Three Spanish Bars Rank Among the 50 Best in the World: the Cocktail Elite

This year, Madrid hosted the The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 gala, a ranking that selects the best bars in the world. It was a celebration of the finest in cocktail-making, reaffirming the flourishing moment of the Spanish cocktail scene. Three Spanish bars are listed among the top 50: Sips (Barcelona), in third place; Paradiso (Barcelona), in tenth; and Salmon Guru (Madrid), in 23rd.

Sips, in third place, is the project of Marc Álvarez and Simone Caporale, making it the highest-ranked European bar on the list. According to The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024, Sips' rise has been “stratospheric.” Founded in 2021, it is described as “a unique drinkery without a conventional bar counter that quickly earned international acclaim, earning the title of The World’s Best Bar 2023.” Their cocktails often include sherry wines: for example, in A Sunset from the Jerez Countryside, they mix whiskey, palo cortado, peach, and jasmine. In Walking in La Habana neighborhood, they introduce fino, azafrán, and pineapple shaved ice.

In tenth place is Paradiso. Created by Italian Giacomo Giannotti, The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 describes it as “a Gaudi-inspired speakeasy, with cocktails that are weird and wonderful, encouraging guests to embrace drinks that push the boundaries.” Crowned as the best bar in the world in 2022, they also use 100% Spanish products, like the brandy used in their Nazca cocktail, mixed with apple and grape leche de tigre, corn cordial, tarragon, and floral tea cordial. Another example is their iconic Kryptonite, which features Gin Mare (made in Catalonia), along with ingredients like shisho, lemongrass, grapefruit cordial, and chocolate bitters.

The third bar is Salmon Guru, located in Madrid under the direction of bartender Diego Cabrera. Ranked 23rd, the list describes this bar as “a place with bright, comic book-esque interiors, unique concoctions, and an always-bumping soundtrack” that make Salmon Guru “loud, high-energy, and downright fun.” Among its drinks, there is a Spanish touch: the Twist and Shout combines whiskey, amontillado, cocoa cordial, and angostura bitters. Or the Coffee Break, where brandy is mixed with coffee liqueur, espresso, and pimentón de La Vera.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list is owned and organized by William Reed Business Media, the group behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Since 2009, it has been selecting the best bars in the world, and so far, two Spanish bars have reached first place. Paradiso topped the list in 2022, and in 2023, it was Sips' turn.