In a Bacchanalian ceremony in Goa this week, Delhi’s Sidecar was named the country’s best bar by 30BestBars India, one of the country’s most prestigious bar rankings. This is was Sidecar’s second consecutive win, adding to its accolades as No.18 in Asia's 50 Best Bars (2023) and No. 26 in World's 50 Best Bars (2022).
Sidecar’s Arq, a menu inspired by quintessential Indian ingredients, was declared the Best Cocktail Menu and Cobbler & Crew’s (Pune) Aashi Bhatnagar was crowned the country’s best bartender.
Pune’s Cobbler & Crew was ranked No.2 this year followed by Lair (New Delhi), Copitas - Four Seasons Hotel (Bengaluru), and Hideaway (Goa) in the ranking order. The Top 30 list included 7 bars from Mumbai, 6 from Delhi, 5 bars each from Goa and Bengaluru, 3 from Gurugram, 2 from Kolkata, 1 each from Jaipur and Pune.
Shifting of the bar scene: 30BestBarsIndia’s shortlist that was based on a poll of a 75-member jury of experts and bar connoisseurs across the country saw the shifting of the Indian bar scene away from the country's big two - Mumbai and Delhi - with Bengaluru topping the list with 19 Bars in the Top 100 shortlist. Goa triumphed ahead of Mumbai in the Top 100 Shortlist and Guwahati, Jaipur, Hyderabad stepped into the limelight. Among the states, Rajasthan turned out to be a big winner, with as many as 6 bars in the Top 100 shortlist spread over four cities - Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Bikaner - making it the biggest geographical spread achieved by any state in the country, besides Goa. Fourteen new bars made it to the Top 50 list.
Pune is emerging as the new bar hotspot and Bengaluru continues to be a great mix of breweries and cocktail bars. With a thriving tavern scene, Goa is charting the way when it comes to experience-led drinking.
Year of the Indian Bartenders: 2023 catapulted Indian bartenders on the global stage. Aashi Bhatnagar (from Cobbler & Crew) represented India at Diageo World Class 2023 and won the People’s Choice Award. Apoorva Kohli (from Sidecar) won The World’s 50 Best Bars’ ‘The Blend Scholarship 2023’ and will travel to Spain and Colombia to complete internships at Sips in Barcelona and Alquímico in Cartagena.
Rise of low ABV and non-ABV cocktails: With more consumers consciously choosing to not drink or drink healthier, low ABV and no-ABV cocktails are gaining popularity. Catering to this demand, this year, 30BestBars introduced the Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Menu award to recognise bars that are making strides with zero-ABV drinks… and the winner was Chennai’s Pandan Club, for its innovative storytelling and presentation of Zero ABV drinks.
Focus on Indian ingredients: Delhi’s Sidecar not only topped the 30BestBarsIndia 2023 list, it was also the winner of the Best Cocktail Menu Award - for Arq, its new menu inspired by quintessential Indian ingredients. The menu features 10 signature cocktails, each one showcasing a unique Indian ingredient – Barley, beetroot, betel, cacao, cilantro, gondhoraj, curry leaf, myrtle, tea leaf, and titepati. The beautifully designed menu highlights each cocktail’s ABV, sweetness level, and style, enabling consumers to easily identify and choose the drink they are looking for. Arq also includes a selection of low ABV and no-ABV cocktails.
What to expect in 2024?: “In 2024, we will see more top bars emerge from cities such as Pune, Kolkata, and Jaipur – due to innovative entrepreneurs, charismatic bartenders, and a strong focus on indigenous ingredients and interactive experiences. In fact, drinks theatre will also gain popularity this year, with engaging Guest Shifts and Bar Takeovers that create a sense of enjoyment for the consumer. We will see mixologists craft non-alcoholic bar menus that move beyond overly sweet and synthetic mocktails to offer bar-goers elevated, complex, and balanced flavours”, said Vikram Achanta, who along with Radhakrishnan Nair, founded 30BestBarsIndia in 2019 with the aim of raising awareness about the rising standards of Indian bars and beverages nationally, and on international platforms.
30 Best Bars India’s rankings of the country's best bars in the previous three editions in 2019, 2021, and 2022 have included well-known bars that have gone on to be part of international bar ranking lists over the last four years.
The Best Bars:
Best Hotel Bar: ZLB 23 - The Leela Palace, Bengaluru (#6), and Copitas – Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru (#4) Best Restaurant Bar: Comorin, Gurgaon (#11) Best Microbrewery or Taproom: TOIT, Bengaluru (#29) Best Bar Team: Cobbler & Crew, Pune (#2) Best Bar Design: ZLB 23 - The Leela Palace, Bengaluru (#6) People’s Choice Best Bar: Elephant & Co. Kalyani Nagar, Pune (#47) Timeless Bar: Polo Lounge, Hyatt Regency, Delhi Best Work in Sustainability: Cobbler & Crew, Pune (#2), and Soy Como Soy, Pune
30BestBars: Top 30
Sidecar - New Delhi
Cobbler & Crew - Pune
Lair - New Delhi
Copitas - Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru
Hideaway - Goa
ZLB 23 - The Leela Palace, Bengaluru
The Bombay Canteen - Mumbai
HOME - New Delhi
Masque - Mumbai
Slink & Bardot - Mumbai
Comorin - Gurgaon
PCO - New Delhi
Hoots’ - New Delhi
Americano - Mumbai
Cocktails & Dreams, Speakeasy - Gurgaon
PCO - Mumbai
Slow Tide - Goa
The Bar - The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata
Whisky Samba - Gurgaon
Bob’s Bar - Indiranagar, Bengaluru
Native Cocktail Room - Jaipur
O Pedro - Mumbai
Olterra - Kolkata
Windmills - Bengaluru
Pablo’s - Goa
Joseph Bar - Goa
Ekaa - Mumbai
The Library Bar - The Leela Palace, New Delhi
TOIT - Bengaluru
For The Record: Vinyl Bar - Goa
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