The World’s 50 Best Bars have been announced in London, and two Australian bars – Black Pearl and The Baxter Inn – have made the cut. Melbourne institution Black Pearl came in at number 22, earning the title of Best Bar in Australasia, while Sydney whisky specialists The Baxter Inn were ranked 45th.
The title of best bar in the world went to the American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel, the first time the 128-year-old watering hole has won the award.
Black Pearl was also awarded Legend of the List for achieving the most consistent rankings on the global list since its inception in 2009.
“We don’t try to be anything more than ourselves,” Black Pearl director Tash Conte said. “I often get asked ‘What makes you stand out from the other bars?’ I truly believe that people who are happy in their work space exude that in their service.”
Both Baxter Inn and Black Pearl have consistently impressed voters, being mainstays of the top 50 over the last five years.
Jason Scott, co-owner of The Baxter Inn, sees this as a mark of the bar’s potential longevity.
“We’re extremely happy with our bar,” he says. “We love The Baxter Inn and we think we’re turning into a classic venue. We see no reason to change.”
This year saw three changes in the top 10 with Speak Low, a speakeasy in Shanghai, Manhattan in Singapore, and London’s Bar Termini all cracking the upper echelons, while BlackTail in New York won the Best New Opening award.
While this year’s list is dominated by bars in The USA, Britain and Singapore, showings by venues in Taiwan, Cyprus and Israel, plus three in China, are a sign of the growing strength of cocktail culture worldwide.
This year also marks the awards being taken over by company William Reed, who also run the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The list is determined by anonymous ballot with a 505-strong army of bartenders, bar managers, drinks consultants, writers and cocktail specialists asked to name their top seven drinking establishments of the year.
See the full list at worlds50bestbars.com
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