HTSEAT IN THE

Mark Sansom, Director of Content at The World’s 50 Best

Can you give us a quick history of The World’s 50 Best empire and where 50 Best Bars fits into the picture?

We launched The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2002. It started as a feature idea in Restaurant magazine, which was published by William Reed [the company still behind the 50 Best today]. The then editor put together a panel of experts, asked them for a list of their favourite restaurants, and it took off from there.

The World’s 50 Best Bars launched in 2009; the first ceremony was held in London in 2012. It’s grown massively in stature year on year, and last year we took the event outside London for the first time to Barcelona and it was hugely successful. We’ve also just launched The World’s 50 Best Hotels, which we’re really excited about. The first list will be announced in September.

Mainstream interest in 50 Best Restaurants is one thing, but how does 50 Best Bars compare?

Being seven years more mature, 50 Best Restaurants without doubt has a bigger footprint, though the growth of 50 Best Bars in recent years is insane. A study by media monitoring agency Cision last year told us that 50 Best Bars has 76% of the market share of voice in global bars and drinks media.

Why 50?

Why not?! It’s a manageable number –but we’re always looking to celebrate as many venues as possible. While there can only be the 50 Best, the long-list of bars ranked 51-100 is a breeding ground for amazing bars in lesser-known cities. Recently we’ve seen entries from Poland, Slovakia, Kenya, Ecuador and Puerto Rico, and it’s great to be able to highlight these regions.

As well as The World’s 50 Best Bars there are two regional lists. Tell us about them…

We introduced Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2016 and North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2022 – essentially to shine a spotlight on a greater number of venues in these brilliant bar scenes. The way the Asian community has taken to it is incredible. In my opinion it’s the most innovative segment of the bar world and I’ve no doubt we will see a World’s Best Bar from Asia.

North America is the original craft cocktail heartland and we’d been planning to launch there for a long time. In the wake of Covid, we decided to just get on with it to try and drive more footfall into venues. The launch event in New York was superb and this year we’re taking the show to Mexico.

Are the lists primarily for consumers or the bars?

Our first thought is always to the consumer. Our lists are designed to inspire people to go to brilliant bars and to show how good hospitality experiences can be. However, we love how the lists inspire bars to keep pushing the envelope in terms of what is possible in cocktails, design and the whole drinking experience. Bartenders love a bit of competition and if our lists help inspire them to develop new ideas then that’s excellent.

Bars that have got to the top or near the top report extra zeros on balance sheets and massively increased footfall. This allows them to expand and explore new concepts. A recent example is Paradiso in Barcelona (left). The day after it was named No.1 on the list last year, the team sent me a video of the queue snaking hundreds of yards around the block. They’ve also had to increase their opening hours and hire more staff, which can only be a good thing.

What’s the voting process?

We divide the world into 28 regions, each headed by an Academy Chair who selects voters from their region in a rough split of 50% bartenders and bar owners; 30% drinks journalists and educators; and 20% cocktail aficionados. The voting panel totalled 650 last year and we grow it gradually year on year. Each voter is asked to name their seven best bar experiences of the past 18 months. We compute the votes, then hand them over to Deloitte to adjudicate the results.

How many of the bars on this year’s list have you been to?

This is the first time I’ve counted! I’ve been to 29 of the 50. A big blind spot for me is Mexico and Latin America, but I’m heading out there to put this right.

For you personally, what three things make a great bar?

For me it’s all about the hospitality. The most important moment is how you’re made to feel when you walk into a bar –that first contact point which makes you feel acknowledged and welcome. I’m also really into nice glassware: simple, clean lines and fine stems do it for me. Playlists are also important – they can be anything as long as they suit the time of day and vibe of the space.

Two bars worth travelling for?

I’d rather not single out any bars, but Copenhagen and Lima are two cocktail cities I really want to explore.

One to watch?

Hong Kong is going to huge in the next few years.