Barcelona has the best cocktail bar in Europe (for the second year in a row)

The cocktail bar Sips (in Catalan, sips), located on Muntaner Street in Barcelona, ​​is once again the best in Europe. This is according to the English Best Bars ranking, which was announced in Hong Kong at a packed gala. One of Sips's co-owners, Simone Caporale, also took home a special award, proving that the cocktail bar is experiencing one of its finest creative moments. They themselves are the ones who invented it. the cocktail-based tasting menu.

In the same city where the gala took place –Hong Kong– is the bar that has been ranked as the best in the world, number 1, Bar Leone. The Best Bars list began sixteen years ago and works in a similar way to restaurants, but with certain differences, such as the fact that bars can repeat locations and nominations, as happened this year.

The cocktail bar Sips opened in June 2021, and is a success story due to its meteoric rise on the English list: in the autumn of the same year it managed to reach number 37 in the ranking, in 2022 in third position and 20th. And, surprisingly, in 2024 and 2025 it repeats as the third best in the world, as well as the best in Europe. Their creative cocktails, like Bubble, are a good example of the project of two of the owners, Marc Álvarez and Simone Caporale. The Bubble, with passion fruit, vodka, coffee, and vanilla, stands out visually with its edible, distinctly flavored bubbles. In fact, Sips' cocktails often reflect three basic concepts: smell, taste, and presentation.

For its part, the Paradiso cocktail bar in Barcelona, ​​​​which had also been the best in the world, has risen from number 10 where it was last year to number 4.

More cocktail bars in Barcelona

In the extended section of the list, from 51st to 100th, Barcelona is well represented by three cocktail bars, which we can expect to climb the rankings in the coming years. First up is Dr. Stravinsky, which in this edition is ranked 83rd. Next up, almost behind, at number 85, is There is the most popular cocktail bar in Barcelona, ​​​​the Boadas, a classic on Barcelona's La Rambla that first opened its doors in 1933 and boasts a history linked to legendary singers like Antonio Machín. And finally, the third cocktail bar to enter the ranking for the first time is Foco, which achieved 89th place. It's one of the establishments that's likely to soon be making a jump in the rankings: one of its cocktails, called 20th Century, was chosen as number 2 on the Best Bars list.

To understand why three Barcelona cocktail bars are in the extended section of the ranking, it's important to note that both Boadas and Dr. Stravinsky belong to (different) groups that have achieved the number 1 spot with other cocktail bars they manage. In the case of Dr. Stravinsky, the Confiteria group, led by Lito Baldovinos and Enric Rebordosa, is behind it, and they are as passionate about creative drinks in iconic locations as they are about traditional restaurants. In 2022 they managed to get the Paradiso cocktail bar, located in the Born district of Barcelona, will emerge as the winner. Continuing on, at the helm of Boadas (or The Church, as many call it) are Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez, who are also the creatives of Sips cocktail bar, number 1 in the 2023 ranking. So, with this mastery, one can imagine that the two cocktail bars (Boadas and Dr. Stravinsky) will soon jump to the top of the rankings. The people who created them possess skill and passion, as well as a thorough understanding of the workings of establishments that attract both lovers of creative drinks and those seeking a new experience that will appeal to both the palate and the eyes.

Finally, The World's 50 Best Bars list operates in a similar and different way to its restaurant counterpart. The similarities lie in reducing the overall picture by numbers. The differences are fundamental. In the restaurant list, number 1 are automatically moved to The Best of the Best group And they no longer compete in the ranking, which is not the case with Best Bars, where the winning cocktail bars return the following year. That's why, in 2023, the Barcelona cocktail bar Sips took first place, but, conversely, in 2024, it dropped to number 3, a position it repeated this year in 2025.

And the same thing has happened with Paradiso, which was number 1 in 2022 but is now at number 4 this year.