Bar Spirit Forward, Bangalore named India’s Best Bar for 2025, at the 6th Edition of 30BestBarsIndia. With Soka at (#2), Bangalore cements its position as India’s leading bar city.

India’s bar landscape has reached a defining milestone as 30BestBarsIndia unveiled the Top 30 Bars of India 2025 at a glittering ceremony held at the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage. The event was attended by bar industry leaders, hospitality veterans, and cultural tastemakers from across the country. Now in its sixth edition, 30BestBarsIndia continues to be the country’s most credible and comprehensive bar ranking and awards platform — reflecting not just where India drinks best, but how its bar culture is evolving.

Bar Spirit Forward in Bangalore

At the very top of the 2025 rankings, Bar Spirit Forward (#1) and Soka (#2) secured the top two positions nationally, confirming Bangalore’s shift from breakout city to benchmark ecosystem. With six bars in the Top 30, and four in the Top 10, Bangalore emerged as India’s fastest-growing bar city.

Of the Top 30 bars, 20 returned from last year, while seven new bars entered the rankings, three of them breaking directly into the Top 10 — a clear indicator that new entrants are arriving fully formed. Among the most striking debuts were Bar Outrigger (#3), Boilermaker (#4), and Dali & Gala (#9). Goa, in particular, emerged as the biggest climber of the year, placing two new entrants in the Top 5 and decisively moving beyond reliance on legacy favourites.

Soka Bangalore

For the first time in six editions, neither Delhi nor Mumbai features in the Top 4, with Delhi’s highest-ranked bar, Lair, at #5, and Mumbai’s top entry, Americano, at #10

“We received a record-breaking 1,276 nominations across all award categories this year. That number reflects not just the rising quality of bars across India, but also a new level of self-confidence among bar owners and a willingness to put themselves forward and be judged alongside the country’s very best. What’s especially exciting is seeing cities like Kolkata emerge as serious hubs, something that was almost non-existent just two years ago,” says Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia.

Kolkata recorded its strongest showing to date, placing four bars in the Top 30, including three new entrants — Nutcase Etc. (#15), Conversation Room (#26), and Little Bit Sober (#27) — marking its evolution into a serious bar cluster. While Delhi NCR continued to demonstrate depth and reliability with six bars in the Top 30, it stepped back slightly from headline dominance. Mumbai, once the volume leader, saw its footprint reduce, signalling a period of recalibration rather than decline. Gurgaon continued its transition from spillover market to standalone destination, while Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Pune maintained their presence, reinforcing the widening geographic footprint of India’s bar ecosystem.

“The centre of gravity is clearly shifting away from traditional metros like Bombay and Delhi. This year, the top awards have gone to bars outside these cities for the first time, and it also shows that no position at the top is secure anymore,” says Radhakrishnan Nair, co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia.

Bar Outrigger in Goa

New Trends, New Categories

A new wine category made its debut at the sixth edition, with honours going to Captain’s Cellar at the Taj Mahal - New Delhi, Wine in Progress - Bangalore, and Indian Accent - Mumbai, marking a clear step forward in the recognition of wine-led programmes across both hotel and independent formats. Alongside this, non-alcoholic innovation gained overdue prominence, with Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room, Lower Parel, Mumbai, winning Best Non-Alcoholic Menu, while Avartana - Chennai, claimed Best Cocktail Menu, outperforming 56 other entries and reinforcing the growing crossover between fine dining and bar excellence.

Sustainability continued to emerge as a serious judging lens, with honours returning to Kerala for the second consecutive year as The Colony Bar at the Grand Hyatt Kochi won Best Work in Sustainability, underscoring the growing influence of southern India. The Industry Icon Award was presented to Ajay Gowda, recognising his lasting impact on Bangalore’s drinking culture through ventures such as Byg Brewski, Bob’s Bar, and the Gen-Z-focused Yaakay.

People-led categories remained a defining theme, with Boilermaker (#4) standing out by winning Best Bar Team and producing one of the Best Bartender winners. In a first for the platform, the Best Bartender honour was shared between Macleigh Fernandes (Boilermaker, Goa) and Mayur Marne (Cobbler & Crew, Pune – #19). At the same time, Bangalore asserted its dominance across award categories, with Wine in Progress winning Best Independent Wine Bar, Muro (#14) taking Best Restaurant Bar, and ZLB23, The Leela Palace (#7) retaining Best Hotel Bar.

The ceremony also saw the continuation of 30BestBarsIndia’s partnership with Moonshine Honey Project to support Moonshine’s ‘Adopt a Hive’ initiative.

Bar Spirit Forward #1 at 30 Best Bars India 2025 - the winners

Top 30 list for 2025 (bars making their debut marked with an asterisk (*))

• Bar Spirit Forward, Bangalore

• Soka, Bangalore

• Bar Outrigger, Goa*

• Boilermaker, Goa*

• Lair, New Delhi

• Hideaway, Goa

• ZLB23, The Leela Palace, Bangalore

• Sidecar, New Delhi

• Dali & Gala, Bangalore*

• Americano, Mumbai

• PCO, New Delhi

• Hoots’, New Delhi

• AM PM, Kolkata

• Muro, Bangalore

• Nutcase Etc., Kolkata*

• The Library Bar, The Leela Palace, New Delhi

• Bandra Born, Mumbai

• HOME, New Delhi

• Cobbler & Crew, Pune

• Slow Tide, Goa

• Comorin, Gurgaon

• Bar Kin-Rü, Hyderabad

• Japonico, Gurgaon*

• Lair, Gurgaon*

• Native Cocktail Room, Jaipur

• Conversation Room, Kolkata*

• Little Bit Sober, Kolkata*

• Papa’s, Mumbai*

• The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai

• Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel, Bangalore

Soka #2 at 30 Best Bars India 2025

Jury Vote

• Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water Best Independent Bar – Bar Spirit Forward (#1), Bangalore

• The Singleton Best Hotel Bar – ZLB 23, The Leela Palace (#7), Bangalore

• Aperol Spritz Best Restaurant Bar – Muro (#14), Bangalore

• Falcon Best Microbrewery or Taproom – Fort City Brewing, New Delhi

• Tanqueray Best Cocktail Menu – Avartana, ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

• MTSR Best Non-Alcoholic Menu – Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room, Lower Parel, Mumbai

• Aspri Best Hotel Wine Bar - Captain's Cellar at the Taj Mahal, New Delhi

• Aspri Best Independent Wine Bar - (WIP) Wine in Progress, Bangalore; Indian Accent, Mumbai

• Woodford Reserve Best Bar in Mumbai – Americano (#10), Mumbai

• Woodford Reserve Best Bar in Delhi NCR – Lair (#5), New Delhi

• Cointreau Best Bar in Kolkata – AM PM (#13), Kolkata

• Tulleeho & Man’s World Best Bar in Bangalore – Bar Spirit Forward (#1), Bangalore

• Tulleeho & Man’s World Best Bar in Goa – Bar Outrigger (#3), Goa

Technical Jury Vote

• Don Julio Best Bartender – Macleigh Fernandes, Boilermaker (#4); Goa & Mayur Marne, Cobbler and Crew (#19), Pune

• Bacardi Reserva Best Bar Team – Boilermaker (#4), Goa

• SpeedX Best Bar Design – Conversation Room (#26), Kolkata

• Toki Traditions Reinvented – Ness, Trident Nariman Point

• District Industry Icon – Ajay Gowda

• Godawan Best Work in Sustainability – The Colony Bar, The Grand Hyatt Kochi

People’s Choice Awards

• Simba People’s Choice Best Bar – Elephant & Co., Goa

• Falcon People’s Choice Best Microbrewery or Taproom – Cal-On, Hyatt Centric, Kolkata

Other Categories

• Cointreau Highest Climber – AM PM (#13), Kolkata

• Tulleeho & Man’s World Highest New Entry – Bar Outrigger (#3), Goa