Before the world learns which bar takes the 2026 crown on 7 October in Milan, The World's 50 Best Bars has released its extended 51–100 ranking — and it doubles as a drinks-lovers' travel map. This year's extended list spans 34 cities across six continents, with 13 new entries in places as varied as Athens, Bangkok, Goa and Melbourne. The United States remains the most represented country for the fourth year running, while Europe leads by region with 18 bars, including four in Italy, three each in Spain and the UK, and two apiece in Sweden and Greece.
The ranking works differently from most awards: an academy of more than 800 voters — split roughly evenly between bartenders and owners, drinks writers and cocktail experts — simply names the bars they rate, provided they've visited within the past 18 months. No scoring rubric, no décor checklist. According to Faye Huggett, the programme's Director of Community, that flexibility lets the list celebrate both established favourites and "rising stars pushing the boundaries of cocktail culture".
A few new entries stand out as reasons to plan a trip. Athens institution Baba au Rum lands at 55, a veteran of more than a decade of appearances thanks to its sprawling rum selection. In Goa, Boilermaker enters at a remarkable 57 despite only opening in late 2024 — it pairs craft beer with Goan ingredients and playful drinks like the Why Did The Onion Blush?, built on gin, lychee, red onion, green chilli and yoghurt. History is being made in West Africa too: Accra's Front/Back, a members' club mixing cocktails with DJ nights and art (80), and Latin-flavoured La Borracha (87) are the first Ghanaian bars ever to make the extended list. First-timers also appear in Dublin, San José and Shenzhen.
The list's clout is real. Last year's winner, Bar Leone in Hong Kong, had only opened in 2023 before its Roman-style "cocktail popolari" concept made it the first Asian bar ever to top the ranking — now it draws permanent queues, has spawned a Shanghai sibling and even worked the Academy Awards' official after-party. Making the 51–100 can put a bar, and its city, firmly on travellers' itineraries.
For anyone plotting a cocktail-led city break, the full extended list is worth a scroll before the top 50 is announced in Milan — it's a snapshot of where great drinks and serious hospitality are happening right now, from Ghana to Goa.
