The world’s best bars to visit in 2016
Always on the lookout for charming local flavours and unbeatable design, we have scoured the world to find the very best up-and-coming bars with that indefinable magic ingredient that truly sets them apart.
These are the bars set to light up the night around the world next yearThe transformation of the global bar scene has been a stunning one. In the not-too-distant past, bars were mere watering holes, perhaps themed and often fun, but largely lacking finesse and style.
Today, bars and bartenders are true tastemakers – and not just within the drinks trade. Fashion, art and music all intersect with cocktails, drinking and bars.
Global cocktail competitions, the sharing of ideas online and across social media, and the way that travel has made the world smaller are all driving this movement – and perhaps for the first time, genuinely exciting venues led by ingenious bartenders are springing up in their droves outside the traditional hubs of New York and London.
There’s a commercial element fuelling the global cocktail culture, too. The multinationals have become committed to finding and developing talent – after all, their brands hugely benefit if they are seen in the hands of a noted bartender.
It’s against this backdrop that our team of experts on the ground have selected the bars that they believe are set to influence the drinking scene, both locally and internationally. We’re proud to include Africa and the Middle East for the first time, two regions often thought of as followers, but which are now stepping out and crafting their own cocktail scene.
A mix of brand new, up-and-coming and already established, these bars and the people behind them will, we hope, inspire your drinking over the next year. They certainly top our list.
Click on the links below to see the world’s best bars to visit in 2016 in each region.
Top six Europe bars to visit in 2016
Top six Americas bars to visit in 2016
