A Melbourne Cocktail Bar, In a Shopping Centre, Named on The World’s 50 Best Bars Longlist

Despite the name, The World’s 50 Best Bars list includes drinking spots ranked from 51-100, with just one Australian spot making the cut on the back end of the 2023 round-up.

Experimental Melbourne cocktail den Byrdi re-entered the coveted ranking at number 61 after dropping out last year. The bar was launched by Luke Whearty and Aki Nishikura, the pair behind now-closed Singapore bar Operation Dagger, in Melbourne Central in 2019.

Here, $30 cocktails are built from ingredients conceived months in advance, and arrive fermented, smoked, reconstituted – and even centrifuged. The elaborate beverages include Now & Then, a blend of Tasmanian wasabi, green apple, fig leaf and nasturtium; or Fallen Fruit, featuring distilled Carolina Reaper pepper, lacto-fermented pineapple, island bitters and salted Davidson’s plum.

Last year, two Aussie bars were announced in the latter half of the 50 Best Bars list: Sydney cocktail bar Re, whose owner Matt Whiley champions a waste-free approach, came in at number 87; and the pint-sized Caretaker’s Cottage in Melbourne debuted at number 60.

Sydney typically performs well on the international list, with 1950s-inspired cocktail bar Maybe Sammy ranking highest in the region at number 29 last year. Mezcal bar Cantina Ok! landed at 41.

The annual power ranking is decided by 680 independent drinks experts, including top bartenders and premium media. “Now, in its seventh year, we are delighted to recognise the remarkable hospitality experiences offered by these establishments across 34 incredible cities,” said 50 Best spokesperson William Drew in a statement.

The United States is leading the charge with six bars on the 51-100 list, including Attaboy and Employees Only in New York City. The United Kingdom has five, including London’s Lyaness, while Singapore also has five (down from last year’s eight) such as 28 Hongkong Street ranked at 59.

The top names from The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 will be announced in Singapore on October 17.

51-100 of The World's 50 Best Bars 2023

1. Danico, Paris
2. Lady Bee, Lima
3. The Bellwood, Tokyo
4. Lyaness, London
5. Vesper, Bangkok
6. Tan Tan, São Paulo
7. Attaboy, New York
8. SubAstor, São Paulo
9. 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
10. Arca, Tulum
11. Byrdi, Melbourne
12. Hero Bar, Nairobi
13. Manhattan, Singapore
14. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
15. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
16. Tropic City, Bangkok
17. Sidecar, New Delhi
18. Martiny’s, New York
19. Ergo, Dubai
20. Barro Negro, Athens
21. Penicillin, Hong Kong
22. Rayo, Mexico City
23. Civil Liberties, Toronto
24. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
25. Bar Cham, Seoul
26. Swift, London
27. Velvet, Berlin
28. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
29. High Five, Tokyo
30. La Sala de Laura, Bogotá
31. Kaito del Valle, Mexico City
32. Kumiko, Chicago
33. Native, Singapore
34. Svanen, Oslo
35. Camparino in Galleria, Milan
36. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
37. Ruby, Copenhagen
38. Red Frog, Lisbon
39. Thunderbolt, Los Angeles
40. Mirror Bar, Bratislava
41. Maison Premiere, New York
42. Donovan Bar, London
43. Tjoget, Stockholm
44. Sin + Tax, Johannesburg
45. Schofield's, Manchester
46. Lost & Found, Nicosia
47. Darkside, Hong Kong
48. The Bar in Front of the Bar, Athens
49. Employees Only, New York
50. Artesian, London

worlds50bestbars.com

Additional reporting by Emma Joyce.