These 3 Aussie bars just made The World’s 50 Best Bars list 2024

Rachael ThompsonBy Rachael Thompson
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Raise a glass to the Australian bars serving seriously good cocktails and outstanding hospitality experiences.

Every year, The World’s 50 Best Bars  celebrates the best of the international drinks industry, highlighting mixology masterminds and hospitality trailblazers. This year’s awards were held in Madrid and bars from 26 cities around the world were featured on the top 50 list. This included an impressive three Aussie bars—and the acclaims are not unfounded. 

Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City took out spot No.1. The Prohibition-era-style bar was celebrated for its wondrous creations that often take over 48 hours for head bartender Eric Van Beek to create.

Caretakers Cottage took out spot No. 21 this year as well as the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award 2024 and Best Bar in Australasia. While it only opened in 2022, this CBD haunt has quickly become a Melbourne favourite and a hallmark of the city’s bar scene. Run by Rob Libecans, Ryan Noreiks and Matt Stirling, this charming drinking den is housed within a heritage bluestone cottage where the Wesley Place church’s caretaker resided until the 1990s.

The atmosphere here is anything but pretentious, with The World’s 50 Best praising the watering hole for having “the best hospitality in the world." Swing by for Australia’s best Guinness, or get comfortable in the English pub-like space to work your way through the ever-changing menu of expertly crafted cocktails that offer elevated takes on classics.

Maybe Sammy ranked No.26 this year and was praised for its theatrical atmosphere and creations. Since co-owners Stefano Catino and Vince Lombardo opened this Sydney beauty in 2019, it has been a hotspot celebrated for its innovative tipples that blend elegance with modern creativity. This includes cocktails like the ‘Tuxedo’ with Procera Green Dot Gin, Noilly, Prat Dry Vermouth, Maraschino, Bitters, and Absinthe.

Maybe Sammy
1950s Hollywood glamour meets innovative cocktails. (Image: Destination NSW/DS OFICINA)

Most recently, the team unveiled their “The Grand Maybe Sammy Hotel" menu which takes inspiration from the Wes Anderson film and adds an interactive Monopoly board element to the cocktail experience. It’s these types of playful activations that elevate this bar from the usual. As for the setting, the 1950s Hollywood-meets-Vegas glamour space was conceived by hospitality designer George Livissianis, who created an atmosphere that feels like a stylish hotel bar, without the hotel.

Maybe Sammy
Maybe Sammy is billed as a hotel bar without the hotel. (Image: Destination NSW/DS OFICINA)

Another Melbourne venue Byrdi, took out No. 35, marking a significant climb from its debut at No. 80 in 2020. Nestled in the bustling Ella food precinct, this sleek haunt houses both a traditional bar and an experimental laboratory where mixologists showcase groundbreaking techniques and creations in front of guests.

Byrdi Melbourne
Byrdi boasts a sleek yet welcoming design.

Co-owned by Luke Whearty and Aki Nishikura, the team shake inventive, seasonal cocktails that champion local Australian ingredients with a Japanese twist such as the “Snow" with Victorian-grown yuzu, citrus coconut ice, and Geraldton wax pow pow. These are impeccably served in an ultra-modern space swathed in earthy, natural materials that echo the Australian landscape.

Byrdi Melbourne
Byrdi’s ‘Aviary’ experimental lab. (Visit Victoria)

Mezcal-centric Cantina OK ! in Sydney made it to the longlist coming in at No. 96. This tiny bar housed in a small garage in a Sydney laneway claims to make the best margaritas in Sydney—a huge call for a city known for its love of spicy margs—and we can’t argue with it. While there’s only space for ~20 patrons, the vibes and flavours are big.

Cantina OK!
The menu at Cantina OK! highlights the complexity of agave spirits. (Image: Dexter Kim)

The top 10 bars in the world 2024

1. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City (Winner of the Best Bar in North America)

2. Bar Leone, Hong Kong (Winner of the Best Bar in Asia)

3. Sips, Barcelona (Winner of the Best Bar in Europe)

4. Tayēr + Elementary, London

5. Jigger & Pony, Singapore

6. Line, Athens

7. Tres Monos, Buenos Aries (Winner of the Best Bar in South America)

8. Alquímico, Cartagena

9. Zest, Seoul (Winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Award)

10. Paradiso, Barcelona

 

Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
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8 incredible hikes just outside of Melbourne

    Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
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    Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

    Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

    1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

    Hanging Rock Summit Walk
    Take in views across the Macedon Ranges.

    Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

    2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

    Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout
    Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

    The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

    3. Mount Alexander Traverse

    Mount Alexander Traverse
    Take in the serenity.

    Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

    4. Murmuring Walk

    Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes
    Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

    Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

    5. La Gerche Forest Walk

    La Gerche Forest Walk
    Walk into history on the La Gerche Forest trail.

    Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

    6. Sailors Falls Loop

    Sailors Falls Loop
    See these spectacular falls. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

    7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

    Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

    8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

    Mount Franklin Summit Walk
    Take in forests and waterfalls along the way to the top of Mount Franklin.

    An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

    The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.