Barcelona’s Paradiso Is Crowned Best Bar in the 2022 World’s 50 Best Bars

The World’s 50 Best Bars just released its 2022 list, crowning Paradiso in Barcelona as the best bar in the world. Now in its 14th year, this is the first time in World’s 50 Best Bars history that the top spot was claimed by a bar located outside of either New York or London. 

Paradiso ranked third last year, with 2021 winner, The Connaught Bar in London, falling to eighth. London bar Tayēr + Elementary held strong at number two for the second straight year.

The 2022 list features bars from 26 cities, with 14 bars making their first appearance on the lists. Paradiso was joined in the top 10 by two other Barcelona bars—Sips and Two Schmucks—so the city enjoyed a particularly good showing.

New York fields the most bars with six, London has five, and Mexico City boasts four. Interestingly, Singapore didn’t put up as good of a showing as usual—after 2021 saw the city post six bars, only two made the list in 2022.

The top American bars are both in New York. Double Chicken Please ranked sixth, while Katana Kitten is ninth.

Paradiso hides behind an antique refrigerator in the back of an unassuming pastrami shop in Barcelona’s El Born district. It makes serious drinks in a fun setting, often employing theatrical flourishes and fun glassware. One signature cocktail is the Supercool Martini, which uses “supercooled” gin to build an iceberg in the glass before tailoring the final product tableside for guests. 

The World’s 50 Best Bars voting academy is composed of more than 650 industry experts, including bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers, and consultants from around the world.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022

1. Paradiso, Barcelona
2. Tayēr + Elementary, London
3. Sips, Barcelona
4. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
5. Little Red Door, Paris
6. Double Chicken Please, New York
7. Two Schmucks, Barcelona
8. The Connaught Bar, London
9. Katana Kitten, New York
10. Alquímico, Cartegena
11. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
12. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
13. Hanky-Panky, Mexico City
14. Bangkok Social Club, Bangkok
15. Salmon Guru, Madrid
16. Drink Kong, Rome
17. Coa, Hong Kong
18. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
19. The Clumsies, Athens
20. Baba au Rum, Athens
21. Cafe La Trova, Miami
22. Attaboy, New York
23. Satan’s Whiskers, London
24. Tropic City, Bangkok
25. Kumiko, Chicago
26. Sidecar, New Delhi
27.  Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
28.  Argo, Hong Kong
29.  Maybe Sammy, Sydney
30.  Swift, London
31.  Line, Athens
32.  Baltra Bar, Mexico City
33.  Manhattan, Singapore
34.  Overstory, New York
35.  1930, Milan
36.  Dante, New York
37.  A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London
38.  Zuma, Dubai
39.  Locale Firenze, Florence
40.  Red Frog, Lisbon
41.  Cantina OK!, Sydney
42.  CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
43.  Himkok, Oslo
44.  Carnaval, Lima
45.  Galaxy Bar, Dubai
46.  L’Antiquario, Naples
47.  Employees Only, New York
48.  Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
49.  Lucy’s Flower Shop, Stockholm
50.  Bulgari Bar, Dubai