alcohol

LOOKING for a new drink spot? Well, the best bars in the world have just been revealed.

The50 has just announced its list of the ultimate bars – and three of them are in the UK.

The Connaught Bar has been named the best UK bar on The50 list landing at number eight.

The publication praised it for its cocktails which “are near unimpeachable – a few of its signatures are genuine neo-classics – and the hospitality is as warm as it is indiscriminate”.

The bar is inside the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair and serves up signature cocktails.

You’ll want to start saving for some of the cocktails though – opt for the The Vintage Martini Cocktail made from Gordon’s Dry gin 1970s, Martini Extra Dry vermouth 1970s and you’ll pay a whopping £150.

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Another cocktail called the Silver Jubilee Rob Roy will set you back even more – a huge £2,210.

The judges particularly liked the new BRB cocktail that’s a “a melon-spiked paloma” which you can enjoy for a much more modest £26.

It’s reportedly a popular spot for celebrities too with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz and Taylor Swift having all checked into the Connaught Hotel.

Also on the list is Satan’s Whiskers which is in Bethnal Green and came in 29th spot.

It has a very different look to the Connaught Bar with a more grungy feel.

The judges recommended the bar’s Miami Vice which is a frozen strawberry daiquiri and piña colada in one glass.

Another top UK bar called The Waltz has been described as a ‘serene hideaway in Shoreditch, and ‘a perfect little piece of Japan‘.

The menu is split into two sections; In Season and Evergreen – there there always new drinks to try especially as one is based on the 72 Micro-Seasons of the ancient Japanese calendar.

Going back to the very top of the list, the bar that landed in the top spot is Bar Leone in Hong Kong.

The 1970s Roman-inspired bar has with intimate lighting, vintage tiled floors where you can pick Italian classic cocktails like negronis, martinis, old fashioneds.

This win means it has now won the top spot in The 50 Best Bars Asia and the global edition twice.

Second on the list is Moebius Milano in Milan which is inside a former textile warehouse.

The seating is situated around a huge 700-year-old olive tree that that is the height of two floors.

It has weekly live music performances from jazz, bossa nova to soul.

This is followed by Alquímico in Cartagena which has an enormous open-air tropical-style tiki-bar.

It’s on the third floor of a 100-year-old colonial mansion where the bar is found.

Following on in fourth and fifth place is Bar Us in Bangkok, and Line in Athens.

Coming in sixth spot is the Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City which has a secret underground basement bar where hip-hop is played and there are cocktails on tap.

Here is the full list of the World’s Best Bars…

1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong, China
2. Moebius Milano, Milan, Italy
3. Alquímico, Cartagena, Colombia
4. Bar Us, Bangkok, Thailand
5. Line, Athens, Greece
6. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, Mexico
7. Zest, Seoul, South Korea
8. Connaught Bar, London, UK
9. Lady Bee, Lima, Peru
10. Bar Mauro, Mexico City, Mexico
11. Schmuck, New York, US
12. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China
13. The Cambridge Public House, Paris, France
14. Sip & Guzzle, New York, US
15. Bar Nouveau, Paris, France
16. Sips, Barcelona, Spain
17. Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
18. Jigger & Pony, Singapore, Singapore
19. The Bar in Front of the Bar, Athens, Greece
20. Exímia, São Paulo, Brazil
21. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
22. Mamba Negra, Medellín, Colombia
23. De Vie, Paris, France
24. Himkok, Oslo, Norway
25. Argo, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
26. Danico, Paris, France
27. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok, Thailand
28. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara, Mexico
29. Satan’s Whiskers, London, UK
30. BKK Social Club, Bangkok, Thailand
31. Victor Audio Bar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
32. Waltz, London, UK
33. Locale Firenze, Florence, Italy
34. Mirror Bar, Bratislava, Slovakia
35. Tan Tan, São Paulo, Brazil
36. Montana, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
37. Sastrería Martinez, Lima, Peru
38. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore, Singapore
39. Bar Carmen, Medellín, Colombia
40. Barro Negro, Athens, Greece
41. Gokan, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
42. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai, UAE
43. Nouvelle Vague, Tirana, Albania
44. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo, Japan
45. Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne, Australia
46. Martiny’s, New York, US
47. Tlecān, Mexico City, Mexico
48. Virtù, Tokyo, Japan
49. Bar Snack, New York, US
50. Angelita, Madrid, Spain

The Foreign Office is urging UK travellers to ‘avoid’

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a stark warning to British holidaymakers, urging travellers to stay safe while abroad.

In a recent update on X, formerly Twitter, the FCDO said: “Free drinks aren’t worth the risk. To help reduce the risk of methanol poisoning abroad, avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles, and unusually cheap or discounted drinks claiming to be brand-name alcohol.”

The FCDO is raising awareness following the deaths of several British travellers who consumed alcohol contaminated with methanol while overseas.

Simone White, 28, was among six fatalities following the consumption of free shots at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, in November 2024. Cheznye Emmons, 23, lost her life to methanol poisoning in April 2013 after unknowingly drinking tainted counterfeit gin in Bukit Lawang, northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Kirsty McKie, 38, died in 2022 after inadvertently ingesting the substance while at home with a friend in Bali, where she had lived for eight years. As little as 10ml of methanol can result in blindness, while 30ml can prove fatal.

TravelAware warns: “In some parts of the world methanol products are sometimes illegally mixed with ‘real’ alcohol such as spirit-based drinks and cocktails.”

Holidaymakers are advised only to buy alcoholic drinks from licensed venues, bars and hotels, to avoid homemade alcoholic beverages, check bottle seals haven’t been tampered with, and look out for poor quality labels or spelling errors.

You should also get urgent medical help if you or anyone in your travel group falls ill after drinking alcohol. Early symptoms of methanol poisoning include impaired judgement, loss of balance, and drowsiness.

Between 12 and 48 hours after consumption, you may suffer abdominal pain, dizziness, hyperventilation, breathlessness, blurred vision and/or blindness, coma, and seizures. If you or anyone travelling with you experiences these symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.

Visual problems are a particularly significant warning sign, especially blurred vision, sensitivity to bright lights, and in some cases complete blindness. “Snowfield vision” (seeing snowy static resembling an old television) or tunnel vision may also occur.

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek urgent medical help.