the city's benchmark. Who should go: Everyone, honestly; it's the rare world-famous bar that works as a casual pint stop too.

Why it's here: 134 Eldridge is the old Milk & Honey address, and Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy kept the no-menu, bespoke format that half the world's speakeasies now imitate. What's good: Tell them sour, spirit-forward, or smoky and let them work — Ross invented the Penicillin and the Paper Plane, so the improvisation has pedigree. Who should go: Small groups who trust the bartender; walk-ins only, so go early or late.

Why it's here: Monica Berg and Alex Kratena's two-room operation reached No.2 on the World's 50 Best and is the bar industry's own favourite London stop. What's good: The One-Sip Martini at the Elementary counter; move to the Tayēr side for the deeper, ingredient-led builds. Who should go: Industry people and the technically curious — it's more bench than banquette, and better for it.

Why it's here: Asia's 50 Best Bars crowned it No.1 in 2020, and the big, generous hotel room at the Amara has held a 4.6 across 1,700+ Google reviews since. What's good: The magazine-format menu makes ordering easy — the rotating signatures are reliable, and the classics are exact. Who should go: Groups and date nights alike; it's the rare top-tier bar that's genuinely comfortable.

Why it's here: A World's 50 Best fixture for a decade, and the bar that made farm-to-glass mean something — each drink is built around a single ingredient from a named French producer. What's good: Whatever the current harvest menu is doing with the humble stuff — carrot, barley, beetroot — order that. Who should go: Drinkers who'd rather taste an idea than a garnish; it's small, so book.

Why it's here: Hiroyasu Kayama grows his own botanicals on the family farm in Chichibu and compounds his own amari and absinthe behind the counter — there is no other bar like it. What's good: Ask for the fresh-herb gimlet or anything off-menu with house absinthe; the mortar-and-pestle builds are the point. Who should go: Patient drinkers — eight seats, no menu, cash, and worth every hurdle.

Why it's here: The leader of Seoul's rise into Asia's top tier — a fixture in the top five of Asia's 50 Best Bars — and our highest-rated bar in the city at 4.8 across 500+ Google reviews. What's good: The zero-waste citrus programme; the Korean-ingredient takes on classics drink clean and bright. Who should go: Anyone in Seoul, full stop — and sceptics who think sustainability is a gimmick.