Tulleeho and Man’s World magazine revealed the much-awaited ranking of the top Indian bars for 2021, at a well-attended awards show in Gurugram in March this year. 30 Best Bars India is the country’s first and only independent nationwide annual ranking of bars, and a platform that celebrates the best of Indian bar talent.
This year’s rankings and awards show honoured the country’s 30 best bars, along with the best of bartenders and bar teams, whose exemplary service has set new standards for the industry.
The rankings and awards were based on a nationwide polling involving more than 200 jury members, consisting of bar enthusiasts, beverage industry professionals and liquor connoisseurs.
The Teacher’s Best Bartender 2021 award was bagged by Navjot Singh (L) from Lair, New Delhi. The Le Méridien Delhi NCR Industry Legend 2021 award went to Yangdup Lama (R).
The 3-month polling exercise started with a long list of more than 300 bars spread across 15 cities. The ranking of the Best Bar Team and the Best Bartenders was based on a poll of a technical jury of 25 industry veterans.
While Goa’s Bar Tesouro emerged as India’s best bar, Sidecar (New Delhi), Copitas at Four Seasons Hotel (Bengaluru), The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai), Lair (New Delhi), Hoots’ in Vasant Vihar (New Delhi), Comorin (Gurugram), PCO (New Delhi), AER at Four Seasons Hotel (Mumbai), Raahi Neo Kitchen & Bar (Bengaluru) make up the list of the top 10 bars of 2021.
Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru topped the list this year with six bars each in the Top 30 list, followed by Goa with five bars, Kolkata with four bars, Gurugram with three bars, and Pune and Hyderabad had one bar each.
Tanqueray’s Best Hotel Bar 2021 award went to Copitas at Four Seasons, Bengaluru (L). Smoke Lab Vodka People’s Choice Best Bar 2021 went to Elephant & Co., Pune (L).
Bar Tesouro won the Best Independent Bar award, Copitas at the Four Seasons Hotel won the Best Hotel Bar award, Byg Brewski Brewing Company (Bengaluru) won the Best Microbrewery/ Taproom award, and Bar Tesouro won the Best Bar Design award.
Navjot Singh from Lair (New Delhi) was honoured with the Best Bartender award, while Bar Tesouro won the Best Bar Team award. Bar Tesouro also won the Best Cocktail Menu award.
Apart from this, a new award category, the Best Restaurant Bar award, was won by Comorin. Elephant and Co. (Pune) and Bira 91 Limited Release Taproom (Bengaluru), which won the People’s Choice Best Bar award and Best Microbrewery/Taproom award respectively, emerged as the public favourites.
Additionally, The Writer’s Bar, Welcom Hotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy (Mussoorie) won the Best Vintage Bar. Yangdup Lama was awarded the Industry Legend award. In a first, the best pandemic response, specially introduced this year, was awarded to the Olive Group.
Back after a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, 30 Best Bars India provided the Indian bars and bartenders with a platform for much deserved national and global recognition.
It also aims to promote bartending as a serious and respected profession across India and celebrates its promising future amongst industry giants across the world.
The organisers also acknowledged and honoured the resilience of bar operators and staff through the pandemic-induced lockdowns, by creating the one-off Best Pandemic Response award.
Writer’s Bar at the Welcom Hotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy, in Mussoorie, was adjudged the Best Vintage Bar 2021 (L). The Olive Group was conferred with the one-off award for Best Pandemic Response 2021 (R).
Vikram Achanta, Founder & CEO of Tulleeho and Co-Curator of 30 Best Bars 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, he added, “Several winners of this 30 Best Bars ranking even have the potential to match up to the very best globally, and I congratulate all the winners.”
According to Radhakrishnan Nair, Editor and Publisher of Man’s World magazine, “This year’s top 30 list represents the best of bars that withstood the back-breaking effects of the pandemic and pulled through. We are also glad to have welcomed several new cities to the list.”
30 Best Bars India 2021, was supported by renowned brands like Teacher’s, Tanqueray, The Singleton, Aperol, Bacardí, Smoke Lab Vodka, Bira 91, Svami, Real Juices, Mathieu Teisseire, Himalayan Water, 1868 by Tata Tea, Svish, Justice and the Le Méridien Gurugram.
The Best Microbrewery/ Taproom 2021 award went to Byg Brewski Brewing Co,, Hennur, Bengaluru (L). The People’s Choice Best Microbrewery/ Taproom 2021 went to the Bira 91 Limited Release Taproom in Bengaluru.
