The 30 Best Bars India is the country’s first and only independent national annual bar ranking, as well as a platform for celebrating the best of Indian bar talent. This year’s rankings and awards ceremony recognised the country’s 30 best bars, as well as the best bartenders and bar teams whose exceptional service has set new industry standards.

The rankings and awards were determined by a nationwide poll of over 200 jury members who included bar enthusiasts, beverage industry professionals, and liquor connoisseurs. The three-month polling process began with a lengthy list of over 500 bars spread across 15 cities. The Best Bar Team and Best Bartenders rankings were determined by a technical jury of 20 industry veterans.

While Goa’s Bar Tesouro was named India’s best bar, Sidecar (New Delhi), Copitas – Four Seasons Hotel (Bangalore), The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai), Lair (New Delhi), Hoots’ – Vasant Vihar (New Delhi), Comorin (Gurgaon), PCO (New Delhi), AER – Four Seasons Hotel (Mumbai), Raahi – Neo Kitchen & This year, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore topped the list with six bars each, followed by Goa with five bars, Kolkata with four bars, Gurgaon with three bars, and Pune and Hyderabad with one bar each.

Copitas at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangalore won the Best Hotel Bar Award, Byg Brewski Brewing Company (Hennur, Bangalore) won the Best Microbrewery or Taproom Award, and Bar Tesouro (Goa) won the Best Bar Design Award. Navjot Singh of Lair in New Delhi was named Best Bartender, and Bar Tesouro in Goa was named Best Bar Team. In addition, Bar Tesouro (Goa) received the Best Cocktail Menu Award. Aside from that, Comorin won a new award category, the Best Restaurant Bar Award (Gurgaon).

Meanwhile, Elephant and Co (Pune) and Bira 91 Limited Release Taproom (Bangalore) emerged as the public favourites, winning the People’s Choice Best Bar Award and Best Microbrewery/Taproom Award, respectively. Furthermore, The Writer’s Bar, Welcomhotel By ITC Hotels, and The Savoy (Mussoorie) were named Best Vintage Bar, and Yangdup Lama was named Industry Legend. Olive Group received the inaugural Best Pandemic Response award, which was introduced this year.

After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, 30 Best Bars India returns to provide a platform for much-deserved national and global recognition for Indian bars and bartenders. It also aims to promote bartending as a serious and respected profession in India, as well as to celebrate its promising future among industry titans worldwide. The organisers also recognised and honoured the resilience of bar operators and staff during pandemic-induced lockdowns by establishing a one-time award called the ‘Best Pandemic Response’ Award.

Vikram Achanta – Founder & CEO – Tulleeho and Co-Curator of 30 Best Bars in India, said, “Our master list of 500 bars with which we started our shortlisting process and how plenty of bar businesses navigated the last two difficult years, together is a testament to India’s growing bar scene. In fact, several winners of tonight’s 30 Best Bars ranking even have the potential to match up to the very best globally, and I congratulate all the winners.”

Radhakrishnan Nair, Editor & Publisher, Man’s World magazine adds, “This year has been challenging for all of us. We started work immediately after the cessation of the second wave when the bars began re-opening. But had to pause again for the third wave. This year’s top 30 list represents the best of bars who withstood the back-breaking effects of the pandemic and pulled through. We are also glad to welcome several new cities to the list. Congratulations to everyone who made the list.”

Tulleeho and Man’s World Magazine revealed the much-anticipated ranking of the top Indian bars for 2021 at a well-attended awards show on March 23, 2022, at Gurgaon’s Le Meridien.