There is a lot of Italy in the ranking of the best cocktail bars in the world, The World’s 50 Best Bars, presented yesterday in Hong Kong. A list that saw Bar Leone in Hong Kong stand out, which is a piece of Italy on the Chinese island which until 1999 was a British colony. The bartender, Lorenzo Antinori is Roman (and a Romanist, as demonstrated by the pennants and photos of Mazzone and Pruzzo behind the bar) and offers excellently crafted “popular” Italian-style cocktails, which have won over enthusiasts from all over the world.
And if in second place is Handshake Speakeasy from Mexico City, last year at the top of the ranking, in third place is another piece of Italy: Sips from Barcelona, where behind the counter is Simone Caporale from Como, one of the stars of world mixology. And in fourth place is another venue from the Catalan city with an Italian bartender, Giacomo Giannotti from Carrara.
However, Italian restaurants in Italy are also honored. The first in the ranking is the Milanese Moebius, in seventh place (last year it was even 38th), and it is the first time that an Italian venue appears in the top ten after the glories of Harry’s Bar in Venice, in 2009/10 (but it was another ranking, much more classicist). Moebius, founded in 2019 by Lorenzo Querci in via Cappellini, between Repubblica and Centrale, is now clearly the best bar in our country, thanks to the work of Giovanni Allario, signature cocktails such as the Pesto Martini, a vibrant atmosphere (in the venue there is also a notable tapas bar, the starred restaurant Moebius Sperimentale with dishes by chef Enrico Croatti and a space dedicated to vinyls) and the beauty of the premises, an old renovated textile warehouse.
In the top 50 of world mixology there are three other Italian venues: in 22nd place is Locale Firenze (last year at position 36), where the bar manager Fabio Fanni manages to prepare extremely contemporary drinks in the Renaissance context of Palazzo Concini, in the center of the Medici city. In place number 40 there is a Roman address, Patrick Pistolesi’s Drink Kong (down from 33rd place) in the Monti district, a great point of reference for Italian mixed drinks and beyond: an international, rigorous, intimate venue, with a cocktail menu that changes every two years and is studied in detail. The latest is called Flux and is truly avant-garde, even in the absolutely undergorund graphic choices of the paper. Finally, in 43rd place (up from 50th last year) there is 1930, the most famous Milanese speakeasy, a secret bar that recently changed location (from via Sottocorno to via De Amicis, in the basement of the other Mug Pusterla bar). A place guided by the vision of the bar manager Benjamin Cavagna (always very elegant in his faded waistcoat) who has made it a club for enthusiasts: in fact, entry is reserved for 193 “honorary members” (who have earned this honor on the field) and then for those who undergo a sort of motivational challenge, guaranteed by a sort of word of mouth. Being there, therefore, is already a reward. Ah, in 1930 we were drinking (and eating) gastronomic cocktails inspired by historical dishes of Italian cuisine and beyond.
Then there are also four venues in the list that goes from 51st to 100th place. At number 58 here is Freni e Frizioni, a decidedly “rock” venue in the Trastevere district of Rome (last year it was at number 53). At 63rd here is L’Antiquario a Napoli (last year at position 78).
At 98th another speakeasy, the Jerry Thomas in Rome (last year not on the list) and at 99th the Gucci Giardino in Florence (new entry). However, the classic Camparino in Galleria di Milano is out of the 100 and was present at position 92 last year.