Time Out, the trusted global brand for inspiring and enabling people to make the most of their city, has today announced the winners of its inaugural London Bar awards, following an awards party last night at Rumpus Room. The awards are part of a new Global Bar Programme, identifying the cocktail bars that define the drinks scene in some of the world’s most influential cities.
The winners list was dominated by East London bars, including Original Sin in Stoke Newington which was awarded Best New Bar, Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green which took home the Hippest Bar Award and White Lyan in Hoxton that won Most Creative Bar.
Hotel bars were another big winner, taking four of the seven awards. Having been nominated in four categories, the newly opened Punch Room at the London Edition took home two awards, winning both Bar of the Year and Most Stylish Bar, while Dandelyan were awarded Best Bar Team and Connaught Bar was named classiest bar.
The winners, picked by Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editors, were chosen from a list of nominees compiled by an exclusive panel of bar experts including Hannah Sharman-Cox, Founder of DrinkUp.London and former Head Bartender at The Artesian, Alex Kratena.
The full list of Time Out London Bar Awards 2016 winners are:
- Bar of the Year – Punch Room at the London Edition
- Best New Bar – Original Sin
- Best Bar Team – Dandelyan
- Most Stylish Bar – Punch Room at the London Edition
- Hippest Bar – Satan’s Whiskers
- Most Creative Bar – White Lyan
- Classiest Bar – Connaught Bar
The full list of Time Out London Bar Awards 2016 runners up are:
- Best New Bar – The Gibson
- Classiest Bar (sponsored by Gin Mare) – Dukes Bar
- Hippest Bar – Frank’s Cafe
- Most Creative Bar (sponsored by Matugga Rum) – 69 Colebrooke Row
- Most Stylish Bar – Oriole
- Best Bartender/ Bar Team – The Cocktail Trading Company
- Bar of the Year (Presented by Woodford Reserve) – Connaught Bar
“We’re pretty committed bar fans here at Time Out, so we’re very excited to reveal the London winners of our inaugural Global Bar Awards,” said Caroline McGinn, Editor-in-Chief at Time Out UK. “In a move away from the speakeasies with secret entrances that have dominated the London scene in recent years, our judges seem to agree that 2016 is all about the hotel bar. Places like our Bar of the Year, Punch Room at London Edition, are a hotbed of creativity. Similarly, some of the capital’s best bar talent, such as our winning Bar Team from Dandelyan, come from the Mondrian London. Whether you’re looking for classic cocktail or a an experimental libation, these are the destinations to head to.”
“If you’re looking for the best cocktails in the city, the likes of Punch Room at London Edition are offering creative, innovative cocktails, as well as a beautiful bar to enjoy them in. What’s not to like?”
Noel Penzer, CEO of Time Out commented: “With a strong brand heritage in being the trusted expert in city nightlife, Time Out has always been a respected voice, guaranteed to advise on what makes a great cocktail bar. Our global bar programme is a way to showcase this on an international level and spotlight those that are driving this industry forward. We’re particularly please to have the Austin Tourism & Convention Bureau on board as sponsor of the Bartender Award, to support this thriving industry and promote the creativity and innovation in bartending today.”
An authority on urban nightlife, Time Out has been seeking out the brilliant in the world’s best cities since 1968, and bars have always been a crucial part of the metropolitan culture. This year Time Out has brought together the most gifted bar owners, mixologists, drinks experts and innovators in the global drinks business to define the best places to drink in five of the world’s most vibrant cities; London, Paris, New York, Chicago and LA.
Award ceremonies for the four other cities have taken place throughout the past month. The Best Bartender Award was sponsored by the Austin Tourism & Convention Bureau. As a grand finale, the winners of the Best Bartender awards in each city will be flown to Austin, Texas, for a night of competition and celebration with Tito’s Vodka.
Find out more about the winners and more content on London’s best places to drink at Time Out London at www.timeout.com/barawardsLDN.