Only one UK bar outside London made this year’s prestigious World’s 50 Best Bars list

As frustrating as it is for, well, literally everyone outside of London, the UK’s capital is still home to most of our globally renowned stuff. It’s not even impressive to hear of a Michelin-starred restaurant or Olivier-award-winning theatre production popping up down there, in fact it’s sort of expected at this point. 

So, it’s no surprise to hear that in World’s 50 Best Bars’ latest ranking, four bars feature from the Big Smoke. But what’s interesting is that another non-London UK joint made the cut.

The list, which is expertly compiled every year, ranks the planet’s 50 best bars based on range of drinks, atmosphere, overall vibes and the expertise of a global selection of experts. World’s 50 Best Bars boasts a huge panel of judges including ‘renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists’ from all corners of the Earth. This year, the number one spot was in Mexico City, but one spot in Edinburgh did pretty well for itself.

Panda and Sons, a small ‘speakeasy style’ bar with a wide range of original cocktails and a solid wine list, came in at 30 overall, beating out places in huge cities like London, Paris, and Singapore. Just off Queen Street, it’s also very central, so perfect for any bar-crawling tourists. It also won a special ‘bartender’s bartender’ award earlier this year, so clearly they’re doing something right in there.

According to the judges, ‘Panda & Sons manages to be many things at once… Inside it has the tweed and wood trappings of a traditional pub where you can drink pints of lager or, alternatively, some of the most creative cocktails the world of mixed drinks has ever seen.

It won’t matter to the friendly bartenders in panda aprons what you choose – this is some of the warmest, most unassuming hospitality around.’

The awards also specifically mention the creativity of the mixologists, who have not only created a list of delicious and unique cocktails, but pioneered techniques which have ‘taken the bar industry by storm’. That’s certainly worth some sort of recognition.

You can find out more about Panda and Sons and its whacky menus here, or have a look at the full list of the world’s best bars here. 

Thirsty for more?

In the mood for more Great British bars? We’ve got lists of our favourite bars in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and beyond, and the best pubs in the country, depending on what mood you’re in. We’ve also got guides to the best rooftop bars and vineyards, to make sure all bases are covered.

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