On September 23, The World’s 50 Best Bars organization released its extended 2026 list, the one covering spots 51 through 100. Think of it as a preview before the real verdict: the top 50 drops October 7, at a ceremony in Milan streamed live on YouTube at 8pm local time.
Thirty-four cities made the cut this year, with thirteen new entries. Europe leads with eighteen bars, spread across Paris, Athens and Oslo. Asia follows close behind with sixteen, four of them in Hong Kong alone. The US counts five, split between Chicago, New Orleans and New York.
The real story here is which cities showed up for the first time. Accra arrives in force with two bars at once, Front/Back and La Borracha. Dublin lands its first-ever ranking through Bar 1661. Istanbul, Shenzhen and San José, in Costa Rica, round out this five-city debut class.
“This extended list has become a core part of the programme, letting us recognize a wider range of exceptional venues,” said Faye Huggett, Director of Community at The 50 Best, in the organization’s official statement.
Two weeks to go before we find out who climbs into the top 50. Until then, this 51-100 list tells its own story: a global cocktail scene that keeps spreading well past the industry’s usual capitals.