We’re back after a week in Hong Kong at the drinkapalooza that is The World’s 50 Best Bars. There are so many events on — literally dozens of takeovers taking place each night — that it is impossible to get to everything. The highlight for me — other than the awards gala itself, of course — was the Monday night, when a number of Australian bars had guest shifts: we got to see Above Board, Old Love’s, The Waratah, and Cantina OK! do their thing that night, and the drinks and vibes were some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Melbourne’s One Or Two had a big lineup at the door, so I reckon they did us proud, too.
As we reported live from the awards last week, three Australian bars were recognised on the night: Caretaker’s Cottage was named the best bar in Australasia, landing at number 19 on the list; Maybe Sammy made it seven consecutive years on the list (the only Australian bar with such an impressive run), landing at 41; and Sydney newcomer (and the New Bar of the Year winner at the Boothby Best Bars NSW awards in July) Tigra + Disco Pantera took out the expert-adjudicated Best Bar Design trophy — a huge result for the small Sydney venue — hopefully we’ll see them land on the list in future years.
The bar world keeps moving on, however, and in Sydney this week we’ve got two openings from two of the country’s best operators — and they’re both opening Wednesday night.