The list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed at a live awards ceremony at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on Tuesday 23rd April. Spanning 21 destinations from Canada to the Caribbean, browse this year’s ranking and start planning your next drinks-led adventure
No. 50 Atwater Cocktail Club
Montreal
@atwatercocktailclub
atwatercocktailclub.com
Tucked away at the end of a graffiti-lined alleyway, Atwater Cocktail Club is one of Montreal’s most charismatic bars. Inside the dramatic interior, you’ll find a forward-thinking drinks menu created with advanced techniques and sustainability in mind. The mastermind behind it all is Kate Boushel, winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2024.
No. 49 The Keefer Bar – RE-ENTRY
Vancouver
@thekeeferbar
thekeeferbar.com
For more than a decade, The Keefer Bar has been an institution of the Vancouver bar scene. Inspired by old apothecaries and its Chinatown surrounds, drinks like the Sweet & Sour Sour and dim sum snacks have earned the bar its impressive reputation and a re-entry into the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars.
No. 48 Best Intentions – NEW ENTRY
Chicago
@fancycocktailbar
bestintentionschicago.com/
This local watering hole offers the archetypal midwestern experience. Inside the atmospheric wood-panelled interior is a cosy place where all are welcome, and craft cocktails and budget beers are poured with the same level of care and attention.
No. 47 Cure
New Orleans
@curenola
curenola.com/
After Hurricane Katrina decimated much of the southern US, Cure was one of the bars that helped spark its regeneration. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, it’s now heralded as an American institution for its celebration of the region through drinks.
No. 46 Mírate – NEW ENTRY
Los Angeles
@mirate.losangeles
mirate.la/
This multi-level, plant-saturated haven is Los Angeles’ temple to agave. Ancestral methods and ethically sourced spirits from Mexico guide Mírate’s menu, created by beverage director Max Reis, with the margarita variation, El Guero, already well established as a fan favourite.
No. 45 Brujas
Mexico City
@brujasmex
After making its debut on the 2023 edition of North America’s 50 Best Bars, this subterranean witchy oasis has become a beloved hangout of Mexico City’s cocktail enthusiasts for the delicious alchemy created by its ‘coven’ of female bartenders.
No. 44 Milady's
New York
@miladysnyc
miladysnyc.com/
Equal parts historic, casual and seriously fun, this SoHo institution was brought back to life by hospitality heavyweights Julie Reiner, Christine Williams and Susan Fedroff in 2022 to great success. Come for the ‘cheeky size’ martinis, stay for the jello shots.
No. 43 Angel's Share – NEW ENTRY
New York
@angelssharenyc
angelssharenyc.com/
When Tony Yoshida opened Angel’s Share in 1993, it ushered in a new frontier for New York’s cocktail scene. After its forced closure in 2022, Yoshida’s daughter, Erina, revived its legacy two years later, successfully transplanting its beloved drinks menu – and original mural – to new West Village premises.
No. 42 Hanky Panky
Mexico City
@hankypankydf
hankypanky.mx
Originally founded as a secluded place for local bar mogul Walter Meyenberg to meet his friends for a drink, Hanky Panky has since evolved into one of Mexico City’s worst-kept secrets, where guests can be found queuing around the block daily for a taste of its Gilded Age mixology.
No. 41 Maison Premiere
New York
@maisonpremiere
maisonpremiere.com/
This Brooklyn bar brings a touch of New Orleans to the Big Apple. From the overhanging ceiling fans and dark-stained wood to oysters on tap and one of the city’s best absinthe menus, there’s nowhere quite like it.
No. 40 Bar Mordecai
Toronto
@barmordecai
barmordecai.com/ 
Designed to feel like a hotel lobby from a Wes Anderson film, Bar Mordecai is suitably cinematic in everything it does. Under the watchful eye of Roku Industry Icon Award 2022 winner Christina Veira, it’s celebrated as a leader in Toronto's burgeoning bar scene for more than just its delicious drinks list.
No. 39 Cloakroom
Montreal
@thecloakroombar
cloakroombar.squarespace.com
Accessed through the back of a tailor shop, Cloakroom is one of North America’s truest speakeasies. The gloriously cool venue seats just 25 guests, with no reservations and no menu available. Instead, its bartenders have a quick chat before shaking up bespoke creations for each guest.
No. 38 Pacific Cocktail Haven
San Francisco
@pch_sf
pacificcocktailsf.com/
After its original premises were seriously damaged in a fire, Kevin Diedrich’s PCH returned with a point to prove. Its second iteration has become just as beloved by visitors and locals alike for its honed and accessible drinks list that brings Asian Pacific ingredients to the fore.
No. 37 Arca
Tulum
@arcatulum
arcatulum.com/ 
Tucked away in a rainforest on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, Arca is an oasis of fine food and drink, courtesy of René Redzepi protégé chef Jose Luis Hinostroza and bartender Peter Sanchez.
No. 36 Century Grand
Phoenix
@centurygrandphx
centurygrandphx.com/_LIP-NA50BB24-LIP.JPEG)
Step into the Gilded Age of travel through an interior that resembles a vintage train carriage at Century Grand. Beyond aesthetics, it also houses a world class bar programme, comprising seriously creative concoctions from the mind of Jason Asher.
No. 35 Library by the Sea – NEW ENTRY
Grand Cayman
@librarybytheseagc
librarybythesea.com/
This literary-themed retreat in the Cayman Islands has swiftly earned a reputation as the place to watch the sunset with a great drink in hand. For its meteoric rise to cocktail stardom, it is named the winner of the London Essence Best New Opening Award 2024.
No. 34 Selva
Oaxaca
@selvaoaxaca
selvaoaxaca.com/
The essence of Oaxaca distilled into a bottle, Selva has all the charm and terroir of the region in seriously sippable form. With each drink focusing on a different market, plant or community around the region, there’s no better place to soak up the local culture.
No. 33 The Dead Rabbit
New York
@thedeadrabbitpub
thedeadrabbit.com/
Widely credited as the establishment that redefined the limits of the humble and ubiquitous Irish pub, this former titleholder of The World’s Best Bar is the perfect place for a casual pint, craft cocktail, or both.
No. 32 Meadowlark – NEW ENTRY
Chicago
@meadowlarkchicago
meadowlarkchicago.com/
Since opening in 2022, Meadowlark has been working its way to the top of Chicago’s bar scene. Through ‘The Magic City’ drinks list – named this year’s winner of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award – guests can explore the history and culture of the area, courtesy of bar maestro Abe Vucekovich’s creative vision.
No. 31 Attaboy
New York
@attaboy134
attaboy.us/nyc/
The inaugural winner of North America’s 50 Best Bars is well established as a New York mainstay, thanks to its honed and tweaked takes on the classics created by Sam Ross, Michael McIlroy and Haley Traub. Drinks are tailor-made for each guest, so don’t expect a menu.
No. 30 True Laurel – NEW ENTRY
San Francisco
@truelaurelsf
truelaurelsf.com/
No offcut, fruit peel or discarded produce is deemed unworthy at this eco-friendly haven. Named the winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2024, True Laurel takes pride in its ability to transform wastage from ‘trash to smash’ across its inventive beverage offerings.
No. 29 Bar Pompette
Toronto
@barpompette_to
pompette.ca/barpompette
Incongruously located in Toronto’s Little Italy, Bar Pompette elicits the joyful feeling of sitting in a French café or bar. With a name that means ‘tipsy’ in French, drinks range from classics through to seasonal new creations available on tap.
No. 28 Kaito del Valle
Mexico City
@kaitodelvalle
Drawing inspiration from Japan’s fabled ‘kaito’ (female pearl divers), Kaito del Valle’s all-women team has become renowned for mixing up one-of-a-kind Japanese inflected cocktails. At its helm is Claudia Cabrera, winner of the Roku Industry Icon Award 2024.
No. 27 Bekeb – NEW ENTRY
San Miguel de Allende
@bekeb_sma
bekebsma.com/
Perched on one of San Miguel de Allende’s signature sun-soaked rooftops, Bekeb is Fabiola Padilla’s homage to Tzotzil culture through drinks that major on agave spirits, local age-old ingredients and traditional techniques.
No. 26 Baltra Bar
Mexico City
@baltrabar
baltra.bar/
A regular beloved hangout of Mexico’s craft cocktail community, Baltra Bar launched as the sibling venue of the legendary Licorería Limantour, but is now well established in its own right, thanks to its warm hospitality, cosy interiors and seasonal menus that go big on flavour.
No. 25 Herbs & Rye
Las Vegas
@herbsandrye
herbsandrye.com/
Away from the lights and noise of the Strip, Herbs & Rye has been quietly redefining the Las Vegas cocktail scene since 2009. Alongside Nectaly Mendoza’s honed classic cocktails, the bar is just as renowned for its serious steak offering.
No. 24 Botanist Bar
Vancouver
@botanistdining
botanistrestaurant.com
Located within Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Hotel, Botanist Bar uses science to highlight the natural bounties of the Pacific Northwest through beverage director Grant Sceney’s creative cocktail menu.
No. 23 Allegory
Washington DC
@allegory_dc
allegory-dc.com/
Allegory invites its guests to descend down the rabbit hole with its Alice in Wonderland-themed menu and interior, which sees the titular character of the literary epic replaced with Civil Rights icon Ruby Bridges, marking parallels in their lives with inspired concoctions.
No. 22 Service Bar
Washington DC
@servicebardc
servicebardc.com/
Since 2016, Service Bar has been a DC institution and much-loved neighbourhood haunt, thanks to Chad Spangler and Glendon Hartley’s no-frills drinks programme, its unpretentious interior and its legendary fried chicken.
No. 21 Civil Liberties
Toronto
@civlibto
civillibertiesbar.com/
Don’t be fooled by the industrial-meets-vintage interior of Civil Liberties – this is no gentrified dive bar. Operating on a ‘kind over cool’ philosophy, Civil Liberties has become a Toronto favourite that serves both cheap beers and craft cocktails with just as much pride and care.
No. 20 Dante
New York
@dantenewyorkcity
dante-nyc.com/
This venue may look like your average West Village café, but Dante is a storied cocktail institution, previously named The World’s Best Bar in 2019. Across its impressive lifespan, it's been credited with revitalising the negroni’s popularity in the US. While you’re there, make sure you try its signature garibaldi.
No. 19 Kumiko
Chicago
@barkumiko
barkumiko.com/
Combining Japanese precision with midwestern warm hospitality, Kumiko is one of Chicago’s premier destinations for specialist cocktails, sake and shochu. Thanks to Julia Momosé’s incredible attention to detail, it is once again named The Best Bar in Midwest USA, sponsored by Torres Brandy.
No. 18 La Factoría
San Juan
@lafactoriapr
When La Factoría opened in 2013, it revolutionised Puerto Rico’s cocktail scene, with the venue housing six different drinking establishments under one roof. From dancefloor spaces to Cuban-inspired menus, La Factoría’s unique package sees it earn The Best Bar in the Caribbean 2024 Award, sponsored by Amaro Lucano, for a third consecutive year.
No. 17 Café de Nadie
Mexico City
@cafe.denadie
cafedenadie.mx/cafe-de-nadie/
With 1,500 vinyl records lining its walls, Café de Nadie has become a must-visit attraction for Mexico City’s music lovers and cocktail enthusiasts alike. Every one of the drinks on its menu is inspired by a song, with each as harmonious as its namesake.
No. 16 Aruba Day Drink
Tijuana
@arubadaydrinkbar
Away from the sun-seeking crowds of the Baja California peninsula, Aruba Day Drink offers an Art Deco-themed alcove dedicated to good drinks and good times. Cocktails range from light and breezy for visiting surfing crowds to short and caffeinated for those in search of a pick-me-up.
No. 15 Employees Only
New York
@employeesonlyny
employeesonlynyc.com/
In the two decades since Employees Only opened its doors, New York’s cocktail scene has evolved leaps and bounds. Yet this West Village institution has remained at the top of the game for its entire lifespan thanks to its timeless offering and legendary ‘Sober Up Soup’.
No. 14 El Gallo Altanero
Guadalajara
@elgalloaltanero
galloaltanero.com.mx/
This mecca to agave provides the quintessential Jalisco experience. From brightly coloured pastel walls, to its back bar stocked with boutique mezcal and tequila producers from across the region, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more authentic drinking experience.
No. 13 Café La Trova
Miami
@cafelatrovamiami
cafelatrova.com/
Opened by Julio Cabrera – winner of the Roku Industry Icon Award 2023 – as a celebration of Cuban and cantinero culture, Café La Trova is the closest you can get to the Caribbean from the US mainland. Expect joyous music, exemplary bites and a small army of dinner jacket-clad staff slinging daiquiris and Hotel Nacionals.
No. 12 Katana Kitten
New York
@katanakitten_nyc
katanakitten.com/
Masahiro Urushido and Greg Boehm’s Katana Kitten is all about supercharging the quintessential American dive bar with Japanese flavour and culture. Combining all the fun of casual American joints with a pop-punk izakaya and impressively precise techniques, the resulting bar is a sensation.
No. 11 Zapote Bar
Playa del Carmen
@zapotebar
rosewoodhotels.com/en/mayakoba-riviera-maya/
Located within the Rosewood Mayakoba Resort in a rainforest in Yucatan, Zapote Bar looks to Mayan culture to craft its celebrated drinks menu, created by bartender Joshua Monaghan. With a moniker translating as ‘hospitality’, its dedication to ensuring guests’ comfort is second-to-none.
No. 10 Tlecān – NEW ENTRY
Mexico City
@tlecan
tlecan.com
Tlecān (the Náhuatl word for 'place of fire') is no ordinary mezcalería. Paying homage to pre-Hispanic culture in Mexico, it’s developed a totally new way of understanding mezcal through the fusion of ancestral methods and contemporary cocktail vision.
No. 9 Licorería Limantour
Mexico City
@limantourmx
limantour.tv/
When Licorería Limantour opened its doors in 2011, it was widely considered the starting point of Mexico City’s craft cocktail scene. Some 13 years later, the bar is as strong as ever under the leadership of Benjamin Padrón and José Luis León, whose agave-forward cocktails keep crowds coming through its doors over and over again.
No. 8 Thunderbolt
Los Angeles
@thunderboltla
thunderboltla.com/
Located on the intersection of LA’s Historic Filipinotown, Echo Park and Downtown, Thunderbolt embodies the easy, breezy SoCal spirit through its casual drinks list. High-brow techniques and equipment feature heavily, but the neighbourhood spot remains accessible and fun, earning itself the title of The Best Bar in West USA 2024, sponsored by Rémy Martin.
No. 7 Double Chicken Please
New York
@doublechickenpleasenyc
doublechickenplease.com/
Opened in 2020 by Taiwanese co-founders GN Chan and Faye Chen, Double Chicken Please has been on a meteoric rise to stardom in its short lifetime, including winning The Best Bar in North America title in 2023. Its food-inspired cocktails, such as the Cold Pizza and Key Lime Pie, have earned its reputation as a pioneer of the New York bar scene.
No. 6 Jewel of the South
New Orleans
@jewelnola
jewelnola.com/
Located in a renovated 1830s Creole cottage in New Orleans, the team delivers the archetype of Southern hospitality at Jewel. Through its menu majoring on classics concoctions, guests sip their way through a liquid history of the South. The service is superb, with the bar earning both the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award 2024 and the title of The Best Bar in South USA 2024, sponsored by Tia Maria.
No. 5 Rayo
Mexico City
@rayocdmx
rayococktailbar.com/_LIP-NA50BB24-LIP.jpg)
Rayo has exploded onto the scene as the new kid on the block. The bar takes inspiration from the Mayahuel, a pre-Columbian goddess associated with agave, but the execution of its cocktails is anything but ancient. Drinks use the best of Mexican produce and spirits, which are best experienced through its tasting menu, titled ‘Mexico Through the Senses’.
No. 4 Martiny's
New York
@martinys_nyc
Japan meets Manhattan at this three-storey temple to luxury, opened by the former head bartender of the pioneering Angel’s Share, Takuma Watanabe. Golden Age cocktails combined with singular Japanese omotenashi hospitality have seen this bar swiftly gain acclaim. This year, Martiny’s has risen 25 positions from its previous ranking to earn the Nikka Highest Climber Award 2024.
No. 3 Overstory
New York
@overstory
overstory-nyc.com/
Located up in the clouds on the 64th floor of a New York Jazz Age skyscraper, Overstory offers some of North America’s finest cocktails set to one of its finest backdrops. Drinks from bar director Harrison Ginsberg all pay homage to the Big Apple, such as the Terroir Old Fashioned, which uses salt harvested from the water in Queens.
No. 2 Superbueno – NEW ENTRY
New York
@SuperBuenoNYC
superbuenonyc.com/
There’s no hotter seat in town right now than at Superbueno. Since opening in April 2023, it’s exploded onto the NYC bar scene, thanks to expert leadership from Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez, who materialised the Mexican-American experience into a delicious, fun package. Superbueno takes home the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2024, alongside being named The Best Bar in Northeast USA 2024, sponsored by Disaronno.
No. 1 Handshake Speakeasy
Mexico City
@handshake_bar
handshake.bar/
Tucked away behind an unassuming door in Mexico City’s Colonia Juárez, marked only by the number 13 at its entrance, lies the continent’s finest drinking establishment. Its carefully crafted drinks list, masterminded by Eric Van Beek, uses impressive techniques to transform oftentimes unexpected flavour combinations into explosive and memorable experiences.
After two years of being named The Best Bar in Mexico at the No.2 position, Handshake Speakeasy takes home the regional title for a third time, while also making the final, ultimate step to become The Best Bar in North America 2024, sponsored by Perrier.
The list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed at a live awards ceremony at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on Tuesday 23rd April 2024. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube to stay up to date with all the news and announcements.
