World's Best Bar Awards 2014: London's Artesian takes top prize

Overall, Europe ranked the best region in which to have a tipple

An Apache cocktail (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

Whether you fancy a daiquiri, a Bloody Mary or a Campari Shakerato, London is the place to quench your thirst, having been voted the home of the world’s best bar.

The watering hole drawing all the attention is Artesian, which was named the Polignac World’s Best Bar for the third year in a row at a ceremony in the capital on Thursday.

Artesian is ranked number 1 on a definitive top-50 list compiled by over 330 industry experts for Drinks International magazine, and was among three London bars taking up spots on the top 10.

Located within the Langham Hotel on central London’s Regent Street, Artesian recently launched a new menu called ‘Unfolding and Exploring’, which includes Heston Blumenthal-esque creations such as the ‘Vodkatini Waiting To Become A Manhattan’ which energises Ketel One Vodka with gemstones using Supersonic technology.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s Bramble bar won the Best in Scotland prize, and was the only UK bar outside of London to make the list.

London has more of the best bars in the world than any other city (World's Best Bars)

Other UK bars featured on the list include speakeasy-style joints Nightjar, Happiness Forgets, and Callooh Callay. Mixologists at more traditional hotel hangouts such as The American Bar at The Savoy, and the Connaught Bar were also celebrated, and fought off fierce overseas competition.

And with 21 bars included within the 50 Best list, Europe as a whole was recognised as the epicentre for good drinking with Nottingham Forest in Milan, Candelaria in Paris, and Buck and Breck in Berlin all scoring highly.

The World's Top 10 Bars

1) Artesian, London - Winner of Polignac World’s Best Bar and Polignac Best Bar in Europe

2) Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, New York - Winner of Ketel One Best Bar in North America

3) Nightjar, London

4) Attaboy, New York - Winner of Botran Highest Climber

5) Employees Only, New York

6) Canon, Seattle

7) The Baxter Inn, Sydney - Winner of Asahi Best Bar in Australasia

8) American Bar, London

9) High Five, Tokyo - Winner of Torres Best Bar in Asia

10) 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore