This city is India's biggest winner in Asia's 50 Best Bars list (no, it's not Delhi or Mumbai)
Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 list is finally out, and three Indian bars made it to the international index. Yup, you can let the glasses
Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 list is finally out, and three Indian bars made it to the international index. Yup, you can let the glasses clink! The '50 Best' is a globally recognised organisation that celebrates excellence, innovation and emerging trends across the world's food and drinks industry. It's safe to say that the Indian bar scene has well established itself on the global stage. You don't have to look overseas for international trends because experimental mixology is stirring things up much closer to home. But if you think it's only a Delhi and Mumbai thing, it's absolutely not. In fact, this year, no bars from either city made it to the top 50. Read Full Story If anything, the frontrunner for India this season was Bengaluru, as two out of the three bars featured on the list are from this city.
Indian bars feature on Asia's 50 Best Goa's Boilermaker secured the title of 'The Best Bar in India' and was ranked eighth on the list. This Goan bar is all about a beer-meets-whisky kind of fusion. Launched in 2024, Boilermaker takes its cue from susegad - a Goan concept that reflects calmness, unhurried and friendly outlook on life. Their menu features craft beer, innovative cocktails infused with feni, and several other local ingredients. Boilermaker is known for experimenting with cocktails infused local ingredients (Photo: Boilermaker/Instagram) Next up is Soka in Bengaluru. It landed at the 18th spot. It jumped almost 10 places from last year. Tucked away in Indiranagar, the bar also champions local ingredients and celebrates regional flavours through its innovative cocktails. Finally, at the 30th position, Bengaluru's Bar Spirit Forward reinforced the southern city's ascent with its Japanese omakase approach.
It climbed seven spots from last year and is definitely taking the bar spirit forward! Last year, the Asia's 50 Best Bars list also included Delhi's Lair at the 40th spot and ZLB23, Bengaluru, at the 31st position. Earlier, the extended list of bars ranked 51 to 100 was also announced, where two Indian bars—Bar Outrigger in Goa and AABBCC in Delhi—clinched the 51st and 85th spots, respectively. Soka, Bengaluru, climbed 10 spots from last year. (Photo: Soka Bengaluru/Instagram) And that's all about this year. Surprise, surprise, there's no bar from Mumbai on the charts this year. According to the official release, the 2026 list "signals expansion beyond established capitals, with bars in emerging new cities strengthening Asia's cocktail map." And that clearly shows. The Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 rankings were unveiled at Wynn Palace in Macau, recognising 50 bars across 22 cities.
The BriefWire