The bar culture in India has evolved immensely in the last few years. Bars have become socialising hubs, fostering communities through cultural events — from live gigs, spoken word to book launches. Further, a growing appetite and interest in mixology is inviting guests to explore new bars in cosmopolitans like Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and more. Social media presence, bar takeovers and unique concepts are also proving to be a game-changer and integral to the success of bars. Celebrity-owned bars are also marking a cultural shift in perceptions related to drinking and revelry such as Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian, Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune, Malaika Arora’s Scarlett House, and Yuvraj Singh’s Koca.
With a rise in bar culture, 30BestBarsInIndia, an initiative aimed at ranking the topmost bars and bartenders in the country has come up with a longlist of 50 best bars in India. The list includes familiar names as well as 14 new bars making their debut this year.
Radhakrishnan Nair, Co-Founder, 30BestBarsIndia, shares, “The presence of 14 new bars in the Top 50 list this year attests to the innovation and vibrancy we continue to see in the bar industry across the country. We would also like to congratulate the six industry stalwarts Sidecar, Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, PCO, Masque, and Comorin for their strength and endurance for being the only bars that have been in the Top 50 list every year since the 30BestBarsIndia annual rankings were introduced in 2019.”
Top 50 bars in India
The longlist includes the below top 50 bars of India from various cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and more with an asterisk representing the new bars making to the list this year.
-
- AER, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai
- AM PM, Kolkata
- Americano, Mumbai
- Bandra Born, Mumbai
- Bar Cold Drinks, Goa*
- Bar Kin-Rü, Hyderabad
- Bar Outrigger, Goa*
- Bar Spirit Forward,Bengaluru
- Boilermaker, Goa*
- Bombay Daak, Mumbai*
- Call Me Ten, New Delhi*
- Cobbler & Crew, Pune
- Comorin, Gurgaon
- Conversation Room, Kolkata*
- Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru
- Dali & Gala, Bengaluru*
- Ekaa, Mumbai
- Elephant & Co., Goa
- For The Record – Vinyl Bar, Goa
- Grumps, Goa
- Hideaway, Goa
- HOME, New Delhi
- Hoots’, New Delhi
- Japonico, Gurgaon*
- Kaméi, New Delhi*
- Khi Khi, New Delhi
- Lair, Gurgaon*
- Lair, New Delhi
- Little Bit Sober, Kolkata
- Margaret’s Eye, New Delhi*
- Masque, Mumbai
- Muro, Bangalore
- Native Cocktail Room, Jaipur
- Nutcase Etc., Kolkata*
- O Pedro, Mumbai
- Papa’s, Mumbai
- PCO, New Delhi
- Petisco Kitchen & Bar, Goa
- Red, New Delhi
- Shad Skye, Shillong
- Sidecar, New Delhi
- Slink & Bardot, Mumbai
- Slow Tide, Goa
- Soka, Bangalore
- The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
- The Brook, Gurgaon*
- The Johri, Lal Haveli, Jaipur
- The Library Bar, The Leela Palace, New Delhi
- Wine In Progress (w.i.p), Bengaluru*
- ZLB23, The Leela Palace, Bengaluru
City Trends
For the first time ever, Delhi surpasses Mumbai, with 11 bars compared to Mumbai’s 10 showing the capital’s growing dominance as a cocktail destination. The National Capital Region (Delhi + Gurgaon) rises from 12 bars in 2024 to 15 this year, consolidating its status as the country’s bar capital. Bengaluru continues its steady climb, now home to seven bars, up from six last year, driven by design-forward venues and a sophisticated drinking culture.
Though slightly cooling off from 11 to nine bars, Goa remains a favourite hub for beachside mixology sessions. New cities are also witnessing a growing bar culture with entries like Jaipur (2), Pune (1), Shillong (1), Kolkata (3) and Hyderabad (1) showing up in the list. The 30BestBarsIndia will soon release the top 30 best bars in the country by the end of this year.
