Delhi’s Sidecar emerges as the ‘Best Bar in India’ at the 30 Best Bars India 2022 finale

Gurugram was in high spirits as the who’s who of the alcobev industry assembled for a glittering finale and awards night for 30 Best Bars India 2022 on January 17, 2023 at Le Meridien.

Established in 2019 by Tulleeho and MW magazine, 30 Best Bars is India’s first independent bar ranking and awards platform, which aims to recognise and raise the standards of bars and beverage services in the country. 

The yearly rankings and awards were exclusively based on a poll of over 250 bar enthusiasts, beverage influencers, and industry experts.

The list of 30 Best Bars India 2022 was headlined by New Delhi’s Sidecar, which is co-founded by bar legend Yangdup Lama, and has also been named among the World’s Best Bars in 2022.

The ‘friendly neighbourhood bar’ has gained popularity over the years for its eclectic range of signature cocktails and an equally interesting food menu! That’s not all – the team also ended up bagging some other coveted titles, including the ‘Best Independent Bar 2022’ and ‘Best Cocktail Menu 2022'. 

Copitas, a crowd favourite in Bengaluru’s Four Seasons Hotel for artisanal craft cocktails, bagged the second spot, while Home in Delhi stood third. The others who made it to the top five include Mumbai’s The Bombay Canteen (#5) and New Delhi’s Lair (#4). 

Highlights from the big night 

While regulars like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Kolkata frequently popped up in the top 50 rankings, it was a welcome change to have bars from the Northeast and Jaipur make their debut this time around!

What’s more, this was also the first time that 30 Best Bars India conceptualised an award titled ‘Best Work in Sustainability 2022’ to recognise the little steps bars are adopting to make their outposts as sustainable as possible. The award was jointly won by Cobbler Crew and Malaka Spice, both popular haunts in Pune. 

Here’s a list of all the awards: 

People’s Choice Best Bar 2022: Elephant and Co. Pune 

People’s Choice Award for Best Microbrewery/Taproom: Toit, Pune 

Industry Icon 2022: Riyaaz Amlani, Founder and MD – Impresario Handmade Restaurants 

Timeless Bar 2022: Toto’s Garage, Mumbai 

Best Bar Design: The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai 

Best Hotel Bar 2022: Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru 

Best Microbrewery/Taproom 2022: Brewdog, Gurugram 

Best Bartender 2022: Santanu Chanda, Home, New Delhi 

Best Bar Team 2022: Home, New Delhi 

Best Restaurant Bar 2022: Comorin, Gurugram