This is The World’s Best Bar: Handshake Speakeasy

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 has crowned a Mexican speakeasy as the best bar in the world. 

Handshake Speakeasy, described as “the shining star of Mexico’s thriving constellation of cocktail bars”, was honoured at a ceremony this week in Madrid. It marks the second time in three years that a speakeasy has won the ultimate bar prize after Paradiso in Barcelona (reached through a pastrami shop) won in 2022.

What is the world’s best bar? 

Handshake Speakeasy!

Known for creating the bona-fide hidden bar experience with an unmarked entrance and Gatsby, prohibition-style surroundings, Handshake Speakeasy is a beloved bar in Mexico City. Tucked away in the Colonia Juárez neighbourhood, it is renowned for its complex drinks that often take 48 hours to craft from start to finish and entail the use of advanced culinary techniques and an on-site laboratory in prep. 

The team, led by head bartender Eric Van Beek, have the distinction of running the first bar in Mexico to be ranked No.1. in the world. Menu highlights include the Fig Martini, Van Beek’s first concoction for the bar, or the Salt N Pepper, a fresh and spicy mezcal highball with strawberries and green peppers. The bar also produces its own bitter, Di Battista, named after one of its co-owners.

You can find out more about how the voting works here.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024

Elsewhere, The UK as always had a strong showing with five notable placements as well as taking in two special awards. London’s Tayēr + Elementary made the top 10 and co-founder Monica Berg was also awarded the Roku Industry Icon Award 2024. Edinburgh bar, Panda & Sons, was awarded the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2024 and placed at No.30.

But what stood out most was the increasingly international scene this competition reflects. The 2024 list features bars from 28 cities with 16 new entries spread across Bangkok, Bogotá, Guadalajara, Hong Kong, Lima, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo. The top 10 featured bars are from nine cities, all the more impressive given how recently the awards were dominated by London and New York. They each still had the most entries, with four a piece, but they were tied with Singapore and Mexico City, Paris, and Buenos Aries were close behind with three each. Paradiso and Handshake Speakeasy are the only two winners of the World’s Best Bar not from these cities, which reveals the dominance London and New York had before 2022.

Other major awards included Singapore’s Cat Bite Club receiving the Campari One To Watch Award, The Cambridge Public House in Paris securing the Nikka Highest Climber Award (having moved up 19 places to No.19), Buenos Aires’ Florería Atlántico claiming the title of Rémy Martin Legend of the List, and Superbueno, in New York, being named London Essence Best New Opening. The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award went to Lyaness in London while the winner of the Bareksten Best Bar Design Award was Himkok in Oslo, and Calliope Draper of Partake, Edmonton was the recipient of the 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship.

The top 10 bars in the world

Congratulations to Handshake Speakeasy, The World’s Best Bar. Hopefully, we can experience the qualities that made you the winner soon. The top 10 bars are below:

1 – Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City

2 – Bar Leone, Hong Kong (also the winner of the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award)

3 – Sips, Barcelona

4 – Tayēr + Elementary, London

5 – Jigger & Pony, Singapore

6 – Line, Athens

7 – Tres Monos, Buenos Aires

8 – Alquímico, Cartagena

9 – Zest, Seoul (also the winner of The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award)

10 – Paradiso, Barcelona

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