These Are the 50 Best Bars in North America for 2024

The highly anticipated list of North America's 50 best bars was revealed during a live awards ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico this week.

The annual ranking of the continent's top watering holes and cocktail creators includes bars in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Mexico came away with a whopping 15 honorees, including the number one bar in North America in Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy. Mexico's capital city produced nine of the country's 15 award winners.

"Handshake Speakeasy continues to push the boundaries of the art of cocktail creation as well as always putting service first, so we are pleased to see them crowned the first bar in Mexico City named number one on North America's 50 Best Bars list," Emma Sleight, Head of Content for North America's 50 Best Bars, said in a statement. "We also extend our congratulations to all the other incredible bars on this year’s list that are testament to how exciting, innovative and dynamic the North American bar scene truly is."

New York City was another big winner in 2024, boasting a dozen of the 26 U.S. bars ranked in the top 50, including Superbueno (second), Overstory (third), Martiny's (fourth) and Double Chicken Please (seventh), which all made the top 10.

Martiny’s in Manhattan's Union Square neighborhood jumped 25 spots to earn the Nikka Highest Climber Award.

In the Caribbean, La Factoría in San Juan, Puerto Rico ranked 18th while Grand Cayman's Library by the Sea joined the list as a new entry at number 35. The latter also won the London Essence Best New Opening Award.

Canada also secured multiple entries, including Toronto's Civil Liberties (21st), which was named The Best Bar in Canada for the third straight year. Other ranked bars north of the border include Vancouver's Botanist Bar (24th), Toronto's Bar Pompette (29th), Montreal's Cloakroom (39th) and The Keefer Bar (49th) in Vancouver.

 

Special award winners for 2024 included Simpl Things in Toronto (Campari One To Watch), a bar outside of the main list that the 50 Best team believes can rank in the future. Meanwhile, Meadowlark (32nd) in Chicago received the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award and True Laurel in San Francisco earned the title of Ketel One Sustainable Bar for its commitment to sustainability.

Claudia Cabrera of Mexico City's Kaito del Valle (28th) received the accolade of Roku Industry Icon, New Orleans' Jewel of the South (seventh) was named The Best Bar in South USA, Los Angeles' Thunderbolt (eighth) was named The Best Bar in West USA and Chicago's Kumiko (19th) was named The Best Bar in Midwest USA.

See below for a complete breakdown of this year's rankings:

1. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
2. Superbueno, New York
3. Overstory, New York
4. Martiny's, New York
5. Rayo, Mexico City
6. Jewel of the South, New Orleans
7. Double Chicken Please, New York
8. Thunderbolt, Los Angeles
9. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
10. Tlecān, Mexico City
11. Zapote Bar, Playa del Carmen
12. Katana Kitten, New York
13. Café La Trova, Miami
14. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
15. Employees Only, New York
16. Aruba Day Drink, Tijuana
17. Café de Nadie, Mexico City
18. La Factoría, San Juan
19. Kumiko, Chicago
20. Dante, New York
21. Civil Liberties, Toronto
22. Service Bar, Washington D.C.
23. Allegory, Washington D.C.
24. Botanist Bar, Vancouver
25. Herbs & Rye, Las Vegas
26. Baltra Bar, Mexico City
27. Bekeb, San Miguel de Allende
28. Kaito del Valle, Mexico City
29. Bar Pompette, Toronto
30. True Laurel, San Francisco
31. Attaboy, New York
32. Meadowlark, Chicago
33. The Dead Rabbit, New York
34. Selva, Oaxaca
35. Library by the Sea, Grand Cayman
36. Century Grand, Phoenix
37. Arca, Tulum
38. Pacific Cocktail Heaven, San Francisco
39. Cloakroom, Montreal
40. Bar Mordecai, Toronto
41. Maison Premiere, New York
42. Hanky Panky, Mexico City
43. Angel's Share, New York
44. Milady's, New York
45. Brujas, Mexico City
46. Mírate, Los Angeles
47. Cure, New Orleans
48. Best Intentions, Chicago
49. The Keefer Bar, Vancouver
50. Atwater Cocktail Club, Montreal

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