London's Connaught Bar tops the list, while Singapore’s Atlas earns the title of The Best Bar in Asia
Announced in an online awards ceremony, the 12th edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020 crowned a new No.1, London’s Connaught Bar, which outperformed its peers from 23 countries to earn the title of The World’s Best Bar and The Best Bar in Europe.
“It displays to the world that even in the face of the ever-shifting challenges and restrictions being thrown at them, bars are still doing everything that they can to continue to provide great hospitality experiences,” shares Mark Sansom, content editor for The World’s 50 Best Bars.
Bars in Asia also showed exceptionally well. Singapore’s Atlas is the country’s best performer, climbing four places to land at No.4, and earning The Best Bar in Asia title in the process.
"The win is quite special for us, and I'm super proud of our team," says Atlas' head bartender Jesse Vida, who affirms how Asia has one of the most amazing bar cultures in the world. "2020 has obviously been a weird year for all of us, so it's nice to see the recognition of what bars have been doing here," he adds.
The little red dot’s Jigger & Pony (which topped the 2020 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list) also made an impressive climb, working its way up from No.29 when it first entered the list last year to break into the top 10 and clinch the No.9 spot.
"We are really grateful for the recognition in this tough time," shares its elated co-founder Indra Kantono, who adds that "climbing 20 spots on the ranking recognises the teamwork that drives us at Jigger & Pony to create memorable experiences for every single guest, centred around our philosophy of convivial hospitality".
He adds: "This is a win not just for Jigger & Pony, but a win for the cocktail bar community in Singapore. It has been a really tough year for everyone around the world, and there is still so much uncertainty ahead of us. We are not out of the woods yet but tough times will spark new ideas, new ways of doing things."