Europe dominates The 50 Best Bars' extended 51-100 ranking for 2026, taking 18 of the 100 spots ahead of the main top-50 reveal in Milan on 7 October. The extended list, voted on by an 800-strong academy of bartenders, drinks writers and cocktail experts, has become a proper travel guide in its own right — and this year's European haul spans eleven countries.
Italy leads the continent with four bars, and there are three each in Spain and the UK. Sweden and Greece have two apiece, while Norway, Türkiye, France and Ireland score one each. The ranking works because voters must have visited each bar within the past 18 months, so the list reflects current reality rather than reputation.
Three European venues are brand-new entries, and two of them are national debuts. Bar Gabriel in Istanbul, ranked 68th, opened only a year ago and is the first Turkish bar ever to make the list. Its signature drinks lean heavily local: a kunefe cocktail built on kunefe sherbet and pistachio vodka, an oud with rye whisky and angostura, and a nazar mixing oregano, fennel and absinthe.
Dublin's Bar 1661, at number 98, is Ireland's first entry and was recently named Ireland's bar of the year. It runs tasting experiences with mini serves that walk you through a menu which rotates regularly but always champions Irish whiskey. The third new entry, Naked in Athens (76th), builds its drinks around raw ingredients — think a spicy mango paloma, a banana Nkd-aiquiri, and a carob old fashioned.
Familiar names round out the European contingent: Tjoget in Stockholm leads the region at number 51, followed by Barcelona's storied Boadas, Athens rum temple Baba au Rum, Rome's Freni e Frizioni, Madrid's theatrical Salmon Guru, Edinburgh's Panda & Sons, Two London entries in Three Sheets Soho and Scarfes Bar, Paris's Little Red Door, and Milan speakeasy 1930, which sits at 94th just weeks before the city hosts the main awards.
For cocktail-curious travellers, this list is essentially a ready-made bar crawl itinerary across Europe. If you're in Rome before winter, Freni e Frizioni and Drink Kong (92nd) make a good double act; Athens pairs Baba au Rum with newcomer Naked; and Stockholm's Tjoget and Röda Huset (83rd) justify a cold-weather city break on their own. The full 2026 top 50 lands in Milan on 7 October, and several of these venues could climb — worth checking the final ranking before you book anything.
Story via Euronews Travel
