In a lavish ceremony in London, bartenders and restaurateurs from all over the world gathered to find out what bar had been named the best in the world by the World's 50 Best organization.
This year, Dandelyan in London, owned by Ryan Chetiyawardana and Iain Griffiths, took home the prestigious award. Described as a "high-end but accessible" spot on the World's 50 Best Bar's website, with "trendy pink, green and gold décor", the bar offers "relaxed but emotionally intelligent service and cocktails that make you think." The American Bar at the Savoy in London which was named the top bar in 2017 came in second this year.
In a surprising twist, it was announced earlier this week and reiterated during the acceptance ceremony that Dandelyan will be closing their doors after four years in operation. While no closing date was officially announced, those who would like to try the inventive cocktails need to make their way to the celebrated bar fast.
“I made an announcement to a lot of you on Monday that we’re going to kill Dandelyan, we’re going to close it,” Chetiyawardana said during his acceptance speech. “It feels so wonderful to do it at this point. To then move on to what we can do next.”
Chetiyawardana made no mention of what his future plans would entail.
London establishments made a strong showing this year with four in the top 10, including Bar Termini (#6), Connaught Bar (#5), and American Bar (#2). According to organizers, the winners were chosen by a panel of 510 judges (cocktail aficionados) who had to adhere to a set of guidelines when voting. Each voter must have visited the establishment within the previous 18 months, votes are based on personal best bar experience, temporary or guest bar experiences are not eligible, and voting is carried out on a secure site.
The World's 50 Best organization is also known for their annual list of the best restaurants in the world, which is highly regarded in the industry. This year, chef Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Italy took home the top prize.
The full list of the World’s 50 Best Bars:
50. Lost Lake – Chicago, USA
49. Bar Benfiddich – Tokyo, Japan
48. Buck and Breck – Berlin, Germany
47. Salmon Guru – Madrid, Spain
46. Swift – London, UK
45. Fifty Mils – Mexico City, Mexico
44. Trick Dog – San Francisco, USA
43. Schumann’s – Munich, Germany
42. Candelaria – Paris, France
41. BlackTail – New York, USA
40. Tommy’s – San Francisco, USA
39. El Copitas – St Petersburg, Russia
38. Indulge Experimental Bistro – Taipei, Taiwan
37. Paradiso – Barcelona, Spain
36. La Factoría – Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
35. Happiness Forgets – London, UK
34. 28 HongKong Street – Singapore
33. Little Red Door – Paris, France
32. Linje Tio – Stockholm, Sweden
31. Tales and Spirits – Amsterdam, Netherlands
30. Black Pearl – Melbourne, Australia
29. Three Sheets – London, UK
28. Scout – London, UK
27. Central Station – Beirut, Lebanon
26. Employees Only – New York, USA
25. Lost & Found – Nicosia, Cyprus
24. Le Syndicat – Paris, France
23. Operation Dagger – Singapore
22. Baba Au Rum – Athens, Greece
21. Sweet Liberty – Miami, USA
20. Speak Low – Shanghai, China
19. Himkok – Oslo, Norway
18. Coupette – London, UK
17. Oriole – London, UK
16. The Dead Rabbit – New York, USA
15. Attaboy – New York, USA
14. Florería Atlántico – Buenos Aires, Argentina
13. Native – Singapore
12. Bar High Five – Tokyo, Japan
11. Licorería Limantour – Mexico City, Mexico
10. The Old Man – Hong Kong, China
9. Dante – New York, USA
8. Atlas – Singapore
7. The Clumsies – Athens, Greece
6. Bar Termini – London, UK
5. Connaught Bar – London, UK
4. The NoMad – New York, USA
3. Manhattan – Singapore
2. American Bar – London, UK
1. Dandelyan – London, UK
